Asgard (Stargate)
The Asgard are an advanced alien species that features in Stargate: SG-1.
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History
Early history
Around thirty thousand years ago, the Asgard were much different and capable of sexual reproduction. During that time, they had launched a ship from their homeworld with a crew that was in suspended animation. A failure in the navigation system caused the vessel to become lost. This craft drifted across the empty expanse between galaxies until it arrived around a world in the Milky Way Galaxy. In time, they eventually discovered cloning technology and began to use it to reproduce. For nearly a thousand years, they had been unable to achieve reproduction through meiosis. (SG1: Revelations)
They eventually visited Earth and were a more benevolent race who became regarded in human myth as the gods of Norse mythology. Legends held the Asgard as being gods and friends to mankind who protected them from the predation of the evil Etins. (SG1: Thor's Hammer)
One such protected world was the planet Cimmeria with the System Lords being informed in Era 40.73.29. Thor was placed in charge of protecting this world and had a device known to the primitive inhabitants as Thor's Hammer. This protected the planet from the Goa'uld as an invasions through the Stargate saw the invaders being taken by the device and faced with the threat of being trapped in a cave or having the Symbiote purged to free the host. It was this reason that worlds such as Cimmeria were banned for travel by the Goa'uld with the Jaffa taught to avoid such destination coordinates. (SG1: Thor's Hammer)
Earth
Stargate Command first suspected the existence of the Asgard due to the research conducted of Earth mythology by Dr. Daniel Jackson. Through his reading, he determined that the Goa'uld were not the only race that had visited the Earth and believed that they could be potential allies to Earth. They discovered the existence of the world of Cimmeria with SG-1 being dispatched to investigate. (SG1: Thor's Hammer)
Around six months ago, they had discovered a ship containing one of the ancestors of the Asgard that came from a time before their genetics were irreversibly damaged. The vessel was discovered around a planet in the Milky Way Galaxy with only a single specimen preserved in perfect condition in suspended animation. Asgard researchers began to study the specimen in the hope that a study of his physiology would help them stave off their own genetic degradation caused by their cloning methods. (SG1: Revelations)
The Lost Tribe
With the weakening of the Wraith in the Pegasus galaxy combined with the growing hostility of their toxic homeworld, the lost tribe of Asgard made their move and entered the galaxy once more in an attempt to survive. Their travels resulted in their discovery of Janus's secret outpost and they learnt of the Attero device but were unable to activate it without its control key. Fortunately, the Atlantis Expedition discovered Janus's secret lab at Atlantis which signalled the lost tribe of its location. They thus stormed the city with three of their kind in armored exoskeletons which meant that they were not recognised and took the control key along with Daniel Jackson and Rodney McKay.
Returning to Janus's outpost, they forced the Humans to activate the device which began its effects on the Wraith Hiveships resulting in their destruction but also led to overloads in Stargate's on other worlds which exploded thus killing thousands of Humans. The lost tribe of Asgard were unconcerned with this and were focused on destroying the Wraith in order to survive but they were thwarted by the Atlantis Expedition.
Overview
Thousands of years ago, they were physically much different and more similar to humans. (SG1: Revelations) Their species had no adrenaline glands and no epinephrine in their lymphatic systems. (ATL: Allies) As a race, they reproduced exclusively through enhanced cellular mitosis making them all clones. This was a practice that had been adopted for the last thousand years as they had lost the means to achieve sexual based reproduction. A result of this method, however, had created a lack of genetic diversity and deterioration among their kind making them a dying people. (SG1: Revelations)
The inability to reproduce through sexual means was not a subject that they spoke of with outsiders. (SG1: Revelations)
Through cloning based technology, the Asgard were able to reproduce and had achieved a form of immortality. This was because as each body failed, the consciousness of an Asgard was transferred into a new younger version of themselves. A process of controlled mutation was used to avoid complete genetic breakdown but genetic diversity had proved to be the biggest problem to their species. This was because the endless copies made by cloning created a deterioration in their genetic makeup and the Asgard had reached the limit of their technical capabilities in reproducing through this method. (SG1: Revelations)
A leadership body within their civilization was the High Council of the Asgard. A senior ranking position within their military was that of the Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet. (SG1: Thor's Hammer)
On certain worlds, the Asgard installed defensive systems that were hammer shaped monoliths that were placed near a Stargate. One such device was known to the natives as Thor's Hammer and was made to protect the Asgard's charges on protected planets. Travellers through the Stargate were scanned by the monolith and if the detected the presence of a Goa'uld Symbiote then a transportation beam activated. It beamed the target along with anyone in close proximity and teleported them to an underground cavern. A hologram then played a recorded message that sentenced stated that the cavern was to serve as the Goa'uld's prisoner. The only exit was an archway that contained a machine that killed a Symbiote but left the host unharmed. Thus, any Goa'uld was forced to remain trapped in the cave for the end of their days or sacrifice themselves thus freeing the host. (SG1: Thor's Hammer)
Members
- Thor :
- Freyr :
- Heimdal :
- Loki :
Notes
- The Asgard were an original creation for the Stargate: SG-1 universe.
Appearances
- Stargate SG-1: "Revelations"
- Stargate Atlantis: "Allies"
External Links
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