Why are the Asurans a threat to Earth?

[Daniel Jackson]

Why are the Asurans a threat to Earth? Let's review episode by episode.

1-12 "Hot Zone"
The Atlantis expedition is almost whiped out by a nanite virus designed to kill Humans. McKay theorized that it might be from an enemy more powerful in the Wraith. We later learn that it was an Asuran weapon designed to whipe out Humans to starve the Wraith to death.

3-05 "Progeny"
3-06 "The Real World"
First contact with the Asurans. Learning that Weir's team is from Atlantis, they take them prisoner with plans to take Atlantis as a prize. Fortunately, Weir's team manages to destroy Asuras, escaping in a Puddle Jumper. In the next episode, Weir's infected with nanites! Guess the Asurans want revenge for blowing up one of their flying cities.

3-10 "The Return, Part 1"
3-11 "The Return, Part 2"
A group of Ancients return in Part 1, only to be slaughtered by the Asurans whom the Ancients had assumed were still programmed not to harm Ancients. Woops! Anyway, the Asurans finally succeed in taking Atlantis as a prize, but once again, Weir's team shows up, causes problems, and whipes out a city's population of Asurans. After two major defeats, you'd think the Asurans would leave Atlantis to the puny Humans and go back to being isolationists.

3-20 "First Strike"
4-01 "Adrift"
Out of the blue, we're told the Asurans are building ships to attack Earth. Er... why? Earth isn't a threat to them, so... why are they going to attack Earth? How do we know they're not coming back to Atlantis or going after the Wraith thanks to the knowledge contained by Weir and Sheppard's team? Why not call up the Asurans and... oh... I don't know... make peace talks, ya know... the whole reason why Weir is there? It just doesn't make a lick of sense to attack the Asurans at this point. Of coarse, the plan backfires, Atlantis is almost destroyed, lots of people die, and Weir will either die or become AsurWeir.

[Major_Griff]

Weir will either die or become AsurWeir.

I prefer Repliweir

[~Benjamin~]

why are they going for earth anyway? is it still jealousy for not being favourite child syndrome?

[2ndgenerationalteran]

Well i guess we blew them up for precautions, but there was always the unlikely possibility that the ships were intended for the Asurans to finally attack the Wraith with. But quite frankly now, we blew up a city, several ships, maybe another city or two, destroyed a strike force, a whole bunch of citizens of their citys were neutralized, stole a ZPM. I'd say they are pretty pissed off, even before the events in Adrift we still had to consider what they were doing as a threat.

Wier wasn't allowed to negotiate because it would have tipped the Asurans off about an attack. If they found out what we were up to they could have encompassed the planet in a shield and we would have no chance of neutralizing their ships.

[elbo]

Out of the blue, we're told the Asurans are building ships to attack Earth. Er... why? Earth isn't a threat to them, so... why are they going to attack Earth? How do we know they're not coming back to Atlantis or going after the Wraith thanks to the knowledge contained by Weir and Sheppard's team? Why not call up the Asurans and... oh... I don't know... make peace talks, ya know... the whole reason why Weir is there? It just doesn't make a lick of sense to attack the Asurans at this point. Of coarse, the plan backfires, Atlantis is almost destroyed, lots of people die, and Weir will either die or become AsurWeir.

No! If you are trutfull to your own assumption and those warships were meant for Atlantis, the plan didn't backfired, but was stopped in time. They were able to send just a lousy satelite, even if Asurans knew that the city has the means to take off and enter hyperspace.

The damage to Atlantis and life loses happened because the Atlantis crew made few error in calculations. If they would have raised the city sooner and turn off the shield and start the stardrive at the precise moment when the asteroid entered the beam, they would have had sufficient time to make the jump, but they began ascending exactly when the asteroid entered the beam so they lost that extra time.

However there are few clues in the FS that sustain the theory that they would have attacked Earth: the inter-galactic hiperdrive (which they wouldn't need for destroying Atlantis, right?) and the high number of warships (35), which are an impressive number just to attack a city (they previously attacked Atlantis wirh just one and succeded).

Even if Atlantis were their prime target (this is still a startegic avanpost for Earth), after they would have finished the job there, Earth would have been more probably the second. But most probably they would have split their fleet, sending it both to destroy Earth and Atlantis, and who knows maby the Wraith too.

It doesn't really matter, those warships were meant for just one thing, to inflict major damage to organics so they couldn't be allow to reach flying condition. It is so simple.

[2ndgenerationalteran]

I don't remember them mentioning anything about intergalactic hyperdrives. But there is the possibility we were not their intended target, 35 ships is more than sufficient to destroy both Earth and Atlantis. They know from reading our minds that we have almost no defenses they have to worry about, them finally attacking the wraith with a fleet of that size seems a little more appropriate.

