Star Trek has long hinted at a tragic backstory for Doctor McCoy, even as he set the gold standard for all other physicians in the Star Trek franchise. In 1981’s Star Trek #13, first published by Marvel Comics, McCoy meets his estranged daughter on a distant world – and she brings out a highly problematic dark side to the good doctor.
In the story "All the Infinite Ways" – written Martin Pasko, with art by Joe Brozowski, D. Hands, and Tom Palmer – McCoy's shortcomings outside of Sickbay are explored through a chance encounter with his adult daughter, whom he has a complicated relationship with. The interaction is tense, and the story ends on an uncertain note, with reconciliation between father and daughter possible but not assured.
Doctor McCoy is a Good Doctor - Not a Good Dad
"All the Infinite Ways" takes place during a visit by the Enterprise to the resort planet Hephaestus. Planetside, Doctor McCoy sees a very familiar-looking woman. Realizing it is his daughter, Joanna, he tries to approach her, but she rebukes him. Joanna chastises her father for abandoning his family, for not being a dad to her. Doctor McCoy is generally known as a model of empathy and compassion in the Star Trek universe, and as a result, his attitude and abusive behavior toward Joanna can be jarring to readers. In its most extreme moment, McCoy even slaps Joanna across the face.
Doctor McCoy was the Chief Medical Officer of the USS Enterprise for all three seasons of the original Star Trek. Owing to the conventions of 1960s television, Doctor McCoy’s backstory went largely undeveloped – but there were hints at a sad and tragic history. Played by DeForest Kelly in The Original Series, with the role assumed by Karl Urban in the 2009 film, McCoy is regarded as one of the best Medical Officers in the history of the franchise, but his personal life seems to have been less pristine. 2009’s Star Trek film established that McCoy was divorced; it was the pain from this divorce that led him to join Starfleet.
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"All the Infinite Ways" extrapolates from these hints, and the resulting story is Doctor McCoy at his lowest. McCoy learns that Joanna is engaged to the Vulcan ambassador Suvak – who is slowly dying. In the course of the issue, Suvak dies, leaving McCoy struggling to come to terms with what happened. He cannot share Joanna's grief over Suvak’s death – he actually feels joy. McCoy acknowledges he should not feel this way, and that there is no chance for reconciliation with Joanna. Spock convinces him otherwise, and the issue ends with him going down to the planet to try.
Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry intended to introduce Joanna during run of The Original Series in the third season episode “The Way to Eden,” even making her a love interest of Captain Kirk, but this ultimately did not happen. Joanna's canonical status remains apocryphal, with "All the Infinite Ways" representing her most significant appearance to date. In the issue, Doctor McCoy lamented that he would never be a part of Joanna’s world; that his actions on Hephaestus had driven a wedge between them. It remains for a future Star Trek story to reconcile Doctor Leonard McCoy and his daughter Joanna, to show more of their relationship beyond one of McCoy's darkest moments.