Introducing... Warhammer
Call me a newb to this whole Warhammer / Space Marine concept thing - but the lore is just so fantastic and inspired - even today. Originally published back in 1987 as a companion piece to the Warhammer Fantasy Battle, the franchise today seems cooler than ever. The concept of religious fanaticism and high-powered Space Marines in the 40th Century seemed to just click so well at the time, and its influence can be felt so many years later with hundreds of copycats lining up the market.
I actually never really cared for this universe until only recently thanks in part for my friend who showed me some of the books relating to the universe, as well as seeing a few sessions of folks playing the highly successful PC game Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War.
"In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war."
War is fun, especially in science fiction, none more so for this universe. I've only read/heard bits of the franchise's epic scope, and how each race such as the Imperium of Man and the Orks, and even the later additions such as the Tau, the Necron all vie for power... but its all pretty heady stuff and I can't wait to read in my spare time.What is really awesome about Warhammer 40k is its iconic Space Marines. These guys are the genetically modified supersoldiers with oversized shoulderpads, armed with flamethrowers and high-powered rifles ready to "cleanse" the galaxy of heretics and enemies of the Emperor. But beyond Warhammer, the very idea of supersoldiers has influenced much of modern media - inspiring countless franchises in video games, novels, comics and television. Poppular franchises such as Starwars (ARC Troopers), Halo, Gears of War, Unreal, Starcraft have all taken this idea and twisted it as they saw fit.
"Uber Soldat"- Supersoldier is a term often used to describe a soldier that operates beyond normal physical human limits.
- Supersoldiers are common in science fiction literature, films, TV programs, computer and video games, but have also made appearances in other related genres, such as military fiction and spy fiction.
- Many depictions of supersoldiers treat them as shock troops or heavy infantry, although others feature them as elite commandos or special forces personnel.
- Supersoldiers are usually heavily augmented, either through eugenics, genetic engineering, cybernetic implants, drugs, brainwashing, an extreme training regime (usually with high casualty rates, and often starting from birth), or other scientific and pseudoscientific means or a combination of any of those.
