History Main / DarkAndTroubledPast

** While usually ([[{{HiddenDepths}} but not always]]) portrayed as more of a [[{{KnightInSourArmor}} jaded]] [[{{DeadpanSnarker}} goofball]] than a dark character, Colonel Jack O'Neill doesn't have the most pleasant background. He is ex-[[{{ElitesAreMoreGlamorous}} Special Ops]], and his professional backstory appears to fall under [[{{YouDoNOTWantToKnow}} 'you don't want to know']] territory. It was stated that he's done some 'distasteful things,' and a few allusions have been made to his 'file' and his having a 'strong stomach'. He was also left for dead by his friend and teammate Frank Cromwell, resulting in [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} four months]] [[{{FateWorseThanDeath}} in an Iraqi prison]]. The Iraqis were not known for being nice to their prisoners, and he carried a grudge for at least seven years, to the extent that he refused to forgive Cromwell even when the planet was about to be sucked up by a black hole. [[{{TheyreCalledPersonalIssuesForAReason}} This was never mentioned again]]. The specifics of his early life are unknown, but when Sam Carter was trying to get him to empathise with some new Air Force Academy graduates, he retorted that '[He] was never their age.' That one has about even odds of being a joke or a hint-within-a-joke, but it's a wierd thing to say if it doesn't have any basis in fact. Finally, his son Charlie accidentally killed himself with O'Neill's sidearm, and O'Neill blames himself. He was suicidal and [[spoiler: were it not for the intervention of Daniel Jackson, he would have killed himself with a nuclear bomb and [[{{MoralEventHorizon}} ' ' ' knowingly ' ' ' taken five-thousand people]] with him.]] All this before the show happened. At a later date there was [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} a little episode]] called [[{{ColdBloodedTorture}} Abyss.]]

** While usually ([[{{HiddenDepths}} but not always]]) portrayed as more of a [[{{KnightInSourArmor}} jaded]] [[{{DeadpanSnarker}} goofball]] than a dark character, Colonel Jack O'Neill doesn't have the most pleasant background. He is ex-[[{{ElitesAreMoreGlamorous}} Special Ops]], and his professional backstory appears to fall under [[{{YouDoNOTWantToKnow}} 'you don't want to know']] territory. It was stated that he's done some 'distasteful things,' and a few allusions have been made to his 'file' and his having a 'strong stomach'. He was also left for dead by his friend and teammate Frank Cromwell, resulting in [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} four months]] [[{{FateWorseThanDeath}} in an Iraqi prison]]. The Iraqis were not known for being nice to their prisoners, and he carried a grudge for at least seven years, to the extent that he refused to forgive Cromwell even when the planet was about to be sucked up by a black hole. [[{{TheyreCalledPersonalIssuesForAReason}} This was never mentioned again]]. The specifics of his early life are unknown, but when Sam Carter was trying to get him to empathise with some new Air Force Academy graduates, he retorted that '[He] was never their age.' That one has about even odds of being a joke or a hint-within-a-joke, but it's a wierd thing to say if it doesn't have any basis in fact. Finally, his son Charlie accidentally killed himself with O'Neill's sidearm, and O'Neill blames himself. He was suicidal and [[spoiler: were it not for the intervention of Daniel Jackson, he would have killed himself with a nuclear bomb and [[{{MoralEventHorizon}} '''knowingly''' taken five-thousand people]] with him.]] All this before the show happened. At a later date there was [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} a little episode]] called [[{{ColdBloodedTorture}} Abyss.]]

