Long-running army-building tabletop game Warhammer 40,000 is coming to Marvel Comics with a new title focusing on one of the most well-known Space Marines from the Warhammer mythos, Marneus Calgar. The title, launching in October, will be written by noted tabletop gamer and Warhammer 40,000 fan Kieron Gillen with art from Jacen Burrows.
"A legendary Space Marine Chapter Master of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, Marneus Calgar leads his elite Ultramarines against humanity’s greatest threats and has had his dark past shrouded in mystery…until now," reads Marvel's description of the title.
Warhammer 40,000: Marneus Calgar will serve as the character's never-before-told origin story, from his beginnings on the world of Nova Thulium, his campaigns in the Black Crusades, and to the unfolding mystery of the Black Altar as a deadly threat from his past reemerges to threaten the present of the Ultramar system.
"I am venerable enough to have bought Rogue Trader in 1987. Since then, I like to think every hastily dry-brushed Necron, every badly edge-highlighted Marine, every ignored Harlequin (as painting Motley petrified me) has prepared me for writing the first Warhammer comics for Marvel," Gillen says, in full tabletop gaming-speak.
"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. 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."
According to Games Workshop’s Global Head of Licensing Jon Gillard, working with Marvel Comics has led to "something exceptional," saying the project's focus on telling Warhammer characters' origin stories is something Marvel does "brilliantly."
"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," Gillard says. "As huge comic fans ourselves we couldn’t be more excited about this first expression of our partnership with Marvel."
