Technomage
Encyclopedia
Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
universe. The technomages shown in the television series are primarily human, but in the "Technomage Trilogy" books, apprentices and mages of other races including Centauri
Centauri (Babylon 5)
The Centauri are a humanoid species in the fictional universe of the Babylon 5 television series. They were the first alien species to make open contact with the human race. Their homeworld is Centauri Prime, a small Earth-like planet consisting of two large continents and several smaller islands...
are named. They are described as using "science to create the appearance of magic". Galen, a Technomage, was a regular character on the spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series, Crusade
Crusade (TV series)
Crusade is a spin-off TV show from J. Michael Straczynski's Babylon 5. Its plot is set in AD 2267, five years after the events of Babylon 5, and just after the movie A Call to Arms. A race called the Drakh have released a nanovirus plague on Earth, which will destroy all life on Earth within five...
.
Origins
In the "Technomage Trilogy" of Babylon 5 novels, it is revealed that the technology in question consists of bio-technological implants, and that the process of installing the implants and adjusting to them is excruciatingly painful. The presence of these implants means that technomages are effectively cyborgCyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
s. Eventually it is also revealed that the technology was supplied by the Shadows
Shadow (Babylon 5)
The Shadows are a fictional alien species in the science fiction television series Babylon 5. Their homeworld is Z'ha'dum. In contrast to the Vorlons, whose philosophy is represented by the question "Who are you?", that of the Shadows is represented by the question "What do you want?", centering...
who originally had plans to turn them into warriors of chaos and destruction. This was first done on the young of a race of similar age to the Minbari
Minbari
The Minbari are a fictional alien race featured in the television show Babylon 5. The Minbari characters of Delenn and Lennier figure prominently throughout the series; Neroon, Draal, and Dukhat are less prominent Minbari characters....
who were called the Taratimude, who eventually became extinct, but not before spreading the Technomage order to other races including humans.
It appears that EarthForce black ops was attempting to create its own Technomages, which was to have been expressly spelled out in the final episode of the first season of Crusade
Crusade (TV series)
Crusade is a spin-off TV show from J. Michael Straczynski's Babylon 5. Its plot is set in AD 2267, five years after the events of Babylon 5, and just after the movie A Call to Arms. A race called the Drakh have released a nanovirus plague on Earth, which will destroy all life on Earth within five...
, but as the show was canceled after only 13 episodes it was never filmed. The unproduced script was available for licenced downloads on Bookface.Com until that site was closed, and copies are still available at many Science Fiction Conventions.
Technomage powers
Technomages are shown to have many different powers over the course of both Babylon 5 and Crusade. Such powers include being able to cast a shield around their bodies to absorb damage or contain atmosphere in hostile environments, hurl fireballs, generate holograms, cloakCloaking device
Cloaking devices are advanced stealth technologies still in development that will cause objects, such as spaceships or individuals, to be partially or wholly invisible to parts of the electromagnetic spectrum...
themselves in invisibility
Invisibility
Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be invisible . The term is usually used as a fantasy/science fiction term, where objects are literally made unseeable by magical or technological means; however, its effects can also be seen in the real...
, and establish real-time communication with another Technomage regardless of distance.
Technomages may choose to establish a "place of power" for themselves, such as a particular planet. In doing so, they develop a strong connection with that place, and to some extent, a dependency on that connection.
Through the course of the "Technomage Trilogy", Galen and Isabelle uncover several energetic, primal abilities that underlie the conventional mage abilities and relate to their connection with the Shadows. Isabelle discovered a spell that allows mages to intercept the communications sent to Shadow agents like Morden
Morden (Babylon 5)
Morden is a fictional character in the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Ed Wasser. He is a recurring antagonist in the show.-Overview:...
or the Drakh
Drakh
The Drakh are a fictional alien race in the Babylon 5 universe. The Drakh were dark servants for the race of First Ones known as the Shadows. They appeared in the fourth and fifth seasons of Babylon 5 as well as the television movie, A Call to Arms...
.
The Primal Abilities of the Technomage Implants are as follows. Invisibility, Communion with the Shadows ("base" for the Communication spell), Shadow Skin (a type of energy shield), Destruction Sphere("base" of the Fireball "spell"), Healing, Access to "Tech" outside of the Mage, and a type of energy blast (Access to "Inner Tech"). Galen stated these were the only ones he's discovered, bringing the "Base" or Primal spell count to seven.
Elric
The first Technomage character to appear onscreen. Played by Michael AnsaraMichael Ansara
Michael Ansara is a Syrian-born American stage, screen, and voice actor best known for his portrayal of Cochise in the American television series Broken Arrow, Kane in the 1979-81 series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and Commander Kang on three different Star Trek TV series.- Early life and...
