Self-destruct

A self-destruct mechanism is usually implanted within the power grid of a starship, space station or base, logically consuming a vast amount of the available fuel resources within the main core(s), in order to provide the most destructive chain reaction possible, in the shortest amount of time. Sometimes, it's preceded by a build up, resulting into an overload. In the case of starships, most of the time they can be controlled from starships, and triggered once proper verification protocols have been passed succesfully, but certain systems allow auxiliary control from remote panels throughout the ship or base.

This is a last resort procedure generally used to prevent capture, or to cause as much damage as possible when the ship or base in question is overwhelmed by enemy forces. The resulting effects are generally cataclysmic in regards of the size of the devices.

List of referenced self-destruct systems found in:


 * Apophis' mothership, activated by Apophis or his Jaffa in order to fight off Replicators before they could stop the reaction . The energized matter shockwave was so powerful that even when the Ha'tak piloted by Jacob was far away from Apophis' ship (it couldn't be seen on screen anymore), all energy had to be diverted to shields, which were raised in urgency, to protect it.
 * Midway space station, destroyed to put an end to a Wraith incursion . The stargates used in the station may have survived.
 * Aurora, destroyed and vapourized two nearby Wraith cruisers.
 * Wraith cruiser, activated by a Wraith Queen but cut off before it exploded . Had it succeeded, the explosion would have cracked the sea bed, released the magma and destroyed Atlantis as a result.

Self-destruct being primarily generated from the reactors more than anything else, it has also been possible to turn independant power sources into bombs of tremendous power, by building up energy and overloading them (so that even if an energy buffer was present, it couldn't cope with the excess of energy). This was achieved with:


 * A portable Naquadah generator Mk-I, capable of building up an energy worth of 20 kilotons, according to McKay.
 * ZPMs, with varied results, going from estimated star system obliteration, to assured planetary mass scattering , or mere destruction of an Asuran city-ship in orbit of Lantea , displaying the capacity to define a threshold level for the overload of ZPMs.

We are yet to see other power sources used in such a way.