** Teal'c's father was murdered horribly for losing an unwinnable battle, and he was the [[{{TheDragon}} leader]] of [[{{BigBad}} Apophis']] army for decades before he did a [[{{HeelFaceTurn}} Heel Face Turn]]. During that time he did numerous unpleasant if not outright evil things. [[{{TheAtoner}} It's been made clear that he feels guilty about them.]]
** While usually ([[{{HiddenDepths}} but not always]]) portrayed as more of a [[{{KnightInSourArmor}} jaded]] [[{{DeadpanSnarker}} goofball]] than a dark character, Colonel Jack O'Neill doesn't have the most pleasant background. He is ex-[[{{ElitesAreMoreGlamorous}} Special Ops]], and his professional backstory appears to fall under [[{{YouDoNOTWantToKnow}} 'you don't want to know']] territory. It was stated that he's done some 'distasteful things,' and a few allusions have been made to his 'file' and his having a 'strong stomach'. He was also left for dead by his friend and teammate Frank Cromwell, resulting in [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} four months]] [[{{FateWorseThanDeath}} in an Iraqi prison]]. The Iraqis were not known for being nice to their prisoners, and he carried a grudge for at least seven years, to the extent that he refused to forgive Cromwell even when the planet was about to be sucked up by a black hole. [[{{TheyreCalledPersonalIssuesForAReason}} This was never mentioned again]]. The specifics of his early life are unknown, but when Sam Carter was trying to get him to empathise with some new Air Force Academy graduates, he retorted that '[He] was never their age.' That one has about even odds of being a joke or a hint-within-a-joke, but it's a wierd thing to say if it doesn't have any basis in fact. Finally, his son Charlie accidentally killed himself with O'Neill's sidearm, and O'Neill blames himself. He was suicidal and [[spoiler: were it not for the intervention of Daniel Jackson, he would have killed himself with a nuclear bomb and [[{{MoralEventHorizon}} ''knowingly'' taken five-thousand people]] with him.]] All this before the show happened. At a later date there was [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} a little episode]] called [[{{ColdBloodedTorture}} Abyss.]]

** While usually ([[{{HiddenDepths}} but not always]]) portrayed as more of a [[{{KnightInSourArmor}} jaded]] [[{{DeadpanSnarker}} goofball]] than a dark character, Colonel Jack O'Neill has a background that probably should render him insane. He is ex-[[{{ElitesAreMoreGlamorous}} Special Ops]], and his professional backstory appears to fall under [[{{YouDoNOTWantToKnow}} 'you don't want to know']] territory. It was stated that he's done some 'distasteful things,' and a few allusions have been made to his 'file' and his having a 'strong stomach'. He was also left for dead by his friend and teammate Frank Cromwell, resulting in [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} four months]] [[{{FateWorseThanDeath}} in an Iraqi prison]]. The Iraqis were not known for being nice to their prisoners, and he carried a grudge for at least seven years, to the extent that he refused to forgive Cromwell even when the planet was about to be sucked up by a black hole. [[{{TheyreCalledPersonalIssuesForAReason}} This was never mentioned again]]. The specifics of his early life are unknown, but when Sam Carter was trying to get him to empathise with some new Air Force Academy graduates, he retorted that '[He] was never their age.' That one has about even odds of being a joke or a hint-within-a-joke, but it's a wierd thing to say if it doesn't have any basis in fact. Finally, his son Charlie accidentally killed himself with O'Neill's sidearm, and O'Neill blames himself. He was suicidal and [[spoiler: were it not for the intervention of Daniel Jackson, he would have killed himself with a nuclear bomb and [[{{MoralEventHorizon}} ''knowingly'' taken five-thousand people]] with him.]] All this before the show happened. At a later date there was [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} a little episode]] called [[{{ColdBloodedTorture}} Abyss.]]

** While usually ([[{{HiddenDepths}} but not always]]) portrayed as more of a [[{{KnightInSourArmor}} jaded]] [[{{DeadpanSnarker}} goofball]] than a dark character, Colonel Jack O'Neill has a background that probably should render him insane. He is ex-[[{{ElitesAreMoreGlamorous}} Special Ops]], and his professional backstory appears to fall under [[{{YouDoNOTWantToKnow}} 'you don't want to know']] territory. It was stated that he's done some 'distasteful things,' and a few allusions have been made to his 'file' and his having a 'strong stomach'. He was also left for dead by his friend and teammate Frank Cromwell, resulting in [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} four months]] [[{{FateWorseThanDeath}} in an Iraqi prison]]. The Iraqis were not known for being nice to their prisoners, and he carried a grudge for at least seven years, to the extent that he refused to forgive Cromwell even when the planet was about to be sucked up by a black hole. [[{{TheyreCalledPersonalIssuesForAReason}} This was never mentioned again]]. The specifics of his early life are unknown, but when Sam Carter was trying to get him to empathise with some new Air Force Academy graduates, he retorted that '[He] was never their age.' That one has about even odds of being a joke or a hint-within-a-joke, but it's a wierd thing to say if it doesn't have any basis in fact. Finally, his son Charlie accidentally killed himself with O'Neill's sidearm, and O'Neill blames himself. He was suicidal and [[spoiler: were it not for the intervention of Daniel Jackson, he would have killed himself with a nuclear bomb and [[{{MoralEventHorizon}} knowingly]] taken five-thousand people with him.]] All this before the show happened. At a later date there was [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} a little episode]] called [[{{ColdBloodedTorture}} Abyss.]]

