Maya is the main protagonist of the show Space 1999's second season. She is an alien from Psychon who was saved from her planet's obliteration by the Alphans from planet Earth. She now uses her shapeshifting powers to help them in their quest of justice throughout the universe.
She is portrayed by Catherine Schell.
History[]
Countdown to Destruction[]
The team find a peculiar planet and decide to explore it and while doing so they are seperated from the commander Koenig who is captured by an alien collective. As this happens Maya is a giant monster and retreats from the perilous situation. Once they reach safety there is something wrong about Koenig and Helena can feel it from his demeanor.
Maya is berated by this fake Koenig and feeling distraught claims that there is a dark presence of coldness to him. Along with Tony she needs to uncover what the Koenig is hiding. In fact it is a stone and she becomes Cranston to steal a bit to study it. After studying it they discover this Koenig is an evil doppleganger trying to takeover the universe.
They soon defeat this creature and peace is restored with the true Koenig back.
Dorzak[]
It begins with Maya sensing a ship on the radar which makes contact and reveals that a Croton woman Sahala has landed with injured members in her ship. Although the other Alphans approach with caution because it is an attack vessel. Maya greets Sahala kindly but in return is tazed shocking everyone present. Sahala is then put into detention for this act,
Maya is freed and then calmed by her friend Tony who reassures her that everything will be fine after she is reawoken from her coma. Soon a great distrust is formed between her and Sahala. Since the latter blames her race for warmongering and spreading chaos in her star system. Specifically a war criminal named Dorzak. After visiting Dorzak though she still believes him to be a pacifistic poet who would never hurt another individual.
Following this she is put in charge of overlooking him and they bond with Maya seeing no reason to imprison him. Then he grows interested in the power of shapeshifting and attempts to goad her into revealing it. After all they were the last two psychons. Albeit then it becomes more complicated as the other member of Sahala's group is brainwashed into incriminating said Croton. Therefore digging is soon done into why she was so erratic before her death.
Maya is overjoyed until she learns croton's have devices in their brains to block Dorzak's psychic control and they inadvertently removed that from the partner. Now a plan is devised where Maya should be convinced as well as the truth breaking out. All cards will be on the table is "Sahala" and Dorzak are together. Therefore Maya impersonates Sahala and bargains with Helena so she can obtain Dorzak to finally escape the Alphans. Giving the captain an ultimatum where "Sahala" would blow up the entire ship if they didn't hand over Dorzak. Creating a situation where that is fulfilled.
Following the trade Maya still in character interrogates Dorzak learning he was truly a deplorable being, before Dorzak but her at the edge as Sahala. Questioning why she wouldn't know about the chip if she were truly Sahala. The fear kicked in and she was exposed as Maya not Sahala. Unbeknownst to the Alphans she revealed how she shapeshifts since she was brainwashed. By doing so Dorzak traded places with her and kept her in stasis. Furthermore now she brainwashed Helena to remove Sahala's chip so she may serve him by flying the ship.
Although the ambush failed and Tony was able to resist his manipulation leading to his defeat and Maya being freed.