Apophis (Stargate)

Latest revision as of 05:48, 14 January 2024

Apophis is a male extraterrestrial television villain who features in Stargate: SG-1.

Biography

Apophis was a male member of the Goa'uld race who came to be the dominant race in the galaxy where he came to head a powerful empire centred around Chulak. Long ago, his people were said to had been dying until they found a primitive world named Earth dominated by humans. Such creatures proved to be excellent hosts for the Goa'uld who began taking them for their own and adopting the persona's of gods from the primitive human religions. In the Apophis, he based himself on the serpent god of Ancient Egyptian myth and was a noted rival of Ra. (SG1: Children of the Gods)

In 1997, Apophis and his Jaffa Serpent guards used a Stargate to travel to Earth, arriving in the empty Embarkation room of Stargate Command. Prior to invading the SGC, Apophis used a Goa'uld scanning device to determine if the planet was suitable. After the object deemed Senior Airman Carol Weterings as a possible candidate to host Apophis' mate, Amaunet, Apophis and his men arrived at the SGC. With his First Prime, Teal'c of Chulak having restrained Weterings, Apophis scanned her with a Goa'uld hand device with the effect knocking Weterings unconscious. Weterings and the other guards attempted to repel the invaders, culminating in a firefight. Despite their efforts, which included killing two of Apophis' six Serpent Guard party, the four guards were all killed. As reinforcements and Major General George S. Hammond arrived, Apophis and the Serpent Guards later fled back through the Stargate, taking an unconscious Weterings with them. Following the initial encounter with the Tau'ri, Apophis later traveled to Abydos, while Colonel Jack O'Neill's team were on the planet exploring a cave. Louis Ferretti, while guarding the Stargate, engaged with Apophis and his guards. The Serpent Guards kidnapped both Sha're and Skaara while killing some Abydonians and also leaving Ferretti badly injured before the group left Abydos. After the Abydonian events, Apophis returned to his palace on Chulak and began the process of selecting a suitable host for Amaunet. Amaunet rejected Apophis' first choice Waterings whom he then killed with his hand device. Later, Sha're was chosen by Amaunet with whom she then blended. Arriving at a village in Chulak, he revealed the implanted Sha're to a group of unidentified, seemingly important, individuals including SG-1. Apophis ordered SG-1 taken prisoner and were sent to a prison cell with others. He later returned to the cell, ordering his Goa'uld and Jaffa servants to select the 'children of the gods' that would become the new hosts for his fellow symbiotes. Skaara was among the chosen. Once the 'children' were selected, Apophis ordered the other prisoners to be executed and departed to the Stargate. The execution was largely prevented by O'Neill and Teal'c having had doubts about Apophis who decided to join SG-1. Following the escape, Teal'c, SG-1, SG-2, and the rest of the refugees, attempted to stop Apophis from leaving with Skaara. Their attempts failed and Apophis and his group left to an unknown planet. (SG1: Children of the Gods)

In revenge for the Tau'ri's actions, Apophis had a number of his Jaffa attempt to invade the SGC while their incursion was prevented by the Iris. Apophis eventually ceased his assault after realizing that his many attempts failed. (SG1: The Enemy Within) Continuing his search for the seemingly cloakable Fenri on a planet occupied by the Nox, Apophis attempted to capture a Fenri with three other Jaffa guards, including Shak'l. At the same time, SG-1 was investigating the creature in hopes of obtaining it's cloaking ability. Apophis encountered SG-1, who had ambushed him, but was able to activate his personal force field within his hand device before being stunned. Using one of his guards' staff weapons, he was able to kill all members of SG-1 except for Teal'c. The Nox took SG-1, along with an injured Shak'l and healed them. When Shak'l escaped, he alerted Apophis to the incredible powers of the Nox, which prompted an attack. Apophis' attack was prevented by a revived SG-1. Colonel O'Neill was ready to stun Apophis, but the Nox transported Apophis through the Stargate before he could. (SG1: The Nox)

While all Goa'uld had a liking for war, the character Apophis was uniquely militaristic. On the show, he has gone on foot into battle or battle-like situations, a marked contrast to most other Goa'uld, who are seen to generally stay as far away from danger as possible. He is seen in not sumptuous cloth, but rather a version of a Jaffa military uniform, except with a gold rather than silver-gray color. The only other System Lords known to do this was Heru-ur.

Just as in Egyptian mythology, Apophis was the nemesis of Ra, the Supreme System Lord of the Goa'uld Empire. When Daniel Jackson and Jack O'Neill killed Ra in the original Stargate movie, they inadvertently increased Apophis' power and allowed him to launch attacks against both Earth and Abydos through the Stargate, though these also appeared to be host raids intended to find matured humans suitable as Goa'uld hosts. During these attacks, Apophis kidnapped Daniel's wife Sha're, who became the host of Apophis' queen Amonet, as well as Sha're's brother Skaara, who became host to his son, Klorel. SG-1's war against Apophis and their quest to find and rescue Sha're were main focuses of the show in the first few seasons.

After several minor skirmishes between SG-1 and Apophis' forces, Apophis eventually launched an all-out attack on Earth with two motherships and an army of Jaffa during season 2 of the show. Earth's nuclear arsenal proved ineffective against Apophis' Goa'uld technology, but the attack was ultimately foiled by SG-1 after Daniel Jackson discovered a Stargate address for a Stargate on one of the ships, allowing SG-1 to sneak on board and destroy the two ships, resulting in the loss of Apophis' fleet and army. Apophis himself was thought to have perished along with his mothership, he is seen to escape at the last minute through the ship's onboard Stargate.

