What I love is how you cannot tell if the POV is the space marine or the bolt pistol (a lot of the guys the narrator talks about seem to be carrying the same gun and the wording is in such a clever way it could be applying to the marine or the gun). They're both weapons, it's almost impossible to say if the voice here is a dying space marine or a confused machine spirit.
Imagine bolter being jelaous of a space marine who got a proper barials and who's gene seed got harvested. If only bolter had gene seed to save... Well who said bolters can't dream
The Space Marine's original inspiration was of an old concept presented in a comic, with a recruitment officer for the army looking at a giant standing before him: muscled, broadshouldered man with crossed arms, looking quite fierce and indomitable, ready to fight, and no head. The recruitment officer says "At last a perfect soldier!"
I like that I didn’t see the metaphor I thought it was about the space marine until I seen the bolt pistol and thought wait was the bolt pistol speaking on the space marine not to leave it lol but your theory is way more sound 💯
@@Bleek_AMG I think the whole thing is meant to be ambiguous. You can see it how you want. The marine is as much a tool as the bolt gun is. And we are still talking about WH40K. It CAN still be the Maschine spirit of that gun "talking"
@AleXxTM123 if we’re talking canonically then the Bolt pistol is the one talking. In the story it says I fought at Helsreach with Hegismund the battle of Helsreach resulted in every single Space Marine that was there to die except for Hegismund himself but he couldn’t possibly be the Space Marine in the story because he’s still alive.
I love this 40k comic because you never expected the twist at the end. After realizing the one narrating wasn't the dead Space Marine but the machine spirit of the Bolter to his side, then the whole thing about fighting side by side during the comic wasn't figurative but literal since the narrator wasn't some Space Marine who fought with those named characters but was the bolter they used. Thus we understand why the Bolter is upset, it has be used by these Space Marines for centuries and was proud of it's service but now laments it will never be use again to kill the enemies of the Imperium and be forgotten.
Or, it could be a metaphor where it shows you that both are just killing machines. Pieces of metal in a grand mechanism, and both destined to be forgotten
if it is that of the bolter, it will be found, and returned... used by another, and continue it's legacy. if it is that of the Spacemarine, he will be lost... gone... forgotten... uncounted, and used as material. both will be used as tools. both will be used again... the diffrence is one will be used for good. the other for evil...
what really hit me the most was at 3:36 when he says 'no such fate for me' as it pans to the guardsmen around him. it seems like despite a space marine being so conditioned he is getting philosophical. he sees the mortal guardsmen, who die in millions commonly with no burials, no war songs, no lauds of honor and decorations of combat, and its implied it makes him think. he sees himself, despite his age, despite his victories, despite everything, die not as a hero, not a treasure and a memorial, but as a mortal, dead in a ditch, forgotten as the bodies of the slain are ignored. perhaps it humbles him seeing these guardsmen's corpses in his immobility, realizing despite all, they both died the same way, serving the emperor and disregarded as tools at best and fodder at worst. perhaps it just makes him fall deeper into despair, bringing home the point further the uselessness of his death.
Yes. Yes, this is the fate that awaits the Emperor's faithful. An ending. No more wars. No more fear. No more tears. No more nightmares. Your debts shall be paid in full and your sins absolved.
it was the gun speaking about its wielders, the gun for all the space marines it mentions all have the same chain. it is asking for its lord. (the wielder) (his lord gets taken away from him in the end, and it begins to repeat itself)
Lol. Life of Astartes is more valuable as an military and economical asset, BUT it is NOT more valuable then life of a single guardsman. This guy is a prime candidate for turning traitor as he sees himself above other humans, he's walking the same road as unstable Thunder Warriors did. Except those guys were fully aware of whom they are and what future awaits them. Meanwhile he is tone deaf. Plus yeah, the video is not about the marine😂
@@Koppu1doragon I was talking about the marine as to me it sounded that op meant the marine, not the machine spirit so it implied the marine if it was his dialogue. That's why I also separately mentioned that it wasn't about the marine at all below.
