A common theme in science fiction is some form of portal allowing rapid travel from one location to another, often originating from some combination of natural phenomenon and technological device. The most recent and prominent example is that of the Stargate, found in the Stargate franchise. Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... A typical depiction of a Stargate. ... An activated Stargate, the central object of the fictional Stargate universe, here depicted in the SG-1 television series. ...

The basic concept of a Stargate did not originate with the movie Stargate. Arthur C. Clarke first coined the term "Star Gate" in his novel 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) as a fictional device allowing rapid travel between distant locations. Clarke’s "Star Gate" does not resemble the one seen in Stargate media; nevertheless, Stargate SG-1 paid homage to Clarke in the two episodes "2001" and "2010," which correspond to the first two books in his Space Odyssey series: 2001: A Space Odyssey and 2010: Odyssey Two. Sir Arthur Charles Clarke (born December 16, 1917) is a British author and inventor, most famous for his science-fiction novel 2001: A Space Odyssey, and for collaborating with director Stanley Kubrick on the film of the same name. ... Stargate SG-1 (often abbreviated as SG-1) is a science fiction television series part of the Stargate franchise. ... 2001 is an episode of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. ... 2010 is an episode of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... 2010: Odyssey Two, is a science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke (January 1982) and also a motion picture (1984) by Peter Hyams entitled simply 2010, or sometimes 2010: The Year We Make Contact. ...

Portals were also seen on television well before the movie Stargate. They can be seen in the series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981), where travel between stars was also accomplished by a Stargate network. Each Stargate carries a designation such as "Stargate 4." These Stargates however were only shown as a diamond-shaped quartet of stars that shimmered when a vessel was making transit. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century is the title of an American motion picture produced by Universal Studios and released in 1979, and is also the title of a television series based upon the film that was aired by NBC for two seasons between 1979 and 1981. ...

Writers of both novels and comics have also used the name prior to the Stargate movie. Stephen Robinett's book "Stargate" (1976) revolves around the corporate side of building extra-dimensional and/or transportational Stargates. In the novel, the Stargate is given the name "Jenson Gate," after the fictional company which builds it. The Shi'ar, an extraterrestrial race introduced by Marvel Comics in 1976, also utilize a network of Stargates. The Shi'ar utilize both planet-based Stargates and enormous space-based versions (equivalent to the Ori supergate), though both are usually depicted without any physical structure to contain the wormhole. The Shiar, also called the Aerie, are a fictional species of aliens in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Marvel Comics is an American comic book line published by Marvel Publishing, Inc. ... A Supergate near a moon, with the Prometheus in the foreground . A closer view of the Supergate Spoiler warning: This article is about the device in the fictional Stargate universe. ...

Since the introduction of the Stargate on the big screen other authors have referenced the Stargate device. Authors Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince also write of "The Stargate Conspiracy: The Truth About Extraterrestrial Life and the Mysteries of Ancient Egypt." The book details an alternative theory which ingrains the term Stargate with Egypt's past: either the pyramid itself is a gateway to the stars (because of the shafts pointing to a star) or the building of Heaven on Earth based on geographical location of the great and outlying pyramids (see: Orion^{[disambiguation needed]}). // Orion may mean: Astronomy and mythology Orion (mythology) the hunter, from Greek mythology Orion (constellation), a constellation Orion Arm, a spiral arm in the Milky Way galaxy Orion Nebula, a nebula also known as M42 Companies Orion (company), supplier of consumer electronics and white goods from Hungary Orion Beer, a... Shortcut: WP:D or WP:DAB Disambiguation in Wikipedia and Wikimedia is the process of resolving the conflict that occurs when articles about two or more different topics have the same natural title. ...

Common envisioning

The Stargate-like Guardian of Forever (TOS).

