Wraith

From SGCommand

"If the Wraith have never touched your world, you should go back there."

—Teyla Emmagan

The Wraith are a vampirous, hive-based species that harvest on the 'life-force' of other beings for nourishment through suckers on their palms. Countless worlds in the Pegasus Galaxy live in constant fear of the Wraith, who return periodically to cull their human herds.

Contents 1 History 2 Physiology 2.1 Feeding 2.2 Telepathy 3 Society 3.1 Culture 3.2 Political inclination 4 See also 5 Episodes 6 References 7 External links

[edit] History

The Ancients first encountered the Wraith many thousands of years ago. After arriving in Pegasus in Atlantis, the Ancients seeded several planets with humans and Stargates. One of the planets held a creature called the Iratus bug, which began feeding off the humans. Eventually, they began to take on advantageous human characteristics, such as larger brain mass, bipedal locomotion, and opposable digits. Once awoken, the Wraith went to war with the Ancients and fed upon the people on these worlds—until the city of Atlantis was all that remained untouched. The Wraith attacked Atlantis with their powerful weapons, but the city's shield held. While the Ancients held the technological advantage, there were so many Wraith that the Ancient Council saw no way to win. Defeated, the Ancients decided to submerge the city and leave through the Stargate to Earth.

The Wraith as a collective species go through long hibernation cycles, lasting hundreds of years. Their massive hive ships contain untold numbers of hibernation pods. During this time only a small number of them move about, enough to keep their victim worlds on edge. The sleeping masses are watched over by a small group led by the Keeper, one Wraith designated with their care whose death would signal their premature awakening—as it did when she was killed by Major John Sheppard.

The Keeper interrogated Colonel Marshall Sumner and learned that a plentiful feeding ground—Earth—exists elsewhere in the universe, but she was unable to determine where. Upon her death, the entire hive reawakened. Now that the species is moving, feeding on planets throughout the Pegasus Galaxy, no one is safe. However, there are not enough humans to sustain for long. The Wraith attacked Atlantis, hoping to learn the location of Earth. The Tau'ri and the Athosians battled to preserve the city, but the Wraith were too many. The Atlantis expedition then faked a self-destruct, setting off a timed nuclear warhead and cloaking the city. The Wraith, believing the city destroyed, left, causing them to fall into Civil War over the available feeding grounds.

The Wraith use stun weapons to incapacitate their prey, so that they can feed on their victims later. Their ships include the hive ships, which can land on planets during an extended hibernation cycle, and Wraith Darts—small, fast-moving ships capable of traveling through Stargates and equipped with culling beams for transporting their prey aboard.

[edit] Physiology

The Wraith are characterized by a pale blue or light-green epidermis, yellow eyes, and white, black, or red hair. As a species they have a social structure similar to that of Ants or other hive/nest-based creatures, with distinct physiological differences between castes of Wraith, tailored to facilitate different functions within the society. They also possess telepathic abilities. They have displayed in several episodes phenomenal physical strength, along with phenomenal physical agility. Their eyes can glow in darkness, giving them night vision and thermal vision abilities.

The majority of Wraith so far observed are male. Adult female Wraith have been seen to fill the higher echelons of Wraith society as 'Queens'. Beneath the Queens are workers, soldiers and drones. The lowest echelons are distinctly different; they lack intelligence and are larger and much more muscular.

Wraith exhibit bipedal locomotion and have mostly humanoid characteristics. These characteristics include noticeable sexual dimorphism; female Wraith have protruded breasts while male Wraith exhibit noticeable facial hair. While it is unknown how Wraith reproduce, it is likely that they procreate similarly to placental mammals, given their presumed origin and other sexual characteristics similar to those of humans. The "soldier" caste, presumably also "male", exhibit noticeable muscular definition as compared to the male Wraith of the "leadership" caste, who are considerably meeker. According to Michael, the soldiers are unimaginative, and possess rigid thought patterns. Within the separate castes, however, males differ very little.

An adolescent female, Ellia, was a key character in "Instinct". Based on her appearance, it seems that the Wraith maintain a more human appearance until they reach their equivalent of puberty. Ellia possessed dark brown hair and a more human complexion. It is unknown whether Ellia is an entirely different kind of female Wraith, or if she would have eventually metamorphised into one of the females of the type seen in "Rising" and "The Lost Boys". It is also not yet known if all young Wraith start off looking this way.

