Asuran (Stargate) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Asurans are a fictional race in the science fiction

Science fiction

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

series Stargate Atlantis

Stargate Atlantis

Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...

that bear many similarities to the human-form Replicators of Stargate SG-1

Stargate SG-1

Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...

. These similarities have led the Asurans to simply be called "Replicators" by other characters on the show. They are first introduced in the season 3 episode .

Plot background

The self-replicating nanites that would eventually become the Asurans were created by the Ancients

Ancient (Stargate)

The Ancients are a humanoid race in the fictional Stargate universe. They are called "Ancients" in the Milky Way, but are also known as Lanteans or Ancestors in the Pegasus galaxy and as the Alterans in their home galaxy, and they sometimes call themselves Anquietas in their language...

on the world of Asuras (M7R-227), as a weapon against the Wraith

Wraith (Stargate)

In the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, the Wraith are the original enemy alien species, first introduced in the pilot episode . In the series, they are a vampire-like telepathic race who feed on the "life-force" of humans, and are the dominant power in the Pegasus galaxy...

. As they grew in numbers and sophistication, they assumed the form of their creators. The Ancients programmed the Asurans with an aggression rivaling that of the Wraith, but when they determined that the Asurans would never become the weapons they desired, they destroyed their experiment and deleted all references to it in their database. A few nanites survived, however, and rebuilt their civilization on a grand scale. As per their programming, the Asurans attacked the Wraith, who were able to deactivate their attack command using a computer virus and cause them to withdraw to their homeworld. A minority of Asurans, led by Niam, are interested in Ascension.

Show history

The existence of a second advanced enemy in the Pegasus galaxy is first hinted at in the season 1 episode , in which the Atlantis Expedition encounters a nanotechnological pathogen that infects and kills several personnel, but did not affect those with the ATA gene. In season 3, the Atlantis team makes first contact with the Asurans. Upon learning that they have occupied Atlantis and are the Ancients' favored "second evolution" from Earth, the Asurans launch an attack on Atlantis. The Atlantis team foils the attack after Dr. Rodney McKay

Rodney McKay

Doctor Meredith Rodney McKay, Ph.D, is a fictional character in the Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, two military science fiction television shows about a military team exploring two galaxies via a network of alien transportation devices...

accesses their base code. However, his tampering also allows the Asurans to override the programming that prevents them from harming the Ancients. This becomes evident when the Asurans launch a second attack on Atlantis in , which at that time had been reclaimed by Ancients. The Asuran strike force occupies Atlantis until they are defeated by the former Atlantis team.

The Asurans eventually begin constructing a fleet of ships on their homeworld. Believing them to be a significant threat to the Atlantis expedition and Earth itself, the SGC

Stargate Command

The Stargate Program is a fictional top-secret program that plays a key role in the Stargate franchise: it surrounds the operations of the Stargate on Earth. The core of the Stargate Program is Stargate Command , based at the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station near Colorado Springs, Colorado...

dispatches the battlecruiser Apollo to launch a preemptive strike on Asuras using the Horizon weapons platform. In retaliation, an Asuran satellite weapon arrives over Lantea and attacks Atlantis, forcing the Expedition to launch the city into space to escape. When the city runs low on power before reaching its destination, the Atlantis team raids Asuras to obtain a ZPM, which also results in Elizabeth Weir

Elizabeth Weir (Stargate)

Dr. Elizabeth Weir is a fictional character in the Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate Atlantis, a military science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Elizabeth Weir is introduced as a recurring character in...

being captured by the Asurans. During the raid, McKay locates and activates the Wraith attack command in the Asurans' base code, causing them to launch their fleet against the Wraith. The Wraith attempt to use their computer virus again to deactivate the command, but McKay's modifications to the base code have rendered it ineffective. Meanwhile, the rebel Asurans use Weir's memories to create clones of the Atlantis team, but they are eventually tracked down and destroyed by Oberoth before they make any progress in their experiments.

In , it is revealed that the Asurans have adopted a new strategy against the Wraith: depriving them of their food supply by annihilating human worlds. With hundreds of thousands dead, Atlantis is forced to ally with the Wraith to find a way to stop them. McKay eventually develops a plan to enhance the bond between the Replicator nanites, temporarily drawing them all together into a single mass that can then be imploded. Over Asuras, a combined fleet of Earth, Wraith, and Traveler ships engages the Asuran fleet, allowing time for McKay's plan to be successfully implemented. The highly dense Replicator mass sinks into the core of the planet, where the heat and pressure initiates fusion, resulting in an explosion that obliterates Asuras. At least one group of Asurans survive, led by Elizabeth Weir. This Weir is revealed to be the original in the season 5 episode , which depicts the ultimate fate of her group.