* Alexander Hamilton in ''TheDreamer''. Man oh man. He's a bastard, his dad left the family when he was 8-10 years old, and his mom died of yellow fever two years later. Then, the cousin who was supposed to be their guarding committed suicide shortly after taking in Alex and his older brother. And yet, he doesn't let it get to him.

** Teal'c's father was murdered, and he was the [[{{TheDragon}} leader]] of [[{{BigBad}} Apophis']] army for decades before he did a [[{{HeelFaceTurn}} Heel Face Turn]]. During that time he did numerous unpleasant if not outright evil things. [[{{TheAtoner}} It's been made clear that he feels guilty about them.]]
** While usually ([[{{HiddenDepths}} but not always]]) portrayed as more of a [[{{KnightInSourArmor}} jaded]] [[{{DeadpanSnarker}} goofball]] than a dark character, Colonel Jack O'Neill has a background that probably should render him insane. He is ex-[[{{ElitesAreMoreGlamorous}} Special Ops]], and his professional backstory appears to fall under [[{{YouDoNOTWantToKnow}} 'you don't want to know']] territory. It was stated that he's done some 'distasteful things,' and a few allusions have been made to his 'file' and his having a 'strong stomach'. He was also left for dead by his friend and teammate Frank Cromwell, resulting in [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} four months]] [[{{FateWorseThanDeath}} in an Iraqi prison]]. The Iraqis were not known for being nice to their prisoners, and he carried a grudge for at least seven years, to the extent that he refused to forgive Cromwell even when the planet was about to be sucked up by a black hole. [[{{TheyreCalledPersonalIssuesForAReason}} This was never mentioned again]]. His early life is unknown, but when Sam Carter was trying to get him to empathise with some new Air Force Academy graduates, he made the odd comment that '[He] was never their age.' Finally, his son Charlie accidentally killed himself with O'Neill's sidearm, and O'Neill blames himself. He was suicidal and [[spoiler: were it not for the intervention of Daniel Jackson, he would have killed himself with a nuclear bomb and [[{{MoralEventHorizon}} knowingly]] taken five-thousand people with him.]] All this before the show happened. At a later date there was [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} a little episode]] called [[{{ColdBloodedTorture}} Abyss.]]

* Detective Olivia Benson of [[{{Law and Order: SVU}} Law and Order: SVU]] was the product of her mother's rape. Her mother was also a violent alcoholic who abused her.

* Detective Olivia Benson of [[{{Law and Order: SVU}} Law and Order: SUV]] was the product of her mother's rape. Her mother was also a violent alcoholic who abused her.

* Detective Olivia Benson of ''{{Law and Order: SVU}}'' was the product of her mother's rape. Her mother was also a violent alcoholic who abused her.

** While usually ([[{{HiddenDepths}} but not always]]) portrayed as more of a [[{{KnightInSourArmor}} jaded]] [[{{DeadpanSnarker}} goofball]] than a dark character, Colonel Jack O'Neill has a background that probably should render him insane. He is ex-[[{{ElitesAreMoreGlamorous}} Special Ops]], and his professional backstory appears to fall under [[{{YouDoNOTWantToKnow}} 'you don't want to know']] territory. It was stated that he's done some 'distasteful things,' and a few allusions have been made to his 'file' and his having a 'strong stomach'. He was also left for dead by his friend and teammate Frank Cromwell, resulting in [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} four months]] [[{{FateWorseThanDeath}} in an Iraqi prison]]. The Iraqis were not known for being nice to their prisoners, and he carried a grudge for at least seven years, to the extent that he refused to forgive Cromwell even when the planet was about to be sucked up by a black hole. [[{{TheyreCalledPersonalIssuesForAReason}} This was never mentioned again]]. His early life is unknown, but when Sam Carter was trying to get him to empathise with some new Air Force Academy graduates, he made the odd comment that '[He] was never their age.' Finally, his son Charlie accidentally killed himself with O'Neill's sidearm, and O'Neill blames himself. He was suicidal and [[spoiler: were it not for the intervention of Daniel Jackson, he would have killed himself with a nuclear bomb and knowingly taken five-thousand people with him.]] All this before the show happened. At a later date there was [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} a little episode]] called [[{{ColdBloodedTorture}} Abyss.]]