Considering Loyalist Land Raiders routinely tear off and go psycho on enemies AFTER the crew has been disabled... Yeah I'm gonna take damn good care of any equipment in this universe.
they get it from the void dragon TBH. scientists and their arrogance i guess. looking at you tau (and necrons before they underwent the living metal transformation)
The thinking Guardsman: "such a pity it's been squandered in such an absurdly pointless way. Still. I'll just go and get my head torn off by that ravenous warp beast while I try to damage it with this laser pointer. For the Emperor, or whatever..."
I think perturabo wanted one thing, for the emperor to recognize his sacrifices, his sons deaths. in the end, the emperor scoffed and told him he was arrogant.
@Ben-jl2rh Nobody knows what the Emperor was like anymore nowadays in the current setting, except the Primarchs. Since His ascension to the Golden Throne, he has quite literally become the divine figurehead for an empire with over a million worlds spanning across the entire galaxy. Nevertheless, I doubt anyone would concern themselves over the deeds and actions of the previous Emperor of Mankind, and focus on worshipping the current God-Emperor of Mankind over distances in light years.
that ending..... that ending cut deeper than any knife known to mankind. The words."don’t leave me here, Lord I can’t see you."cut deeper than any knife.
Virgin Astartes : *This sucks I can't believe the Emperor would abandon me like a spent bolter shell after all the battles I've fought* Chad Guardsman : _Ah thank the Emperor, I can finally get some shut eye._
"..." There's an olive clad soldier in the fighting hole. In front of them, a medicae's box. Open, with every wrapper torn apart. They are wrapped in bandages and dressings, some reddening already. But there is no pressure applied. Beside them is their autogun, ready and loaded, if some threat would come knocking. "...Well, lord emperor. It's been some time, hasn't it?" They take off their helmet. Rough dark hair spills out, cropped battle short. Trembling hands fumble at cracked flak goggles, but give up halfway. Red seeps out from the imperfect seal. "...did I do good, milord? I think you'd be proud. I hope you would be. I think I owe you that much." The barrel is burned black from sustained fire, their armor pitted and scarred. Below the breastplate is a shard of metal, embedded through flakweave uniform. "...I did as ordered. We held the line... I think we did that pretty good, until we ran out of rockets. Tanks hit our trenches then. But we still put up a fight... And I helped put one of those tormented spirits to rest, just like the enginseer told me. Can I sleep now lord?" A battered face looks up, jerkily. It gazes across the ichor that's spilled across the ground, from wounds that wouldn't stop even from the smallest nick. Tens of thousands of millions, all helping to wash this world. "Please don't order us to hurry up and wait, milord. I'd like to have a rest before the next fight..." The helmet slowly tumbles from weakening fingers. It rolls, and rolls... and stops, beneath an old poster of an aquilla, half torn. The guardsman frowns as they see it. "If... that's a sign... I'll take my chances with the commissar...! Just..." A grimace. The bandages are more red now. Their eyes fluttered behind the goggles, and that draws a strong flinch. "...let me have a break... Please mil..."
you can tell it wasn't the marine speaking because even astartes cannot survive a headshot it was the pistol's machine spirit that spoke, and it lamented the indignity its final wielder suffered as if it was the astartes himself
As a viewer, the dichotomy of the reveal is thrilling. As an actor, and 40k fan, I just can't help myself imagining how different the two monologues would be, if given from an unambiguous perspective. A man and his weapon, having the same feeling of loneliness in death, sharing one last moment together.
the bolter, aka. the machine spirit, was the one who was passed over and over and fought eternal. However, both the Astartes and the bolter are tools to the imperium, tools to the Emperor himself, and such was the fate of both, the question and philosophy lingering are from each as well as both: "did they serve Him well?" at least the implication behind goes both ways, for it's possible the Astarted was saved by the tech priests, thusly leaving the bolter behind and the machine spirit being upset about that, samely for the Astartes having finally died and not seen the Emperor ever shining his light upon him from the grim ending. Both are tools... and both were left behind...
