Gifted pilot Lt. Colonel John Sheppard is the military leader of the Atlantis Expedition. A cunning soldier with a wry wit and wicked golf swing, he leads the team through both on-base and off-world missions. His leadership and bravery will be put to the test as the Atlantis team works to stay one step ahead of their longtime nemeses, the Wraith, as well as newly emerging enemies. Sheppard's talents aren't the only thing that makes him special; he possesses the rare ATA gene, which enables him to activate and mentally direct many amazing devices created by the Ancients the makers of the stargates and builders of Atlantis.Sheppard was born to a privileged family. His father was a wealthy utilities executive and the family had several homes, one of which included stables. Sheppard had a falling out with his father, because he believed that his father wanted him to follow a life path that differed from the one he pursued. Sheppard's younger brother, Dave, asserted to him that their father wanted to heal the breach, but was not given an opportunity to do so prior to his death, because they did not know where John was. Sheppard himself did not consider himself to have a family on Earth, but feels that his team and closest colleagues in Atlantis are his family.Sheppard was married briefly to Nancy, but the marriage broke up due to Nancy's inability to cope with the classified nature of John's military operations. He asserted to Ronon Dex that he was not good at being a husband. Although the full details of Lt. Col. Sheppard's military career are vague, he is known to have served in Afghanistan, where he received a black mark for an unauthorized attempted rescue of a combat team. He flew covert operations over several countries, including North Korea. Show less «