Characteristics

Being also composed of neutronium-based interconnected nanites, the Asurans have many characteristics in common with the human-form Replicators of Stargate SG-1, including resistance to damage, superior strength, and the ability to probe the mind of a human by extending their hand into the human's forehead. Their nanite nature also allows them to infiltrate through minute seams in solid objects. Although the Asurans are discrete individuals, their entire race is interconnected through a subspace link. This link allows the main body of the Asurans to "reset" the programming of a particular individual. A human can become infected by nanites through direct contact with an Asuran, after which the nanites use the body as raw material to replicate themselves until they achieve sufficient numbers to form an independent entity. In the process, they suppress the body's immune system and bond to the central nervous system, essentially engaging in a "battle of wills" with the host.

The Asuran base code is the collection of millions of commands that underlie Asuran behaviors, encoded in over three billion chemical base pair sequences. Amongst these directives are codes for aggression, for attacking the Wraith, against harming the Ancients, and against mimicking the appearance of known persons. Updates to the base code are disseminated periodically to all Asurans in a process known as a "merge". Rodney McKay of the Atlantis Expedition modifies the Asuran base code in , , and , in the process inadvertently allowing the Asurans to override several of these directives. There is a central data core on Asuras that serves as a "back-up hard drive" for the base code. If destroyed, an Asuran's physical body can be reconstituted using data from the collective. Isolated Asuran nanites are vulnerable to an electromagnetic pulse

Electromagnetic pulse

An electromagnetic pulse is a burst of electromagnetic radiation. The abrupt pulse of electromagnetic radiation usually results from certain types of high energy explosions, especially a nuclear explosion, or from a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field...

, but in sufficient numbers they are able to assimilate organic components to protect themselves. The most effective weapon against individual Asurans is the Replicator disruptor, which disintegrates an Asuran by disrupting the link between its component nanites. However, the Asurans will eventually adapt and immunize themselves to the disruptor given enough exposure, and in they take the strategy of repeatedly sacrificing their number to a Replicator disruptor field so as to gather the required data.

Society

The Asurans emulate their creators, the Ancients, in appearance and lifestyle, and claim themselves to be the last of the Ancients. They are fueled by a rage that they cannot contain, written into their base code. Most Asurans are bitter towards the Ancients for rejecting them, believe them to be arrogant for disregarding their counsel during the war with the Wraith, and hate the humans of Earth for being the Ancients' favored children. They have little regard for human life and are unconcerned by the Wraith, claiming to have a long-term plan in the works for dealing with them.

Technology

The Asurans are one of the most advanced races within the Stargate fictional universe, as they possess all the knowledge of their creators, the Ancients, up to the point where they were abandoned by them. The Asurans have the ability to manufacture ZPMs, and utilize starships of Ancient design.

Rebels

A small number of Asurans still admire and respect the Ancients, and wish to follow their creators' footsteps into Ascension. They are led by Niam, who believes that the aggression programmed into them by the Ancients is preventing them from Ascending. He asks Rodney McKay to remove this aspect of their base code, but even without it the other Asurans remain hostile and reset Niam's programming to fall in line with their beliefs. The remnants of Niam's group flee from the rest of their people and go into hiding. After McKay's meddling with their base code inadvertently removes the directives against mimicking real humans, these rebels create a replica of Atlantis populated by duplicates of the Atlantis Expedition, including copies of Jennifer Keller

Jennifer Keller

Dr. Jennifer Keller is a fictional character from the Canadian-American military science fiction series Stargate Atlantis, a spin-off series to Stargate SG-1. She is played by Canadian actress Jewel Staite, who previously played the Wraith Ellia in season two episode "Instinct"...

, Radek Zelenka

Radek Zelenka

Dr. Radek Zelenka is a fictional character in the television series Stargate Atlantis, portrayed by David Nykl. He is a scientist from the Czech Republic and a member of the original expedition from Earth to the Ancient city of Atlantis in the Pegasus galaxy. His expertise on Ancient technology is...

, and Evan Lorne

Evan Lorne

Evan Lorne is a fictional character in the Canadian–American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, two military science fiction shows about military teams exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...

. They create organic copies of Sheppard

John Sheppard (Stargate)

John Sheppard is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...

, Teyla

Teyla Emmagan

Teyla Emmagan was a primary fictional character played by Rachel Luttrell in the science fiction series, Stargate Atlantis. In the show, she is the daughter of Tagan, and was a leader of a village on the planet Athos...

, Ronon

Ronon Dex

Ronon Dex is a fictional character in the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis. Played by Jason Momoa, he is a Satedan, a civilization from the Pegasus Galaxy who had a technological level comparable to Earth in the mid-20th century but met the fate of all advanced civilizations in...