, Galen's teacher as well as a friend of his father, and one of the mage Elders as of 2259. When young Galen's technomage parents died in a starliner fire, Elric adopted Galen and began mentoring him as an apprentice. Elric was also the major technomage character from the original Babylon 5 series (appearing in the season 2 episode "The Geometry of Shadows") shown to be leading the Technomage order to a hiding place beyond the rim of the galaxy. Galen indicates later in Crusade (episode "The Long Road") that Elric died not long after reaching the hiding place, confirmed later in the Technomage Trilogy novels.
Galen
Played by Peter WoodwardPeter Woodward
Peter Woodward is an English actor, stuntman and screenwriter. He is probably best known for his role as Galen in the Babylon 5 spin-offs Babylon 5: A Call to Arms, Crusade and Babylon 5: The Lost Tales....
, a major character appearing throughout the Babylon 5 spin-off series Crusade, and the most powerful of the current remaining technomages. With the exception of the Babylon 5 season 2 episode "The Geometry of Shadows", the technomage stories in the B5/Crusade universe tend to be focused around Galen. Galen has "become one" with his tech by discovering the technomages' Shadow legacy (a fact known only to a handful of technomages), learning how to interact with his technology directly rather than through the complicated spell systems used by his fellow mages; while this knowledge makes him immensely powerful, it also makes him a very unsettling force to the mage leadership, as no other mage is nearly powerful enough to flay him (forcibly remove his implants). As of 2262 Galen is one of only two known mages (the other being Alwyn) to not be in the hiding place, choosing when it suits him to help John Sheridan, Matthew Gideon and the Excalibur crew in their quest to find a cure to the Drakh
Drakh
The Drakh are a fictional alien race in the Babylon 5 universe. The Drakh were dark servants for the race of First Ones known as the Shadows. They appeared in the fourth and fifth seasons of Babylon 5 as well as the television movie, A Call to Arms...
virus. In reality, Galen is primarily concerned with Shadow technology falling into the wrong hands - namely, both the Drakh and Earthforce Special Weapons Division - and understands that he may well be the only person alive capable of preventing it. In the year 2271 Galen contacts President Sheridan to warn him that the Earth will be destroyed in 30 years' time unless Sheridan intervenes now.
Alwyn
Played by Edward WoodwardEdward Woodward
Edward Albert Arthur Woodward, OBE was an English stage and screen actor and singer. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art , Woodward began his career on stage, and throughout his career he appeared in productions in both the West End in London and on Broadway in New York...
(Peter Woodward
Peter Woodward
Peter Woodward is an English actor, stuntman and screenwriter. He is probably best known for his role as Galen in the Babylon 5 spin-offs Babylon 5: A Call to Arms, Crusade and Babylon 5: The Lost Tales....
's father). The only known surviving technomage to have stayed behind to fight the Shadows, Alwyn was a close friend of Galen's parents and became an uncle figure to Galen after their deaths. Boisterous, loud, rebellious, hard-drinking, gambling and womanizing, Alwyn takes great delight in being everything that a good technomage should not be - while simultaneously drawing both the ire and admiration of his fellow mages. When the technomages fled the galaxy in January 2259, Alwyn broke with the order in contempt of their decision to hide; he then began engaging a guerrilla campaign against the Shadows' minions, playing (alongside Galen, who left the hiding place to fight) a pivotal role in the outcome of the Shadow War. After the war, Alwyn returned to his place of power on Regula 4 (Crusade episode "The Long Road"), as of 2262 still disgusted that his fellow technomages refuse to come out of hiding.
Isabelle
Played by Sophie WardSophie Ward
Sophie Ward , is an English actress and the daughter of actor, Simon Ward.-Career:One of Ward's early film roles was in the film Young Sherlock Holmes. Other early films included Return to Oz, Little Dorrit and A Summer Story, and she also portrayed the unattainable love object in the video of Roxy...
, Galen's dead "love"; he makes it clear that their relationship was not a "marriage" as we would understand it, but they nevertheless shared an intensely deep emotional and sexual relationship. Galen blames himself for Isabelle's violent death at the hand of traitor technomages, a death that could possibly have been prevented had Galen used the Spell of Destruction against the explicit orders of the Elders. Galen later hijacks the Excalibur in order to take Isabelle's ashes to the newly-located Well of Forever, a sacred place buried in hyperspace sought by Isabelle all her life. While this act has given Galen some closure, Isabelle's fate continues to torture Galen.
Wierden
Historical revisionism
In historiography, historical revisionism is the reinterpretation of orthodox views on evidence, motivations, and decision-making processes surrounding a historical event...
has rendered the story of Wierden into little more than a fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
, and a significant amount of unflattering truth regarding Wierden has traditionally been held an extremely close secret by the mage Elders.
Others
Other notable mages include Kane, Gwynn, and Finian, who made appearances in Peter DavidPeter David
Peter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...
's "Legions of Fire Trilogy", and Blaylock, Burrell, Carvin, Ing-Radi, Kell, Herazade, Elizar, and Razeel, who made appearances in the "Technomage Trilogy".
The script for the unproduced Crusade episode "The End of The Line" contains a scene with Galen conversing with a Technomage called Deek, who appears to be in a position of power among the Technomages. However, this character is not mentioned anywhere else.