There is a widespread conception within science fiction culture of what a "portal" should look like, with a large proportion of such devices bearing resemblances to a Stargate. The "ripple effect" is the most common part of this conception. One of the earliest examples is the Guardian of Forever, an artefact of the Star Trek universe. The device could open spacetime portals to any point in history on any world in the universe, and was ring-shaped with a watery "event horizon." It was first seen in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "The City on the Edge of Forever" (1967) and later in the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode "Yesteryear" (1974). Again in Star Trek, portals (with angular frames) and ripple effects are seen in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "To The Death." Image File history File links STCityForever. ... Image File history File links STCityForever. ... The Enterprise crew (TOS) in front of the Guardian of Forever. ... The starship Enterprise as it appeared on Star Trek Star Trek is a culturally significant science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry in the 1960s. ... The Enterprise crew (TOS) in front of the Guardian of Forever. ... The current Star Trek franchise logo Star Trek is an American science fiction franchise. ... In physics, spacetime is a mathematical model that combines three-dimensional space and one-dimensional time into a single construct called the space-time continuum, in which time plays the role of the 4th dimension. ... The starship Enterprise as it appeared on Star Trek Star Trek is a culturally significant science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry in the 1960s. ... The City on the Edge of Forever is a first season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series. ... Star Trek: The Animated Series is an animated science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. ... Yesteryear is an episode of Star Trek: The Animated Series. ... Space station Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (ST:DS9 or STDS9 or DS9 for short) is a science fiction television series produced by Paramount and set in the Star Trek universe. ... To the Death is a fourth-season episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. ...

Other examples include the "warp gates" in Jak 3 which are rings containing a rippling blue substance used for transportation; a portal in ReBoot, created by the characters Megabyte and Dot displays a rippling "event horizon" (generated by a ring that closely resembled the Stargate in appearance, making it an obvious reference to the movie); and the "Waygates" in Warcraft III which bear a shimmering portal. Also, in the fictional StarCraft universe, Warp Gates exist, which are similar in both style and function. Protoss warriors created Warp Gates to travel great distances instantaneously, rather than using the slower process of space travel. The knowledge involved in their creation was lost, but on some planets like in Stargate, these gates still remain. This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... ReBoot was a Canadian (CGI) animated series that was produced by Mainframe Entertainment, created by Gavin Blair, Ian Pearson, Phil Mitchell and John Grace, with character designed by Brendan McCarthy and Ian Gibson. ... Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, released by Blizzard Entertainment in 2002, is a real-time strategy computer game // Overview An in-game screenshot of humans (blue) fighting orcs (red). ... The StarCraft universe is a fictional universe in which the StarCraft series of computer games and books are set. ... // Khalis and Uraj Crystals Khalis and Uraj are the names of a pair of powerful psionic crystal in the fictional StarCraft universe. ...

In Star Trek: Voyager and the game Star Trek: Armada II, the Borg have a device known as a Transwarp Conduit. The aperture of the conduit at the transwarp hub resembles the event horizon of a Stargate crossed with the wormhole effect created by the Stargate. The starship Voyager (NCC-74656), an Intrepid-class starship. ... Star Trek: Armada II is a computer game published by Activision, based upon the Star Trek universe. ... The Unicomplex, a huge Borg complex in the Delta Quadrant. ... The TransWarp drive allows a player to travel between distant sectors in the fictional TradeWars 2002 universe. ...

Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil features a Hell Portal device that looks like a demonic version of the movie Stargate, with satanic markings replacing the constellation symbols. The event horizon resembles water, but in the form of a vortex. Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil is a first-person shooter expansion pack for the 2004 video game, Doom 3. ... Vortex created by the passage of an aircraft wing, revealed by coloured smoke A vortex (pl. ...

The series Prehistoric Park features a "time portal" which main character Nigel Marven uses to travel back in time to save now-extinct ancient animals. The portal, which also seems to function as a geographic portal, consists of two small generators which generate between them a translucent, rippling event horizon, much like a Stargate. Prehistoric Park is a 6-part television series in documentary style, from Impossible Pictures Limited, (the makers of Walking with Dinosaurs) which premiered on ITV1 on 22 July 2006 and on Animal Planet on 29 October 2006. ... Nigel Marven (born 1960) is a British television producer, author, wildlife presenter and hobby ornithologist. ...

In the video game Metroid Prime 2: Echoes the protagonist Samus Aran travels between the dark and light dimensions or versions of the games' setting through "Dimensional portals." These are semi hoop shaped structures in both dimensions though the actual portal surface differs depending on which side of the portal you happen to be on. Also, while the portal will transport you to an analogous location in the destination dimension, there is rarely an analogous portal at the destination point. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is the direct sequel to Metroid Prime, and is the latest game in Nintendos Metroid series to appear on the GameCube. ... Samus Aran ), is a video game character created by Gunpei Yokoi, and is the main protagonist in the futuristic Metroid series by Nintendo. ...

