Warhammer 40,000 Reveals Training and Powers of Ultimate Space Marine

Warhammer 40,000: Marneus Calgar #4has brought the training and abilities of Space Marines to the forefront. Marneus Calgar, Chapter Master of the Ultramarines Space Marines Chapter, is having his past revealed to readers, showcasing how his initial steps towards becoming a Space Marine shaped him into the threat he is now.  This issue reveals that being a Space Marine is even more extreme than initially believed.

Marneus Calgar is a leader that takes the biggest role in conflicts. He leads by example, fighting on the frontlines when his strategy is one bound for victory, and he shows no mercy to his enemies. He is a ruthless, skilled soldier that commands respect from his troops. Warhammer 40,000: Marneus Calgar is an introductory mini-series that tells the origin story of the titular Ultramarine.

Within this issue, Marneus reflects upon his beginnings as an “aspirant” to become a neophyte. Neophytes are young recruits chosen to become Space Marines, also known as Adeptus Astartes. Starting from three hundred aspirants, the field is whittled down to just one – Marneus. He reveals that some years, there are no aspirants remaining, resulting in no selection for the Space Marine program. After the field of aspirants is lessened, Marneus undergoes several surgical procedures. The aim of these procedures is to eliminate the base weaknesses of the human body. This is basically a means of slowly building up a super-soldier. Physical augmentations are done and recipients undergo continuous training and indoctrination in between each procedure. Fear is eliminated and battle becomes routine. Marneus is operated on seven times, beginning between the ages of ten and twelve. The first procedure adds a second heart while increasing muscles and bone density. The next makes adjustments to the blood, increasing clotting beyond the human level. The third surgery is predominantly mental, as it adjusts sleep ability and performance. While Marneus is undergoing these procedures, he is also being deployed on various missions. Once human necessities such as sleep are adjusted and basic human weakness is removed, Space Marines are enhanced with a variety of implants.

The implants that Marneus has allow him to engage in superhuman feats, as well as be a more effective soldier. He can gain knowledge through eating flesh, as memories partially transfer through. His base senses are improved and his digestive ability gives him what would be called a stomach of steel. Salivary glands are implanted that weaponizes Ultramarine saliva, essentially giving their spit the same properties as xenomorph blood. Their skin becomes tougher and more repellant to the vacuum of space and extreme temperatures. Finally, Marneus has glands taken out that will allow for growing further augmented organs for later Space Marines. He is linked up to his armor and ready to go, all by the age of eighteen.

The augmentations undergone by Space Marines change virtually every component of the human body. The training that leads up to these augmentations and between the procedures implementing them enforces discipline and the beliefs of the Imperium of Man. Combining the two extremes allows for the creation of some of the strongest forces in the galaxy. Marneus Calgar is a highly influential leader and he has the skills to back it up. His superhuman abilities, tactical abilities, and his drive to reach his goal, all add up to push him into a high position of power as his career progresses. It is no wonder he was the first to become a Primaris Space Marine. Marneus Calgar is a soldier that not only demands respect. He has earned it.

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Samantha King
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Samantha King is a Comic News Writer for Screen Rant. She has a B.A. in English & American Literature with a concentration in Shakespeare and a minor in Creative Writing from UTEP. She also has a M.S. in Library Science from the University of North Texas.

Samantha used to get in trouble for reading comics in class back in high school, but she gets the last laugh. She took a graphic novel course in college and now gets paid to write about comics. She runs her own blog at: www.therealworldaccordingtosam.blogspot.com

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