One of the few female characters in television whose main merit isn't big breasts or
obnoxiously bleached hair- no, this woman is intellectually drop dead gorgeous.
Dana Katherine Scully was born February 23, 1964. She was a Navy brat, and her father often called her "Starbuck" as a personal pet name. William Scully was a noble father and husband, and a Navy man who served in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Her mother, Margaret, was a housewife.
Dana grew up a tomboy who, unlike her more feminine sister, expressed interest in biology and medicine. She had two older siblings (William and Melissa) and a younger brother, Charles, with whom she could share her intellectual and natural musings with. The family took a deep pride in their Irish and Celtic origins, and Dana was raised a devout Roman Catholic.
After graduating high school Dana spent one year at the University of Berkeley. She got heavy involved as a political activist, particularly in the anti-nuclear campaign. This dissolved shortly and she then transferred to the University of Maryland to complete a B.S. in Physics. Her senior thesis? "Einstein's Twin Paradox: A New Interpretation." She also received her medical degree there and took up a residency in forensic pathology.
Against her parent's wishes, and for deep reasons unknown even to herself, Dana decided to join the FBI. Her medical knowledge would later provide invaluable to the Bureau. She first taught at Quantico for two years, but then decided to become an agent herself. She was initially assigned to partner with Agent Fox Mulder to debunk his wild theories about the paranormal, but as the years passed Dana became more and more involved, sometimes even shedding her skeptic demeanor in the face of the cold, hard evidence that Fox would present to her.
It was in 1994 year that the X-Files unit was closed and Dana unofficially advised Mulder on his violent crime cases. During involvement in one case with Mulder, Dana was decieved and abducted by Duane Barry under mysterious circumstances. Agent Alex Krycek is questioned about her disappearance, but to no avail. She was found a month later in the ICU of North Georgetown University Hospital: nobody could explain why or how she turned up there, and there was no record of her admission. Dana refused to admit that she had been abducted by aliens. The X-Files unit was re-opened shortly after.
Dana thought little about this incident until the next year when she discovered a metal chip implanted in her neck. Being the cool cucumber that she was, she was scared to admit her concerns but did keep herself on-guard. Later she discovered a cancerous mass between her sinus and her cerebrum, and Mulder vowed to cure her. He faced a battle with the government bigwigs and even uncovered a few alien plots himself to bring her cured and to justice. Dana also discovered that she was sterile, a discovery that deeply hurt her and made her question her participation in the FBI. She also discovered that she has a daughter, Emily, whose parentage is unknown (and she is suspected of being an alien hybrid). Emily dissappeared under mysterious circumstances, leaving Scully hearbroken. To add insult to the injury her sister Melissa had been assasinated soon before in an attempt on Scully's life.
Dana could never have been saved without the bravery and determination of Mulder to keep her alive. In 2000 she became pregnant again, and the origins of this child haunt both her and Mulder. When William Scully is born without defect, Dana realizes that the baby may have been conceived naturally, raising new questions in her mind and warranting new explanations. All is forgotten, though, when Mulder takes her into a deep embrace (alas, David Duchovny's last appearance on the show).
The relationship of Mulder and Scully is often hinted as being more than a professional partnership. It is also the subject of more fanfic than any other X-Files scenario (check out web sites like The Gossamer Project and Shipper's Paradise).
Some neat Scully facts:
FBI Badge Number JTT0331613
Dana is 5'2, with auburn hair, and eyes of blue.
Her weapon is a Smith and Wesson 1056 (9 mm rounds)
Her catchphrases: "Sure. Fine. Whatever." and "I'm Fine" (even when she isn't.)