The Atlantis Expedition knows little of Wraith physiology, but some facts have been learned. Though humanoid in appearance, the Wraith are genetically closer to the Iratus bug than humans. The Wraith possess none of the normal human inhibiting proteins, giving them a frighteningly efficient regenerative mechanism in their genetic makeup, allowing their bodies to heal themselves. Their regenerative abilities are so powerful that, as long as the cells are properly nourished, it is unlikely that the Wraith ever die from natural causes the way that humans do. These abilities are powerful to the point that dismembered body parts have the ability to move on their own.

[edit] Feeding

"All living things must eat."

—Wraith Keeper

Nourishment for the adult Wraith is the human "life force". Humans or very similar beings (e.g., Ancients) are the only food source that can properly nourish a Wraith, although they are capable of cannibalism. It is also unknown whether or not the Wraith require fluids (e.g., water), to facilitate other bodily functions. The exact science of the life-force drain is not described, although it is portrayed as a materialistic process. This drain is depicted as though it could be likened to the sipping of a drink through a straw. The Wraith can drain their victims slowly in order to torture and obtain information, or just to perform an act of sadism. As the victim is drained of life, the victim experiences pain and appears to age rapidly. This is not actual physical aging, but a by-product of the feeding process.

Despite the presence of teeth, the Wraith do not use their teeth to puncture the epidermis of a human. Rather, the life force is drained via specialized organs in the palm of their hand. Wraith typically attach this organ to their victims' chest, particularly right near the heart, where the skin is punctured. During the feeding process, the victim is injected with a special enzyme. It strengthens the human body temporarily and ensures that the heart continues to beat. This is so the victim doesn't die immediately. The feeding process is so traumatic, without the special enzyme, the body of the human would shut down far sooner than the Wraith would like. Simply put, they make a victim stronger so they can take more time to kill them. In most cases the enzyme is released slowly into the bloodstream throughout the feeding process.

Large doses of this enzyme have been known to increase the strength, speed and agility of regular humans. Lieutenant Aiden Ford became the first of these 'supermen' when he received a large dose of the enzyme after the death of the Wraith feeding on him. The numerous drawbacks of the high dose include altered brain chemistry and addiction to the drug requiring addicts to actively search for and kill Wraith to obtain it.

Despite the use of a special enzyme during the feeding process, the act of draining a life force from a Human is extremely painful for the prey. For some, even a partial feeding can cause the person to simply die from the trauma they sustained.

The Wraith can consume human food and drinks, but apparently it gives them no nourishment and is strictly done for pleasure. This is apparently considered to be a more sophisticated type of enjoyment, and not all Wraith do this. When the Wraith are young however, they consume normal human foods (which explains their possession of a fully functional digestive system). As the Wraith mature, they begin to crave feeding on the human "life force", regardless of whether or not they have tasted it before.

Wraith are also able to give back life. "The Gift of Life", as a Wraith referred to it, is typically reserved for devout worshipers and their "brothers". John Sheppard was returned to normal and perhaps even younger than he was previously after being fed upon numerous times by a Wraith, who he escaped with from Kolya's prison. Dr. McKay commented on how he looked younger than he did before. This appears to be done after the Wraith has fed.

The ability to heal is apparently connected to how recently they have fed. If one has recently fed, they will heal almost instantly, though one who hasn't fed in some time is much weaker, but still quite strong. Even bullet holes quickly seal themselves like evaporating water. Females have a much stronger immune system. The species also has advanced telepathic abilities: they can force their prey to see things that are not there, and can use their mental powers to forcefully interrogate humans, though they are incapable of actually reading a human mind. The Wraith also release a sticky, web-like substance that they use to cocoon victims for future feedings.

[edit] Telepathy

"Do not trust your eyes. The Wraith can make you see things that are not there."

—Teyla

While the Wraith have tongues and vocal cords, their primary means of communication is telepathic in nature. In effect, the Wraith have developed a telepathic network, allowing for communication over vast distances.

