- "Make no mistake, Osiris will return, and the rivers of the Earth will run red with blood."
- ―Osiris[src]
Osiris is a Goa'uld who was once a powerful System Lord among the Goa'uld until Osiris and his Queen, Isis, were betrayed by his brother Setesh. They were removed from their hosts and placed in Stasis jars for thousands of years. Osiris was eventually awoken when Dr. Sarah Gardner opened the jar, and he took her as a host.
Taking advantage of the "favorable conditions" following the deaths of Apophis and Cronus, Osiris built up quite a powerful army in a short amount of time, even becoming an agent and an Underlord under the feared Goa'uld Anubis.
In 2003, after an operation conducted by SG-1, Osiris was captured and removed from his host, Dr. Gardner. What happened to him afterwards is unknown, but he was presumably either killed or imprisoned.
Biography
Second Goa'uld Dynasty
Osiris's symbol.
Spawned from the Goa'uld queen Nut sometime around the end of the First Goa'uld Dynasty, Osiris immediately allied himself with Ra in his war against Anubis, surviving the subsequent purge where others did not.
During the rise of the Second Goa'uld Dynasty, Osiris distinguished himself in the eyes of the Goa'uld by stealing a sample of Ra's DNA for Isis, earning him a place at her side as an underlord. Isis somehow used this DNA to parlay for an enormous increase in power, and Osiris rose along with her by using his political savvy to pay for his place at her side. It was because of this that Osiris raised the expectation of some of the most influential Goa'uld, despite the fact that he technically did not have any power of his own.
When Ra took his position as Supreme System Lord, coalescing the other Goa'uld around him, Osiris was one of the few who were powerful enough to be included as a System Lord, though his beginnings as Isis' underlord were never forgotten by the other Goa'uld, which led to a growing hatred for his former master. Osiris personally considered himself equal to any other Goa'uld although this was not surprising considering his species egocentric nature and so he secretly loathed Isis for casting a shadow over him. Despite this, he kept her close, as he was well aware of his need for both her knowledge and her abilities as a Goa'uld queen. He decided to bide his time until he had learned all he could from his former master. (SG1: "Living Gods: Stargate System Lords")
Ancient Egypt
It was during this time that Ra discovered the Tau'ri of Earth and, much like other Goa'uld, Osiris soon came to the planet. Unlike the others, who only came to harvest the population as hosts, Osiris decided to stay on the planet permanently, as he was no longer content to rule over whatever scraps Ra left for him. Setting up a great palace for himself in Egypt, Osiris became known as a Pharaoh to the local populace, with Isis as his queen, though she rarely visited Earth. Together the two ruled over a vast area of the planet, cultivating the local populace in settlements and teaching them basic agronomy, so that they could become domesticated. It was also during his rule that Osiris and Isis bestowed religion and ritual on the people of Earth, instilling fear in them as well as a rote obedience which ensured future generations of followers and slaves.
Setesh, Osiris's brother did not agree that the Tau'ri should be civilized, as he thought that it would lead to danger. As such, he concocted a scheme to dethrone Osiris and claim his brother's empire as his own. He somehow managed to convince Osiris and Isis to strike at Ra with him, assuring them that they would be able to remove the Sun God from his throne. The three soon set their plan in motion but, at the last possible moment, Setesh betrayed them and revealed their plans to Ra; his intention all along. Isis and Osiris hid in Kheb; however, at some stage they left either by force or by choice, were captured by Ra and stripped from their hosts, and their symbiotes were placed in Stasis jars to be imprisoned for eternity.
