John Koenig
Encyclopedia
John Koenig is a fictional character from the television series Space: 1999
. He was played by Martin Landau
. He is American, apparently in his early forties.
. Koenig served as Moonbase's Commander in both seasons of the series, and he is a focal point of most of the episodes in both seasons.
He was orphaned in his teens and had no siblings or other close family. He was a child of the Space Age and fascinated by the American Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions, and thus set his goal to join NASA and the space programme. He studied astrophysics and engineering at MIT (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology). At university, he met professor of astrophysics Victor Bergman and the two formed a close friendship.
In the astronaut training programme, he was close friends with fellow cadets Sam and Tessa. One of the significant events of his life came when he was assigned to a resupply mission to the Venus space station. Before docking, the space craft received a computer diagnosis that a disease of unknown origin had broken out on the station. Fourteen men were afflicted and three had died. Koenig's commanding officer made the decision to abandon the facility and its personnel as an unknown disease of alien origin could decimate the human race if brought back to Earth. This event seared into Koenig's psyche that a commander often was called upon to make the hard decisions, sacrificing a few in favor of the greater good. This event also carried personal pain as fellow cadets Sam and Tessa, who were to be married soon, had been deployed in a scout craft to rendezvous with the station ahead of the supply ship. They, too, were left to die with the others. Koenig would carry the guilt of this action with him for years until forced to confront it by the psychic
-power-amplifying entity in The Lambda Factor
.
Later, Koenig would marry (a woman whom he would later describe as being remarkably like Helena Russell
) and subsequently lose his wife in the global war of 1987. (This would conflict with the Series One Writer's Guide, which stated Koenig had married an artist, who gave her scientist husband an appreciation for the creative arts. Their marriage ended in an unhappy divorce five years later as they grew apart.) Devastated by her loss, he would throw himself into his work and become a leading astronaut in the new World Space Commission. There, he would meet fellow astronaut Tony Cellini and they would both be assigned to Alpha's Reconnaissance Section. This tour of duty would be cut short by the Ultra Probe disaster of 1996 when Koenig was reprimanded by Commissioner Dixon for his short-sighted support of Cellini's obvious fantasies and reassigned to a desk job on Earth.
During his time on Earth, Koenig would become involved with Space Commission navigating officer Diana Morris, a notorious man-eater, but kept the relationship casual. He would later tell people that she was his 'childhood sweetheart' or that they had met at the jazz-ballet group at MIT.
Koenig has some training in martial arts. Demonstrating his hand-to-hand skills in such episodes as "The Last Sunset" and his interest in Kendo in the episode "The Testament of Arkadia."
mission. When Professor Victor Bergman
discovered the planet Ultra in 1994, a long-range spacecraft was constructed to carry a crew of scientists to explore the planet. Koenig worked with Professor Bergman and his friend Tony Cellini on the project; Koenig and Cellini were the two leading candidates to serve as the probe's command pilot. To determine who would fly the probe, Koenig and Cellini tossed a data chip (in lieu of a coin) and Cellini won. After its departure on June 6, 1996, Koenig remained on Moonbase to co-ordinate the mission with the base's computers; he analysed the probe's navigational data and flight telemetry.
The Ultra Probe mission was a disaster; the vessel disappeared from sensor contact after passing behind the planet. Some months later, the probe's lifeboat was found drifting towards Earth with Cellini inside; he was barely alive. The three other crew members had disappeared. When he recovered, Cellini explained that when they arrived at Ultra, they found a graveyard of seemingly abandoned alien ships on the far side of the planet. They docked with one of the ships, and Cellini claimed that a terrifying "monster" had invaded the Ultra Probe and devoured his three crew mates alive; the creature appeared immune to conventional weapons. Cellini had barely escaped by separating the command module from the rest of the ship and using it as a lifeboat to return to Earth. Although Koenig and Professor Bergman believed Cellini, the internal black box aboard the command module failed to provide any evidence of Cellini's 'monster'. The conclusion of the inquiry was that Cellini had accidentally opened the airlock on the Ultra Probe, killed the crew and Cellini had subsequently suffered a mental breakdown. When both Koenig and Professor Bergman made an impassioned plea to Commissioner Dixon, a highly-placed official in the World Space Commission, to follow up with another probe to investigate Cellini's story, they were rebuked. Both Koenig and Bergman were grounded for a time, and Cellini was sent to a hospital on Earth for counseling and psychiatric evaluation. Although Cellini's story of a bizarre monster devouring his crew was widely disbelieved, Koenig continued to trust Cellini and believed his story. After being assigned Commander of Moonbase in September 1999, Koenig used his influence to have Cellini re-assigned to Alpha's Reconnaissance Section.
and the command pilots, Astronauts Frank Warren and Eric Sparkman, commenced intensive training for the mission. In late August 1999, both men were withdrawn from training because, according to the official cover-story, they had contracted a mild virus infection, which had also affected other Alpha personnel.
