<span class="SFPTagline">
From SCIFIPEDIA
</span>
Teyla Emmagan is a fictional character played by Rachel Luttrell on the TV series Stargate Atlantis. She is the daughter of Tagan, and the leader of the Athosian people. She is a member of Atlantis' main reconnaissance team, led by Lt. John Sheppard.
History
Teyla first appeared in the series premiere, "Rising, Part 1," when a team from Atlantis arrives on her home planet, Athos, in hopes of finding a ZPM to power the city, or a safe place to evacuate the Atlantis expedition before the energy shield protecting the submerged city failed. Teyla forms an immediate bond with John Sheppard, a member of the team, who, unlike their military leader Marshall Sumner, puts her at ease and makes a real attempt at friendship. Teyla and the other Athosians are surprised to hear that the Atlantis team come from a world untouched by the Wraith.
Teyla leads Sheppard to the nearby Ancient city, despite her people's belief that entering the city would bring the Wraith. Sheppard recovers a necklace Teyla lost as a child and shortly after, the Wraith attack. It is later discovered that the necklace was a beacon for the Wraith.
In the Wraith attack, Teyla saves Sheppard from being beamed up by the Wraith, but is captured along with Colonel Sumner and several other Athosians. Sheppard attempts a daring rescue and Teyla is brought to Atlantis with the other Athosian refugees. Teyla joins Sheppard's team and quickly becomes at ease with the other members of the expedition.
The Athosians remain in Atlantis for a while but eventually become uncomfortable with the humans from Earth and distrust grew between both groups. At one point, Teyla is even accused of being a Wraith spy when the wraith begin to appear on every offworld mission. Several other Athosians were also interviewed during an investiagation to discover how the Wraith new where the team would visit. The necklace Sheppard found proved to be the culprit and Teyla is vindicated. The Wraith placed a beacon inside the necklace that was designed to be activated by someone with the ATA gene. It became active when Sheppard picked it up and returned it to Teyla.
The desire of the Athosians to move on to a home of their own force Teyla to make a choice between continuing to lead her people and remaining with the expedition. Teyla chooses to stay on Atlantis while her people move to the mainland.
Season 3
Teyla was able to put her abilities to use again in "Submersion" where she faced off against a Wraith queen who survived for thousands of years deep beneath the Oceans of Atlantis. Teyla's skills proved integral to the survival of the team and she better learned to control her abilities even against a mind more powerful than her own.
Season 4
Teyla and a transformed Kanaan
In the series' fourth season, Teyla was devastated when her people disappeared from their new home on New Athos. She was forced to push an inexperienced Dr. Jennifer Keller to the edge of her abilities in order to survive when they were hunted by cannibalistic tribe she suspected were responsible. She later learned that they weren't behind her people's disappearance and she was determined to find them, particularly after discovering she was pregnant and her child's father was among those missing.
As her pregnancy advanced, Teyla realized her unborn son had inherited hers and his father's telepathic ability to tap into the Wraith telepathic network. His mind served to enhance her own abilities, allowing her to control a Wraith queen and rescue her teammates. Her abilities also allow her to control a Wraith hive ship ("Spoils of War").
Season 5
Teyla later learned that the man she loved, Kanaan, and her people had been taken by the Wraith called Michael but only after she had been taken by him. Michael intended to use her son's genetic makeup to perfect his hybrids, created from his experiments on her people. Among those transformed were Kanaan and to her disappointment he was almost completely under Michael's control. Kanaan was able to break through Michael's control and with his assistance and the persistence of her teammates, she was rescued from Michael's cruise ship moments after giving birth to a son she named Torren John Emmagan, after her father and John Sheppard.
Character
Teyla is a natural leader with good instincts. She has well honed skills in the martial arts, particularly in a form of stick fighting. She also excels at diplomatic relations and has helped Atlantis build trading relationships with the planets and peoples she knows. She is their guide to the life and cultures of the Pegasus Galaxy.
Teyla also possess the rare ability to sense the Wraith. In the episode "The Gift", it is discovered that the Wraith experimented on several of her ancestors in an attempt to improve the feeding process by splicing Wraith and human DNA. The experiment was a failure as many of the humans developed the ability to hear Wraith telepathic communications. The humans were allowed to rejoin the rest of the population in hopes that the ability would diminish over generations. When other Wraith discovered the situation, they killed the entire populace, but not before some escaped to Athos.
Teyla learned her ability to sense the Wraith was only one part of her ability. She soon discovers she can eavesdrop on their communications. Unfortunately, the Wraith were able to turn her ability around and use it to control her body. Her ability allowed the Atlantis team to discover a wraith spy hiding within the city.
External Links
Stargate Wiki - Teyla Emmagan
Gateworld - Teyla Emmagan]
2008, SCI FI. All rights reserved.