It was sometime after this event that the Tau'ri rebelled against their Goa'uld oppressors, and so Setesh abandoned the Stasis jars in a vain attempt to reach the Stargate before it was buried by his former subjects. Tau'ri priests somehow came into possession of the Stasis jars containing Osiris and his queen soon after, hiding them away in a secure tomb so that they could not be released. Osiris and his queen stayed in place inside this tomb for millennia, unaware of the passing of time, until their tomb was uncovered early in the 20th century by an American archaeologist named Sheldon Stewart. Recognizing that the Stasis jars were clearly important objects, and unable to translate the Goa'uld writing on the outside of them, Sheldon took the jars back to America by boat. However, the jars never managed to make it to the American shore, as the ship went down just off the coast of New Jersey with all hands on board. Osiris was once more trapped but, though he did not know, his queen had died when her Stasis jar had broken open during transit. (SG1: "Living Gods: Stargate System Lords")
2000
The Osiris jar
It was only in the late summer of the year 2000 that Osiris's Stasis jar was once again found, as divers discovered the wreck of Sheldon Stewart's ship. The jar along with all the other artifacts recovered from the ship and was sent to the University of Chicago to be analyzed before being shipped back to Egypt at the behest of the Egyptian government. Falling into the temporary possession of Professor David Jordan and his former students Dr. Sarah Gardner and Dr. Steven Rayner, the trio tried to learn all they could before the artifacts were taken away once more. It was perhaps because of this haste that Sarah decided to open the Osiris jar, unwittingly freeing the long-trapped Goa'uld. Osiris, sensations dulled, did what was natural to him; he sensed the nearest host and took its body as his own. Delirious from the new memories that flushed through his mind, and recovering from the stasis, Osiris had his new host.
Moments later Professor Jordan walked into the room, curious to find out what his former student was up to. Osiris immediately turned on him, rambling and demanding to know where the Chappa'ai was located. The Professor did not know the answer to her questions, however, nor did he knew anyone named Setesh and so Osiris strangled him to death without remorse. Sobering up from the effects of stasis, Osiris began to sift through his new host's memories and feelings, recognizing the giant gap in both time and culture that existed while he had been slumbering. Realizing the ramifications of the murder he had just committed, Osiris acquired the suitable chemicals from the nearby lab and set up an "accidental" explosion to explain the professor's death. Satisfied that nobody would come looking for him, Osiris then set about searching for his queen Isis. He was unable to locate a second Stasis jar on the contents list from the Stewart expedition, and so he realized that he might need more time to conduct his own search. In order to do this, Osiris took the identity of his host as his own.
When Dr. Daniel Jackson arrived, following Professor Jordan's funeral, Sarah's memories of Jackson's "insane theories" surfaced in Osiris's mind. Recognizing these for the truth that they were, Osiris quickly realized that Jackson knew more than Sarah herself. Osiris continued his deception, watching both Jackson and Steven as they studied the Egyptian relics and hoping that the Humans would lead him to what he wanted. Like many other Goa'uld, however, Osiris underestimated the Tau'ri and did not know that Jackson had in fact discovered both the Isis and Osiris jars, concealing the knowledge that there was a Goa'uld loose from both her and Steven. Meanwhile, Steven himself managed to decipher that one of the objects acted like a key, also hiding it from his two colleagues. Steven soon stole the key and fled to Egypt, leading Jackson to believe that it was he who had been infected by Osiris, with the real Osiris following him quietly.
Osiris Returns
Jackson, with Major Samantha Carter and Dr. Janet Fraiser in tow, tried to reach Osiris's tomb ahead of Steven, so that they could stop the "Goa'uld". The real Osiris managed to beat them there, obtaining the key from Steven and opening the sealed chamber where his raiments and those of his queen had been stored for so long. Selecting the attire and accouterments of Isis in order to fit with his new host's body, Osiris stepped out of sight before the Stargate Command personnel managed to get to the tomb. Finding Steven badly beaten, the SGC personnel were confused until Osiris stepped out, overpowering them with the Kara kesh he had taken from the concealed compartment. Osiris set about questioning Jackson, demanding to know what had happened to Isis. Instead of revealing the fate of the Isis jar, Jackson instead declared that Ra, Sokar, Hathor, and most interesting to Osiris, Setesh had all died at the hands of the Tau'ri with Osiris stating that they had done him a great favor and that he would run without opposition with Daniel also claiming that Osiris wouldn't because the Tau'ri didn't worship false Gods anymore. While Osiris was processing this information, at the same time slowly destroying Jackson's mind with the Kara kesh, Jackson managed to inject Sarah's body with the sedative formula found in the Isis jar.