Koenig was assigned command of Moonbase Alpha by Lunar Commissioner Gerald Simmonds to get the Meta Probe
launched at all costs. After arriving at Moonbase Alpha, Koenig learned that the crisis was much worse than he had been told; the virus infection story was a sham and a total of eleven men had died from an unknown condition. Some slipped into coma and expired; others died after brief, sudden bouts of violent and irrational behavior. Doctor Helena Russell
, Alpha's chief medical officer, believed that the sickness was a form of radiation-induced cerebral cancer. All tests of the two nuclear waste disposal area came up negative. However, when Nuclear Disposal Area One - the smaller and older of the two facilities - suddenly flared up and exploded, the staff's investigation came to the conclusion that a new, previously unknown form of magnetic radiation had killed the astronauts. Furthermore, not only was everyone on Moonbase Alpha at risk from the radiation (as Area One had been a landmark for anyone travelling the far side of the Moon to Area Two), but if Area Two was also affected, the colossal amount of nuclear waste stored there would cause the greatest explosion in human history.
Koenig then contacted Commissioner Simmonds, who flew to Alpha on a fact-finding mission when Koenig refused any follow-up communication. Koenig had Moonbase's Eagle fleet equipped with electromagnetic winches to remove the nuclear waste containers from the synthocrete-covered disposal pits and dispersed across a wide area of the Moon's surface; the reduction in the concentrated mass of nuclear waste was hoped to avoid or at least reduce the risk of a catastrophic explosion. Unfortunately, these measures were too late, and in a violent eruption the nuclear waste exploded. The Moon was pushed out of orbit by the rocket motor-like thrust of the explosion and sent speeding from the solar system into the unexplored and unimaginable void of deep space.
Given the Moon's high velocity and rapidly increasing distance from Earth, Koenig made the hard decision to not attempt an evacuation and instead remain on Alpha, where the base's personnel could sustain themselves and search for another planet on which to settle; the search for a "new Earth" would become a dominant theme in the series' two seasons.
During the first season Koenig was often depicted as somewhat short-tempered, irritable and prone to outbursts at even those closest to him, such as Victor Bergman
and Helena Russell
. One of the running jokes among many Space: 1999 fans is that Main Mission Controller Paul Morrow
, Koenig's second-in-command, was often his "whipping boy" in the first season: Koenig is seen to yell at him or simply assault him in a number of episodes (see The Last Sunset
, Collision Course
, The Testament of Arkardia). Morrow remained unflappably loyal to Koenig.
Koenig did display a lighter side to his personality on occasions - in one episode, he was seen enjoying a musical concert by Moonbase personnel, and in another episode he was depicted as finishing a jigsaw puzzle
in record time much to his personal satisfaction. In Dragon's Domain, he presented Helena with a hyacinth that he had cultivated himself with 'a little help from the guys in Hydroponics'.
He occasionally made clear mistakes in judgment - in the episode War Games
, he ordered a preemptive attack on a squadron of apparent Earth warships - an attack which had devastating consequences for Moonbase. In Matter of Life and Death
, he spends most of the episode cautious about the mystery of Terra Nova and Lee Russell, but with time for the Phase Two probe running short, impulsively changes his mind and rushes down to the planet surface against the mounting evidence that danger awaits them and in Alpha Child he allowed the five-year-old Jackie Crawford unlimited access to Alpha and its vital systems - but in the end he always seemed to find ways to help the base survive to another day.
Over the course of the first series, he slowly developed a romantic relationship with Helena Russell. There was an unmistakable first-sight attraction in Breakaway
which developed into an understated romance; they displayed very little public affection, perhaps due to the constant crises and strain everyone faced. He also maintained his close friendship with Victor Bergman
and relied on the older man as a sounding board and conscience.