It has been determined that the proper introduction of Wraith DNA into human DNA, likely via gene splicing, permits humans the ability to access the Wraith mental network, although the humans who do connect can be summarily controlled by the Wraith, due to superior psionic abilities. Even a small amount of properly introduced DNA is enough to allow this telepathic ability to occur; it remained even after a number of generations of the genes being "watered down" by breeding with humans without this modification. After the initial 'infiltration' by Teyla into the telepathic network, the Wraith began to segregate their communication network to prevent sensitive information from being received by their enemies.

The Wraith are also capable of psychic projection, causing humans to hallucinate (resulting in disorientation), and also enabling them to undermine the ability to resist Wraith interrogation through the power of suggestion. This ability was demonstrated on Colonel Marshall Sumner during his interrogation by the "Queen Keeper" Wraith, when she wished to know from where the Colonel and his team had come. Another Wraith Queen later used this ability to interrogate Sheppard, but was interrupted. Another time they use the hallucination powers is when they are in the middle of a culling. This is shown in "Rising" (Part 2), when they use the hallucinations to keep the people in one place so it makes them easier to cull. During this time they use a shadow/ghost to scare the people away from the forest. The Wraith are also able to keep their thoughts from other Wraith, as Michael was deceived by his hive regarding their intentions toward their alliance with the Atlantis expedition, and was also able to deceive another Wraith when he said he was asked by the Queen to interrogate Colonel Sheppard.

This telepathic network makes Wraith somewhat of a security hazard when captured as they can project their telepathy to summon their comrades to assist them. This telepathy is not very strong and cannot go beyond a planet which has aided some people when capturing the Wraith. However, groups of Wraith combined can merge their talents to focus their telepathic field which can be received by distant Hiveships as was the case with Michael and his band of hybrid Wraith.

Telepathy can be used by the strongest of telepaths in battle as a Wraith Queen was once able to get Atlantis military personnel to drop their weapons and bow down to her so she could feed.

[edit] Society

[edit] Culture

"We are a patient race, Major."

—Steve (Wraith)

Little was known of Wraith culture itself except that it was focused upon culling the Human populations of the galaxy for feedings.

The Wraith are focused around a hive based society similar to insects but this does not mean that they are guided by a collective mind despite being telepathic. Within the Hive, there exists lower caste 'drones', which are masked warriors that perform most of the general duties. This lower caste are supervised by more intelligent male 'commanders' whose faces are not masked. Higher above these Wraith are an unknown group known as Keepers which are tasked with maintaining their technology. The highest authority of the Hive was the Hive queen who maintained near absolute control of the Wraith Hive-Ships. It was rare for males to take command of their gargantuan hive ships but there was one occasion where a Wraith 'king' was sighted who had been responsible for the culling of Sateda.

Concepts such as beauty and comradeship do appear to be present within the vampiric species. One Wraith that had been captured by the Genii for an unspecified amount of time declared that his escape attempt was worth seeing the stars once again. In addition to this, the same Wraith performed the Gift of Life on a Human which they only did so to their most devout of worshipers and their 'brothers'.

Despite being hated by a majority of Humans within the Pegasus galaxy, the Wraith were known to be served by Wraith worshippers who would be allowed to live for their obedience.

[edit] Political inclination

The Wraith possess an extremely strong territorial instinct, making inter-hive cooperation very rare. Politically, the Wraith appear to have lacked any form of united government since the end of the war with the Lanteans. The hives are extremely fierce in the defense of their own territories, and kill any who trespass on worlds which they claim as their feeding ground.

The situation was made worse with the arrival of the Atlantis Expedition. Upon learning of the existence of Earth, the Wraith awoke from their hibernation cycle fifty years prematurely with the hopes of culling Earth. However, the Wraith have been unable to locate Earth. As the humans of Pegasus were unable to repopulate themselves, and as there were too many Wraith to allow them to sustain themselves, the Wraith have devolved into civil war. This, however, has allowed the Tau'ri a new strategy in fighting the Wraith.

[edit] See also

• Language
• Technology
• Ancestors

[edit] Episodes

(ATL: "Rising", "Thirty-Eight Minutes", "Poisoning the Well", "Underground", "The Defiant One", "The Gift", "Conversion", "No Man's Land")

[edit] References

Wraith enzyme; Wraith Fleet; Wraith worshippers

[edit] External links

• GateWorld's article on Wraith in The Stargate Omnipedia
• Wraith on Wikipedia