Baltar (TOS)

Overview

Name: Baltar

Title: Lord / Count

Position: Quorum of Twelve Representative / Commander of the Cylon Pursuit Force

Portrayed By: John Colicos

Lord Baltar, responsible for the Cylon sneak attack that all but destroyed the Colonial race, pursues the remnants of Colonial civilization across the star-laced heavens.

Biography

Baltar's Deeds

Better known as the traitor to Humanity, Baltar had a relatively prolific life as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve before the Colonies destruction. Prior to betraying humanity to the Cylons (TOS), he apparently financed and plotted many expeditions of the Cyranus Galaxy during the Thousand Yahren War. These surveys and expeditions also included the tylium-rich planet of Carillon, though the fact was never revealed as in reports to the Quorum.

For many yahren, he apparently plotted to use the Cylons as his iron fist to bring down the colonies under his dictatorship. Using the peace treaty as a ruse -- to both sides obviously -- he managed to work up the Humans excitement for the treaty as well as give the Cylons what they wanted: the eradication of the threat of the lifeform known as man.

The Cylons took the opportunity... however they took everything for granted and destroyed Baltar's plans for domination. Since his services were unneeded by the Imperious Leader, he was given thanks and a public execution. He was likely sent off ship to Cylon, or a widely known outpost of the Cylons. (Saga of a Star World)

The First Salvation of Baltar

The new Imperious Leader, Barkol, spared Baltar's disheveled life to seek the Human remnant; basically due to his thought patterns being akin to the Humans. (Saga of a Star World,Lost Planet of the Gods) Bestowed a fully equipped base star, along with Lucifer, a IL-series cogitator, Baltar tracked down the Galactica and decided to abduct a Warrior -- Lieutenant Starbuck -- to convince the warrior that he wanted peace, as well as to discover why the Vipers flew so erratically. His return would allow for the Colonial survivors to believe in Baltar, and Lord Baltar even went as so far as to land on Kobol to prove his intentions of peace. Using the Quorum medallion, he managed to gain entry into the Ninth Lord of Kobol's tomb. After trying to paint Adama as a liar who has spread lies of his involvement with the Cylons, Baltar proved an annoyance as he tried to rob the tomb of the Ninth Lord.

While Starbuck was returned to the surface to tell the newly trained Viper pilots what Baltar promises, Lucifer decided to ignore Baltar's orders and begin attacking the Fleet and Kobol. Debris fell upon the traitorous Lord Baltar, effectively trapping him on Kobol while the Colonials fled yet again. (Lost Planet of the Gods)

The Second Salvation of Baltar

The Cylons saved Baltar in order to, yet again, attempt to stop Adama's rag-tag fugitive fleet, seeking to destroy the last Battlestar.

He managed to track them from the Cyranus Galaxy -- home of the Cylons and Colonials -- and to the sector containing the prison colony Proteus. He apparently lost sight of the fleet for a while, when the Fleet changed course due to Robber's transmissions back to Cylon hands (although he thought he was contacting the Aeries colony). (The Long Patrol)

Baltar planned to herd the Galactica and her fleet to Arcta, where the Ravishol Pulsar was based, so that he could finish of Adama's fleet once and for all. Baltar's subordinate, Command Centurian Vulpa, commanded the Arcta base; however Baltar's plan was thwarted and the Fleet managed to pass the planet relatively unscathed. Obviously he would have to find some way to explain this military "flounder" to the Imperious Leader… (The Gun on Ice Planet Zero, Part I)

Baltar managed to get in another attack by destroying the Fleet's two agro ships, and the destruction of the crops on the third. However, the agron colony of Sectar was nearby; Adama managed to solicit a trade from the ruling populous of the main Sectar city, Serenity. (The Magnificent Warriors)

The traitor also attempted to capture a warrior to extract information from; his Cylon patrol managing to disable Starbuck's Viper near Antilla, however this failed. Baltar discovered a rivalry between the two Cylon IL-series cogitators, Lucifer and Specter, which he found amusing. Although it was Specter who managed to achieve the final laugh as he managed to con Baltar into believing an altered-version of the situation of Antilla. This version that Baltar believed in helped Specter maintain some dignity and his ability to obtain another position without being a "has-been". (The Young Lords)

Sometime thereafter, Baltar yet again managed to get a chance to rid the universe of Adama and his Fleet. By ridding the Imperious Leader of the Human threat represented by the Fleet, Baltar hoped to make the Cylon's "outer capitol" of Gamoray his seat of power. (The Living Legend, Part I) The timely appearance of the legendary Commander Cain spoiled this opportunity, and others as Cain and arch nemesis Commander Adama made Baltar into a fool. Baltar was almost killed in his personal Cylon raider as the Pegasus nearly collided into the ship. (The Living Legend, Part II)