Osiris makes his escape from Earth using the rings aboard the hidden Archaic Tel'tak
Slowly succumbing to the sedative, Osiris swore that Daniel would pay for his insolence with Orisis deciding to flee since he was unable to fight in this condition while vowing that with his return, the rivers of the Earth would run red with blood.
Fleeing to his hidden ship, which was still perfectly intact after so many years, Osiris left Earth and disappeared among the stars. Once in the galaxy, he found little there to raise his spirits, as he discovered that he had been imprisoned for so long that his former territories had all fallen to all the other Goa'uld. Indeed, the only Goa'uld who remained from the Second Goa'uld Dynasty at all was Lord Yu, and he owed Osiris nothing. Osiris had no Jaffa to call his own, no fleets, and only what little equipment he could scavenge from hidden caches. However, conditions within the Goa'uld Empire changed in a matter of days with the deaths of Apophis and Cronus, and Osiris slowly built up a new empire, although he realized that it could take millennia until he had any hope of real power once again. (SG1: "The Curse")
2002
It was perhaps lucky for him that Osiris was noticed by Anubis, who sent his envoy Zipacna to offer Osiris a position of service. Although Osiris initially refused, when Zipacna revealed that he was working for Anubis he started to rethink the offer, as he would gain a fleet to command and many Jaffa who would serve under him. Though Osiris had once sided with Ra against Anubis, he had never been in direct conflict with him, and so the two had never really been enemies. He at first found it hard to believe that Anubis had once more risen from the dead, but Osiris soon accepted the position of power and was assigned a role under another Goa'uld who had risen from the dead, Marduk. Neither of the two knew they had a previous history, however, as Marduk had lost his memory and taken on the name Ramman. (RPG: "System Lord Plot Hooks")
Recalling the silver-tongued Goa'uld he had seen in the courts of the Second Goa'uld Dynasty, Anubis sent Osiris as his representative to the System Lord Summit two years later which had been called in the aftermath of the Tau'ri and Tok'ra eliminating all the other Goa'uld. Though the other Goa'uld present did not know of Anubis's return, Osiris's diplomatic skills proved useful in riling the other System Lords. It was at this meeting that Osiris recognized the undercover Daniel Jackson, though he held his tongue until he could be alone with him. Managing to corner Jackson in Yu's quarters, Osiris began to question him but was soon injected with a Reol chemical derivative which forced Osiris to believe Jackson's cover story. Osiris also proved that he was not willing to obey the rules as he had secretly smuggled a weapon in the form of a dagger into the summit with Orisis using it to threaten Daniel. Later in the summit, Osiris negotiated with the other System Lords further, managing to reinstate Anubis in their midst. Although Jackson was ordered to flee from the station, he instead planned on taking Osiris with him to save Sarah Gardner. His plan failed when Yu intervened, Osiris stabbing him in the chest, and Jackson had to enter an Escape pod without Sarah. (SG1: "Summit", "Last Stand")
Osiris after capturing the Asgard research lab
After that point, Osiris commanded a portion of Anubis' fleet, doing combat with the Tok'ra, other Goa'uld, and even the Asgard regularly. Because of Anubis's new shield and weapon technologies, Osiris had been able to hold his own against the formerly-invincible Asgard, and even managed to capture Supreme Commander Thor above Adara II. Anubis himself soon arrived and used a mind probe to link Thor's mind to the Ha'tak's computers. When SG-1 attempted a rescue, Osiris discovered the secret Asgard laboratory under the planet’s surface, but he found only Major Samantha Carter inside. While he interrogated Carter, Osiris learned that Dr. Daniel Jackson had died, which shocked him quite visibly. Carter was able to escape before Osiris could kill her, and fled the planet along with the rest of SG-1. (SG1: "Revelations")
2003
Osiris invading Daniel Jackson's dreams.