In the episode "Dragon's Domain" ', Koenig's friend Tony Cellini was able to prove that his story about a deadly monster devouring his crew on the Ultra Probe
five years previously was true; the Moon encountered the armada of deserted alien spaceships and an examination showed the Ultra Probe docked with an alien ship, just as Cellini had reported. Unfortunately, Cellini was so desperate to prove his story and redeem himself that he commandeered an Eagle and docked with the Ultra Probe, where he attempted to vanquish the monster with an axe
(as the monster was immune to laser fire). Koenig followed and was forced to witness the death of his friend. He then retrieved the fallen axe and killed the creature. He and Helena then entered the events into the official record, finally vindicating Cellini.
He was now on a first-name basis with Alpha's senior staff. His relationship with Helena Russell
became more open and affectionate, even flirtatious. On occasion, this was a detriment as aliens would attempt to coerce or influence Koenig by threatening Helena (see The Exiles
, One Moment of Humanity and Brian the Brain
among others).
As the second season was more action-oriented, Koenig also had more chances to display his fighting and combat skills this time around (see Journey to Where, The Rules of Luton, The Dorcons).
Space: 1999
Space: 1999 is a British science-fiction television series that ran for two seasons and originally aired from 1975 to 1977. In the opening episode, nuclear waste from Earth stored on the Moon's far side explodes in a catastrophic accident on 13 September 1999, knocking the Moon out of orbit and...
. He was played by Martin Landau
Martin Landau
Martin Landau is an American film and television actor. Landau began his career in the 1950s. His early films include a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest . He played continuing roles in the television series Mission: Impossible and Space:1999...
. He is American, apparently in his early forties.
Character Biography
John Koenig is the ninth and, as far as is known, last Commander of Moonbase AlphaMoonbase Alpha
Moonbase Alpha is a fictional moon base and the main setting in the science fiction television series Space: 1999.-Moonbase Alpha:Located in the Moon crater Plato and constructed out of quarried rock and ores, Moonbase Alpha is four kilometres in diameter and extends up to one kilometre in areas...
. Koenig served as Moonbase's Commander in both seasons of the series, and he is a focal point of most of the episodes in both seasons.
He was orphaned in his teens and had no siblings or other close family. He was a child of the Space Age and fascinated by the American Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions, and thus set his goal to join NASA and the space programme. He studied astrophysics and engineering at MIT (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology). At university, he met professor of astrophysics Victor Bergman and the two formed a close friendship.
In the astronaut training programme, he was close friends with fellow cadets Sam and Tessa. One of the significant events of his life came when he was assigned to a resupply mission to the Venus space station. Before docking, the space craft received a computer diagnosis that a disease of unknown origin had broken out on the station. Fourteen men were afflicted and three had died. Koenig's commanding officer made the decision to abandon the facility and its personnel as an unknown disease of alien origin could decimate the human race if brought back to Earth. This event seared into Koenig's psyche that a commander often was called upon to make the hard decisions, sacrificing a few in favor of the greater good. This event also carried personal pain as fellow cadets Sam and Tessa, who were to be married soon, had been deployed in a scout craft to rendezvous with the station ahead of the supply ship. They, too, were left to die with the others. Koenig would carry the guilt of this action with him for years until forced to confront it by the psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
-power-amplifying entity in The Lambda Factor
The Lambda Factor
"The Lambda Factor" is the nineteenth episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Terrance Dicks; the director was Charles Crichton. The final shooting script is dated 6 August 1976, with amendments dated 2 September, 15 September, 27 September, 28 September, 29...
.
Later, Koenig would marry (a woman whom he would later describe as being remarkably like Helena Russell
Helena Russell
Helena Russell is a fictional character from the television series Space: 1999. She was played by Barbara Bain. She is American and apparently in her mid-thirties....
) and subsequently lose his wife in the global war of 1987. (This would conflict with the Series One Writer's Guide, which stated Koenig had married an artist, who gave her scientist husband an appreciation for the creative arts. Their marriage ended in an unhappy divorce five years later as they grew apart.) Devastated by her loss, he would throw himself into his work and become a leading astronaut in the new World Space Commission. There, he would meet fellow astronaut Tony Cellini and they would both be assigned to Alpha's Reconnaissance Section. This tour of duty would be cut short by the Ultra Probe disaster of 1996 when Koenig was reprimanded by Commissioner Dixon for his short-sighted support of Cellini's obvious fantasies and reassigned to a desk job on Earth.