In the video game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion the Oblivion gates have a transparent, red "event horizon" with the same rippling water effect as seen in Stargate. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a game currently under development by Bethesda Softworks for the PC, Xbox 2, and Playstation 3. ...

The opening cutscene of the video game Soul Reaver 2 features a time portal similar to a Stargate in several respects, including a similar "Kawoosh" effect. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 is a video game that was released on the PlayStation 2 and PC. It is the sequel of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver and the third game in the Legacy of Kain series. ...

The Time Portal in Timesplitters 2 which makes the centerpiece of the level select screen bears a major resemblance to a Stargate (including a similar "Kawoosh" effect), However due to the large number of jokes the game contains based on parts of pop cluture it is highly likely it was directly based on the stargate. TimeSplitters 2 is a 2002 first-person shooter for Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube. ...

In the single player campaign of the video game The Settlers II progression to the next level becomes possible when the player's territory is extended to include the "Gateway", a stone arch structure containing a rippling water effect. In-game title screenshot (PC) The Settlers II is a computer strategy game, released by Blue Byte Software in 1996. ...

In the Expanded Universe of Star Wars, two hula hoop-sized devices, capable of instantainiously transporting matter from one to the other are depiced in the "Star Wars Guide of Technology and Devices" as being part of a magician's act. Opening logo to the Star Wars films Star Wars is a science fantasy saga and fictional galaxy created by writer/producer/director George Lucas during the 1970s. ...

Common functions

A "jumpgate" of the X Universe, part of a space-travel network.

The concept of "gates" that can span huge distances are used abundantly in science-fiction to cast protagonists into new territory. The 1998 film Lost in Space featured a space-bound hypergate system. The premise of the film is that the Robinson family will pilot a spaceship to Alpha Centauri, in order to complete construction of another hypergate there, which will allow instantanous travel between Earth and Alpha Centauri. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x1024, 211 KB) Licensing This is a screenshot of a copyrighted computer game or video game, and the copyright for it is most likely held by the company that developed the game. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x1024, 211 KB) Licensing This is a screenshot of a copyrighted computer game or video game, and the copyright for it is most likely held by the company that developed the game. ... In science fiction, Jumpgate (or jump gate) refers to a device that allows fast travel between two points in space. ... In 1998, New Line Cinema produced a feature-length motion picture adaptation of the 1965-68 CBS television series Lost In Space. ... Alpha Centauri (α Cen / α Centauri) is the brightest star system in the southern constellation of Centaurus. ...

Stargate-like devices are abundant in video games as they can be used to neatly split a game into levels. The video games Primal and Turok the Dinosaur Hunter feature gateways that allow instantaneous travel between locations to this effect, and in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, a number of ring-shaped dimensional portals allow the main characters to travel between a "Light" and "Dark" version of a planet. More commonly, however, any game set in space will feature something like a Stargate purely to allow the game to function. In the game EVE Online, a large object called a Stargate lets you travel between solar systems, and in Homeworld 2, "Hyperspace Gates" serve as the centerpiece of one of the game's final missions; these are massive rings that create wormholes capable of transporting matter great distances. Namcos Pac-Man was a hit, and became a cultural phenomenon. ... Turkish Level, January 2006 LeveL is a magazine about computer and video games in Turkey and the Czech Republic; these two brother divisions occasionally exchange content. ... Namcos Pac-Man was a hit, and became a cultural phenomenon. ... Primal is an action Video game developed by ESCEE Cambridge. ... Turok #1 by Valiant Comics For the video game see Turok: Dinosaur Hunter; for the cosmologist with this surname, see Neil Turok. ... Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is the direct sequel to Metroid Prime, and is the latest game in Nintendos Metroid series to appear on the GameCube. ... EVE Online is a persistent world multiplayer online game set in space. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that may be overly long, confusing, or ambiguous. ...

In the cartoon series The Transformers, the Decepticons built the Space Bridge, which serves a similar purpose. A large round ring built on Earth (lying flat) would create a subspace tunnel to a destination tower on Cybertron. One key difference in function was that matter was not broken apart for transport.

References

See also

• Wormholes in fiction