However, the destroyed motherships and Jaffa represented a significant portion of Apophis' forces, and his standing amongst the other Goa'uld was severely weakened. During season 2, Apophis brainwashed Teal'c's son, Ryac, in hope of compelling the shol'va to rescue his offspring, so that the virus implanted in two of Ryac's artificial teeth would kill every living thing on Earth. However, Teal'c was able to destroy the virus and save his son's life at the same time. Lastly, Apophis fathered a Harcesis as his next host and sent Amonet back to Abydos so the System lords wouldn't be aware. When the baby was born, he came to claim the child but was tricked into thinking Heur'ur took the child. He soon came under attack from the new most powerful and evil Goa'uld, Sokar. Towards the end of season 2, Sokar crushed Apophis' remaining forces and captured and tortured Apophis.

He eventually managed to escape and fled from Sokar. After being pursued by Sokar's minions, he was found during an offworld mission of SG-1 after his Death Glider crashed. Apophis demanded asylum from SG-1 and the Tau'ri, his greatest enemies, who (reluctantly) granted it to him. While he was in Earth custody as a prisoner of the SGC, each member of SG-1 had the opportunity to confront Apophis one-on-one as he lay on his deathbed.

Apophis' host, a young Egyptian scribe, also briefly reasserted himself, describing the torture of being forced to watch for thousands of years as Apophis used his body to commit unspeakable crimes. Daniel promised to give the host a proper Egyptian burial. Apophis eventually died from the injuries Sokar's torture inflicted on him, and his body was returned to Sokar, who promised not to destroy Earth. Sokar then revived Apophis through the use of a sarcophagus, in order to torture him for the rest of eternity.

Apophis became a prisoner on Sokar's prison moon Ne'tu, where his face was badly scarred. Through unknown means he was able to assume a new identity, going by the name Nao'nak, and he became the First Prime of Bynarr, the Lord of Ne'tu. Apophis eventually managed to lead a rebellion on Ne'tu, on which SG-1 was also being held captive at the time, during which he saved the life of Major Samantha Carter, only so he could later torture her for information. Once again, each member of SG-1, except for Teal'c, had a one-on-one confrontation with Apophis, during which they were able to resist his torture and bravely declare their defiance against him. Using a drug known as the "Blood of Sokar" and the Tok'ra memory recalling device, he plunged SG-1 into some of their old memories, such as Carter's memory of her mother's death and Jack O'Neill's last meeting with his son Charlie, trying to find out their secrets such the IDC, the Asgard homeworld, how to get back to Earth and where the Harcesis child is.

Apophis eventually ringed up to Sokar's mothership, culminating in a face to face showdown between Apophis and Sokar. Apophis' actions combined with the efforts of SG-1 and the Tok'ra (who blew up the moon while Sokar was in orbit around it) managed to bring about the death of Sokar and the destruction of his mothership. Apophis was thought to have perished along with Sokar, but had managed to escape at the last moment by taking a Ring Transporter to Sokar's palace.

After the death of Sokar, Apophis gained control of Sokar's massive fleet and became the most powerful Goa'uld up to that time. He also adopted Sokar's style of dress, switching from his old Egyptian look to the more Satanic wardrobe favored by Sokar. He attacked and reclaimed Chulak, killed several other Goa'uld including his long-time rival (and nephew) Heru-ur, and was one step away from destroying the System Lords and conquering the galaxy when his fleet was incinerated by an artificial supernova created by SG-1 and the Tok'ra.

Apophis once again managed to escape the destruction of his fleet, only to find himself confronted by an enemy even he couldn't survive: the great nemesis of the Asgard, the Replicators. The Replicators overran Apophis' mothership and killed most of his Jaffa. Apophis attempted to seize SG-1's mothership with the aide of a captured and brainwashed Teal'c, but that ship also became infested by the Replicators, and Apophis could only watch helplessly as his remaining Jaffa were killed by the invading menace.

SG-1 managed to sabotage the mothership, causing it to crash into Delmak with both Apophis and the Replicators onboard. The resulting explosion was massive enough to be seen from space. Right before impact, he was trapped inside his own personal shield at the helm of the ship, surrounded by Replicators and unable to do anything except scream when he realized his ship was about to collide with the planet. Even in death Apophis managed to strike one last blow against SG-1 in the form of his brainwashing of Teal'c, which lasted even after Apophis' death and required extreme measures to cure that almost cost Teal'c his life.

Overview

Personality and attributes

Similar to others of his kind, it was said that he borrowed the religion and culture of the ancient Egyptians where he adopted the name Apophis. In the field, he wore a military uniform except with a gold rather than silver-gray color worn by his Jaffa. (SG1: Children of the Gods)

It was noted that the Goa'uld Klorel was his son. (SG1: Children of the Gods)

As was the case with the Goa'uld, Apophis borrowed his name and persona from Earth's Ancient Egyptian religion where he took the name of a local god. Similar to Ancient Egyptian myth, Apophis was Ra's rival and portrayed himself as the serpent god who ruled the night as mentioned in the Book of the Dead. (SG1: Children of the Gods)

Powers and abilities

As a Goa'uld, Apophis's actual form was a serpentine parasite that resided within a host human body. (SG1: Children of the Gods)

He was equipped with hand device that provided him a range of abilities such as scanning potential hosts. (SG1: Children of the Gods)

As a powerful Goa'uld, he commanded legions of Jaffa warriors who worshipped him as a living god. These warriors made up his Serpent Guard who wore serpent-headed helmets that indicated their allegiance to their master. (SG1: Children of the Gods)

Notes

• Apophis was portrayed by Peter Williams where he featured in the setting of the Stargate: SG-1 universe.
• The character was based on the Egyptian mythological deity Apophis.

Alternate Versions

Appearances

• Stargate: SG-1:

External Links

• Stargate Wik Entry

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