[Daniel Jackson]

I prefer Repliweir

They're Asurans, not Replicators. I'm getting tired of the writers having the characters call them Replicators.

Well i guess we blew them up for precautions, but there was always the unlikely possibility that the ships were intended for the Asurans to finally attack the Wraith with. But quite frankly now, we blew up a city, several ships, maybe another city or two, destroyed a strike force, a whole bunch of citizens of their citys were neutralized, stole a ZPM. I'd say they are pretty pissed off, even before the events in Adrift we still had to consider what they were doing as a threat.

Prior to "First Strike," all we did was blow up a city ship that was going to either destroy or capture Atlantis. Atlantis had good reason to destroy that city ship, so up to that point, Atlantis had room to negotiate for peace.

Wier wasn't allowed to negotiate because it would have tipped the Asurans off about an attack. If they found out what we were up to they could have encompassed the planet in a shield and we would have no chance of neutralizing their ships.

Negotiating doesn't involve blatantly giving away military strategy. You call up Asuras, tell them that you're sorry you blew up their city ship, remind them that you're not the Ancients (they should know from the brain scans), and that you should be treated as a new power in the galaxy. If they want Atlantis, tough, they can build a dozen city ships if they want Atlantis that bad, good grief. If they still want to blow Atlantis to bits, then cut communication and send the Apollo.

No! If you are trutfull to your own assumption and those warships were meant for Atlantis, the plan didn't backfired, but was stopped in time. They were able to send just a lousy satelite, even if Asurans knew that the city has the means to take off and enter hyperspace.

If Atlantis was the target, bring back the other two ZPM's back to Atlantis, fully power the city, fly away to another planet, then give the other two ZPM's back to Earth. Walla, problem solved.

The damage to Atlantis and life loses happened because the Atlantis crew made few error in calculations.

All of this was a direct consequence of the Apollo launching a pre-emptive strike on Asuras.

However there are few clues in the FS that sustain the theory that they would have attacked Earth: the inter-galactic hiperdrive (which they wouldn't need for destroying Atlantis, right?) and the high number of warships (35), which are an impressive number just to attack a city (they previously attacked Atlantis wirh just one and succeded).

How do we know that they weren't going after the Wraith due to their encounter with Weir's team? They would have gotten a major update on the Wraith situation. I would love to see it revealed that those 35 ships were built to go fight the Wraith, haha.

Even if Atlantis were their prime target (this is still a startegic avanpost for Earth), after they would have finished the job there, Earth would have been more probably the second.

Why go after Earth? If Atlantis is blown to bits, Earth no long has a reason to send teams to the Pegasus Galaxy. Remember "The Return" two-parter? Did they fly around Pegasus on the Daedalus? Nope, they came back to Earth. If ya blow up Atlantis, the Earthlings leave Pegasus for good, no need to exterminate them, just take away their reason for being in your galaxy. Simple, really. If ants are in your house, do you try to destroy all ants in your state/country? No, you just kill the ones in your house and perhaps any colonies in your yard.

It doesn't really matter, those warships were meant for just one thing, to inflict major damage to organics so they couldn't be allow to reach flying condition. It is so simple.

Would you still say that if they were ment to attack the Wraith? The Asurans could have been a major asset, but now we have a bigger threat than the Wraith. Nice.

[Mattathias2.0]

They're Asurans, not Replicators. I'm getting tired of the writers having the characters call them Replicators.

Why?

[Daniel Jackson]

If Asurans are Replicators, then Canadians, Mexicans, everyone in Central America and South America are... Americans, because anyone who lives on an American continent must be an American. Surely we can't refer to them as Canadians, Mexicans, and so forth, because just calling everyone the same thing is easy, right? That's how I feel about calling Asurans the Replicators. The Replicators were a race of robots who's sole purpose was to replicate. SG-1 whiped them out with Ba'al's help. The only similarity to the Asurans is that the Human-forum Replicators were also made of nanites.

[Sicktem]

Personally, I suspect they want to rid the universe of Humans with the Ancient gene and/or cut off their problem at the source. They can destroy Atlantis, but there's still Humans out there with weapons that destroy you and they may come after you with them. From their perspective Earth could technically turn that weapon into something which could destroy your entire species in one run (and they would be right for thinking that). It seems to me that they might've been planning their own first strike - "Get to them before they get to us." It would've been a smart move too. Sure they had previously been focused on Atlantis, but there comes a point where you have to realize that you're not thinking of the big picture. Such a point is easier to come by when your entire attack force is destroyed in a split second by a team of 6 Humans and you first become aware that they have a weapon that can effectively stop your kind.

[AutumnDream]

I would love to see it revealed that those 35 ships were built to go fight the Wraith, haha.

I sure as hell hope so. Weir was probably right.

