Apophis

"Somebody's got to teach that guy how to die!"

- Jack O'Neill

Apophis was once an extremely powerful Goa'uld System Lord. The brother of the Supreme System Lord Ra, he originally commanded a minor fleet, but he grew in strength to command the power of multiple System Lords that had been killed during his reign, ultimately succeeding Ra as the dominant System Lord after his death. He held one human host in his life. He was one of the most powerful enemies of the Tau'ri and a personal enemy (ultimate nemesis) of SG-1. After many years of war, his fleet was destroyed in the Vorash system and Apophis was finally killed for good when his ship crashed into his homeworld Delmak thanks to SG-1 and the Replicators.

1997
In the aftermath following the death of Ra, Apophis' power significantly increased during 1997, along with the knowledge of his existence. In order to find a new host to his mate, he used the Stargate on Chulak to search various planets for appropriate females, including Earth and Abydos. Apophis arrived on Earth before the Stargate was set to be buried and kidnapped female United States Air Force Senior Airman Carol Weterings. Despite resistance by other Airmen, he was not stopped and was able to return to Chulak. He later arrived at Abydos, while Colonel Jack O'Neill's team was present and kidnapped Sha're and Skaara.

With his job done, he had his mate, a symbiote, check the females and kill them if they weren't adequate. Apophis killed Weterings, but accepted Sha're as his new mate. Arriving at a village in Chulak, he revealed the implanted Sha're to a group of individuals, which included SG-1. Apophis ordered SG-1 taken prisoner, and they were thrown into a large cell with other prisoners. He returned to the cell and ordered his Jaffa servants to locate children to select the "Children of the gods". Once the children were selected, Apophis ordered the other prisoners executed and promptly left to go to the Stargate. The execution was foiled by O'Neill and Apophis' First Prime Teal'c and they, along with the rest of SG-1 and the refugees, attempted to stop Apophis from leaving with Skaara. Their attempts failed and Apophis and his group left to an unknown planet.

In revenge for the actions of SG-1 and SG-2, Apophis had a number of his Jaffa attempt to invade Stargate Command. However, his attempts were faltered by the SGC's Stargate Iris. Apophis eventually stopped his assault after a number of attempted invasions.

Continuing his search for the seemingly cloakable Fenri on a planet occupied by the Nox, Apophis attempted to capture a Fenri with three other Jaffa guards, including Shak'l. At the same time, SG-1 was investigating the mystical creature too. Apophis encountered SG-1, who had ambushed him, but he was able to activate his personal force field within his hand device before he could be stunned. Using one of his guards' staff weapons, he was able to kill all members of SG-1, minus Teal'c. The Nox took SG-1, along with an injured Shak'l and healed them. When Shak'l escaped, he alerted Apophis to the magical powers of the Nox, which prompted an attack. However, Apophis' attack was foiled by a revived SG-1. Colonel Jack O'Neill was ready to stun Apophis, but before he could, the Nox transported Apophis through the Stargate.

1998
Because of the problems the Tau'ri were causing the Goa'uld, Apophis, with his son Klorel, took two Ha'taks in a campaign to conquer Earth. SG-1, however, had already arrived on a Stargate being carried in Klorel's mothership, and managed to rig the vessel to explode and incapacitate Klorel. Bra'tac, Apophis' former First Prime, also helped SG-1, by directing Klorel's mothership to move closer to Apophis', and damaging the Pel'tac's controls. Unable to save his ship, Apophis and Klorel ringed over to Klorel's mothership and used the Stargate to escape. But the damage to Apophis was incalculable.

Because of the loss of two motherships and most of his Serpent Guards, Apophis' standing among the System Lords was considerably weakened. Apophis attempted to take revenge on Teal'c by brainwashing his son Rya'c with Nish'ta and using him to infect Earth with a deadly plague, though Stargate Command stopped him.

He also impregnated Sha're, the host of Amaunet, with the hopes of using the child as a future host. He hid Sha're on her homeworld Abydos to keep the other System Lords from discovering her. However, Dr. Daniel Jackson and Teal'c thwarted his efforts, feeding him misinformation that Heru'ur took the child.

1999
Within a year, Apophis' forces were nearly depleted, suffering losses to both Heru'ur and Sokar. Fleeing from Sokar's forces, Apophis demanded sanctuary among the Tau'ri, at the very least hoping to kill the Tau'ri with him. However, the Tau'ri soon turned Apophis over to Sokar after his death. Sokar revived him with a Sarcophagus and sent him to Netu. Apophis managed to assume the guise of Na'onak, First Prime of Bynarr, Lord of Netu. However, at some point his face was horribly disfigured on one side, presumably from torture and he took to wearing a sort of mask over that side after his escape.

When SG-1 and the Tok'ra Martouf arrived hoping to rescue Jacob Carter, Apophis killed Bynarr, and incited a rebellion. He tortured SG-1, trying to learn information to make Sokar spare his life, such as information about Iris codes and how to contact the Asgard. While he greatly enjoyed torturing SG-1, all he learned was that the Tok'ra were based on Entac. Planning to kill Sokar once he was in his presence, Apophis ringed aboard Sokar's mothership. However, Sokar had already conquered Entac, and there were no Tok'ra there. Sokar ordered Apophis to be killed, but soon Netu's core began to destabilize. Apophis killed Sokar's guards and ringed to Delmak, Sokar's homeworld. Sokar was killed when Netu's explosion destroyed his ship. There, he claimed that he had killed Sokar, and took Sokar's forces for his own. .