Space Marines after 1 reality check: "Why do we have to die for mere mortals?" "We should give ourselfes to the ruinous powers!" Imperial Guard after suffering millions of losses to not let chaos go further: "The planet is literally falling apart. You will stand your ground in the name of the Emperor." "Yes"
Also imperial guard: "what were the choices again?" Imperium: "you can potentially die to a genestealer to the face, or you can *definitely* die to a bolter round to the back of your skull, just like *blam* private what's-his-name just did." Imperial Guard: "oh. For the Emperor, I suppose..."
@@alanmechling9822 The guard does not break. We remain the emperor's faithful to the very last, no matter what twisted horrors of the ruinous powers or foul xenos seek to darken the emperor's light. The guard have no fear of death, no lust for glory and power, only the righteous urge to carry out the emperor's will across the galaxy. Primarchs break. Even the very sons of the emperor lusted for power. Astartes break. Even the emperor's angels can fall to the ruinous powers. Planets break. Even the rocks beneath our feet can crumble away. The guard remains. A guardsman's only regret is that he has but one life to give for his emperor. LONG LIVE CADIA LONG LIVE THE GUARD LONG LIVE THE GOD-EMPEROR OF MANKIND
I was thinking the whole time that he would doubt the emperor and fall to chaos in the end. Alas, this was a far deeper and emotional ending. Thank you for voicing it.
"Immortal, but not invulnerable. Yes, they might live forever, but they would never get the chance. Immortality was a by-product for their Astartes strengths, but those strengths were gene-built for combat. They had been immortal only to die in war. That was the way of it. Brief, bright lives. Like Hastur Sejanus, the warrior Loken was replacing. Only the beloved Emperor, who had left the warring behind, would truly live forever."- Dan Abnett (Horus Rising)
Many Astartes Space Marines die in battle and war. Many to never receive a memorial. Many to never receive recognition for their duty. Many to never be praised and respected for their service to The Imperium, The Emperor and their Chapter of their Primarch Father. A truly sad fate.
Oh no, they are absolutely recognized, and their recovery is a major priority. Even if their body is not recovered, they always will take their geneseed- which in of itself is a great honor. If an Astartes is to die, they only have one fear: their gene seed will not be recovered, and their chapter die off.
Space Marines after 1 reality check: "Why do we have to die for mere mortals?" "We should give ourselfes to the ruinous powers!" Imperial Guard after suffering millions of losses to not let chaos go further: "The planet is literally falling apart. You will stand your ground in the name of the Emperor." "Yes"
They basically recieved the same honours as Vietnam's bravest of heroes over the course of the war. Their names carved or drawn onto a plaque in a holy shrine, gathering dust on the walls while they go forgotten and their deeds go unheard @@techypriest7523
'religious zeal is misplaced' MFs when they realize literally every single xeno currently populating the universe is absolutely terrible, even worse than the imperium's decadence. like the tau and MAYBE the craftworld eldar are decent enough to have some agreements with the imperium that will last longer than immediate betrayal but thats it.
More then likely the bolt pistol since space marines wouldn't lay around lamenting so long if a space marine is on his back for more then half a second he's likely dead
Don't worry lad. We live for the emperor, we die for the emperor. Most of us veterans are just glad we can finally get some shuteye when we finally die.
Thank you for posting this! I remember reading this years ago and couldn't find it. I love the twist that it's the bolt pistol's machine spirit crying out for it's master.
Man that twist at the end showing the one speaking was actually the bolter pistols machine spirit showing it was proud to serve the astartes and the emperor and doesn’t want to be left and forgotten and wants to keep serving hits different and makes you think what the machine spirits of all the weapons of 40k think of the service and battles they serve in
You can interpret it in a few different ways. To me it makes more sense that it's the Space Marine talking until he's taken away. Then when the lines from the start are repeated, this time it's the bolter saying them, showing the Space Marine is to the Emperor what the bolter is to the space marine.
@@dearcastiel4667 true but to me it seems more impactful to be the bolter speaking since the space marines are trained/brainwashed to never falter in their beliefs but not the machine spirits of the bolters which is to me more interesting and unique and it makes more sense to me for a bolter to be close to so many named characters during their last stands and live to tell their tales
I love this little thing of a comic. Is it the spirit of the dead Astartes, begging the God Emperor to send him deliverance? Or is it the machine spirit of the bolter, begging for the fallen warrior to rise, to carry it away to new battle, to not be abandoned like scrap on the field in ignoble defeat. One may never know.