During his time on Earth, Koenig would become involved with Space Commission navigating officer Diana Morris, a notorious man-eater, but kept the relationship casual. He would later tell people that she was his 'childhood sweetheart' or that they had met at the jazz-ballet group at MIT.
Koenig has some training in martial arts. Demonstrating his hand-to-hand skills in such episodes as "The Last Sunset" and his interest in Kendo in the episode "The Testament of Arkadia."
Ultra Probe Mission and Reassignment
Koenig first served on Moonbase Alpha as a senior astronaut in the Reconnaissance Section. He was one of the leading figures of the Ultra ProbeUltra Probe
The Ultra Probe was a fictional spacecraft in the Space: 1999 episode "Dragons Domain".A long-range explorer ship, the Ultra Probe was designed to take a crew of four to the planet Ultra, which had been discovered by Professor Victor Bergman in 1994...
mission. When Professor Victor Bergman
Victor Bergman
Professor Victor Bergman is the name of a recurring character on the UK science fiction television series Space: 1999. The role was portrayed by actor Barry Morse.-Character Biography:...
discovered the planet Ultra in 1994, a long-range spacecraft was constructed to carry a crew of scientists to explore the planet. Koenig worked with Professor Bergman and his friend Tony Cellini on the project; Koenig and Cellini were the two leading candidates to serve as the probe's command pilot. To determine who would fly the probe, Koenig and Cellini tossed a data chip (in lieu of a coin) and Cellini won. After its departure on June 6, 1996, Koenig remained on Moonbase to co-ordinate the mission with the base's computers; he analysed the probe's navigational data and flight telemetry.
The Ultra Probe mission was a disaster; the vessel disappeared from sensor contact after passing behind the planet. Some months later, the probe's lifeboat was found drifting towards Earth with Cellini inside; he was barely alive. The three other crew members had disappeared. When he recovered, Cellini explained that when they arrived at Ultra, they found a graveyard of seemingly abandoned alien ships on the far side of the planet. They docked with one of the ships, and Cellini claimed that a terrifying "monster" had invaded the Ultra Probe and devoured his three crew mates alive; the creature appeared immune to conventional weapons. Cellini had barely escaped by separating the command module from the rest of the ship and using it as a lifeboat to return to Earth. Although Koenig and Professor Bergman believed Cellini, the internal black box aboard the command module failed to provide any evidence of Cellini's 'monster'. The conclusion of the inquiry was that Cellini had accidentally opened the airlock on the Ultra Probe, killed the crew and Cellini had subsequently suffered a mental breakdown. When both Koenig and Professor Bergman made an impassioned plea to Commissioner Dixon, a highly-placed official in the World Space Commission, to follow up with another probe to investigate Cellini's story, they were rebuked. Both Koenig and Bergman were grounded for a time, and Cellini was sent to a hospital on Earth for counseling and psychiatric evaluation. Although Cellini's story of a bizarre monster devouring his crew was widely disbelieved, Koenig continued to trust Cellini and believed his story. After being assigned Commander of Moonbase in September 1999, Koenig used his influence to have Cellini re-assigned to Alpha's Reconnaissance Section.
Meta Probe crisis
In 1998, a rogue planet, later named Meta, was discovered passing through the solar system. Regular signals were received from the planet which indicated that intelligent life might exist there. A manned deep-space probe was prepared at the orbital Space DockSpace Dock (Space: 1999)
The Space Dock was a fictional space station in the television series Space: 1999 . Referred to simply as the Space Dock it is also called the Meta Probe Launch Platform in "Breakaway" and the Interplanetary Space Station in "Dragon's Domain" episodes of the series...
and the command pilots, Astronauts Frank Warren and Eric Sparkman, commenced intensive training for the mission. In late August 1999, both men were withdrawn from training because, according to the official cover-story, they had contracted a mild virus infection, which had also affected other Alpha personnel.