** While usually ([[{{HiddenDepths}} but not always]]) portrayed as more of a [[{{KnightInSourArmor}} jaded]] [[{{DeadpanSnarker}} goofball]] than a dark character, Colonel Jack O'Neill has a background that probably should render him insane. He is ex-[[{{ElitesAreMoreGlamorous}} Special Ops]], and his professional backstory appears to fall under [[{{YouDoNOTWantToKnow}} 'you don't want to know']] territory. It was stated that he's done some 'distasteful things,' and a few allusions have been made to his 'file' and his having a 'strong stomach'. He was also left for dead by his friend and teammate Frank Cromwell, resulting in [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} four months]] [[{{FateWorseThanDeath}} in an Iraqi prison]]. The Iraqis were not known for being nice to their prisoners, and he carried a grudge for at least seven years, to the extent that he refused to forgive Cromwell even when the planet was about to be sucked up by a black hole. This was never mentioned again. His early life is unknown, but when Sam Carter was trying to get him to empathise with some new Air Force Academy graduates, he made the odd comment that '[He] was never their age.' Finally, his son Charlie accidentally killed himself with O'Neill's sidearm, and O'Neill blames himself. He was suicidal and [[spoiler: were it not for the intervention of Daniel Jackson, he would have killed himself with a nuclear bomb and knowingly taken five-thousand people with him.]] All this before the show happened. At a later date there was [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} a little episode]] called [[{{ColdBloodedTorture}} Abyss.]]

** While usually ([[{{HiddenDepths}} but not always]]) portrayed as more of a [[{{KnightInSourArmor}} jaded]] [[{{DeadpanSnarker}} goofball]] than a dark character, Colonel Jack O'Neill has a background that probably should render him insane. He is ex-[[{{ElitesAreMoreGlamorous}} Special Ops]], and his professional backstory appears to fall under [[{{YouDoNOTWantToKnow}} 'you don't want to know']] territory. But it was stated that he's done some 'distasteful things,' a few allusions have been made to his 'file' and his having a 'strong stomach'. He was also left for dead by his friend and teammate Frank Cromwell, resulting in [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} four months]] [[{{FateWorseThanDeath}} in an Iraqi prison]]. The Iraqis were not known for being nice to their prisoners, and he carried a grudge for at least seven years, to the extent that he refused to forgive Cromwell even when the planet was about to be sucked up by a black hole. This was never mentioned again. His early life is unknown, but when Sam Carter was trying to get him to empathise with some new Air Force Academy graduates, he made the odd comment that '[He] was never their age.' Finally, his son Charlie accidentally killed himself with O'Neill's sidearm, and O'Neill blames himself. He was suicidal and [[spoiler: were it not for the intervention of Daniel Jackson, he would have killed himself with a nuclear bomb and knowingly taken five-thousand people with him.]] All this before the show happened. At a later date there was [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} a little episode]] called [[{{ColdBloodedTorture}} Abyss.]]

** While usually ([[{{HiddenDepths}} but not always]]) portrayed as more of a [[{{KnightInSourArmor}} jaded goofball]] than a dark character, Colonel Jack O'Neill has a background that probably should render him insane. He is ex-[[{{ElitesAreMoreGlamorous}} Special Ops]], and his professional backstory falls under [[{{YouDoNOTWantToKnow}} 'you don't want to know']] territory. But it was stated that he's done some 'distasteful things,' a few allusions have been made to his 'file' and his having a 'strong stomach'. He was also left for dead by his friend and teammate Frank Cromwell, resulting in [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} four months]] [[{{FateWorseThanDeath}} in an Iraqi prison]]. The Iraqis were not known for being nice to their prisoners, and he carried a grudge for at least seven years, to the extent that he refused to forgive Cromwell even when the planet was about to be sucked up by a black hole. This was never mentioned again. His early life is unknown, but when Sam Carter was trying to get him to empathise with some new Air Force Academy graduates, he made the odd comment that '[He] was never their age.' Finally, his son Charlie accidentally killed himself with O'Neill's sidearm, and O'Neill blames himself. He was suicidal and [[spoiler: were it not for the intervention of Daniel Jackson, he would have killed himself with a nuclear bomb and knowingly taken five-thousand people with him.]] All this before the show happened. At a later date there was [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} a little episode]] called [[{{ColdBloodedTorture}} Abyss.]]

