10 things you didn't know about the Space Marines

Space Marines are the backbone of the Empire's army Warhammer 40K The universe. Space Marines are genetically enhanced humans who essentially abandon their humanity to become something greater, all in the service of the Emperor and the Empire.

The life of a Space Marine is one of eternal service and war, moving from one battlefield to another in the Grim Darkness of the distant future. Being such a staple of the Empire, their foundations are well known; but here are some lesser known facts about the Space Marines.

10 Become a space marine

A chosen few, fewer cope

• Many children die or go insane from the ordeal.
• Lasts about 8 to 10 years.

The exact process of becoming a Space Marine varies from chapter to chapter, although some common factors are how young the process starts and what new recruits must go through. At the senior level, a child between the ages of 10 and 12 is selected as a Space Marine and immediately begins his trials, training and modification; some sections even go as low as accepting babies.

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

9 Looking down on people

They are interchangeable

• Few chapters value human life.
• Some chapters accidentally kill people in battle without thinking.

The goal of a Space Marine is to defeat the enemies of the Empire and carry out the Emperor's orders no matter what. This often results in Space Marines not caring about the lives of those around them outside of their battle brothers.

Although the battles in space are fought alongside many other factions of the Empire, not many divisions really care about these people or the people of the Empire, and instead see them as lesser beings who perform a function for the Empire but can be replaced by other ordinary people.

8 They spit acid

A hidden tool

• Some Gene-Seed disable this mutation.
• Not a reliable consistent weapon in combat.

One of the many organs surgically added to Space Marines is Betcher's gland. This turns a Space Marine's saliva into a powerful acid capable of breaking down almost any material.

Compared to the Space Marine's other weapons, this extra ability is mostly for useful use in breaking down and digesting certain things that might be dangerous to consume, or to escape from a dangerous situation if they were unarmed. Over time, this gland has also become unusable for many chapters and is not used as often, if at all, by most Space Marines.

7 Functionally immortal

Age is no longer a problem

• The pins in their heads symbolize centuries of service.
• Most of them live much longer than the average human lifespan.

Due to all Space Marine modifications, they are functionally immortal and stop aging when they reach adulthood and implant all their implants. Space Marines no longer have to worry about dying of old age or any other aging disease or human problem.

Although they don't have to worry about dying of old age, they always go to battle and risk dying. Because of this, most Space Marines live for about a few hundred years, if even that, although some elites in the chapter live well beyond a few hundred years.

6 Living coffins

Eternal service until death

• Can keep a Space Marine alive even when he is almost dead.
• He is held in very high esteem in the chapter.

When a high-ranking and well-deserved Space Marine is killed in battle with his body mostly dead, he will be carried into a machine that is essentially a living coffin. This machine will keep alive whatever is left of the Space Marine and his mind before he is placed in the Dreadnought.

These machines continue the eternal service of the Space Marines and support their lives even longer, now even stronger than before. Dreadnoughts are often extremely respected, as their service far exceeds that of the average Space Marine in what is essentially a suspended life just before death.

5 Lots of genetic modification

They leave humanity behind

• Approximately 20 additional bodies.
• Increases the size of space marines to make room for new bodies.

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

Many of the additional implants are additional organs that allow Space Marines to breathe in low-oxygen environments, filter blood more quickly to render poisons ineffective, or a black carapace that allows Space Marines to interact directly with their power armor. While all of these implants are a necessity to be a Space Marine, the most important is the Gene-seed.

4 Gene seeds and mutations

We make each section even more unique

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

The Gene-Seed is a special per-section implant given to each Space Marine that truly makes them a Space Marine and makes all the additional implants work as one. The Gene-Seed is the most important part of a Space Marine, and upon death, the Gene-Seed of a dead Space Marine is extracted for use in another recruit.

The Gene-Seed varies greatly from chapter to chapter, and many result in unique mutations or changes to the Space Marine's bodies or minds. Blood Angels gain Black Fury from their gene seed, while Space Wolves have enlarged fangs, to name a few. Not every Gene-Seed has these side effects, but every Chapter keeps its own Gene-Seed and considers them the most valuable part of the Chapter.

3 Incredibly rare

The average person will never see one

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

Although Space Marines are the backbone of the Empire, in the 41st Millennium Space Marines are not common throughout the galaxy due to the size of the galaxy and the number of Space Marines. Even fighting on the front lines, many of those in the other factions of the Empire would never see a Space Marine for the rest of their lives.

The power of a Space Marine usually means that the entire chapter is rarely in one place, as different companies fight on different fronts. It's incredibly rare to see an entire chapter together, making the Baal events one of the largest gatherings of Space Marines since the Heresy.

2 Codex Astartes

Keeping the space infantry in line

• No more than 1,000 Space Marines per Chapter.
• Some Loyalist divisions do not follow.

After Guilliman's return and observing the state of the Empire throughout the 41st Millennium, he wrote the Astartes Codex as guidelines for all Space Marine Chapters. While not all chapters are true to this book, the purpose of the book is to control but also limit the Astartes.

Due to the Code, the number of the branch is limited to only 1,000 Space Marines, which led to the creation of many successor branches. The goal is to share sole control of who leads a Space Marine unit to ensure that no one will ever lead a group of several thousand Space Marines and lead to a new heresy.

1 Primaris Space Marines

Space Marines, only better

• Updates that many consider heretical.
• Current Space Marines can be upgraded and expanded.

A new aspect of space infantry in the 41st millennium are the Primaris Space Marines, which are larger, stronger, and faster than regular Space Marines. ​​​​​​While this may sound like a good idea, adopting Primaris Space Marines is different, as it changes the base of the Space Marines that comes from the Emperor.

Guilliman is the current leader of the Empire and at his command the Primaris Space Marines are created and added to various chapters as the dangers of the galaxy are said to have become more than the “Primitive” Space Marines can handle.