Koenig was assigned command of Moonbase Alpha by Lunar Commissioner Gerald Simmonds to get the Meta Probe
Meta Probe
The Meta Probe was a fictional spacecraft in the Space: 1999 episode "Breakaway", it appears in just a few scenes of this pilot episode.-Mission Profile:...
launched at all costs. After arriving at Moonbase Alpha, Koenig learned that the crisis was much worse than he had been told; the virus infection story was a sham and a total of eleven men had died from an unknown condition. Some slipped into coma and expired; others died after brief, sudden bouts of violent and irrational behavior. Doctor Helena Russell
Helena Russell
Helena Russell is a fictional character from the television series Space: 1999. She was played by Barbara Bain. She is American and apparently in her mid-thirties....
, Alpha's chief medical officer, believed that the sickness was a form of radiation-induced cerebral cancer. All tests of the two nuclear waste disposal area came up negative. However, when Nuclear Disposal Area One - the smaller and older of the two facilities - suddenly flared up and exploded, the staff's investigation came to the conclusion that a new, previously unknown form of magnetic radiation had killed the astronauts. Furthermore, not only was everyone on Moonbase Alpha at risk from the radiation (as Area One had been a landmark for anyone travelling the far side of the Moon to Area Two), but if Area Two was also affected, the colossal amount of nuclear waste stored there would cause the greatest explosion in human history.
Koenig then contacted Commissioner Simmonds, who flew to Alpha on a fact-finding mission when Koenig refused any follow-up communication. Koenig had Moonbase's Eagle fleet equipped with electromagnetic winches to remove the nuclear waste containers from the synthocrete-covered disposal pits and dispersed across a wide area of the Moon's surface; the reduction in the concentrated mass of nuclear waste was hoped to avoid or at least reduce the risk of a catastrophic explosion. Unfortunately, these measures were too late, and in a violent eruption the nuclear waste exploded. The Moon was pushed out of orbit by the rocket motor-like thrust of the explosion and sent speeding from the solar system into the unexplored and unimaginable void of deep space.
Given the Moon's high velocity and rapidly increasing distance from Earth, Koenig made the hard decision to not attempt an evacuation and instead remain on Alpha, where the base's personnel could sustain themselves and search for another planet on which to settle; the search for a "new Earth" would become a dominant theme in the series' two seasons.
Series one
Shortly after leaving Earth's solar system, the Moon was drawn into a black sun (later known by science as black holes) and emerged in unknown space far across the universe. Traversing space warps and other bizarre phenomena continued to increase the Moon's velocity and allowed it to encounter a number of other solar systems. In many of these systems, the Alphans encountered planets with intelligent life. In many cases, the alien life proved to be hostile or indifferent to the Alphans' plight. As the base commander, Koenig often found himself confronted by baffling and frightening situations which no human had ever faced, and the strain took its toll.During the first season Koenig was often depicted as somewhat short-tempered, irritable and prone to outbursts at even those closest to him, such as Victor Bergman
Victor Bergman
Professor Victor Bergman is the name of a recurring character on the UK science fiction television series Space: 1999. The role was portrayed by actor Barry Morse.-Character Biography:...
and Helena Russell
Helena Russell
Helena Russell is a fictional character from the television series Space: 1999. She was played by Barbara Bain. She is American and apparently in her mid-thirties....
. One of the running jokes among many Space: 1999 fans is that Main Mission Controller Paul Morrow
Paul Morrow
Paul Morrow is a fictional character who first appeared in 'Breakaway', the premiere episode of the science fiction television show Space: 1999, and was portrayed by Prentis Hancock. He is a British national who appears to be in his early thirties....
, Koenig's second-in-command, was often his "whipping boy" in the first season: Koenig is seen to yell at him or simply assault him in a number of episodes (see The Last Sunset
The Last Sunset (Space: 1999)
"The Last Sunset" is the eleventh episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Christopher Penfold; the director was Charles Crichton. The final shooting script is dated 21 July 1974, with blue-page amendments dated 22 July 1974 and pink-page amendments dated 23 July...
, Collision Course
Collision Course (Space: 1999)
"Collision Course" is the thirteenth episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Anthony Terpiloff; the director was Ray Austin. The final shooting script is dated 13 August 1974...
, The Testament of Arkardia). Morrow remained unflappably loyal to Koenig.
Koenig did display a lighter side to his personality on occasions - in one episode, he was seen enjoying a musical concert by Moonbase personnel, and in another episode he was depicted as finishing a jigsaw puzzle
Jigsaw puzzle
A jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of numerous small, often oddly shaped, interlocking and tessellating pieces.Each piece usually has a small part of a picture on it; when complete, a jigsaw puzzle produces a complete picture...
in record time much to his personal satisfaction. In Dragon's Domain, he presented Helena with a hyacinth that he had cultivated himself with 'a little help from the guys in Hydroponics'.