[SmallTimePerson]

If Asurans are Replicators, then Canadians, Mexicans, everyone in Central America and South America are... Americans, because anyone who lives on an American continent must be an American. Surely we can't refer to them as Canadians, Mexicans, and so forth, because just calling everyone the same thing is easy, right?

Using your analogy we don't call people from Poland, Germany, France and places like Belgium European do we? or Korean, Vietnamese or Japanese people Asian?
And I am guessing you are from America as here we call North Americans "American" and South Americans "South Americans".
To further your American analogy, what else are we suppose to call you in normal conversation United States of Americans? somehow this analogy doesn't work...

They got their name by their actions not their species...
They "replicate" and are hence "replicators"

[talyn2k1]

Using your analogy we don't call people from Poland, Germany, France and places like Belgium European do we? or Korean, Vietnamese or Japanese people Asian?
And I am guessing you are from America as here we call North Americans "American" and South Americans "South Americans".
To further your American analogy, what else are we suppose to call you in normal conversation United States of Americans? somehow this analogy doesn't work...

They got their name by their actions not their species...
They "replicate" and are hence "replicators"

We reproduce, does that make us "reproducers"?
We also eat, are we "Eaters"?

It has been theorized that the man who invented Reese was an Ancient, therefore making the Asurans and the MW Replicators like distant cousins, I suppose.

Our race is humans, but there are different groups such as Americans, English, Scottish, Irish, Armenians, etc
Their race is Replicators, different groups are MW Reps and Asurans.

Hope that analogy makes a bit more sense.

[SmallTimePerson]

We reproduce, does that make us "reproducers"?
We also eat, are we "Eaters"?

It has been theorized that the man who invented Reese was an Ancient, therefore making the Asurans and the MW Replicators like distant cousins, I suppose.

Our race is humans, but there are different groups such as Americans, English, Scottish, Irish, Armenians, etc
Their race is Replicators, different groups are MW Reps and Asurans.

The Asurans are called Asurans because in the series their homeworld is Asuras, not because that is their species name (I don't think their creators, the Ancients, recognized them as a species just a device). I don't disagree with the distinction of "Asurans" and "Milky Way Replicators" what I disagreed with is Daniel Jackson (the poster not the character) trying to say that the Asurans and MW Replicators are completely different from each other other than their nanite cells and his apparent disapproval of calling Asurans "Replicators".

We could call ourselves Reproducers if you really wanted to, but I am going to be sticking with "Human".

The name Replicator was given by the Asgard by an observation, not the creators (we hadn't met Reese and when we did she thought of them as Toys) or themselves (although the Human Form replicators we met did acknowlege that they are Replicators).

[kymeric]

Why are the Asurans a threat to Earth? Let's review episode by episode.

1-12 "Hot Zone"
The Atlantis expedition is almost whiped out by a nanite virus designed to kill Humans. McKay theorized that it might be from an enemy more powerful in the Wraith. We later learn that it was an Asuran weapon designed to whipe out Humans to starve the Wraith to death.

3-05 "Progeny"
3-06 "The Real World"
First contact with the Asurans. Learning that Weir's team is from Atlantis, they take them prisoner with plans to take Atlantis as a prize. Fortunately, Weir's team manages to destroy Asuras, escaping in a Puddle Jumper. In the next episode, Weir's infected with nanites! Guess the Asurans want revenge for blowing up one of their flying cities.

3-10 "The Return, Part 1"
3-11 "The Return, Part 2"
A group of Ancients return in Part 1, only to be slaughtered by the Asurans whom the Ancients had assumed were still programmed not to harm Ancients. Woops! Anyway, the Asurans finally succeed in taking Atlantis as a prize, but once again, Weir's team shows up, causes problems, and whipes out a city's population of Asurans. After two major defeats, you'd think the Asurans would leave Atlantis to the puny Humans and go back to being isolationists.

3-20 "First Strike"
4-01 "Adrift"
Out of the blue, we're told the Asurans are building ships to attack Earth. Er... why? Earth isn't a threat to them, so... why are they going to attack Earth? How do we know they're not coming back to Atlantis or going after the Wraith thanks to the knowledge contained by Weir and Sheppard's team? Why not call up the Asurans and... oh... I don't know... make peace talks, ya know... the whole reason why Weir is there? It just doesn't make a lick of sense to attack the Asurans at this point. Of coarse, the plan backfires, Atlantis is almost destroyed, lots of people die, and Weir will either die or become AsurWeir.

Lol, i guess u missed how insane aggression was wired into their programming. Id bet just looking at them funny is enough cause to have them completely wipe out earth.

It is wierd that they havent attacked the wraith, maybe they isolated themselves as a FU to their programmers, they dont see any wraith they arent compelled to fight them. Maybe if the asurans were on their way to earth and the wraith flew by and waved theyd have to stop and kill them all. And then come kill us. lol