Over a year later, Osiris later came to Earth upon hearing that Daniel Jackson had returned from his ascended state. He had formerly discovered a tablet which he thought would lead him to the Lost City of the Ancients and, as Jackson had been ascended, he decided to use him to translate it. Positioning a cloaked Al'kesh above Earth, Osiris used Asgard beaming technology to beam into Jackson's bedroom at night whilst he was asleep. Using a modified memory recall device, Osiris entered Jackson's dreams and acted as Sarah Gardner from their time at the University of Chicago. At first Jackson helped translate the tablet, but he soon discovered that it was in fact Osiris who was trying to extract the information. As such, Stargate Command set up a trap for Osiris. Using a Jamming device to broadcast an anti-beaming signal over Jackson's house, the SGC personnel trapped Osiris on Earth.
Osiris in his final moments.
With Jackson attempting to discover the location of the Lost City, Colonel Jack O'Neill and Teal'c waited outside Jackson's bedroom while Osiris probed his mind. Unable to translate the tablet, Jackson awoke and O'Neill entered the room but Osiris used his Kara kesh to throw O'Neill against the wall. Osiris fled outside and engaged Major Samantha Carter and Pete Shanahan using a Za'tarc ring, injuring Pete in the process. He was eventually captured by O'Neill who fired a sedative through Osiris's personal shield. The Osiris symbiote was subsequently removed from Sarah Gardner's body, and it is presumed that the Tau'ri killed him, or he died in the extraction, as it is doubtful the Tau'ri or Tok'ra would release him to be free in the galaxy again, and he hasn't been seen since then. (SG1: "Chimera")
Personality
Despite taking a female body, Osiris still seemed to think of himself as male, though he knew how to use his female body to the greatest extent and adopted a particularly flashy female wardrobe. Osiris seemed significantly less stubborn than many other Goa'uld, as he allied himself with Anubis, in acknowledgement of the other Goa'uld's greater power.
Osiris was nonetheless still a megalomaniac of the highest degree: he refused to work for Zipacna until he learned of Anubis's return, and he rarely turned down a chance to claim divinity, even doing so when confronting the Asgard, something most System Lords didn't bother with.
Osiris had a certain interest in Daniel Jackson, both because of his host's history with him and due to Daniel's role in the deaths of most of Osiris's rivals. Daniel's feelings for Sarah likely influenced Osiris's decision to keep her as his host rather than seek out a body more suited to his tastes. Osiris was visibly distressed when he was informed of Daniel's death, though precisely what this indicated is not clear.
As with all other Goa'uld, Osiris was also ruthless and spared no remorse when it came to torturing his enemies for information. He also knowingly sacrificed many Jaffa troops serving him so that his surviving troops could capture Jack and Teal'c who had secretly invaded the ship.
Osiris also possessed some degree of pride and arrogance as well.
Notes
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- Like many Underlords, Osiris has been commonly seen using a silver Kara kesh.
- Osiris is one of only three known Goa'uld whose gender does not match that of its host. The others are Ba'al, who briefly took Adria as his host, and Tanith, who took Hebron as her host (although Tanith's gender was never made explicit).
- Osiris did not bother to switch to a male body after it was likely that he had the opportunity to do so after he regained some power.
- In Egyptian Mythology, Osiris is usually described being the superior as well as the real father of Anubis (he was raised as Setesh's son), though it was never implied or even mentioned in the series. In the series, their status is reversed.
- However, the relationship between Osiris, Isis, and Setesh reflects the original treatment in ancient Egyptian mythology. The exception is Heru'ur (helenized name Horus), who in mythology is the son of Osiris and Isis, whereas on the show he is the son of Ra and Hathor.
- After Apophis' death at the beginning of season 5, Osiris assumes his place as SG-1's personal nemesis, although he is working for Anubis the whole time.
- While Osiris' fate is unclear, it is very unlikely that he survived the extraction, as the symbiote seems to die unless the Tok'ra take special measures. This is shown with the extractions of Ba'al and Klorel.
References
External links
- Osiris in Kathleen Ritter's Lexicon.
- GateWorld's article on Osiris in The Stargate Omnipedia
- Osiris article on Stargate SG-1 Solutions' The StargateWiki
- The mythological Osiris on Wikipedia