It’s sad for all divisions they fight for their leaders until the end and when they fall in battle they often die alone forgotten replaced for a new solider just like all those dead around him.
Everyone’s talking about whether the POV is the space marine or the machine spirit of his bolt pistol But nobody’s questioning if it’s the machine spirit of the marine’s armor itself, it’s developed such a 1:1 connection to its marine that it’s adopted his mindset and sees itself and its marine as 1 whole being, and it understands that the dark-mechs are gonna desecrate its untainted material for their heretical machinations
it is the gun. the gun is in the hands of all the other space marines that are mentioned. you can see the chain hanging from it. which makes sense when it speaks about killing the ork warboss.
"Wounds I had given them." Since when is armor used to wound someone? Noone talks about the possibility of this being the POV of his armor because everyone uderstands that its clearly not true.
Don't worry, sacred machine spirit, you shall be reclaimed soon. It's just that Magos Biologis must collect the geneseed soon because flesh is weak. Toasters and bolters are next.
The sad irony is that the emperor would be disgusted with his creations and in all likelihood would abandon them to oblivion like he did with the thunder warriors.
What an absolutely MAGNIFICENT version! Mine has been sitting on the backlog for quite some time, but you know darn well I'll take inspiration from your vid. ;)
rewatching this I love to see the hints that its the bolter talking. The panel at 2:09 the narrator mentions "his shots" and talks about how they were inseparable, and at first you think its just the soldier talking about how he shot the ork and was close with the champion, but once you know the ending its obvious, especially since BTs chain their weapons to themselves. They were literally inseperable.
It's either the Bolt Pistol talking or the Marine... If it's the Marine, I got good news for everyone. I believe his motto in his present life is _"TANKRED ENDURES!"_ If it's the bolt pistol... dang gun, that's tough. Toy Story and now You are gonna make me sad when i accidentally drop something.
Stories like this are what made me fall in love with Star Wars (the Clone Wars in particular but I love it all now) given the similar themes of "The disposable soldier" and stories of those unfortunate souls's points of view.
God I love this, I can't tell if it's the Marine or the Pistol talking, the wording, the scenes and the sentiment makes it vague enough to where you can't distinguish between the two. Maybe it's by design but it's so beautiful either way.
Classical Space Marine, crying and saying words that can lead to heresy while my boy Private Jacop is just lying next to him with a shattered body but a fu*king intact honour
“no, foul xenos carrion eaters! don’t touch me! i shall die cursing you with the emperors zeal!” “bro, we’re with the mechanicus, calm tf down. ur kinda hurt bad, so you gotta go in the dreadnought.” “oh.”
A son of dorn finally knows what it feels like to be the one leading the charge and dieing and then getting no recognition for it at least with us we we're iron
@@NicknameDS i was thinking mechanicus, but i forgot dark mech exist. Aside from that, the shot of him being whisk away is just hilarious. warhammer 40k can try to be serious, but no matter it's goofy at times like this.
The Space Marine is obviously dead. And his soul now either joined the Golden Army, or became one with Warp, depending on his life's choices. So while it is purposefully not made clear, it being the Machinespirit of the Bolt-Pistol to speak, that makes much more sense. And it is not speaking to the Emperor, the Machinegod or anyone else, it is speaking to the Space Marine. Glorious.
Had to rewatch but yeah he refers to the marine as "Lord" and says things like "emporer knows" which would be weird to say to the emporer. Half way through I was thinking this was a wildly heretical series of thoughts for a marine.
this made me think how horrifying machine souls must be, theyre not exactly proper living AI or life but theyre still Something in practically every machine, i wonder how they must feel, its probably like an animal that cant do anything except follow orders
You serve the Emperor and the entirety of Humankind with highest splendor. You are someone the Emperor can believe into, in His eyes you are a saint, a god of war and where you lie is a sanctuary to your honor.
Meanwhile on some doomed planet overrun with tyranids, orks, chaos or whatever other xenos you can think of bearing down of the Astra militaris: Guardsman: "Kadia Stands!!!"