** Teal'c's father was murdered, and he was the [[{{TheStarscream}} leader]] of [[{{BigBad}} Apophis']] army for decades before he did a [[{{HeelFaceTurn}} Heel Face Turn]]. During that time he did numerous unpleasant if not outright evil things. [[{{TheAtoner}} It's been made clear that he feels guilty about them.]]

** Teal'c's father was murdered, and he was the leader of [[{{BigBad}} Apophis']] army for decades. He did numerous unpleasant if not outright evil things. [[{{TheAtoner}} It's been made clear that he feels guilty about them.]]

** While usually ([[{{HiddenDepths}} but not always]]) portrayed as more of a [[{{KnightInSourArmor}} jaded goofball]] than a dark character, Colonel Jack O'Neill has a background that probably should render him insane. He is ex-[[{{ElitesAreMoreGlamorous}} Special Ops]], and his professional backstory falls under [[{{YouDoNOTWantToKnow}} 'you don't want to know']] territory. But it was stated that he's done some 'distasteful things,' a few allusions have been made to his 'file' and his having a 'strong stomach'. He was also left for dead by his friend and teammate Frank Cromwell, resulting in [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} four months]] [[{{FateWorseThanDeath}} in an Iraqi prison]]. The Iraqis were not known for being nice to their prisoners, and he carried a grudge for at least seven years, to the extent that he refused to forgive Cromwell even when the planet was about to be sucked up by a black hole. This was never mentioned again. His early life is unknown, but when Sam Carter was trying to get him to empathise with some new Air Force Academy graduates, he made the odd comment that '[He] was never their age.' Finally, his son Charlie accidentally killed himself with O'Neill's sidearm, and O'Neill blames himself. He was suicidal and [[spoiler: were it not for the intervention of Daniel Jackson, he would have killed himself with a nuclear bomb and knowingly taken five-thousand people with him.]] All this before the show happened. At a later date there was a little episode called [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} Abyss.]]

** While usually ([[{{HiddenDepths}} but not always]]) portrayed as more of a [[{{KnightInSourArmor]] jaded goofball]] than a dark character, Colonel Jack O'Neill has a background that probably should render him insane. He is ex-[[{{ElitesAreMoreGlamorous}} Special Ops]], and his professional backstory falls under [[{{YouDoNOTWantToKnow}} 'you don't want to know']] territory. But it was stated that he's done some 'distasteful things,' a few allusions have been made to his 'file' and his having a 'strong stomach'. He was also left for dead by his friend and teammate Frank Cromwell, resulting in [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} four months]] [[{{FateWorseThanDeath}} in an Iraqi prison]]. The Iraqis were not known for being nice to their prisoners, and he carried a grudge for at least seven years, to the extent that he refused to forgive Cromwell even when the planet was about to be sucked up by a black hole. This was never mentioned again. His early life is unknown, but when Sam Carter was trying to get him to empathise with some new Air Force Academy graduates, he made the odd comment that '[He] was never their age.' Finally, his son Charlie accidentally killed himself with O'Neill's sidearm, and O'Neill blames himself. He was suicidal and [[spoiler: were it not for the intervention of Daniel Jackson, he would have killed himself with a nuclear bomb and knowingly taken five-thousand people with him.]] All this before the show happened. At a later date there was a little episode called [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} Abyss.]]

