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Species: Psychon
Gender: Female
Date of birth: 3rd day of Tayad, 6752 Psychon years
Home planet: Psychon
Affiliation: Moonbase Alpha
Rank: Pilot and science advisor
Section: None
Portrayed by: Catherine Schell
Maya is a fictional character who appeared in the second series of the science fiction television program Space: 1999.
Brought to life by actress Catherine Schell, Maya was introduced in the second series opener Metamorph.
Maya was an alien rescued from the planet Psychon, and had the ability to metamorphose. Maya was able to change into any animal form (including a good number of ugly space monsters). This superhero ability was used throughout the show to get the crew of Moonbase Alpha out of a variety of problematic situations.
Maya was viewed by many as a clumsy attempt by new producer Fred Freiberger (who had previously worked ..rek) to create a female version of the Mr. Spock character.
A hit with many fans, Schell's performance as Maya was considered by many to be the main upside to the second series of Space: 1999, which was markedly different in tone and approach than the previous series.
Character biography
Maya is noted as being 32 years of age, and is a native of planet Psychon.
Psychon had a peaceful and happy culture, and Maya recounts her upbringing as essentially idyllic. Maya is the daughter of the renowned Psychon scientist Mentor, and she had one brother, who left the planet with a thousand others when it began to boil. Other Psychons built spaceships after this, and ultimately Mentor and Maya were left alone on the planet. Mentor remained, believing he could restore Psychon with the help of the computer Psyche. When Psyche is damaged, the released energy destroys the planet. Mentor dies in the explosion, but Koenig manages to save Maya and brings her to Moonbase Alpha to live.
In early episodes, Maya has dark brown ears, but later they abandon this makeup and she also gets less dramatic sideburns. Maya is very emotional throughout the series, she cries and breaks down at several points. She is also a prankster, and likes practical jokes. She has a romantic connection to Tony Verdeschi, but also seems attracted to Commander Koenig from time to time.
Maya has a brilliant mind, which is demonstrated to be quicker than Alpha's computer. She is an able pilot and also serves as science advisor, assigned to many of the exploratory parties.
Maya was instructed on how to change forms by Mentor and from mastery of this skill has come to be known as a metamorph capable of molecular transformation. She achieves this transformation by concentrating on the molecular structure of the creature she wishes to emulate. In All That Glisters, it is noted that she can transform into anything organic. In some episodes it is noted that Maya can only hold a form for one hour, but this is not consistent throughout the series. Maya can also change parts of her body, for example her hairstyle. This skill is not known by all Pyschons, as mentioned in the episode Dorzak which featured another Pyschon who went by that name. He did not know how to transform but forced Maya to teach him. The fact that he learned it so quickly means it is possibly a latent ability in all Pyschons, but this is never revealed.
Maya was featured in The Metamorph, The Taybor, The Rules of Luton, New Adam New Eve, The AB Chrysalis, Seed Of Destruction, The Beta Cloud, Space Warp, The Bringers Of Wonder, Dorzak, and The Dorcons. She was also seen but played a smaller role in The Mark of Archanon, and Catacombs of the Moon.
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