William Adama
Edward James Olmos as William Adama
Race	Human
Gender	Male
Portrayed by	Edward James Olmos (Nico Cortez as Young Adama [1])
First appearance	Miniseries
Callsign	Husker
Rank	Commander (BSG Miniseries - Episode 2. Human beings, humans or man (Origin 1590–1600 L homō man OL hemō the earthly one (see Humus Male (♂ refers to the sex of an organism or part of an organism which produces small mobile Gametes called spermatozoa. Edward James Olmos (born 24 February 1947) is an Emmy -winning and Academy Award -nominated American actor and director Battlestar Galactica is a three-hour Miniseries written and produced by Ronald D Battlestar Galactica is an Emmy and Peabody Award -winning serial drama Television program created by Ronald D 12) Rear Admiral (Episode 2. Battlestar Galactica is an Emmy and Peabody Award -winning serial drama Television program created by Ronald D 13 - Episode 4. 08) (resigned) Commanding Officer of the Battlestar Galactica (BSG Miniseries - Episode 4. Battlestar Galactica is a franchise of Science fiction Films and television series, the first of which was produced in 1978 08)
Colony	Tauron, Relocated to Caprica
Affiliation	Colonial Fleet

Admiral William "Bill" Adama is a fictional character portrayed by Edward James Olmos in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica television series. The Twelve Colonies of Man or Twelve Colonies of Kobol constitute the main human civilization in the original Battlestar Galactica Television series The Colonial Forces are the military forces of the Twelve Colonies in the Battlestar Galactica fictional universe Edward James Olmos (born 24 February 1947) is an Emmy -winning and Academy Award -nominated American actor and director Battlestar Galactica is an Emmy and Peabody Award -winning serial drama Television program created by Ronald D The last name Adama comes from the ancient Greek adamas (αδάμας; “invincible”).

Character biography

Early life

William Adama was born on the Caprica colony, the son of Joseph Adama, a civil liberties lawyer and Evelyn Adama, an accountant. thumb| |Broken Liberty Istanbul Archaeology Museum Civil liberties are freedoms that protect the Individual from the Government. A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law as an attorney, Counsel or Solicitor; a person An accountant is a practitioner of Accountancy, which is the measurement disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers investors ^[2]

Adama was a gifted Viper pilot in the Colonial Fleet during the later stages of the first Cylon War. The Colonial Viper is the primary fighter spacecraft type used by the human protagonists in the Battlestar Galactica fictional universe The Colonial Forces are the military forces of the Twelve Colonies in the Battlestar Galactica fictional universe The Cylons are a fictional race of bio-mechanical beings appearing in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series ^[3] On account of his gravelly voice, his aviator call sign was "Husker". An aviator call sign or callsign is a Nickname given to a American or Canadian military pilot or other flight officer ^[4]Assigned to the Galactica, he was involved with a Raptor pilot named Jaycie McGavin. ^[5] Arriving on the hangar deck for his first mission, he found McGavin had been gravely injured in combat when her Raptor's control console exploded in her face. ^[6] Adama subsequently scored his first kills during this mission, for which he received a commendation. ^[2] Adama was aboard the Battlestar Galactica during the last week of the war when a Cylon boarding party attempted to kill the crew by depressurizing the ship. The Battlestar Galactica is a Space battleship in the original and re-imagined Science fiction Television series Adama later recalled that "two thousand men bought the farm. "^[3]

During a battle that took place on the last day of the First Cylon War, enraged by the destruction of the Battlestar Columbia, Adama pursued two Cylon raiders into a planetary atmosphere. ^[7] His viper was damaged in a collision and he was forced to eject. ^[8] Upon landing, he discovered what appeared to be a Cylon lab that was experimenting on human subjects. ^[9] Unable to rescue the humans still held captive in the lab, Adama watched helplessly as the Cylons evacuated the base. When he called Galactica for rescue, Adama found out that the war had ended with the signing of an armistice. With the end of hostilities, the Cylons carried away whatever they were developing unopposed.