** While usually ([[{{HiddenDepths}} but not always]]) portrayed as more of a goofball than a dark character, Colonel Jack O'Neill has a background that probably should render him insane. He is ex-[[{{ElitesAreMoreGlamorous}} Special Ops]], and his professional backstory falls under [[{{YouDoNOTWantToKnow}} 'you don't want to know']] territory. But it was stated that he's done some 'distasteful things,' a few allusions have been made to his 'file' and his having a 'strong stomach'. He was also left for dead by his friend and teammate Frank Cromwell, resulting in [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} four months]] [[{{FateWorseThanDeath}} in an Iraqi prison]]. The Iraqis were not known for being nice to their prisoners, and he carried a grudge for at least seven years, to the extent that he refused to forgive Cromwell even when the planet was about to be sucked up by a black hole. This was never mentioned again. His early life is unknown, but when Sam Carter was trying to get him to empathise with some new Air Force Academy graduates, he made the odd comment that '[He] was never their age.' Finally, his son Charlie accidentally killed himself with O'Neill's sidearm, and O'Neill blames himself. He was suicidal and [[spoiler: were it not for the intervention of Daniel Jackson, he would have killed himself with a nuclear bomb and knowingly taken five-thousand people with him.]] All this before the show happened. At a later date there was a little episode called [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} Abyss.]]

** While usually ([[{{HiddenDepths}} but not always]]) portrayed as more of a goofball than a dark character, Colonel Jack O'Neill has a background that probably should ([[{{AlternativeCharacterInterpretation}} and may have]]) render him insane. He is ex-[[{{ElitesAreMoreGlamorous}} Special Ops]], and his professional backstory falls under [[{{YouDoNOTWantToKnow}} 'you don't want to know']] territory. But it was stated that he's done some 'distasteful things,' a few allusions have been made to his 'file' and his having a 'strong stomach'. He was also left for dead by his friend and teammate Frank Cromwell, resulting in [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} four months]] [[{{FateWorseThanDeath}} in an Iraqi prison]]. The Iraqis were not known for being nice to their prisoners, and he carried a grudge for at least seven years, to the extent that he refused to forgive Cromwell even when the planet was about to be sucked up by a black hole. This was never mentioned again. His early life is unknown, but when Sam Carter was trying to get him to empathise with some new Air Force Academy graduates, he made the odd comment that '[He] was never their age.' Finally, his son Charlie accidentally killed himself with O'Neill's sidearm, and O'Neill blames himself. He was suicidal and [[spoiler: were it not for the intervention of Daniel Jackson, he would have killed himself with a nuclear bomb and knowingly taken five-thousand people with him.]] All this before the show happened. At a later date there was a little episode called [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} Abyss.]]

** While usually ([[{{HiddenDepths}} but not always]]) portrayed as more of a goofball than a dark character, Colonel Jack O'Neill could have been a [[{{NightmareFuelStationAttendant}} Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant]]. He is ex-[[{{ElitesAreMoreGlamorous}} Special Ops]], and his proffessional backstory falls under [[{{YouDoNOTWantToKnow}} 'you don't want to know']] territory. But it was stated that he's done some 'distasteful things,' a few allusions have been made to his 'file' and his having a 'strong stomach'. He was also left for dead by his friend and teammate Frank Cromwell, resulting in [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} four months in an Iraqi prison]]. The Iraqis were not known for being nice to their prisoners, and he carried a grudge for at least seven years, to the extent that he refused to forgive Cromwell even when the planet was about to be sucked up by a black hole. This was never mentioned again. His early life is unknown, but when Sam Carter was trying to get him to empathise with some new Air Force Academy graduates, he made the odd comment that '[He] was never their age.' Finally, his son Charlie accidentally killed himself with O'Neill's sidearm, and O'Neill blames himself. He was suicidal and [[spoiler: were it not for the intervention of Daniel Jackson, he would have killed himself with a nuclear bomb and knowingly taken five-thousand people with him.]]

** While usually (but not always) portrayed as more of a goofball than a dark character, Colonel Jack O'Neill could have been a [[{{NightmareFuelStationAttendant}} Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant]]. He is ex-[[{{ElitesAreMoreGlamorous}} Special Ops]], and his proffessional backstory falls under [[{{YouDoNOTWantToKnow}} 'you don't want to know']] territory. But it was stated that he's done some 'distasteful things,' a few allusions have been made to his 'file' and his having a 'strong stomach'. He was also left for dead by his friend and teammate Frank Cromwell, resulting in [[{{HighOctaneNightmareFuel}} four months in an Iraqi prison]]. The Iraqis were not known for being nice to their prisoners, and he carried a grudge for at least seven years, to the extent that he refused to forgive Cromwell even when the planet was about to be sucked up by a black hole. This was never mentioned again. His early life is unknown, but when Sam Carter was trying to get him to empathise with some new Air Force Academy graduates, he made the odd comment that '[He] was never their age.' Finally, his son Charlie accidentally killed himself with O'Neill's sidearm, and O'Neill blames himself. He was suicidal and [[spoiler: were it not for the intervention of Daniel Jackson, he would have killed himself with a nuclear bomb and knowingly taken five-thousand people with him.]]

