Kromagg

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A Kromagg General from the episode: "The Dying Fields"

The Kromaggs (also known pejoratively as "Maggs" and "Maggots" by Humans), are a species of humanoid primates from the science fiction television show, Sliders. They are technologically advanced & highly militaristic race bent on conquering all human-dominated alternate Earths in preparation for an assault on the world they call Kromagg Prime, the world the humans on that Earth originally drove them from after a world war.

Professor Maximillian Arturo, Rembrandt Brown, Quinn Mallory and Wade Welles first encountered the Kromaggs in the season two episode "Invasion" on one of the more than 150 Earths they had subjugated. It was revealed in the episode that when the Kromaggs began dimensional travelling, they were shocked to see world after world dominated by Homo sapiens. They both hate and fear Humans, considering them "vermin" and the enemy and have treated them accordingly. Kromaggs conquer most alternate Earths they encounter and keep those humans they didn't kill for slave labour, breeding purposes, or as test subjects. They find Humans as ugly as Humans find them ugly, though they prize Human eyes as a delicacy to eat.

Exiled from Kromagg Prime, the Kromaggs put a stop to their tribal wars with each other, uniting under a government known as the Kromagg Dynasty. Through dimensional travelling technology, they set about building their empire, travelling from Earth to Earth and claiming most as their own under a brutal occupation. They do not conquer all worlds however, as one episode revealed that the Kromaggs performed a hit-and-run assault on an unsuspecting Earth by stealing its fuel reserves and leaving, forcing Humans on that parallel to make do without automobiles and such.

[edit] Appearance

Kromaggs appear very similar to humans, though differently evolved. Their teeth are sharp and pointed and their skin is distorted and ridged with a dark pigment. They all appear to be bald or balding with no facial hair.

Their officers dress in grey uniforms similar to Wehrmacht uniforms, while their troops dress in black "SWAT"-type uniforms. Their pilots dress in flight suits.

Their bestial faces and inhuman treatment suggest a "degenerate human" type of behaviour; for this reason their name stems from the term Cro-magnon. It is implied that on their world, Kromaggs are descendants of the Cro-Magnon.

Note: The first appearance of the Kromaggs in Season 2 differs slightly from their Season 4 and 5 appearances.

[edit] Techonology

They are technologically advanced, with machines that can control gravity, create forcefields, hand-held energy weapons, genetic engineering and aircraft ("manta" ships) equipped with energy weapons and dimensional travel capabilities.

[edit] Society

Little is known of their society. It appears to be highly militaristic, with little forgiveness for failure among its members. One episode had two Kromagg soldiers sentenced to death for letting the human protagonists escape through no fault of their own. Another episode had a former commander of the famed "12th Legion" being forced to command a prison world for losing a battle on "Kromagg Prime" he couldn't win.

Kromaggs appear to despise human sentimentality (such as pity) and are insulted when such feelings are directed toward them. They require no sentimentality when "breeding" amongst each other.

One episode made a passing reference to Kromagg "Houses"; presumably Kromagg's are also organized by Clans of similar kin.

Their current homeworld has been described as a large forest with tall trees.

[edit] Psychic abilities

Some Kromaggs possess psychic abilities. Though they cannot read minds, some have the ability to project illusions and plant post-hypnotic suggestions into human minds. One episode had one Kromagg attempt to force data out of someone's minds by touch, similar to Star Trek's Vulcan "mind meld". Otherwise, the Kromaggs resort to interrogation, "mind probes" and torture to acquire information.

Almost all Kromaggs however, appear to have an illusion-casting ability which allows them to look Human.

Kromaggs have healing powers, where they can heal people with their minds. One person was healed from radiation poisoning through Kromagg healing techniques. In the episode "Asylum", a human trained by the Kromaggs was able to heal Quinn with Kromagg healing powers. This suggests that the healing powers of the Kromaggs can also be taught to humans.

Kromaggs also have the ability to communicate telepathically to select subservient Humans, thus allowing some Kromaggs to avoid "lowering" themselves by speaking to Humans directly.

