John Bearclaw was a 23rd century human Starfleet officer. He was captain of the USS Gallant for several years until the ship's destruction in 2285. His son was William Bearclaw, a Starfleet officer aboard the USS Enterprise.
Early Life
John Bearclaw was the son of Cochese Bearclaw and lived traditionally among his fellow Apache on land regained during the latter half of the 21st century.
Although John cherished his people's traditions, he felt there should be more Amerind personnel in Starfleet and applied to Starfleet Academy with his tribe's blessing. John performed well at the Academy and had an exemplary career. In 2262, he married his childhood girlfriend Lila and their son William was born the following year.
The Gallant
Bearclaw assumed command of the Gallant in 2278, when his son was 15-years old. (TOS comic: "Who's Who in Star Trek")
On Stardate 8141.5, the Gallant was patrolling the Klingon Neutral Zone near Gamma Hydra when the ship was suddenly attacked by four Klingon battlecruisers. Despite his attempt to put up a valiant fight, Bearclaw died along with his crew when the Gallant was destroyed.
Captain Bearclaw's death deeply affected his son, who blamed Gallant science officer Bryce for the loss. This grudge carried over to Bryce's daughter, Nancy, when both were posted to the Enterprise. (TOS comic: "The Wormhole Connection")
- Captain Bearclaw's first name was never mentioned during the course of either DC comic book series. His first name comes from the Bearclaw entry in the aforementioned Who's Who citation.