*Toll the Great Bell Once!* *For the Souls of Machines, Lost in the Void* *Toll the Great Bell Twice!* *Keep them in Your Eternal Power* *Toll the Great Bell in Grief* *Sing Praise to the God of All Machines* ~Priests of Mars, Graham Mcneil
You served him well marine, but he himself is condemned to a fate worse than yours, but when all is done, when it is all over, the gates of death shall be open so that your souls may finally rest
This sucks to listen to the way the space marine talks is like a child to his dad he sounds so determined but is slowly crushed by the silence it’s so sad to watch despite the space marines job of simply killing. You can tell he sounds like a little kid. He says he can do it again 0:55 He states all the battles showing experience 1:24 And then his faith slowly crumbles in on itself 4:05 And like a child believes it’s his fault 4:22
What I love is how you cannot tell if the POV is the space marine or the bolt pistol (a lot of the guys the narrator talks about seem to be carrying the same gun and the wording is in such a clever way it could be applying to the marine or the gun). They're both weapons, it's almost impossible to say if the voice here is a dying space marine or a confused machine spirit.
You nailed my favorite thing about this one.
😳 I hadn’t thought of that at all! That’s awesome
I think that’s the point, the comparison between a soldier and his weapon.
Imagine bolter being jelaous of a space marine who got a proper barials and who's gene seed got harvested. If only bolter had gene seed to save... Well who said bolters can't dream
@@whocares1364 well, the astartes were created as just weapons
I love the metaphor that the story meant to say. The space marine is a tool. A weapon like the bolt pistol that was left behind
The Space Marine's original inspiration was of an old concept presented in a comic, with a recruitment officer for the army looking at a giant standing before him: muscled, broadshouldered man with crossed arms, looking quite fierce and indomitable, ready to fight, and no head. The recruitment officer says "At last a perfect soldier!"
I like that I didn’t see the metaphor I thought it was about the space marine until I seen the bolt pistol and thought wait was the bolt pistol speaking on the space marine not to leave it lol but your theory is way more sound 💯
@@Bleek_AMG I think the whole thing is meant to be ambiguous. You can see it how you want. The marine is as much a tool as the bolt gun is. And we are still talking about WH40K. It CAN still be the Maschine spirit of that gun "talking"
@AleXxTM123 if we’re talking canonically then the Bolt pistol is the one talking. In the story it says I fought at Helsreach with Hegismund the battle of Helsreach resulted in every single Space Marine that was there to die except for Hegismund himself but he couldn’t possibly be the Space Marine in the story because he’s still alive.
5th reply
I love this 40k comic because you never expected the twist at the end.
After realizing the one narrating wasn't the dead Space Marine but the machine spirit of the Bolter to his side, then the whole thing about fighting side by side during the comic wasn't figurative but literal since the narrator wasn't some Space Marine who fought with those named characters but was the bolter they used. Thus we understand why the Bolter is upset, it has be used by these Space Marines for centuries and was proud of it's service but now laments it will never be use again to kill the enemies of the Imperium and be forgotten.
PRAISE THE OMNISSIAH!
Or, it could be a metaphor where it shows you that both are just killing machines. Pieces of metal in a grand mechanism, and both destined to be forgotten
if it is that of the bolter, it will be found, and returned... used by another, and continue it's legacy.
if it is that of the Spacemarine, he will be lost... gone... forgotten... uncounted, and used as material.
both will be used as tools. both will be used again... the diffrence is one will be used for good. the other for evil...
@@klortikterra4423or it will be stolen.
@@blacksabbath5300 thats also true but that kinda subtracts from the feel i was goin for.
what really hit me the most was at 3:36 when he says 'no such fate for me' as it pans to the guardsmen around him. it seems like despite a space marine being so conditioned he is getting philosophical. he sees the mortal guardsmen, who die in millions commonly with no burials, no war songs, no lauds of honor and decorations of combat, and its implied it makes him think.
he sees himself, despite his age, despite his victories, despite everything, die not as a hero, not a treasure and a memorial, but as a mortal, dead in a ditch, forgotten as the bodies of the slain are ignored.
perhaps it humbles him seeing these guardsmen's corpses in his immobility, realizing despite all, they both died the same way, serving the emperor and disregarded as tools at best and fodder at worst. perhaps it just makes him fall deeper into despair, bringing home the point further the uselessness of his death.
