[SPOILER ALERT] Marneus Calgar is...

[phoenix01]

Do not read if you don't want your whole view of the Ultramarines to change.

 

https://www.polygon.com/comics/2020/11/11/21560885/warhammer-40000-marneus-calgar-2-review

 

Marvel's Warhammer 40,000 comic is taking a big risk with an iconic hero.

 

WARNING: What follows contains major spoilers for Warhammer 40,000: Marneus Calgar #2

 

 

Somehow, writer Gillen has gotten the greenlight from Games Workshop to turn [the backstory of the Ultramarines] on its head. In the final pages of Marneus Calgar #2, he reveals that Marneus Calgar - currently chapter master of the Ultramarines, the high mucka mucka of the Smurfs - is an imposter.

 

 

 

[Dosjetka]

You left out quite an important bit:

 

"Millennia ago, during his childhood training on one of the harshest moons orbiting his home planet, Marneus Calgar was killed — stabbed through the heart by an agent of the gods of Chaos. The only witness to his death was his serf and servant, a young boy named Tacitus, who took his name. It’s a poke in the eye to the squeaky-clean image of the Ultramarines, and injects a bit of class warfare into the largely feudalistic futuristic dark age. In my opinion, it’s one of the most exciting things to happen in the 40K universe in years."

[Skywrath]

Oh boy, Alpha Legion shenanigans incoming?

[Shinespider]

That's a pretty cool twist. I might actually pick this up.  

[Xenith]

It's not really your whole view of the UM's, just one character.

 

Dante got this treatment a few years ago in his book by Haley. 

[Joe]

I actually really like this. It's an interesting change to a long-loved character. It bodes well for future comics in the Marvel x Games Workshop relationship as well if the latter feels confident enough to trust the former with these sorts of things.

 

The dig at making Ultramarines "interesting" is kinda shoddy though, imo.

[apologist]

Bit of an odd decision, but fair enough. To be honest, I don't see that this really changes anything.

 

At root, the only difference is that the man named Calgar is not the scion of a family that – as far as I'm aware – we've never heard mention of before anyway. Tacitus still did all the heroic things Calgar is known for.

 

Calgar's background has been entirely rewritten at least once before – I always thought going back to the limbless and traumatised original would have been a more interesting direction than the archetypal direction he has been pushed towards since 2nd.

 

 

 

The dig at making Ultramarines "interesting" is kinda shoddy though, imo.

 

Yes, agreed. I don't find the Ultramarines boring.

Edited November 12, 2020 by apologist

[WrathOfTheLion]

Seems kind of stupid to me, but not stupid enough to really have anything negative to say about it. Indifferent is the right word.

 

It being the most exciting thing to happen is years is a ridiculous overstatement however.

 

I think how they handled Dante is much more interesting.

Edited November 12, 2020 by WrathOfTheLion

[apologist]

Seems kind of stupid to me, but not stupid enough to really have anything negative to say about it. Indifferent is the right word.

 

It being the most exciting thing to happen is years is a ridiculous overstatement however.

 

Yeah, more than a touch of hyperbole, isn't there?

 

The whole article's a bit like that. Perhaps I'm missing something, but I don't really see that this:

 

 

It’s a poke in the eye to the squeaky-clean image of the Ultramarines, and injects a bit of class warfare into the largely feudalistic futuristic dark age.

...really follows from the material revealed. Perhaps there's something more along those lines within the comic, but at the moment it just looks like the author of the article's reading too much into it. Is the Imperium really feudalistic?

 

Certainly some worlds are, but I wouldn't say that most of the focal characters come from privileged backgrounds – quite the opposite, in fact. A wry look at class warfare has been present from the very outset of the universe – just look at Confrontation's brats and scavvies; or Rogue Trader itself.

[Doghouse]

While something different I really don't think it changes anything at all.

 

The problem for me is as far as I know is that this the first look at his youth so it has no impact for me. He's still the same guy we always knew and changes nothing really. It's not really a gotcha twist like he has died in battle countless times and is replaced each time by a successor who takes the name and mantle. That for me would be a jaw dropper, that his exploits were the result of five or six different Astartes.

It's just the prince and pauper really, nothing overly original.

[Scribe]

How does this change anything? Post becoming a marine is what defines the character.

 

I don't see the big deal.

[redmapa]

Seems like a superfluous change to me, Praetor of Dorn did it better and Calgar not being his real name adds nothing to the character or the story, he already is an heroic figure so what does honoring his master does for it that wasnt already part of his character before? The description makes it sound more important or impactful then it is but I guess thats advertisement.

[Son of Carnelian]

Considering I'm one of the crazy conspiracy theorists who believes Calgar deliberately committed the 1st Company to an indefensible position in the Battle for Macragge so he could remake the 1st Company of the Chapter, I feel this revelation is a little on the tame side.

[Lexington]

"Does this shocking reveal not change everything you believed about the Ultramarines, and, indeed, the entire Warhammer 40,000 universe?!?"

 

"...not really, no."

"Ah! Well. Nevertheless."

[Lord Marshal]

I can't be the only one who saw the surf twist coming?

Either (Real) Calgar would have to kill/sacrifice him to succeed, or the surf would take his identity. I admittedly banked on the former more so, but still. 

Edited November 12, 2020 by Lord Marshal

[Prot]

I'm assuming this is about the Marvel comic? I won't read the spoiler as I plan on ordering the books as a compilation.

 

But if so, this isn't really industry news, or rumour of releases, etc. If that's the case this really should to to the Black Library where it can be properly discussed.

[Blindhamster]

seems fine, as others said, it doesn't really change anything at all.

[Robbienw]

Alan Partridge shrug GIF

[Tymell]

As others say, I don't dislike this, but I can't say it really changes anything (and to suggest, as the article does, that this is some kind of world-shattering revelation is silly).

 

The Ultramarines are still exactly as they were, and to be honest, so is Calgar. Everything we know and care about comes from after the event revealed. Calgar is still exactly the same person, we just have a bit more fleshing out of his history.

[Closet Skeleton]

Is the Imperium really feudalistic?

 

Nah, its just a decentralised caesaro-papist pyramidal hegemony with noble houses and decadent cardinals where autonomous fortresses full of warrior monks are the most effective military force and where trade is handled by adventuring families with no long distance stock markets and investor class in sight.

Edited November 12, 2020 by Closet Skeleton

[Lord Commander Scrymgeour]

 

Is the Imperium really feudalistic?

 

Nah, its just a decentralised caesaro-papist pyramidal hegemony with noble houses and decadent cardinals where autonomous fortresses full of warrior monks are the most effective military force and where trade is handled by adventuring families with no long distance stock markets and investor class in sight.

 

I'm stealing this for the blurb of my new book

[evilhomer]

This has the potential to get a bit politicsy. 

[Lucerne]

This honestly gives Calgar a reason to still exist.

 

A hero with imposter syndrome

[Marshal Reinhard]

I guess i need to spoiler this?

 

So back when Calgar was a nobody, he was killed(by a chaos worshipper) and then replaced by another young nobody who took his name. Meaning every exploit by "Calgar" since then was done by the person who'd taken the name "Calgar". I'm sorry but this changes nothing. Unless you think the name Calgar had any meaning from before "Calgar's childhood training". 

 

Also, Millenia ago? Plural? so he's several thousand years old? I thought Dante was the oldest and he hadn't hit 2000 yet.

Edited November 12, 2020 by Reinhard

[Petitioner's City]

It is also not a "secret" in-world, at least in the Calgar estates; we see a plaque and statue commemorating the 12-year old hero's demise.