** While usually (but not always) portrayed as more of a goofball than a dark character, Colonel Jack O'Neill could have been a [[{{NightmareFuelStationAttendant}} Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant]]. He is ex-[[{{ElitesAreMoreGlamorous}} Special Ops]], and his proffessional backstory falls under [[{{YouDoNOTWantToKnow}} 'you don't want to know']] territory. But it was stated that he's done some 'distasteful things,' a few allusions have been made to his 'file' and his having a 'strong stomach'. He was also left for dead by his friend and teammate Frank Cromwell, resulting in [[{{NightmareFuel}} four months in an Iraqi prison]]. The Iraqis were not known for being nice to their prisoners, and he carried a grudge for at least seven years, to the extent that he refused to forgive Cromwell even when the planet was about to be sucked up by a black hole. This was never mentioned again. His early life is unknown, but when Sam Carter was trying to get him to empathise with some new Air Force Academy graduates, he made the odd comment that '[He] was never their age.' Finally, his son Charlie accidentally killed himself with O'Neill's sidearm, and O'Neill blames himself. He was suicidal and [[spoiler: were it not for the intervention of Daniel Jackson, he would have killed himself with a nuclear bomb and knowingly taken five-thousand people with him.]]

** Teal'c's father was murdered, and he was the leader of [[{{BigBad}} Apophis']] army for decades. He did numerous unpleasant if not outright evil things. It's been made clear that he feels guilty about them.
** While usually (but not always) portrayed as more of a goofball than a dark character, Colonel Jack O'Neill could have been a [[{{NightmareFuelStationAttendant}} Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant]]. He is ex-[[{{ElitesAreMoreGlamorous}} Special Ops]], and his proffessional backstory falls under [[{{YouDoNOTWantToKnow}} 'you don't want to know']] territory. But it was stated that he's done some 'distasteful things,' a few allusions have been made to his 'file' and his having a 'strong stomach'. He was also left for dead by his friend and teammate Frank Cromwell, resulting in [[{{NightmareFuel}} four months in an Iraqi prison]]. The Iraqis were not known for being nice to their prisoners, and he carried a grudge for at least seven years, to the extent that he refused to forgive Cromwell even when the planet was about to be sucked up by a black hole. This was never mentioned again. His early life is unknown, but when Sam Carter was trying to get him to empathise with some new Air Force Academy graduates, he made the odd comment that '[He] was never their age.' Finally, his son Charlie accidentally killed himself with O'Neill's sidearm, and O'Neill blames himself. He was suicidal and were it not for the intervention of Daniel Jackson, he would have killed himself with a nuclear bomb and knowingly taken five-thousand people with him.

** While usually (but not always) portrayed as more of a goofball than a dark character, Colonel Jack O'Neill could have been a [[{{NightmareFuelStationAttendant}} Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant]]. He is ex-[[{{ElitesAreMoreGlamerous}}Special Ops]], and his proffessional backstory falls under [[{{YouDoNOTWantToKnow}}'you don't want to know']] territory. But it was stated that he's done some 'distasteful things,' a few allusions have been made to his 'file' and his having a 'strong stomach'. He was also left for dead by his friend and teammate Frank Cromwell, resulting in [[{{NightmareFuel}}four months in an Iraqi prison]]. The Iraqis were not known for being nice to their prisoners, and he carried a grudge for at least seven years, to the extent that he refused to forgive Cromwell even when the planet was about to be sucked up by a black hole. This was never mentioned again. His early life is unknown, but when Sam Carter was trying to get him to empathise with some new Air Force Academy graduates, he made the odd comment that '[He] was never their age.' Finally, his son Charlie accidentally killed himself with O'Neill's sidearm, and O'Neill blames himself. He was suicidal and were it not for the intervention of Daniel Jackson, he would have killed himself with a nuclear bomb and knowingly taken five-thousand people with him.

