- "To borrow from a human euphemism, it is not a perfect galaxy."
"Yeah, well I'm sorry, I get a little testy when faced with the total annihilation of our little corner of it." - ―Thor and Jack O'Neill[src]
The Milky Way (a translation of the Latin Via Lactea, in turn derived from the Greek γαλαξίας κύκλος (galaxías kýklos, "milky circle")), called Avalon by the Ancients, is a galaxy in the Local Group. It is home to several species influential to the history of the known universe, including the Ancients, Goa'uld, Tau'ri, and Jaffa.
The Milky Way galaxy is also one of a few known galaxies with a functional Stargate network, the others being Pegasus, and also Ida, the Alteran Home Galaxy, and all of the other galaxies visited by Destiny and her sister ships.
History[]
Ancient history[]
Millions of years ago, the Milky Way was inhabited and colonized by a species later called "Ash Eaters". This species became extremely technologically advanced and would come to rule the Milky Way. Over time, they would evolve to the point they transcended their physical forms and became non-corporeal entities capable of feeding on and entirely consuming all forms of matter and energy such as organic or non-organic matter, planets, stars and even black holes. Any matter consumed by the Ash Eaters would be turned to ash and dust hence their given name "Ash Eaters". The species' hunger would eventually become so consuming that they destroyed their own empires and as a result retreated back to their homeworld where they would slumber for millions of years until awoken once again. One member of this species would come into the possession of Ra and later Neheb-Kau millions of years later who attempted to unleash the creature on the galaxy in his plot for revenge against those he felt wronged him. Ultimately the Ash Eaters where imprisoned in a black hole shortly after they awoke but they will eventually consume their prison and be freed to roam the galaxy again.
Millions of years after the Ash Eaters reign, the Milky Way was colonized by the Ancients at some point prior to 175 million BCE after they fled their home galaxy. They first settled on a planet they called Dakara, and later on Earth after they used a terraforming device (later left in Antarctica) to break the supercontinent Pangea apart so they could eventually colonize the planet, with Earth becoming their capitol from which they created a vast empire that spanned the entire galaxy and endured for millions of years. Earth, known to the Ancients as Terra, was used as the reference point for the Stargate network with the coordinate system inspired by constellations as seen from Earth.
Approximately five to ten million years ago, a virulent plague infected the Ancients that nearly wiped out the species. Originating at the construction site for their new Capital known as Vis Uban, the deadly disease would spread across much of the galaxy. They attempted to travel back in time to stop the plague from spreading, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Unable to cure it, the surviving Ancients left Earth in a huge space-borne city, which they called Atlantis.
Before leaving, the Ancients reseeded the Milky Way with human life with the Dakara superweapon. As a result of this intervention, the Tau'ri — the "second evolution" of the Ancients — evolved on Earth. By 9,177 BCE, the Tau'ri had developed primitive societies in isolation from the rest of the galaxy as a result of not having access to the planet's original Stargate, which was buried under ice in Antarctica. This changed when the Goa'uld System Lord Ra discovered the planet and brought a second Stargate to transport Tau'ri slaves to Goa'uld-controlled planets.
By 3,000 BC, the Goa'uld had seeded the Milky Way galaxy with various human races descendant from the Tau'ri, most prominently the Jaffa. It was at this point that the Tau'ri back on Earth rebelled against Ra, ultimately forcing Ra to abandon the planet. The humans then buried the gate. (SG1: "The Torment of Tantalus", "The Fifth Race", "Window of Opportunity", "Oceans of Dust", "Frozen", "Full Circle", "Lost City, Part 1", "Lost City, Part 2", "The Drift", "Threads", "Avalon, Part 1", "The Powers That Be", SGA: "Rising")
20th Century onwards[]
Ra's Stargate lay buried until it was unearthed in 1928. In 1996, the Tau'ri activated their Stargate, and their first off-world expedition to Abydos, led by Colonel Jack O'Neill, confronted and killed Ra. This event created a power vacuum in the System Lords ranks, triggering the Tau'ri-Goa'uld War, a war that would last for ten years and eventually led to the downfall of the Goa'uld as the dominant power in the Milky Way.