2000
Less than a year later, Stargate Command learned of Apophis' survival, after he launched an attack on Chulak, searching for the Harcesis, and later launched an attack on Kheb. He also built a new flagship, more powerful than the standard Ha'tak, and began to build a new type of mothership. The later was destroyed when SG-1 sabotaged the construction facility.

Apophis later came close to an alliance with Heru'ur, but the Tok'ra and SG-1 were able to sabotage it, hoping to start a war between the two and decimating their power. However, Apophis had brought a cloaked fleet with him, and was able to destroy Heru'ur's mothership, killing him. Absorbing Heru'ur's forces into his own, Apophis was easily the most powerful System Lord within the Goa'uld Empire.

2001
thumb|300px|right|Apophis dies With his fleet on the way to attack the Tok'ra base on Vorash, Major Samantha Carter and Jacob Carter devised a bold trap: they intended to cause Vorash's sun to go supernova, hoping to destroy most of Apophis' fleet and possibly even Apophis himself. The plan worked, but Apophis survived, capturing Teal'c in the process. Apophis' mothership and a Ha'tak that SG-1 had acquired after they had killed Cronus was thrown to another galaxy, one which the Replicators were in.

The Replicators destroyed Apophis' mothership, though Apophis was able to escape along with a few Jaffa bodyguards and Teal'c, who had been brainwashed into believing he was his First Prime. Apophis and his forces were able to take over the Ha'tak, but the Replicators had managed to sneak aboard (Apophis bought them with him to the Ha'tak). The Replicators took control of the Ha'tak, flying to Delmak at incredible speeds (up to 800 times the speed of light). Though SG-1 and Jacob were able to escape, taking Teal'c with them, Apophis was trapped in the Pel'tac. SG-1 was able to disable the Sublight engine, causing an uncontrolled re-entry into Delmak. Apophis was killed in the crash.

His death, following the death of Cronus a few days earlier, caused the System Lords to enter into a war that the Tok'ra hoped would last for years. However, it helped Tanith and Zipacna become formidable players in the "new order" forged. Worse, it also accelerated events which resulted in the return of Anubis.

Alternate realities

 * In an alternate reality, Apophis was a Goa'uld System Lord who invaded Earth in 1998, destroying several of the planet's major cities. He lost his First Prime, Teal'c, when his Jaffa army invaded Cheyenne Mountain. As part of his plan Earth's cities were being destroyed and it is never made clear if he plans to enslave the Tau'ri or commit genocide.
 * In an alternate reality, Apophis took control of Earth and tortured Major General George Hammond for the location of the Beta Site. However, with the help of some visitors from another reality, the Tau'ri contacted the Asgard and Apophis was defeated. This version of Apophis had a goatee.
 * While technically not an alternate reality, Apophis did appear as a doctor in a dream sequence that Teal'c was having when he was sharing his symbiote with Bra'tac after the Ambush of Kresh'ta.

Alternate timelines

 * In an alternate timeline, Apophis was still in control of Chulak with Teal'c as his First Prime. He tortured Dr. Daniel Jackson, but Daniel resisted so Apophis implanted him with a Goa'uld to access his knowledge. Apophis also sent a fleet of Ha'taks to attack Earth.
 * In an alternate timeline created by Ba'al, Apophis was the last System Lord to have ever stood up against Ba'al, who became sovereign of the galaxy. He was captured and imprisoned on Ba'al's mothership. Ba'al executed him by cutting off the top of his head, letting the symbiote fall out before dying.

Personality
Like all Goa'uld, Apophis was arrogant, egotistical, and confident. But he seemed less confident than others by comparison, though this was only after he experienced torture at the hands of Sokar. Apophis did seem to genuinely care about his son and wife, as he was outraged at his son's disgrace, and cried out his wife's name as he died. It is interesting to note he was one of, if not the, only Goa'uld to actually admit fear. Apophis was a tad of sadist, taking pleasure in the torturing of his enemies.

Apophis was a thoughtful individual, and a keen strategist, having been shown to play out long term, calculated plans. He also was ready and willing to use underhand tactics, such as flat out lying to his enemies. He also is a powerful manipulator, manipulating Teal'c at one point with relative ease.

In contrast to his brother, Apophis seemed to be more comfortable in the battlefield, seen as he was the only other Goa'uld, the other being Heru'ur, to actually lead his Jaffa servants out into the battlefield.

Apophis seemed to be the first of the System Lords to recognize the Tau'ri as a possible threat, though he took them into little consideration when it came to his long term plans.

Despite his arrogance, Apophis was willing to swallow his pride, and beg for help from his own enemies, and was willing to bargain with them. Although it would have no effect on his enemies, Apophis offered them all the knowledge of the Goa'uld Empire.

First Primes

 * Bra'tac (?-?)
 * Teal'c (?-1997)
 * Kah'l (?-1998)
 * Kintac (1999)
 * Teal'c (2001)

Behind the scenes
David J. Tholen and Roy A. Tucker, two astronomers who are reportedly fans of Stargate SG-1, named a near-Earth asteroid that they co-discovered in 2004, 99942 Apophis as an allusion to the Stargate villain.

References and notes
Apophis Apophis