Jack O'Neill

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Stargate SG-1 Character
Jonathan 'Jack' O'Neill

Status	Alive
Gender	Male
Species	Human
Origin	Chicago, Illinois
Portrayed by	Richard Dean Anderson
First Appearance	Stargate
Profession	USAF Officer/Pilot
Relatives	Sara O'Neill (ex wife) Charlie O'Neill (son, deceased)
Special Features	ATA gene Former host of the Tok'ra Kanan

Major General Jonathan "Jack" O'Neill (b. October 20, 1952) is a fictional character originating in the movie Stargate. Jack, in the TV series spinoff Stargate SG-1, is played by Richard Dean Anderson. Although Jack is the same character as portrayed by Kurt Russell in the film, Richard Dean Anderson's portrayal is very different in personality. O'Neill likes to make it a point that that there are two Ls in his name, as opposed to the single L in the O'Neil in the movie.

Spoiler Warning: Plot details and/or information about the ending follow. If you wish to enjoy the work first, stop reading here and return at another time.

1 History
2 Character
3 Career
4 Injuries
5 Commendations
6 Love Life
7 Major Life Events
8 Memorable Quotes and Expressions
9 Trivia
10 External Links

History

O'Neill was born in Chicago, Illinois, but like Richard Dean Anderson, was raised in Minnesota. As established in the movie and carried into the series, Jack was married to Sara O'Neill, with one son, Tyler (Charlie in the series). Tyler accidentally shot and killed himself with Jack's gun. This defining moment altered Jack's life forever, and Jack retired in depression from the Air Force.

In the film, the Stargate is figured out by Dr. Daniel Jackson. Jack was called back to duty by General West, who, knowing Jack was suicidal, decided he was ideal for a mission to go through the gate to the planet Abydos, determine what, if any, alien threats existed, and destroy it by detonating a nuclear warhead.

On Abydos, Jack and his team, including Daniel Jackson, discover a primitive people. He becomes friends with a young boy Skaara, the son of Kasuf, ambassador to Ra, the planet's evil ruler. Skaara's friendship helps Jack thorough his depression and with help from Daniel, his team, and the local population, save the Abydonians from their enslavement to Ra by blowing up Ra's ship with the nuclear weapon as it entered orbit.

SG-1 picks up where the movie left off, with Jack once again being called from retirement by General George Hammond. When aliens come through the gate, he is forced to admit that he did not destroy the Abydos gate. Daniel Jackson returns to the SGC and, with the addition of Captain Samantha Carter, they form the team known as SG-1, with Jack as the commanding officer.

In Children of the Gods, Jack convinces Teal'c to abandon his loyalties to Apophis and join him in the fight against the Goa'uld. Teal'c and Jack become extremely close friends.

Character

Jack O'Neill as protrayed in the movie is very formal and duty oriented, and as a result of his recent personal tragedy, very stiff and humorless. He makes some recovery from his depression through his interactions with Skaara and the people of Abydos, and at the end of the movie is swayed from his suicidal plan.

O'Neill in the series differs dramatically. He is known for his humor and sarcasm, and has some of the best one-liners in the series. He has been noted as having a problem with authority, and his casual approach—and sometimes obvious disrespect—can be galling for some millitary officials. He defies orders several times in the series and is known to lack diplomacy. He has also developed a valid mistrust of new alien races, and expects trust to be earned and loyalty to be proven.

Jack is a simple man, of simple thoughts, who enjoys quiet fishing at his cabin, and thrives on the adventure of going through the gate. As a general rule, he dislikes scientists. When Dr. Sammantha Carter joins his team, he is at first wary of her. She proves herself to be an excellent addition to his team. He routinely stops all complex scientific discourse, demanding the simplest possible explanation at all times. He is not known for complex thinking of any sort beyond military strategies. As Carter once said, "You have a way of seeing things at their simplest."

Career

Jack entered the Air Force Academy and graduated in 1974. He begins the series as a colonel and is promoted to brigadier general, and, shortly after, major general. He is currently assumed to be the head of Homeworld Security, replacing General Hammond.

It is assumed that Jack, due to his rank, must have achieved a master's degree outside the military at some point. Jack, however, never mentions his education, and significantly downplays his intelligence despite an obvious aptitude for military strategy.

He has been a member of special forces and participated in the Gulf War, during which he was taken prisoner for four months. He never forgave his team for leaving him behind and assuming he was dead.

He is a trained pilot and has been known to fly fighter jets as well as Goa'uld Death Gliders.

Injuries

Jack's injuries received in the line of duty have been numerous and several have been life threatening. He has broken nine bones including a skull fracture. He has suffered through three knee surgeries and experienced internal injuries, hypothermia, anoxia, concussions, a dislocated shoulder, and nuon radiation exposure. He has been implanted with a symbiote twice, one a Goa'uld that was killed before taking control and the second a Tok'ra implanted to help cure him of an Ancient virus. That virus was only one of three he suffered. The first, a histaminolytic turned him into a caveman and the second, a nanovirus aged him several decades. He has been shot six times, once with an arrow, twice by bullets and three times with a staff weapon. He has also been stunned eleven times with a Zat'ni'katel. Surprisingly, Jack has died more times than "dead again Daniel". Baal tortured, killed and revived him numerous times. He was also killed in a future reality by laser fire and was revealed to have died in an alternate reality.

Commendations

Jack has been decorated several times for his heroism and courage. He has received:

Air Force Cross Medal
Master Space/Missile badge, command level
Master Parachutist badge, command level
Airman's medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal
Air Force Commendation
Air Force Achievement Medal
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
Vietnam Service Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal
Air Force Longevity Service
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with Palm
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Silver Star Medal
Bronze Star
Merritorious Service Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor
Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Air force Overseas Ribbon short Tour
Purple Heart

National Defense Service Medal

Love Life

Jack's love life within the series is fairly uncomplicated, particularly when compared to his teammates; which is to say, his love interests usually survive the experience without any significant problems.

