Stargate
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- This article is about the science fiction setting. For other meanings, see Stargate (disambiguation). See Stargate (device) for the fictional device after which the series is named.
The Stargate fictional universe is originally based on the 1994 science fiction film Stargate. The following works take place in this universe:
- The 1994 film was originally intended as the start of a film franchise, but creators Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin moved on to create Independence Day.
- A series of books were published from 1996 to 1999 that were sequels to the film. However, the subsequent TV series was an entirely different development and there was no attempt to reconcile the plot lines of the books and television episodes.
- The science fiction television series Stargate SG-1 first aired in 1997. Several novels are based on this story of this series.
- The science fiction cartoon television series Stargate Infinity first aired in 2002, but is not considered canon, so the other works that take place in the setting do not agree with its story and setting.
- The science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis (a spin-off of SG-1) first aired in 2004.
- A simulator-style amusement park ride Stargate SG-3000 located at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom.
The two series Stargate Atlantis and Stargate SG-1 are set in the "present day" and feature characters associated with the United States military and other government organizations that explore the universe through the wormholes created by an ancient "stargate", interacting with aliens and humans who were transplanted from Earth long ago.
In the Stargate universe, most Earth mythologies are based on events and personalities of aliens who visited Earth in the past through these gates, so many of the prominent alien characters on the show closely correspond to the gods recorded in Egyptian, Norse, Hindu, and other mythologies.
Some other races refer to Earth's humans as the Tau'ri, meaning "those of the first world." It was from the abundant life found on prehistoric Earth that an alien race, the Goa'uld, took humans and seeded thousands of other planets. Initially, all humans who traveled through the Stargate were transported by the Goa'uld, a parasitic race that uses humans as hosts and slaves.
Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin, the creators of the original film, had nothing to do with Stargate SG-1 and do not consider it a valid continuation of the film's story, although MGM owns the rights to the franchise. As a result, some fans of the movie reject the series.
Retroactive continuity from the film to the SG-1 series
The original film did not develop as much of the setting's depth as would be needed in a television series, so many minor details of the universe that were introduced in it were changed in SG-1. For example, in the movie:
- The Goa'uld were not named, and were presented as conventional humanoid forms, with Ra using a sort of incorporeal "possession" of a human host instead of direct biological parasitism.
- Ra was the last of a dying race rather than just one of many Goa'uld System Lords.
- It is possible that this is still true in the series, and the Goa'uld domination of the galaxy did not start until after Ra discovered Earth and started using humans for hosts and slaves, since it is never specified how old Ra is or when he first discovered Earth. He could have been the last true System Lord at that point, but not the last Goa'uld symbiote, which would explain the later increase in their population.
- Colonel Jack O'Neill's name was spelled O'Neil.
- Colonel O'Neill's son was named Tyler, rather than Charlie.
- Kawalsky's first name was Adam, rather than Charles.
- Jackson's wife's name was Sha'uri, rather than Sha're.
- The Stargate's chevrons did not glow red when locked on a symbol.
- The visual effect representing the perspective of the traveller as he passes through the wormhole was longer than in the television series.
- Abydos was "on the far side of the known universe", rather than one of the closest Stargates to Earth.
- The Air Force base was under Creek Mountain, rather than Cheyenne Mountain.
- The slightly debilitating frost and cold caused by traveling through the Stargate is not present, except in in the pilot episode, "Children of the Gods", and the season five episode "Red Sky".
Several of these differences were simply ignored by the series, but others have been explained in various episodes of Stargate SG-1. For example, it was sarcastically mentioned at one point that there is another Colonel named Jack O'Neil whose name is often mixed up with Jack O'Neill's (and who "has no sense of humor"). The Stargate's vibration when establishing a wormhole has been suppressed by the development of a vibrational dampening system, and the original movie version of the traveller's-eye-view visual effects were shown again when the Stargate was opened to an unusually distant address. The missing frost has been explained by more precise 'aiming' by Earth's dialing computer (to compensate for the drift of the planets in 10 000 years). The others were most likely just oversights between the two, such as Jack's son's first name (it was only seen briefly on an award on the wall in his room). It is also possible that "Tyler" was the name given to him at birth, but he preferred to be called Charlie (perhaps this is his middle name).
External links
- MGM: Stargate SG-1 (http://www.stargatesg1.com)
- SCIFI.COM | Stargate SG-1 (http://scifi.com/stargate/)
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- Pegasus Galaxy | The Online Scifi Resource (Includes SG1, Atlantis and Battlestar Gallactica (http://www.pegasusgalaxy.com/)
- GateWorld | Your Complete Guide to Stargate! (http://gateworld.net/)
- Stargate SG-1 Archive (http://sg1archive.com:)
- Stargate Wiki (http://wiki.stargate-sg1-solutions.com)
- Stargate Links (http://www.scifidirectory.net/cat-41.html)
- Sg-One-Stargate.com Toute l'actualité Francophone sur Stargate (http://www.sg-one-stargate.com/z/html/) (french)fr:Stargate