It is however shown in the end of Invasion that the Kromagg can speak English, the excuse of not lowering themselves was merely a ploy put into place to cause the Sliders to trust "Mary".

[edit] Key episodes

Two Kromaggs from the episode "Invasion", the episode in which Kromaggs were introduced. Kromaggs had a different look in the episode "Invasion" than the look they had in seasons 4 and 5.

• "Invasion": The Sliders' first encounter with the Kromaggs results in hostilities.

• "The Other Slide of Darkness": It is revealed that Quinn's double (from the premiere episode) gave the Kromaggs access to sliding technology. After this, they destroyed his home and forbade humans from possessing the knowledge.

• "Genesis": We learn that the Kromaggs slid to Earth Prime about two months earlier and took over the planet. It is also revealed that Kromaggs originated on an Earth where they co-existed with humans (called Kromagg Prime in the series), and that Quinn Mallory is actually from that Earth.

• "Common Ground": Shortly upon arriving on this Earth, Maggie Beckett saves the life of a Kromagg, and then the sliders are taken as prisoners. However, they are punished less severely since Maggie saved the life of a Kromagg. On this Earth, the Kromaggs have taken humanity hostage and are testing a weapon on the native population. The Kromaggs also learn that Quinn has the tracking device implanted in him from his stay on Earth 113, which the Kromaggs want to use to go back to Kromagg Prime.

• "Slidecage": The sliders intend to go to Quinn and Colin Mallory's homeworld (Kromagg Prime), but get caught in the slidecage instead. The slidecage was invented by Michael Mallory and is a place where people who attempt to slide to Kromagg Prime are bounced back to without the ability to leave. The intent of the slidecage is to block Kromaggs from returning to their homeworld, but as a safety precaution, they have to block humans as well. The slidecage was dominated by both Kromaggs and humans who are constantly having battles with each other.

• "Asylum": This is the first episode where the sliders encounter a world that had been visited by Kromaggs but where the Kromaggs did not destroy the world and take humanity hostage. On this Earth, their version of Margaret Thatcher negotiated with the Kromaggs, and agreed to give the Kromaggs natural resources, and in exchange the Kromaggs would leave this Earth alone. Since then, people collaborating with the Kromaggs were termed "Thatchers".

It revealed in this episode that Kromagg technology runs on resources that can be found on any Earth. So, their ships and weapons might run on oil or any other natural resources found on Earth.

Kyra, a Kromagg/Human hybrid from the episode "The Dying Fields"

• "The Dying Fields": Kromagg/Human hybrids are being trained to kill humans. "Pure" Kromaggs are disappointed by the apparent failure in the humanity their subjects possess.

The show also reveals the Kromaggs energy weapons are not lasers. They are in fact particle beam weapons. When one is hit a person will get killed from the blast but if hit in the a nonfatal area, the person will die from radiation poisoning.

• "Mother and Child": The introduction of the first "Humagg", a baby born from a Kromagg father and human mother, reveals that a lingering aftereffect of the weapon used to drive the Kromaggs from Kromagg Prime made the Kromaggs themselves infertile, explaining the true importance of their breeding camps.

• "Revelations": An alternate version of the Kromaggs is revealed to be of limited intelligence and were generally docile. On their version of Kromagg Prime (called "Kromagg Double Prime") these Kromaggs were victims of a Holocaust-style purge by the humans of their world.

• "Requiem": While the Sliders relax in a garden waiting for the next slide, Rembrandt receives a message in his mind from former slider Wade. Leading to encountering the Kromaggs for the last time. In this world they meet the first female Kromagg. The Kromaggs are developing slide technology powered by the human body.

• "The Seer": In the last episode of the series, the sliders land on a world that has defeated the Kromaggs with a virus. The entire population on this Earth carries the virus in their blood. A native person of this Earth drew some blood from himself and gave it to Rembrandt, who injected himself with it and slid to Earth Prime in an attempt to free Earth Prime from the Kromaggs. It was not revealed in the episode if Rembrandt was successful.