Marvel Comics is getting ready to tell the origin story of one of the most well-known Space Marines from Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 tabletop gaming universe for the first time in Marneus Calgar: Warhammer 40,000 #1. Befitting the interactive gaming quality of the source material, Marvel is releasing a 'Color Your Own Variant Cover' version of the debut issue, in which you guessed it, readers can color their own version of Marneus Calgar.
Scheduled to debut October 14, the series is written by avowed tabletop gaming and Warhammer super-fan Kieron Gillen (Uncanny X-Men), with art from Jacen Burrows (Moon Knight).
"Witness Marneus Calgar's beginnings on the world of Nova Thulium, his campaigns in the Black Crusades, and discover a deadly threat from his past, the mysterious Black Altar," reads Marvel's description of the five-issue series.
The 'Color Your Own Variant' is drawn by artist Max Dunbar (Champions) and is printed on paper stock that allows readers to "color Dunbar's artwork so you can create your very own Space Marine and save the Ultramar system from destruction in this extraordinary chapter of the Warhammer saga!"
"If I said, 'Getting to explore the roots of Marneus Calgar and setting the stage for Marvel's Warhammer comics is a dream come true,' I would be betraying everything this grim future should be since 'dream' implies the possibility of hope," said Gillen in the original announcement, demonstrating his Warhammer bonafides. "But getting to do this is the sort of thing Slaanesh would wave in my direction if she wanted me coming over to the tentacle-y side. Or to translate for those less indoctrinated in 40K, I'm excited."
"Kieron's depth of Warhammer knowledge mixed with his extraordinary comic writing skill has delivered a unique series that further expands upon the already massive 40K lore," Games Workshop's global head of licensing Jon Gillard added. "As huge comic fans ourselves we couldn't be more excited about this first expression of our partnership with Marvel."
Check out Marneus Calgar: Warhammer 40,000 #1's other covers by Burrows and by the artists at Games Workshop in our gallery below.
Check out all of Marvel Comics on sale in October 2020.