In 2006, the enemy that was responsible for the Ancients fleeing to the Milky Way, and presumably also the plague that wiped out most of the Ancients, known as the Ori, started a massive crusade in the galaxy. In this crusade, they attempted to gain enough power for themselves so that they could defeat the Ancients. After two years of war, the Ori were finally destroyed. The Priors of the Ori were made to believe the truth about the Ori, that they were not true gods, following the activation of the Ark of Truth, effectively ending the war in the Milky Way. Later, Ba'al, the last remaining System Lord was eliminated, removing the Goa'uld as a major threat forever. (SG1: "The Ark of Truth", "Continuum")
Characteristic of the galaxy[]
- "I have been around the galaxy long enough to know that knowledge is power, and understanding the technology that was left behind by the Ancients is the most powerful knowledge around."
- ―Vala Mal Doran[src]
During the height of the Goa'uld empire, residents of many Milky Way planets considered anyone traveling through the Stargate to be supreme beings of great power, with many even revering the Goa'uld (or other gate-traveling races) as gods. (SG1: "Children of the Gods", "The First Commandment")
Various other races regarded the Stargate itself as being either an object of magic or a weapon of great evil. As such, many planets in the Milky Way have often buried their Stargate purely because they wish to live in peace for the rest of their lives without interference from any other race, including the Goa'uld.
Races native to the galaxy[]
- A't'trr
- Alien of P3X-244
- Aturen
- Ancient
- Atanik
- Cave people of P3K-447
- Enkaran
- Gadmeer
- Furling
- Human
- Abydonian
- Amran
- Argosian
- Arkhan's people
- Arlos' people
- Aschen
- Avnilian
- Bedrosian
- Borzin's people
- Breeders
- Burrock's people
- Byrsa
- Camil
- Cicero's people
- Cimmerian
- Dendredan
- Edoran
- Eurondan
- Galaran
- Ginn's people
- Hankan
- Hebridian
- Jebannan
- Kiva's people
- K'Tau
- Langaran
- Latonan
- Linghai
- Lizan's people
- Loran's people
- Madronan
- Malakai's people
- Martin's people
- Medieval villager
- Nasyan
- Nomads of Vis Uban
- Orbanian
- Optrican
- Osric's people
- Pangaran
- People of Camelot
- People of Gleanavar
- People of Juna
- People of P2R-866
- People of P2X-374
- People of P2X-885
- People of P3L-997
- People of P3R-118
- People of P3X-289
- People of P3X-421
- People of P3X-367
- People of P3Y-294
- People of P4S-237
- People of P6G-452
- People of P8T-474
- People of P8X-412
- People of P9C-882
- People of P9J-333
- People of Paraval
- People of Vagonbrei
- Rillaanian
- Salish
- Saritan
- Shavadai
- Simarkan
- Svoriin
- Tagrean
- Talthun
- Tau'ri
- Tegalan
- Terellan
- Tevaris' people
- Tiernod
- Tobin
- Tollan
- Toughai
- Unnamed race 1 (The Fourth Horseman, Part 2)
- Unnamed race 2 (The Fourth Horseman, Part 2)
- Unnamed race (Counterstrike)
- Unnamed race (Dominion)
- Unnamed race (The Ties That Bind)
- Untouched (People from P3X-797)
- Vala Mal Doran's people
- Varro's people
- Velonan
- Volian
- Volsinii
- Vyan
- Ilempiri
- Jaffa
- Lasarian
- Mashur
- Nox
- Ohne
- Omeyocan
- Oranian
- Pod people
- Reol
- Reetou
- Replicators
- Serrakin
- Neraida
- Stragoth
- Goa'uld
- Unas
- Unity
- Unknown race (Grace)
- Unknown race (Scorched Earth)
- Water-based life form
Known governing bodies in the Milky Way[]
Theses are the current and formal known semi planetary, planetary, inter-planetary or alliances in the Milky Way.
Currently[]
- Aschen Confederation
- Free Jaffa Nation
- Joint Ruling Council (Langarans)
- Lucian Alliance
- Orban Elders
- Central Authority of the Reetou
- Nox Elders
- Governing Council (Cicero's people)
- Quintar Alignment
Formerly[]
- Ancient Domain
- Alliance of Four Great Races
- Goa'uld Empire
- United Alliance of System Lords
- Volian Union