Because the orb possessed tremendous power (it imbued Chinese miners with superhuman strength and resurrected the mortally wounded bounty hunter Brisco County, Jr. from the dead) it was sought by agents of the US Government and criminal elements alike, especially outlaw John Bly (Billy Drago).

The orb's power was regulated by rods filled with blue fluid that were inserted into the orbs. The dimpled surface of the orb was extremely durable and couldn't even be scratched with hydrochloric acid.

During the 1994 episodes, it was revealed that the orb (one of three) was actually placed on Earth by a future civilization from the year 5502 to help the human race develop and reach its full potential.

Unfortunately, for Earth of the 1890s, the orb was also coveted by a time traveler from the year 2506 who turned out to be the villainous outlaw John Bly who wanted to harness the powers of the orbs and return to his own time to control the future.

With the help of Karina, a 56th century woman Brisco County Jr. prevented Bly from returning the orb to the 26th century and thus altering the future for the worst.

Brisco activates the Orb

When three blue rods were pulled from the orb, a temporal displacement or portal into time opened. The time traveler only needed to enter the portal and think of their destination and they were instantly transported to that place in time and space.

To prevent any further disturbance in the time line, Karina, the visitor from the future, took all the remaining two orbs back to her time after John Bly was vanquished (the third orb was lost down a river when it fell from a speeding train).

External Links

• The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (IMDb)

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