Olag Gan

Olag Gan was a regular character in Blake's 7 for for the first series and a half. 
==Brief Canon Info==
He is one of Blake's first allies aboard the prison ship London, and is again one of the first to join him when Blake returns to collect allies on Cynus Alpha. He continues to largely support Blake throughout his time on the Liberator, only disagreeing on moral issues, most notably when Blake tries to ally with the Terra Nostra (a gang of drug lords) in the episode Shadow. Gan is one of Blake's party during the raid on Central Control (Pressure Point) - he gives his life so that the rest of the crew can escape, telling Blake to "Go! I'm not worth dying for!" 
A large man with a limiter in his brain that prevents him from killing, Gan is typically described by cast members and writers alike as 'gentle giant'. In episode 10 of series 1, his limiter malfunctions causing Gan to turn violently on the rest of the crew, but this is a highly abnormal occurrence and once the limiter has been repaired Gan is once more depicted as genial and friendly. He was sentenced to Cynus Alpha for murdering the Federation trooper who killed his 'woman'. 
Gan's backstory is developed in more detail in the paracanonical audios by B7 Media, particularly 'When Vila Met Gan'.
==Gan in Fandom==
Gan is one of the less popular characters in Blake's 7, though he tends not to elicit the strong dislike that characters like Blake and Tarrant have suffered from. 
He is sometimes paired with Vila (usually in a Pair the Spare scenario, and/or because Vila needs a 'protector' aboard the London), sometimes with an original female character (either his 'woman' or another woman), or with other characters, particularly Avon (largely because Avon is the Fandom Bicycle). Occasionally, even during series 1, Gan will be left out of orgies in which the rest of the crew participate.
The fan Twisted Sister, known for being particularly pro Gan, wrote a number of Gan-centred fics, that often included metatextual commentary on his role in fandom. 
Gan also features in a variety of gen fics, occasionally as the lead. These fics are often likely to deal with his backstory. Some fics show Gan dying in Pressure Point and returning in some fashion, good or bad, however he rarely shows up in Post Gauda Prime fics (one major exception is Jabberwocky). He is rarely featured in fanart (perhaps never featured in shippy fanart?) or fanvids.
Fans known for being particularly pro Gan:
* Twisted Sister
* Judith Proctor
Modern Livejournal and Tumblr based fandom seems also to be generally pro-Gan. 
===Gan's Origins===
The Blake's 7 Annual claims that Gan is from a planet called 'Zephron', rather than Earth, but there is no evidence for this, either way, in the show as aired and this fact is only occasionally used in fanfiction. 
===The Gan-as-Murderer Theory===
While most fans take Gan at face-value, there is a relatively well-known theory that the limiter has altered his personality from that of a sex maniac into the 'gentle giant' we see in the show. This theory was probably developed and was certainly popularised by Alan Stevens and Fiona Moore, the authors of Liberation: the Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Blake's 7. There is evidence that this fan theory has been wrongly interpreted as canonical by some more casual viewers.Impromptu Lecutre of the Week: Olag Gan, JULY 19, 2009.
As well as featuring heavily in this book, the theory is also expounded on in an online article called Olag Gan: Gentle Giant or Sex Killer?, which was to be published in the fanzine Scorpio Attack!. 
Gan-as-a-murderer is also referred to in the paracanonical audio drama 'The Mark of Kane' (1996) (written by Alan Stevens with David Tulley, starring Gareth Thomas and Brian Croucher). 
Aside from 'Mark of Kane' itself, very little other fanfiction makes use of this idea. One example that does is Judith Proctor's A Scale of Violence. 
Many fans seem to find this theory unlikely or distasteful. 
