Despite their numerous similarities, however, Sam Beckett and Daniel Jackson do differ in a number of important ways. Chief among these, of course, is the fact that Daniel is both an only child and an orphan, having tragically lost both his parents in a museum accident at the tender age of 8 (as seen in the episode "The Gamekeeper"). He then spent the remainder of his childhood in foster care. Sam, on the other hand, had a comparatively idyllic childhood with his parents and two siblings on their Indiana farm. One can only imagine how such different childhood experiences helped to mold the type of men these two characters became. Nevertheless, it may be possible to parallel the loss of Daniel's parents with the loss of Sam's older brother - an event that occurred when Sam was 16 years old, and one which affected him deeply (as evidenced in the episode "The Leap Home"). Additionally, although it occurred much later in Sam's life than in Daniel's, the death of Sam's father due to heart problems has also been seen to have had a profound effect on the adult Sam (as also seen in the episode "The Leap Home") and perhaps inspired him to pursue a career in medicine and physics, just as the death of Daniel's parents possibly inspired him to follow them into archaeology. In this way, the loss both characters have experienced may, perhaps, have led them to choose career paths that offered a hope of returning what was lost to them (literally in Sam's case and in a more metaphorical sense in Daniel's case). Furthermore, the "boy scout" complex common to both heroes may stem from a deeper desire to protect others from the same hurt they have experienced - a desire that, in turn, possibly stems from the guilt they both feel at having been unable to protect the loved ones they have lost.

A further difference between these two characters is that Sam, on the whole, is travelling blind: each time Sam leaps he is clueless as to where and when he will end up - and he can rely on no more than moral support from Al (who appears to him as a hologram) should he find himself in danger. Daniel, on the other hand, is, generally, well aware of the planet to which he and his teammates will be travelling, and whether conditions are likely to be hostile - in which case, Jack can access an arsenal of weapons in order to back Daniel up. It could, therefore, be argued that Sam displays greater courage than Daniel, by continuing his heroic journey into the unknown without any real protection. However, it is also true that, whilst Daniel has the benefit of the resources of the SGC, Sam has the benefit of future knowledge with which to ascertain the safest course of action, as well as a hologram ably equipped for reconnaissance. Additionally, Sam, by and large, has placed his destiny in the hands of an outside force - God, Time, Fate, Whatever - and must go where and when this force chooses for him to go. The only time we see Sam consciously make a decision regarding when and where he will leap is in the final episode "Mirror Image" when he is told that he possessed the power to control his own destiny all along, and he exercises this power to right a wrong for Al. By contrast, even though Daniel is required to follow SGC regulations, he has, nevertheless, been given far greater power over his destiny than Sam has. Furthermore, Daniel is presented with a real other-worldly villain to overcome, in the form of the parasitic aliens the Goa'uld, and these villains possess a number of alien weapons that could easily kill or, at the very least, seriously injure Daniel and his teammates. And, should Daniel be killed, the Goa'uld also possess the technology to revive him and kill him all over again. With the exception of the parallel leaper Alia and her hologram Zoey, from the episodes "Deliver Us From Evil" and "Return/Revenge", Sam's villains are everyday people, armed with hurtful and prejudicial attitudes rather than superhuman or alien weapons. It could, therefore, be conversely argued that Daniel displays greater courage in actively deciding to take each journey through the Stargate, despite knowing he may be heading into greater peril than Sam will, arguably, ever face. Finally, it is clear that Daniel is afforded many freedoms denied to Sam: at the end of a hard day's work, Daniel is, generally, able to return to his own planet, his own time and his own bed. As we are told at the conclusion of "Mirror Image", Sam will never know "home" again - a lonely prospect if ever there was one. Similarly, Sam's continued leaping entails that he will forever be required to masquerade as someone else - in both manner and appearance - with each glance in the mirror reflecting a stranger's face back at him. Excluding the episodes "Summit/Last Stand" (when he must masquerade as a slave in order to infiltrate a meeting of several powerful Goa'uld), Daniel is required to wear no obvious masks or disguises, and, thus, is comparatively free to be himself.

In conclusion, it can be argued that every culture needs its mythological heroes, contemporary western culture being no exception, and, as this essay has sought to prove, amongst our finest contemporary fictional and mythological heroes surely must stand Dr Sam Beckett and Dr Daniel Jackson. While these two men do differ in a number of ways, and may have taken different paths before answering the classic hero's call, it is their similarities, particularly the nobility of their purpose, and the compassion and courage they display in continuing their exploration of time and space, despite the very real risk of physical and emotional pain, that set them apart as true heroes of our time.

Book excerpt reference: CHUNOVIC, L (1993). "The Quantum Leap Book". Boxtree Publishers

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