He occasionally made clear mistakes in judgment - in the episode War Games
War Games (Space: 1999)
"War Games" is the seventeenth episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Christopher Penfold; the director was Charles Crichton. The final shooting script is dated 15 October 1974...
, he ordered a preemptive attack on a squadron of apparent Earth warships - an attack which had devastating consequences for Moonbase. In Matter of Life and Death
Matter of Life and Death (Space: 1999)
"Matter of Life and Death" is the second episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Art Wallace and Johnny Byrne; the director was Charles Crichton. The original title was 'Siren Planet'. The final shooting script is dated 8 January 1974...
, he spends most of the episode cautious about the mystery of Terra Nova and Lee Russell, but with time for the Phase Two probe running short, impulsively changes his mind and rushes down to the planet surface against the mounting evidence that danger awaits them and in Alpha Child he allowed the five-year-old Jackie Crawford unlimited access to Alpha and its vital systems - but in the end he always seemed to find ways to help the base survive to another day.
Over the course of the first series, he slowly developed a romantic relationship with Helena Russell. There was an unmistakable first-sight attraction in Breakaway
Breakaway (Space: 1999)
"Breakaway" is the first episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by George Bellak ; the director was Lee H. Katzin. Previous titles include 'Zero-G', 'The Void Ahead' and 'Turning Point'. The final shooting script is dated 22 November 1973...
which developed into an understated romance; they displayed very little public affection, perhaps due to the constant crises and strain everyone faced. He also maintained his close friendship with Victor Bergman
Victor Bergman
Professor Victor Bergman is the name of a recurring character on the UK science fiction television series Space: 1999. The role was portrayed by actor Barry Morse.-Character Biography:...
and relied on the older man as a sounding board and conscience.
In the episode "Dragon's Domain" ', Koenig's friend Tony Cellini was able to prove that his story about a deadly monster devouring his crew on the Ultra Probe
Ultra Probe
The Ultra Probe was a fictional spacecraft in the Space: 1999 episode "Dragons Domain".A long-range explorer ship, the Ultra Probe was designed to take a crew of four to the planet Ultra, which had been discovered by Professor Victor Bergman in 1994...
five years previously was true; the Moon encountered the armada of deserted alien spaceships and an examination showed the Ultra Probe docked with an alien ship, just as Cellini had reported. Unfortunately, Cellini was so desperate to prove his story and redeem himself that he commandeered an Eagle and docked with the Ultra Probe, where he attempted to vanquish the monster with an axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
(as the monster was immune to laser fire). Koenig followed and was forced to witness the death of his friend. He then retrieved the fallen axe and killed the creature. He and Helena then entered the events into the official record, finally vindicating Cellini.
Series two
In an effort to make the characters more lively and entertaining, the show's producers deliberately altered Koenig's character in the second series. Although still a forceful, no-nonsense leader, Koenig also displayed a lighter, more humorous side to his personality. He lost the lonely, brooding side of his personality and seemed to make more snap decisions without the input of his advisors.He was now on a first-name basis with Alpha's senior staff. His relationship with Helena Russell
Helena Russell
Helena Russell is a fictional character from the television series Space: 1999. She was played by Barbara Bain. She is American and apparently in her mid-thirties....
became more open and affectionate, even flirtatious. On occasion, this was a detriment as aliens would attempt to coerce or influence Koenig by threatening Helena (see The Exiles
The Exiles
"The Exiles" is a science fiction short story by Ray Bradbury. It was originally published as "The Mad Wizards of Mars" in Maclean's on 15 September 1949 and was reprinted the following year by Fantasy Fiction, Inc...
, One Moment of Humanity and Brian the Brain
Brian the Brain
"Brian the Brain" is the ninth episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Jack Ronder; the director was Kevin Connor. The final shooting script is dated 5 May 1976, with amendments dated 11 May 1976...
among others).
As the second season was more action-oriented, Koenig also had more chances to display his fighting and combat skills this time around (see Journey to Where, The Rules of Luton, The Dorcons).
External links
- Space 1999 Cybermuseum - Moonbase Alpha Technical Manual - Bio John Koenig
- Space 1999 Catacombs - Character Profile John Koenig