===Gan's Woman===
While canon only briefly mentions 'Gan's woman' as such, fan writers have taken it upon themselves to invent a variety of names and backgrounds for the mysterious woman. Some notable fanworks that feature or explore this character include:
* A Dream Deferred by Natasha
* Cleaner by Emmaliza (G/T, pre-series)
* Senseless by foreignobjecticus
* Reflection by foreignobjecticus, based on art depicting Gan and his woman by chrysopoetical
==Example Fanworks==
===Gen Fanfiction===
* A Berth on the London by Judith Proctor (Gan seeks to protect Jenna on the London, includes backstory)
* What if Earth be but the Shadow of Heaven? by Judith Proctor (Blake, Gan, afterlife fic)
* Sculpture by Judith Proctor (Avon and Vila, response to Gan's death)
* Last Wishes by Hafren (response to Gan's death)
* A Good Team by Nicola Mody (Vila and Gan meet Pre Way Back)
* Limiters by Nicola Mody (Vila and Gan on the Liberator)
* A Mile Away With Their Shoes by Aralias (Gan and Orac, odd couple)
* On the Far Shore by Clocketpatch (Gan, afterlife fic)
* Empathy by Sheila Paulson (Gan and Avon, with Blake)
* Pulling Strings by Willa Shakespeare (Gan as psychostrategist)
* "A Casting of Swords" by Neil Faulkner in Stadler Link (1998) (unique cyberpunk Gan)
===Pairing: Vila/Gan Fanfiction===
* Matchmaker and Metaphorically Speaking (part of Bend Me, Shape Me), by Nova (main pairing B/A)
* The Somewhat Happy Birthday by Kindkit
* Dealer's Choice, by Marie Celeste	
* Duck the Blows, by Mal O'Dar	
===Pairing: Avon/Gan Fanfiction===
* Gan Gets Some, by Twisted Sister (A/G, G/So, G/T)
* Substitute by Vanessa Mullen (Avon is in unrequited love with Blake)
* The Protector by M Fae Glasgow
* The Endless Farce by Predatrix (B/A, A/G, G/C, with some B/A/G)
* "Domesticity" by Adrian Alexander (Gan, rejected by Jenna, and Avon, rejected by Vila, share a single night of comfort)
===Pairing: Tarrant/Gan Fanfiction===
* Cleaner, by Emmaliza (Gan/Del Tarrant, pre-series)
* Tender Memories by Cami, in Liberator Dreams, (pairing is Gan/Del Tarrant, pre-series)
===Pairing: Gan/Other Fanfiction===
* Assessments, by Twisted Sister (Gan/Soolin)
* "Close" by Twisted Sister (Gan/Jenna Stannis - this pairing also features in the background of Nova's Outlaws and Inlaws and Aralias's A Mile Away with their Shoes)
* Walls (part of Bend Me, Shape Me), by Nova (Blake/Gan, main pairing Blake/Avon)
===Gan in Fanart===
 
File:Bestofspacefall2-2.jpg|artist unknown, from Best of Spacefall #2 (1980)
File:Downandunsafe2-5.jpg|artist is Kathy Hanson, from Down and Unsafe #2 (1984)
File:Downandunsafe6-5.jpg|artist is Kathy Hanson, from Down and Unsafe #6 (1987)
File:Enarrareb7spec-6.jpg| artist is Sonja Van den Ende, from Enarraré (1989)
 File:Shamanb7-1.jpg| the artist is Karen River, from Shaman (1990), uses a popular photo reference 
 File:B7complex67-3.jpg| artist by Mary Bloemker, from B7 Complex #6/7, uses a popular photo reference 
 Image:Horizon10fiction-1.jpg|artist is Fliss Davies, from Horizon #10 (1987), Gan and Cally 
[[File:B7 endless farce cover by Whitby27.jpg|artist is Whitby27, from The Endless Farce, portrays Kerr Avon, Gan and Roj Blake
 File:Deltabluesback.jpg| artist is Marla Fair, from Delta Blues, portrays Gan with his friend, Vila Restal (1993)
==Fan Comments==
==Meta and Further Reading==
* Impromptu Lecture of the Week: Olag Gan 
* Olag Gan: Gentle Giant or Sex Killer?
==References==
Category:Blake's 7 Characters