10 Things You Didn't Know About Space Marines

Space Marines are the backbone of the Empire's army Warhammer 40K Universe. Space Marines are genetically enhanced humans who essentially leave their humanity behind to become something greater, entirely in the service of the Emperor and the Empire.

The life of the Space Marines is one of eternal service and war as they move from one battlefield to another in the bleak darkness of the distant future. Because they are an important part of the Empire, their foundations are well known. But here are some of the lesser known facts about Space Marines.

10 Become a Space Marine

Few are chosen, fewer make it

• Many children die or are driven mad by the trials.
• Lasts about 8 to 10 years.

The exact process of becoming a Space Marine varies from chapter to chapter. However, common factors are how young this process begins and what the new recruits have to go through. On the older side, a child aged 10 to 12 is selected to become a Space Marine and immediately begins the trials, training and modification; Some chapters even talk about the admission of infants.

Once selected, she will undergo numerous surgeries, hypnosuggestive therapy, and mental and physical training over the next few years to transform her mentally and physically into a Space Marine. Each stage of this process is difficult and only a small percentage of those who go through it survive and become a Space Marine.

9 Looking down on people

They are interchangeable

• Only a few chapters value human life.
• Some chapters accidentally kill people in battle without thinking about it.

A Space Marine's goal is to defeat the enemies of the Empire and follow the Emperor's orders no matter what. This often leads to Space Marines not caring about the lives of those around them outside of the Battle Brothers.

While Space Fights fights alongside many of the Empire's other factions, not many chapters really care about these people or those of the Empire, instead viewing them as lesser beings who serve a function for the Empire but are replaced by other commoners can.

8 They spit acid

A hidden tool

• Some gene seeds disable this mutation.
• Not a reliable, consistent weapon in combat.

One of the many organs surgically added to a Space Marine is the Betcher's gland. This converts the Space Marine's saliva into a powerful acid that can break down almost any material.

Compared to a Space Marine's other weapons, this additional ability is primarily used to break down and digest certain things that may be dangerous to consume, or to escape from a dangerous situation when unarmed. Over time, this gland has also become unusable for many chapters and is not used or only used very rarely by most Space Marines.

7 Functionally immortal

Age is no longer an issue

• Rivets on her head represent centuries of service.
• Most live well beyond the average human life expectancy.

Due to all of a Space Marine's modifications, they are functionally immortal and stop aging once they reach adulthood and receive all of their implants. Space Marines no longer have to worry about suffering from senility or other age-related illnesses or problems that humans experience.

Although they don't have to worry about dying of old age, they constantly go into battles and are at risk of dying. For this reason, most Space Marines live around a few hundred years, if only a few hundred years, although some of a Chapter's elite live well over a few hundred years.

6 Living coffins

Eternal service until death

• Can keep a Space Marine alive even when almost dead.
• Much appreciated in the chapter.

Should a high-ranking and honored Space Marine fall in battle with their body mostly dead, they are placed in a machine that is essentially a living coffin. This machine keeps whatever is left of the Space Marine and his spirit alive before being put into a Dreadnought.

These machines continue the Space Marines' eternal service, keeping them alive even longer, now even stronger than before. Dreadnoughts are often held in the highest honor, as their service extends far beyond that of the average Space Marine in an essentially floating life short of death.

5 Lots of genetic changes

They are leaving humanity behind

• About 20 additional organs.
• Increases the size of Space Marines to accommodate new organs.

During the process of becoming a Space Marine, they have between 19 and 21 new organs implanted into their bodies. This happens over many years and in a specific order as the recruit's body grows to make room for the additional implants.

Many of the additional implants are additional organs that allow Space Marines to breathe in oxygen-depleted environments, filter blood more quickly to render poisons ineffective, or the Black Carapse, which allows Space Marines to directly interact with theirs Power Armor to communicate. While all of these implants are a necessity of being a Space Marine, the gene seed is the most important.

4 Gene seeds and mutations

Make each chapter even more unique

• The most important implant.
• Gene-Seed comes from existing Space Marines.

Gene-Seed is a chapter-specific implant given to each Space Marine that truly makes them a Space Marine and ensures that all of their additional implants function as a whole. Gene-Seed is the most important part of a Space Marine, and when he dies, the Gene-Seed from a dead Space Marine is taken to be fed to another new recruit.

Gene-Seed varies greatly from chapter to chapter, with many resulting in unique mutations or changes to the Space Marine's body or mind. Blood Angels gain the Black Fury through their gene-seed, while Space Wolves have enlarged canines, to name a few. Not each chapter's gene seeds have these side effects, but each chapter keeps its own gene seeds and considers them the most valuable part of the chapter.

3 Incredibly rare

The average person will never see one

• They are constantly fighting across the galaxy.
• There are only about 1 million Space Marines.

Although Space Marines are the backbone of the Empire, they are not often seen throughout the galaxy in the 41st Millennium due to the size of the galaxy and the number of Space Marines. Even if they fight on the front lines, many members of the Empire's other factions will not see a Space Marine for their entire lives.

A Space Marine's strength usually means that the entire Chapter is rarely in one place, as the different companies fight on different fronts. It is incredibly rare to see an entire Chapter at once, making the events of Baal one of the largest gatherings of Space Marines since the Heresy.

2 The Codex Astartes

Keep the Space Marines at bay

• No more than 1,000 Space Marines in a chapter.
• Some loyalist chapters do not follow.

Following Guilliman's return and the state of the Empire in the 41st Millennium, he wrote the Codex Astartes as guidelines for all Space Marine Chapters. Although not every chapter follows this book, the goal of the book is to guide but also limit the Astartes.

Due to the Codex, a chapter is limited to only 1,000 Space Marines, leading to the creation of many successor chapters. The goal is to divide sole control among those at the helm of a Space Marine chapter, ensuring that no one ever leads a force of thousands of Space Marines and leads to further heresy.

1 Primaris Space Marines

Space Marines, only better

• Upgrades that many consider heretical.
• Current Space Marines can be upgraded and improved.

A new aspect of Space Marines in the 41st Millennium are the Primaris Space Marines, who are larger, stronger and faster than normal Space Marines. While this may seem like a good idea, the acceptance of Primaris Space Marines varies as it changes the base of Space Marines that came from the Emperor.

Guilliman is the current leader of the Empire, and under his command Primaris Space Marines are created and added to the various Chapters as the threats in the galaxy have reportedly become greater than the “Firstborn” Space Marines can handle.