Babylon 5Babylon 5Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
- The Geometry of ShadowsThe Geometry of Shadows"The Geometry of Shadows" is an episode from the second season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5.-Synopsis:Vir fixes Londo's hair as Londo and Refa scheme. The command staff learns that the Green Drazi and Purple Drazi have a global brawl every 5 years to determine the Drazi...
(featuring Elric) - Babylon 5: A Call to ArmsBabylon 5: A Call to ArmsA Call To Arms is the fourth feature-length film set in the Babylon 5 universe . It was written by J. Michael Straczynski, directed by Mike Vejar, and originally aired January 3, 1999.-Summary:...
(featuring Galen)
CrusadeCrusade (TV series)Crusade is a spin-off TV show from J. Michael Straczynski's Babylon 5. Its plot is set in AD 2267, five years after the events of Babylon 5, and just after the movie A Call to Arms. A race called the Drakh have released a nanovirus plague on Earth, which will destroy all life on Earth within five...
- War Zone (featuring Galen)
- The Long Road (featuring Galen and Alwyn)
- The Well of Forever (featuring Galen and mentioning Isabelle)
- The Path of Sorrows (featuring Galen and Isabelle)
- Racing the Night (featuring Galen)
- The Memory of War (featuring Galen and a technomage avatar)
Babylon 5: The Memory of Shadows
The Memory of Shadows is the cancelled Babylon 5 movie that was intended to shoot in 2005, it would have featured Galen and a rival technomage Tyrell.Babylon 5: The Lost TalesBabylon 5: The Lost TalesBabylon 5: The Lost Tales is an anthology show set in the Babylon 5 universe. It was announced by J. Michael Straczynski, creator of Babylon 5, at the San Diego Comic Con in July 2006...
- Voices in the Dark (featuring Galen)
Centauri Trilogy
- Babylon 5: Legions of Fire - The Long Night of Centauri PrimeBabylon 5: Legions of Fire - The Long Night of Centauri PrimeBabylon 5: Legions of Fire – The Long Night of Centauri Prime is a Babylon 5 novel by Peter David.-Plot:Bombed to the brink of oblivion, Centauri Prime is starting the slow and painful process of rebuilding, under the watchful eye of Emperor Londo Mollari. But Londo is in turn being watched – and...
by Peter DavidPeter DavidPeter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...
(featuring Kane, Gwynne and Finian)
Technomage Trilogy
- Babylon 5: The Passing of the Techno-Mages - Casting ShadowsBabylon 5: The Passing of the Techno-Mages - Casting ShadowsBabylon 5: The Passing of the Techno-Mages - Casting Shadows is a Babylon 5 novel by Jeanne Cavelos.-Plot:The book is set in November 2258, the same year as the first season of Babylon 5. It revolves around Galen, a member of the Technomage order...
by Jeanne CavelosJeanne CavelosJeanne Cavelos is an American writer, editor, and astrophysicist. She is the founder of the Odyssey Writing Workshop.- Bibliography:*Babylon 5: The Passing of the Techno-Mages – Casting Shadows...
(featuring all technomages) - Babylon 5: The Passing of the Techno-Mages - Summoning LightBabylon 5: The Passing of the Techno-Mages - Summoning LightBabylon 5: Babylon 5: The Passing of the Techno-Mages - Summoning Light is a Babylon 5 novel by Jeanne Cavelos....
by Jeanne CavelosJeanne CavelosJeanne Cavelos is an American writer, editor, and astrophysicist. She is the founder of the Odyssey Writing Workshop.- Bibliography:*Babylon 5: The Passing of the Techno-Mages – Casting Shadows...
(featuring all technomages) - Babylon 5: The Passing of the Techno-Mages - Invoking DarknessBabylon 5: The Passing of the Techno-Mages - Invoking DarknessBabylon 5: The Passing of the Techno-Mages - Invoking Darkness is a Babylon 5 novel by Jeanne Cavelos, the third and final book of the "Passing of the Techno-Mages" trilogy.-Plot:The story begins where the second book, Summoning Light, left off...
by Jeanne CavelosJeanne CavelosJeanne Cavelos is an American writer, editor, and astrophysicist. She is the founder of the Odyssey Writing Workshop.- Bibliography:*Babylon 5: The Passing of the Techno-Mages – Casting Shadows...
(featuring all technomages)
Babylon 5 Role-Playing Game
- Babylon 5Babylon 5Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
: The Technomages Fact Book by Bruce Graw (RPG Supplement), Mongoose PublishingMongoose PublishingMongoose Publishing is a prolific British manufacturer of role-playing games, miniatures, and card games, actively publishing material since 2001...
(featuring all technomages) - Babylon 5Babylon 5Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
: Crusade by Chris Blackmoor (RPG Supplement), Mongoose PublishingMongoose PublishingMongoose Publishing is a prolific British manufacturer of role-playing games, miniatures, and card games, actively publishing material since 2001...
(featuring Galen)