After the war ended, Adama married his first wife, Carolanne, by whom he fathered two sons, Zak and Lee. Military Personnel Zak Adama See also Zak Adama Played by Tobias Mehler, Clarke Hudson Zak Adama is a character on the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica Science fiction series Leland Joseph "Lee" Adama (callsign "Apollo" is a fictional character in the television series Battlestar Galactica. ^[10] Adama later relates to Captain Louanne "Kat" Katraine how, during both her pregnancies, Carolanne was convinced that she was carrying a daughter, and was surprised by the arrival of a son. Louanne "Kat" Katraine is a character from the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series portrayed by Luciana Carro. Adama himself would have liked a daughter, saying that "three's a good round number". ^[11]

Adama's military career floundered after the war. Like many servicemen after the end of a conflict, he was discharged. He found himself serving on a commercial freighter on the Caprica-Tauron run, where he met a fellow former Viper pilot, Saul Tigh. A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of Ship or vessel that carries Cargo, goods and materials from one port to another Colonel Saul Tigh is a fictional character on Battlestar Galactica played by Michael Hogan. ^[12] The pair forged a lasting friendship, and Adama arguably saved Tigh from his most self-destructive impulses. ^[3]

Return to the Fleet

During this period, Adama used his wife's family's connections in the Defense Council to get himself reinstated in the Colonial Fleet with a rank of Captain. Once he had been promoted to the rank of Major, he secured Tigh's reinstatement in the Fleet as well. Major is a Military rank the use of which varies according to country ^[12] He later divorced Carolanne, who was in turn engaged to marry again at the time of the Cylons' devastation of the Twelve Colonies. ^[4]

As a Major, Adama served on the Battlestar Atlantia,^[2] where he had an ongoing feud with the ship's landing signal officer that inspired a celebration of his thousandth landing. Landing Signal Officers (LSOs are Naval aviators specially trained to control the approach and landings of Airplanes aboard Aircraft carriers. ^[10] He later served as the executive officer of the Battlestar Columbia, presumably as a Colonel, before earning his own command, the Battlestar Valkyrie. While executive officer literally refers to a person responsible for the performance of duties involved in running an Organization, the exact meaning of the role is variable Colonel ( RP ˈkɜnəl GA ˈkɜrnəl is a Military rank of a Commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country There have been many appearances of various Spaceships in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica Science fiction Television series Adama brought his old friend, Saul Tigh, with him as his XO. ^[2] At some point during this phase of his career, Adama either served aboard or visited a Mercury class battlestar. A Battlestar is a Space battleship in the reimagined Science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica. ^[13]

Approximately three years before the Destruction of the Twelve Colonies, the Colonial Admiralty ordered Commander Adama and the Valkyrie to test the Cylons' military disposition with a covert (and illegal) surveillance mission across the Armistice Line. The Destruction of the Twelve Colonies is a fictitious interstellar holocaust first depicted in the 1978 motion picture Battlestar Galactica, which set The Stealthstar reconnaissance craft was discovered by the Cylons and damaged; Adama ordered the Valkyrie's weapons batteries to shoot it down to prevent its capture. There have been many appearances of various Spaceships in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica Science fiction Television series These events precipitated his transfer to the aging Battlestar Galactica as a graceful swan-song to his career before returning to haunt him three years later. ^[2]

Both William Adama's sons chose to follow in their father's footsteps and become Viper pilots. While Lee went on to become an accomplished pilot, Zak was not a natural in the cockpit. While in training, Zak began a secret relationship with Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, his flight instructor. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, played by Katee Sackhoff, is a Fictional character in the television series Battlestar Galactica, a reimagining Zak would have failed basic flight training had Kara not passed him based on her feelings for him (he had recently proposed to her). During an operational flight, Zak's Viper crashed and he was killed. This tragedy drove a wedge between Adama and his surviving son, Lee, who blamed his father for pushing Zak into military service. It was also during this time that William Adama met Kara, sparking a father-daughter relationship. ^[10]

After the Cylon attack

Two years after Zak's death, Adama is put to the ultimate test. The fifty-year-old Galactica is nearing the end of its service, destined to be converted into a museum ship. For ships that are not original see Ship replica. For preserved incomplete ships see Ships preserved in museums. On the morning following the ship's decommissioning ceremony (Caprica City Time), the Cylons launch a surprise attack on the Twelve Colonies, bombarding the colonies with nuclear weapons and destroying the majority of the Colonial Fleet. The Twelve Colonies of Man or Twelve Colonies of Kobol constitute the main human civilization in the original Battlestar Galactica Television series A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. The Fleet is unable to mount an effective counterattack due to Cylon infiltration of the Colonial ships' Command Navigation Program (CNP). ^[4]