, McKay

Rodney McKay

, and Weir

Elizabeth Weir (Stargate)

, in the hopes of learning the secret to Ascension. Each time the clones discover the deception, their memories are wiped and the experiment is restarted. However, Oberoth discovers the duplicate Atlantis and launches an attack on the city; Weir convinces Replicator Keller to let her and the other clones go before the city is destroyed.

In the episode , the last eight remaining members of Niam's group appear, led by the real Elizabeth Weir

Elizabeth Weir (Stargate)

. Weir reveals that, after Asuras' destruction, she attempted to lead her group into Ascension, without success. One of their number, Koracen, proposed that they upload their minds into subspace, believing that they would then be free to move onto the higher places of existence. However, they find nothing there but noise and chaos, and eventually Weir arranges for them to return to nanite bodies using the technology on Atlantis

Atlantis (Stargate)

In the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, the spin-off of Stargate SG-1, Atlantis is a city-sized starship originally located in the Pegasus galaxy. Atlantis serves as the base of operations for the main characters, from which they explore other planets through the Stargate...

. Ultimately, Weir realizes that they, as Replicators, are far too dangerous, and sacrifices herself to trick her group into following her through a space Stargate

Stargate (device)

A Stargate is a portal device within the Stargate fictional universe that allows practical, rapid travel between two distant locations. The devices first appear in the 1994 Roland Emmerich film Stargate, and thereafter in the television series Stargate SG-1 and its spin-offs...

Niam

Niam, played by John O'Callaghan, is the leader of a faction of Asurans who believe that their goal should be Ascension. In "Progeny", Niam is solicitous to Elizabeth Weir

Elizabeth Weir (Stargate)

and her team, unlike Oberoth. He convinces Oberoth to keep them alive, and he shows Weir their history and how the Ancients attempted to exterminate them. Niam asks the Atlantis team to remove their programming for aggression, and Dr. Rodney McKay

Rodney McKay

takes advantage of this access to the Asuran base code to upload a "glitch" that freezes the Replicators, allowing his team to escape. Niam flees with the Atlanteans on a Puddle Jumper, but his treachery is discovered by his brethren and his programming is reset. He becomes hostile and the Atlantis team is forced to jettison him into space. His attack on Weir introduces nanites into her bloodstream, which eventually threaten her life.

In "The Return", after the Asurans overrun Atlantis, Sheppard and his team retrieve Niam's inert body from orbit in order to use him to access the Replicator base code and immobilize them. However, Niam unexpectedly awakens during the process, forcing McKay to disintegrate him with an Anti-Replicator Gun. Although Niam is gone, his followers continue to work towards Ascension in secret from the other Asurans.

Oberoth

Oberoth, played by David Ogden Stiers

David Ogden Stiers

David Ogden Stiers is an American actor, director, vocal actor, and musician, noted for his roles in Disney movies, as well as his performances in the television series M*A*S*H as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III and the science fiction drama The Dead Zone as Reverend Gene Purdy...

, is the leader of the Asurans and an enemy of the Atlantis Expedition. His first appearance is in "Progeny", where he informs Elizabeth Weir

Elizabeth Weir (Stargate)

and her team that his people have no interest in an alliance against the Wraith. However, after he learns Weir and the others are from Atlantis, he has them imprisoned and interrogated, and orders the Asuran City Ship to attack Atlantis. Oberoth is aboard the City Ship when it self-destructs over Lantea.

In "First Strike

First Strike (Stargate Atlantis)

"First Strike" is the 60th episode and the third season finale of the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis. The episode originally aired in Canada on February 5, 2007 on The Movie Network, and subsequently aired March 14 on Sky One in the United Kingdom, and June 22 on the United...

", Oberoth has reconstituted his physical body from the Replicator collective. During the Asurans' attack on Atlantis, he answers Weir's call for negotiations. He informs her that due to the Earth battlecruiser Apollos attack on Asuras, they now regard Atlantis as a threat to be destroyed. In "Lifeline

Lifeline (Stargate Atlantis)

"Lifeline" is the second episode of the fourth season, and the 62nd episode overall, of the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis. The episode first aired in the United States on October 5, 2007 on the Sci Fi Channel, and subsequently aired October 16 on Sky One in the United Kingdom....

", Oberoth confronts Weir on Asuras, during a mission to steal a ZPM for Atlantis. As she is being sustained by Replicator nanites, Weir makes contact with Oberoth and takes advantage of his overconfidence to fool him into thinking that her team has been captured. This buys Sheppard and the others enough time to complete their objective. Oberoth eventually overcomes Weir's control and captures her.

