I'm Matthew Revilla for Gateworld, and today we're looking at everything we know
about the "Daedalus Variations" aliens from both canon and non-canon sources.
RONON: "Where the hell did he come from?" These guys appeared in just one episode of
Stargate Atlantis, "The Daedalus Variations," where the Atlantis expedition encountered an
alternate version of the Daedalus that was equipped with an alternate reality drive.
This never-before-seen piece of technology allowed the ship to jump to different realities.
However, due to a flaw its design, it would keep jumping to different universes.
When our Atlantis team encountered the ship, they got stuck on it when the
ship suddenly skipped to a different universe. During their little adventure to get back home,
they encountered these guys once when they entered their universe and the aliens attacked them,
and later when they were going backward through all the universes they had previously passed
through – though the second time they were helped by that universe's Atlantis expedition.
This was the only time we got to see these guys in Atlantis, and sadly there's not a
lot of behind-the-scenes information available about them. Most come from executive producer
Joseph Mallozzi and the episode's writer Alan McCullough, who both said at the time that these
new aliens wouldn't be seen again in Season 5. This does imply we would've seen them in Season 6.
Oh, wait ... uh, anyway ... While there is very little known about this race,
there are two theories about who they are and where they come from. The first is a fan theory
and the second is an actual origin given in the Stargate Atlantis comics. Although these aren't
canon, the aliens are used in an interesting way. We're going to look at both these theories and
try and determine which, if either, makes the most sense.
The fan theory is that these guys are actually an alternate version of the Wraith. Remember,
they are from a parallel reality – and the Wraith there might have evolved very differently.
The aliens do seem to share some likeness to the Wraith, especially
their teeth and overall facial structure. Their ships and fighters also appear to bear
a resemblance to our Wraith ships and fighters. The main difference between the Wraith and these
guys is that our Wraith use organic technology, while these guys use electronic technology. They
even seem to have devices implanted within their bodies, implying they are cyborgs.
(Also, fun fact: the pistols used by this race are reused props from both the
Serrakins and the Oranians from Stargate SG-1.) While the evidence for this theory may seem a
little sparse, just relying on visual similarities between the two races, it makes sense. And given
their introduction in an alternate reality, it makes sense to show an alternate version
of a race we have become very familiar with. The one problem with this theory is that,
as weird as this sounds ... it's TOO good of a theory. The pieces fall too much into place,
and it's too cool of an idea that if they were to do almost anything else,
it might be seen as a massive disappointment. Next we move to the explanation of this race
shown in the Stargate Atlantis comics, written by Mark L. Haynes and illustrated by J.C. Vaughn.
American Mythology published this series between 2016 and 2018.
There will be some minor spoilers going forward for the comics. I won't be going
into the full story, as I do want to leave you all with some surprises to get from this story.
The "Daedalus Variations" aliens would invade from their reality three months after the final
episode of the show, when Atlantis battled with the Wraith super-hive above Earth.
We learn the Wraith encountered them at one point and discovered two pieces of information.
First is that the Wraith are unable to feed on them,
and the second is that the technology used to create these aliens are of Lantean design.
Not entirely sure what that means, if these aliens are clones with cybernetic enhancements
or something to that effect. But the point is that these aliens have some connection to the Lanteans.
They would go on to conquer and enslave multiple worlds, gathering material to build an armada.
We would eventually learn that these aliens were a weapon created by an alternate
version of the Lantean Janus in order to eliminate the Wraith.
The aliens' goal is to wipe out all Wraith – not only in their own universe,
but across all realities in the multiverse. But ultimately they would fall under the
control of the Janus in our universe (who is still alive). Despite their version of Janus being dead,
their programming forced them to obey the commands of our universe's Janus.
And that's the origin of these unknown aliens – at least according to the author of the comics.
That's the problem with this idea. Since the comic books are not canon in the Stargate universe,
you have to take this explanation with a grain of salt. It's a really intriguing idea,
but it's just, at the moment, not canon.
Before we get to the end, I must confess I told a small lie near the start of the video when
I said there were only two theories about the origin of this race. There are three, actually.
The third theory is a fan theory as well. It suggests that these guys are
just a race native to the Pegasus Galaxy that we haven't gotten to see much of yet.
It's a big galaxy out there after all, and our team hasn't visited
anywhere close to every inhabited world. Possibly they're one of the advanced
races that Elizabeth Weir mentioned when she returned as a Replicator.
It's not that this is a bad theory. It's just that it doesn't scratch that "theory
itch," if you get my meaning, as it offers no insights into this race.
Are they cyborgs like the Borg? Do they even exist in our own universe?
Are they similar or different to the alternate universe versions we saw?
We don't know, and the theory doesn't offer any explanation beyond the suggestion that
they are a race to learn more about in the future. Except the show was canceled
after five seasons and the writers never got a chance to come back and tell more
in-canon stories about them. Out of the three theories,
I prefer the idea that this race is an alternate version of the Wraith, as I find the concept of
Wraith using electronic technology over organic technology very interesting.
As much time as the show spent exploring the evolution of the Wraith from the iratus bug,
it's interesting to think that in a parallel universe the same species
evolved in a radically different way. But what do you all think? Which idea
do you like? Alternate Wraith, or Lantean weapon from another universe?
Do you prefer the idea that this was just another Pegasus race we would meet in the
future? Or do you have a new theory of your own? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
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