As it fought in the first Cylon War, and because its systems were not networked, Galactica was spared from any possible Cylon infiltration attempts. Much of Galactica's Viper Mark VII fighters possessed the CNP and were lost early on. The Colonial Viper is the primary fighter spacecraft type used by the human protagonists in the Battlestar Galactica fictional universe Fortunately, as part of its museum display, the Galactica has forty older Mk II Vipers on board, including Adama's personal fighter. The CNP was later purged from Galactica's systems and the remainder of the Mark VII fighters. Since Galactica has been disarmed in anticipation of its decommissioning, Adama takes the ship to Ragnar Anchorage to rearm. While there, the Galactica encounters a ragtag fleet of civilian vessels bearing around 50,000 survivors, including the new President of the Colonies, Laura Roslin, who implores Adama to abandon his plan to fight the Cylons and instead lead the survivors to safety. Laura Roslin is a Fictional character in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica series portrayed by Mary McDonnell. After some deliberation, he complies, deciding that the survival of the human race is more important than pursuing a counterattack against the Cylons. Galactica and her rag-tag fleet jump beyond the "red line" (the imaginary boundary of known FTL jumps). An FTL, or "Faster Than Light" Drive is a Fictional propulsion technology from the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica television series ^[4] His wife, Carolanne, is presumed to have died in the Cylon attack, although Adama continues to observe their wedding anniversary after a fashion. ^[14]

After an incident on the hangar deck that resulted in the deaths of several pilots, Adama becomes aware of the true details of his son Zak's death, after Thrace lets the whole affair with Zak cloud her judgment again by being too harsh on the replacement trainees. Adama is barely able to restrain himself upon learning of the cause of Zak's death from Thrace. ^[10] Events following the revelation lead Adama and his surviving son Lee to commit a similar act of allowing feelings to cloud judgment, after Thrace is shot down and stranded on an inhospitable planet. After Adama is compelled to abandon Thrace by President Roslin, Thrace miraculously rescues herself and returns to Galactica aboard a captured Cylon Raider. Adama forgives Thrace for her indiscretions concerning Zak. The incident also cements the father-son bond between William Adama and his surviving son: Lee questions how long his father would search for him, were he missing, to which the elder Adama responds, "if it were you. . . we'd never leave. "^[15]

Soon after Galactica and the Colonial fleet discover the lost planet Kobol, Adama is shot by "Boomer", a Cylon sleeper agent, which places him in mortal jeopardy. Kobol is the name of a Planet in the fictional Battlestar Galactica universe Lieutenant Junior Grade Sharon 'Boomer' Valerii, Number Eight, and Lieutenant Junior Grade Sharon 'Athena' Valerii Agathon refer to a collection of humanoid ^[16] Although he survives this assassination attempt, the brush with death changes him somewhat: some say that his more emotional leanings are a post-traumatic reaction to the shooting, but Adama jokes to Roslin that he thinks that he is "just a wuss. "^[17]

After the Battlestar Pegasus encounters the fleet, Adama comes into conflict with Rear Admiral Helena Cain, commander of the Pegasus, over the treatment of two Galactica crew members, Lt. Battlestar Pegasus is a fictional spacecraft that appears in the both the original and the re-imaged television series Battlestar Galactica. Rear Admiral Helena Cain is a fictional character in the reimagined Science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica, portrayed by Karl Agathon and Chief Galen Tyrol. Karl C Agathon is a fictional character on the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica TV series portrayed by Tahmoh Penikett. Galen Tyrol (commonly referred to as The Chief) is a character on the television series Battlestar Galactica. Admiral Cain and Commander Adama come to the brink of firing on one another's vessels. ^[18] Each makes plans to have the other assassinated following the successful conclusion of a joint operation to destroy the Cylon Resurrection ship. " Resurrection Ship " Part I and II are episodes of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series Neither plan is carried out, although Cain is subsequently killed by the Cylon agent Gina. Number Six is a series of fictional Cylon characters played by Canadian actress Tricia Helfer in the television "re-imagining" of ^[19]

With the death of Admiral Cain, President Roslin promotes Adama to Rear Admiral. Adama is surprised and touched: by this point in his career, he had given up hope of attaining flag rank; he encourages Roslin, battling breast cancer, to remain hopeful of a recovery. A flag officer is a commissioned officer who is senior enough to be entitled to fly a Flag to represent where he exercises command Breast cancer is a Cancer that starts in the cells of the Breast in women and men There was also a brief, sweet kiss between the two, initiated by Adama, which Roslin smiles at afterwards. ^[19]

New Caprica and the Second Exodus

After the discovery of New Caprica, Admiral Adama appears reluctant to establish a permanent settlement on the planet, but is over-ruled by the new President Gaius Baltar. Gaius Baltar is a fictional character in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica. ^[20] In the months that follow, his attitude slowly softens, and he begins to allow military personnel to muster out and settle on New Caprica. ^[21]