Baltar did survive the engagement to aid the Imperious Leader when the main city of Gamoray was being assaulted by Colonial forces. (The Living Legend, Part II)

Baltar's Selfless Surrender

When Count Iblis manifested itself to the Fleet, Baltar was allegedly directed to surrendering; as per the two conditions set out by the Quorum to test the seemingly omnipotent Iblis. He was later chastised and sent spinning into his own reserved cell on the Prison Barge, although Baltar attempted to help the Colonials discover what the the manifestations they encountered were. (Only to find out that they were Beings of Light, mythical figures that maintained the universe, working to aid others indirectly.) (War of the Gods)

Baltar as an Aid

Baltar was essential in finding out his electronics expert and Ortega's murder, Karibdis, who no one was able to recognize. After Apollo extradited Baltar from the Prison Barge, Baltar and Apollo managed to thwart Karibdis from killing them both. (Murder on the Rising Star)

Apollo's deal, which guaranteed Baltar's freedom from incarceration in return for his assistance in catching Karibdis, wasn't followed through.

During the temporary "visitation" of the Eastern Alliance personnel commanded by Commandant Leiter, Baltar plotted his escape with the assistance of the Borellian Nomen (Taba, Maga and Bora) and Leiter's enforcers from Terra's Eastern Alliance. "Lead" by Baltar, the prisoners captured eleven Quorum members, Lieutenants Boomer and Sheba, and the Council Security in the bay at the time.

He furnished Adama with an ultimatium: return the Cylon Raider and its pilots, as well as the Eastern Alliance vessel, fully fueled or be responsible for to deaths of his prisoners. (The prisoners being in a shuttle rigged with detonators attached to the shuttle's hull. However, he was subsequently tricked into a false sense of security upon boarding his personal raider, outwitted by two dysfunctional Cylons and two warriors.

His partners in crime were more fortunate, escaping -- much to his eminent ire… More for him to be doing mess hall duty, betwixt serving Grid Barge slop and sputtering escape plans that do not inspire confidence from his other "brethren". (Baltar's Escape)

There were other uses for Baltar: namely his knowledge of the Cylon's basestars. Tired of running from the Cylons, Commander Adama decided to mount an attack on a Cylon base star a patrol had encountered. Adama believed that the base star was the only Cylon presence within the galaxy they were traversing. In return for Baltar's aid, Adama promised adequate shelter and provisions on a habitable planet, as well as a short-range transmission device. With Baltar's instructions, Starbuck and Apollo managed to disable the base star's sensors, thus allowing the Galactica to destroy the base star. (The Hand of God)

Notes

In the theatrical version of Battlestar Galactica's pilot movie, Baltar was beheaded in front of the Imperious Leader. However, upon advent of an order for a television series, and Glen Larson's like for the character of Lord Baltar, caused the entire death scene for Baltar to be re-shot -- being spared at the last moment in the televised pilot.

It is also evident for Battlestar fans to notice the different sides of Baltar, in Saga of a Star World and The Young Lords he was shrewd and deviously evil; The Living Legend showed Baltar as an insane and delusional power-hungry man who would dare cross the Imperious Leader; and in War of the Gods, Baltar evidently demonstrates intelligence and dignity by playing with fate and facing the Fleet's Quorum. Additionally, he shows another version of himself by being a bumbling imbecile, thanks to Battlestar's writers apparent incompetence in deciding what Baltar was and should have been during the series' run.

Baltar was not the only role that the late John Colicos portrayed, in fact he is well known in the science fiction genre for portraying Star Trek's first Klingon, Commander Kor. The character Kor was reprised in the third Star Trek series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine for three episodes: "Blood Oath", "The Sword of Kahless", and "Once More Unto the Breach". Colicos, like Canadian-born actor William Shatner, is also of Canadian descent and a well-received Shakespearian actor. Colicos is also well known as Doctor Mikkos Carridine from "General Hospital".

Lord Baltar is also known as Count Baltar. Although both "Lord" and "Count" were used in addressing Baltar at some point, the former is more applicable to the series, since the latter title is used only in the pilot.

Watchers of the series can also note the intended-to-be-subtle changes in the scenes concerning Baltar's talk with the new Imperious Leader. In Saga of a Star World, the Imperious Leader states that Baltar will vie for peace on the behest of the Cylons, as they are powerful enough to be "tolerant" of the Humans. However, in the beginning scenes of Lost Planet of the Gods, this part is conspicuously absent; which leads the fans to believe one of two things: (I) the "olive branch" mandate was not part of the series canon to make the series more interesting; or (II) Baltar attacked the Fleet of his (and Lucifer's) own prerogatives, in which Baltar (could have) made it appear that the surviving Humans were intolerant to the peace offering, which would likely be to convince the Leader that his position was the wrong one to take.