Minor characters

Cetus (played by Panou
Panou
Panou is a Canadian actor.His birth-name translates to 'God Among Us' in his native Creole. He is 5'11". His first feature film was Trial of a Serial Killer in 1997; he has since had roles in such film projects as Steal This Movie! , the independent feature Fizzy Bizness, and the feature film The...

) Second-in-command of the Asuran force that seizes Atlantis in "The Return". He is disintegrated when the Asurans activate the city's shield, as an Atlantis Expedition team had secretly modified the shield generators to emit a Replicator Disruptor wave.
Koracen (played by Robert Moloney) One of Niam's dissidents, who joins Elizabeth Weir
Elizabeth Weir (Stargate)
Dr. Elizabeth Weir is a fictional character in the Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate Atlantis, a military science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Elizabeth Weir is introduced as a recurring character in...

in seeking Ascension. In , he develops a way for his group to upload their minds into subspace. After returning to nanite form in Atlantis
Atlantis (Stargate)
In the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, the spin-off of Stargate SG-1, Atlantis is a city-sized starship originally located in the Pegasus galaxy. Atlantis serves as the base of operations for the main characters, from which they explore other planets through the Stargate...

, he tries to escape rather than be transferred into a human body, and is destroyed by Weir.
Lia (played by Leanne Adachi) One of Niam's dissidents, who joins Elizabeth Weir
Elizabeth Weir (Stargate)
Dr. Elizabeth Weir is a fictional character in the Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate Atlantis, a military science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Elizabeth Weir is introduced as a recurring character in...

in seeking Ascension. In , she protests to John Sheppard
John Sheppard (Stargate)
John Sheppard is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...

that the rest of them knew nothing of Koracen's plans to escape and have abided by the terms set by the Atlantis Expedition. She and the others unknowingly follow Weir through a space Stargate at the end of the episode.
Talus (played by David MacInnis) Leader of the Asuran force that seizes Atlantis in "The Return". His objective is to repair the city's stardrive and take it back to Asuras. He and the rest of the Replicators in the city are disintegrated when they activate the city's shield, as an Atlantis Expedition team had secretly modified the shield generators to emit a Replicator Disruptor wave.

Earth-made Replicators

In , McKay and his team create their own human-form Replicator (played by Michelle Morgan

Michelle Morgan (actress)

Michelle Morgan is a Canadian actress and singer.She is featured in the drama series Heartland as Amy Fleming's older sister Lou on Canadian television and in the 2008 zombie horror film Diary of the Dead...

) on Atlantis using the same equipment employed by the Ancients for the originals. She is designed to serve as the nucleus for McKay's plan to draw all the Asurans together into a single mass, and as such her programming is greatly reduced. Nevertheless, she quickly learns and develops a personality, and McKay names her "Fran" ("Friendly Replicator Android") after she requests a name. Fran is eager to fulfill her function as a weapon, and even assists McKay and Zelenka in improving their plan. On Asuras, she is beamed into the Replicator city and completes her mission. In , Elizabeth Weir

Elizabeth Weir (Stargate)

downloads her mind from subspace into a Replicator body using Fran's template.

Based on data on the Asurans collected by the Atlantis Expedition, the scientist Richard Poole creates human-form Replicators on Earth under the guise of conducting research on using nanites for medical purposes. Poole is killed by one of his creations (played by Adrian Hein), who breaks out of the lab and attempts to obtain more neutronium with which to repair himself. His other Replicator creation, made in the image of the real woman Ava Dixon (played by Emma Lahana

Emma Lahana

Emma Kate Lahana is a New Zealand actress and singer, known for her roles as Kira Ford on Power Rangers: Dino Thunder and Charlotte Monroe on Hellcats.-Career:...

), enlists the help of John Sheppard in tracking down her counterpart. The hostile replicator is eventually beamed into space by the Apollo and burns up in reentry, while Ava's mind is downloaded into a virtual world to live out her life in peace.

Etymology

In Hindu mythology the Asura

Asura

-In Hinduism:In Hinduism, the Asuras constitute a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes considered sinful and materialistic. The Daityas and Danavas were combinedly known as Asuras. The Asura were opposed to the Devas. Both groups are children of Kasyapa...

are referred to as demons or "sinful" in opposition to the Devas

Deva (Hinduism)

' is the Sanskrit word for god or deity, its related feminine term is devi. In modern Hinduism, it can be loosely interpreted as any benevolent supernatural beings. The devs in Hinduism, also called Suras, are often juxtaposed to the Asuras, their half brothers. Devs are also the maintainers of...

who support the forces of light.

External links

Asurans at the Stargate wiki

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