When the Cylons locate New Caprica after a year of no contact with the human race, Admiral Adama is forced to reluctantly flee with all the ships still in orbit. ^[20] two thousand civilians and the Battlestars Galactica and Pegasus at half-strength. ^[22] Undaunted, Adama sets about formulating a rescue plan for the humans trapped under Cylon rule. His unorthodox strategy (he even goes so far as to jump the Galactica into the atmosphere of New Caprica) is successful, but not without loss. Against his father's orders, Lee arrives in the Pegasus to join the battle and save Galactica, but left all of its fighters behind to guard the civilian fleet. The Pegasus takes heavy damage, forcing the crew to abandon ship. The Pegasus is destroyed upon collison with a basestar. Adama returns to the fleet as a hero. ^[23]

Three years after the incident at the Armistice Line, Galactica recovers Lieutenant Daniel "Bulldog" Novacek, the pilot of the recon vessel that Adama ordered shot down when in command of the Battlestar Valkyrie. Military Personnel Zak Adama See also Zak Adama Played by Tobias Mehler, Clarke Hudson Adama's guilt over the incident and suspicions that he may have provoked the Cylon attack on the Colonies lead him to tender his resignation from the Fleet: however, President Roslin refuses to accept his resignation. Moreover, in an attempt to improve fleet morale and reward Admiral Adama for his continual military service in ensuring the survival of the fleet, President Roslin awards Adama with a Medal of Distinction in recognition of his 45 years of service to the Colonial Fleet. Colonel Tigh is the one who saves Adama when Bulldog attacks the Admiral, seeking revenge for his capture, and this marks a turning point in the Adama-Tigh relationship: after the award ceremony, the two friends finally sit down to share a drink and talk about the events on New Caprica, and Ellen Tigh's death in particular. ^[2]

Adama is initially supportive of the "ranks dropped" boxing competition held on Galactica with Colonel Tigh as referee, seeing it as a useful means of allowing the crew to vent their frustrations and prevent them growing into feuds and grudges. However, when he sees that some of the crew have taken to enjoying the competition over tending to their professional duties, he is reminded of how he himself softened during the year above New Caprica. He takes on Chief Galen Tyrol in the ring; although he is beaten by the younger man, his actions and words afterwards remind the crew of their solemn duty to guard the civilian fleet. ^[21]

As the fleet prepares to make a hazardous journey through a highly radioactive stellar cluster, Tigh finally returns (a little self-consciously) to the Galactica CIC. Star clusters are groups of Stars which are gravitationally bound Although Adama does not join the applause for the Colonel, he cannot hide a small smile. After the stellar cluster has been negotiated, he visits Captain Louanne "Kat" Katraine on her deathbed after she receives a fatal dose of radiation guiding civilian ships through the cluster. Louanne "Kat" Katraine is a character from the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series portrayed by Luciana Carro. He comforts her, telling her that her shady past life is irrelevant to him: he is interested only in her bravery and outstanding qualities as a leader, for which he (posthumously) returns her to the position of CAG. ^[11]

Public image

Adama is greatly loved by the crew of Galactica and is often affectionately called "the Old Man", though not to his face. His popularity among the civilian population of the Colonial fleet is probably not as great. This is because Adama has made a number of decisions that are controversial at the very least, such as staging a brief coup against President Roslin, and concealing the fact that some Cylons can pose as human beings, although it may well be better now that he has rescued the civilians off of New Caprica.

Military service

Admiral Adama's Military service record is shown in the dossier prepared for Laura Roslin by Billy Keikeya. Billy Keikeya is a Fictional character in the miniseries and television remake of Battlestar Galactica. It listed the following events in his service history:^[2]

• D6/21311 - First commission: Battlestar Galactica fighter squadron
• E4/21312 - Commendation for shooting down Cylon fighter in first combat mission
• D5/21314 - Mustered out of service post-armistice
• R6/21317 - Served as Deck Hand in merchant fleet and as common [. . . ] aboard inter-colony tramp freighters
• D1/21331 - Recommissioned in Colonial Fleet
• D6/21337 - Major: Battlestar Atlantia
• R8/21341 - Executive Officer: Battlestar Columbia
• C2/21345 - Commander: Commanding Officer, Battlestar Valkyrie
• C2/21348 - Commander: Commanding Officer, Battlestar Galactica

Preparing for the role

Actor Edward James Olmos has brown eyes, but when playing William Adama he wears contacts that make Adama's eyes blue. This is done so that Olmos and actor Jamie Bamber, who plays his son Lee, would resemble each other more. Jamie St John Bamber Griffith (b 3 April, 1973) is a British Actor most famous for his roles as Major Lee "Apollo" Adama Reciprocally, Bamber dyes his hair darker to better match Olmos' coloring.

See also

• Adama Family

External links

• William Adama at Battlestar Wiki
• Official show website

References