O'Neill and Kynthia

He has a crush on Mary Steenburgen.
He was married to Sara O'Neill but they divorced after the death of his son.
He was also married (without his knowledge) to Kynthia of the planet Argos in the episode "Brief Candle." The marriage ended when he returned to Earth.
He also had a relationship with Laira, when stranded for three months on the planet Edora in the episode "One Hundred Days."
He had a brief affair with CIA Agent Kerry Johnson in the episode "Threads." That relationship came to an end when Kerry implied that there was more to his relationship with Sam than he was willing to acknowledge.

Samantha Carter is Jack's most notorious love interest and part of one of his most complex interpersonal relationships. Their relationship is a collection of subtle allusions and the occasional alternate-reality acknowledgment that there may be something more than is shown. The two appear to have very little in common, as he has no patience for her scientific explanations and he doesn't understand her devotion to science as a part of her job and her personal life. He admitted caring more about Carter than was appropriate to his position as her commanding officer in "Divide and Conquer." In the episode "Point of View," he discovers that he and Carter were married in an alternate reality. Alternate versions of both characters expressed their attraction to each other in "Moebius." The main obstacle to their relationship appears to be their careers. In the Season 1 finale, "Within the Serpent's Grasp," Jack is shocked to learn that he and Carter were engaged in the alternate reality Daniel visited. In his words, "It's against regulations." This is most notable for the fact that he did not acknowledge shock at the idea of relationship itself. Carter's feelings were always much clearer than Jack's. He comforts her on a few difficult occasions but it's never clear whether he does so as a friend or something more. Some fans speculate that they may currently be together romantically now that they are no longer working together.

Major Life Events

He was a prisoner of war in Iraq.

He is responsible for recruiting Teal'c to fight the Goa'uld and, in the process, gained a best friend.

He was infected with a virus that made him regress to a primitive state in "The Broca Divide."

He was forced to confront the death of his son when he was duplicated by a crystalline alien entity in "Cold Lazarus."

He was temporarily made into a Jaffa in "Hathor."

His mind was copied into an android body in "Tin Man."

He makes the first contact with the Asgard in "The Fifth Race," when the contents of an Ancient library is downloaded into his mind for the first time. He willingly downloads the Library once again in "Lost City, Part 1" in order to save Earth from Anubis.

He was caught in a time loop and forced to learn Latin to translate text on an Ancient artifact.

He was stripped of his memories and forced to work in an alien power plant in "Beneath the Surface."

He was exposed to a deadly virus in "Frozen" and became host to the Tok'ra symbiote Kanan.

He was tortured, killed, and resurrected multiple times by the Goa'uld Baal.

He was accused of murdering Senator Kinsey in "Smoke and Mirrors."

He was cloned by Loki and replaced by a teenage version of himself.

For several years, he had glimpses of the life of an Indiana barber (episode "Citizen Joe").

He convinced Lt. John Sheppard to join the Atlantis expedition.

Memorable Quotes and Expressions

When caught golfing through the Stargate in "Window of Opportunity":

"In the middle of my backswing?"

"Oh, for crying out loud."

"Ya think?"

"I ask you, what could possibly be in my eye that could explain all this?"

"Oh, this has nothing to do with you being a woman. I like women. I've just got a little problem with scientists."

Jack O'Neill: I just walked in with a handful of ingredients for my world-famous omelette!

Sam Carter: World-famous, huh? What's in it?

Jack O'Neill: Eggs.

Sam Carter: I don't think that that actually qualifies as a recipe.

Jack O'Neill: Oh, don't kid yourself, there's a secret ingredient. I can't tell you what it is or I'd have to shoot you.

Sam Carter: It's beer, isn't it?

"How's a needle in my butt going to get water out of my ear?"

"Hypnosis. You know, I'm not a big fan of that bark-like-a-chicken, cluck-like-a-dog stuff."

"I'd like to apologize in advance for anything that I may say or do that could be construed as offensive as I slowly go nuts."

"That's O'Neill with two Ls; the other one has no sense of humor."

Jack O'Neill: I'd rather have died myself than lose Carter.

Anise: Why?

Jack O'Neill: Because I care about her. Way more than I'm supposed to.

"You ended that sentence with a preposition, bastard."

Jack O'Neill: D'oh!

Teal'c: What is it, O'Neill?

Jack O'Neill: I forgot to tape The Simpsons!

[Teal'c raises his eyebrow]

Jack O'Neill: It's important . . . to me.

"You gotta love those guys!"

Teal'c: "O'Neill. Shall we not be assisting Daniel Jackson with the translation?"

Jack O'Neill: "I'm taking this loop off."

(Teal'c watches as O'Neill plays with condiments.)

Jack O'Neill: "I'm telling you, Teal'c. If we don't find a way out of this soon, I'm gonna loose it."

(Teal'c sits and gives O'Neill a look of being confused.)

Jack O'Neill: "Loose it. It means, go crazy. Nuts. Insane. Bonzo. No longer in possession of one's faculties. Three fries short of a Happy Meal. WHACKO!!"

Trivia

He's a big fan of The Simpsons.
He has broken nine bones.
He enjoys fishing despite the fact that, until "Moebius," it was believed there were no fish in his pond.
He learned Latin, pottery-making, and juggling in "Window of Opportunity."
He likes motorcycles.
He owns a telescope and enjoys looking at the stars.
He often corrects poor grammar.
He possesses a gene that allows him to operate Ancient technology.