* On {{Stargate SG1}}, Dr. Daniel Jackson's cringe-worthy backstory explains how he can keep going in the face of the constant perils he faces on the show. He lost his parents to an accident as a kid, and his own grandpa was too busy to take him in so he went to foster care. He was ridiculed for his (true!) archaeological theories and was about to lose his apartment before he joined the Stargate program. There, he falls in love with a woman on another planet and stays with her, but she's kidnapped one year later and he leaves to go tramping around the galaxy trying to find her (which remains his motivation for continuing with SG1 until she dies, possessed and almost succeeding in killing him). Add that to what happens to him during the actual run of the show, and he's still the first one to give anybody the benefit of the doubt.

** While usually (but not always) portrayed as more of a goofball than a dark character, Colonel Jack O'Neill could have been a [[{{NightmareFuelStationAttendant}} Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant]]. He is ex-Special Ops, and his proffessional backstory falls under 'you don't want to know' territory. But it was stated that he's done some 'distasteful things,' a few allusions have been made to his 'file' and his having a 'strong stomach'. He was also left for dead by his friend and teammate Frank Cromwell, resulting in four months in an Iraqi prison. The Iraqis were not known for being nice to their prisoners, and he carried a grudge for at least seven years, to the extent that he refused to forgive Cromwell even when the planet was about to be sucked up by a black hole. This was never mentioned again. His early life is unknown, but when Sam Carter was trying to get him to empathise with some new Air Force Academy graduates, he made the odd comment that '[He] was never their age.' Finally, his son Charlie accidentally killed himself with O'Neill's sidearm, and O'Neill blames himself. He was suicidal and were it not for the intervention of Daniel Jackson, he would have killed himself with a nuclear bomb and knowingly taken five-thousand people with him.

** Teal'c's father was murdered, and he was the leader of [[{{BigBad}} Apophis's]] army for decades. He did numerous unpleasant if not outright evil things. It's been made clear that he feels guilty about them.
** While usually (but not always) portrayed as more of a goofball than a dark character, Colonel Jack O'Neill could have been a Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant. He is ex-Special Ops, and his proffessional backstory falls under 'you don't want to know' territory. But it was stated that he's done some 'distasteful things,' a few allusions have been made to his 'file' and his having a 'strong stomach'. He was also left for dead by his friend and teammate Frank Cromwell, resulting in four months in an Iraqi prison. The Iraqis were not known for being nice to their prisoners, and he carried a grudge for at least seven years, to the extent that he refused to forgive Cromwell even when the planet was about to be sucked up by a black hole. This was never mentioned again. His early life is unknown, but when Sam Carter was trying to get him to empathise with some new Air Force Academy graduates, he made the odd comment that '[He] was never their age.' Finally, his son Charlie accidentally killed himself with O'Neill's sidearm, and O'Neill blames himself. He was suicidal and were it not for the intervention of Daniel Jackson, he would have killed himself with a nuclear bomb and knowingly taken five-thousand people with him.

** Teal'c's father was murdered, and he was the leader of the [[BigBad]]'s army for decades. He did numerous unpleasant if not outright evil things. It's been made clear that he feels guilty about them.
** While usually portrayed as more of a goofball than a dark character, Colonel Jack O'Neill could have been a Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant. He is ex-Special Ops, and his proffessional backstory falls under 'you don't want to know' territory. But it was stated that he's done some 'distasteful things,' a few allusions have been made to his 'file' and his having a 'strong stomach'. He was also left for dead by his friend and teammate Frank Cromwell, resulting in four months in an Iraqi prison. The Iraqis were not known for being nice to their prisoners, and he carried a grudge for at least seven years, to the extent that he refused to forgive Cromwell even when the planet was about to be sucked up by a black hole. This was never mentioned again. His early life is unknown, but when Sam Carter was trying to get him to empathise with some new Air Force Academy graduates, he made the odd comment that '[He] was never their age.' Finally, his son Charlie accidentally killed himself with O'Neill's sidearm, and O'Neill blames himself. He was suicidal and were it not for the intervention of Daniel Jackson, he would have killed himself with a nuclear bomb and knowingly taken five-thousand people with him.