Once home to a thriving population of Volca who opposed the Goa'uld, Kar'tek was turned into a desolate planet for daring to oppose the Goa'uld. Since then the Volca and another native species, the Mar'kak, survived by scavenging anything they could from their near-lifeless world. Ever since the attack, the Goa'uld used Kar'tek as a graveyard planet where they would send traitors who questioned their might. The Unas-hosted symbiote Ulysses was one such traitor, who was exiled to the planet after his master was destroyed by Ares. The Volca attributed their ability to phase through objects to Ulysses and though it is unknown if he did in fact give them this ability, he was in possession of a piece of technology which could mimic the ability for a short amount of time.