Yes. Yes, this is the fate that awaits the Emperor's faithful. An ending. No more wars. No more fear. No more tears. No more nightmares. Your debts shall be paid in full and your sins absolved.
I still think it was the bolter "talking"......
It's the bolter's machine spirit talking.
Sentient guns scares me...
@@sheikmuhammad3894actually when you die in Warhammer 40k your soul gets sent to the warp where daemons shall feast on your soul
I was rooting for him the whole time, but Warhammer be Warhammer. No dignity for a fallen brother in this universe.
The emporer protects!
it was the gun speaking about its wielders,
the gun for all the space marines it mentions all have the same chain.
it is asking for its lord. (the wielder)
(his lord gets taken away from him in the end, and it begins to repeat itself)
Lol. Life of Astartes is more valuable as an military and economical asset, BUT it is NOT more valuable then life of a single guardsman. This guy is a prime candidate for turning traitor as he sees himself above other humans, he's walking the same road as unstable Thunder Warriors did. Except those guys were fully aware of whom they are and what future awaits them. Meanwhile he is tone deaf.
Plus yeah, the video is not about the marine😂
@@TheArklyte How can a bolt pistol turn traitor?
@@Koppu1doragon I was talking about the marine as to me it sounded that op meant the marine, not the machine spirit so it implied the marine if it was his dialogue.
That's why I also separately mentioned that it wasn't about the marine at all below.
Didn’t know machine spirits can be this dramatic
Machine spirits is the definition of dramatic
They always are
Considering Loyalist Land Raiders routinely tear off and go psycho on enemies AFTER the crew has been disabled... Yeah I'm gonna take damn good care of any equipment in this universe.
@@internetuser320 true
they get it from the void dragon TBH. scientists and their arrogance i guess. looking at you tau (and necrons before they underwent the living metal transformation)
Meanwhile, the guardsman agonizing a bit to the right, off-camera:
"God Emperor, I'm sorry... I only have one life to give..."
The thinking Guardsman: "such a pity it's been squandered in such an absurdly pointless way. Still. I'll just go and get my head torn off by that ravenous warp beast while I try to damage it with this laser pointer. For the Emperor, or whatever..."
“fuck. i knew i should have suicide charged the mutalith vortex beast with more explosives.”
Kriegsman from the atmosphere: Wish I was down there. Seems nice.
😭😭😭😭😭
Warhammer 40K one of the few verses where the guns can be more dramatic than the soldiers that wield them
I think perturabo wanted one thing, for the emperor to recognize his sacrifices, his sons deaths. in the end, the emperor scoffed and told him he was arrogant.
I'm new to 40K, but after seeing just how terrible the Emporer is I'm surprised people worship him
Iron Within
@@burialgoods iron without
@Ben-jl2rh Nobody knows what the Emperor was like anymore nowadays in the current setting, except the Primarchs. Since His ascension to the Golden Throne, he has quite literally become the divine figurehead for an empire with over a million worlds spanning across the entire galaxy. Nevertheless, I doubt anyone would concern themselves over the deeds and actions of the previous Emperor of Mankind, and focus on worshipping the current God-Emperor of Mankind over distances in light years.
@@thewanderer765 I like to think of him as being like the depiction of him in "if the emperor had a text to speech device."
When you realize theyre just tech priests coming to save him and he just hates the Mechanicus lol
Black robes. They're darkmech and it knew it. Hence the fear and disgust.
@@MrReich1918 what if under their hoods theyre just furries lol and hes being dragged off to their dank dungeons XD
@@MrReich1918 No they're not. It is later revealed they are there to retrieve him for internment into a Dreadnought.
@@gejnormcswipe8435it’s the bolt pistol talking that’s why he’s disgusted
@@gejnormcswipe8435 What dipshit draws Admech without martian red robes?
that ending..... that ending cut deeper than any knife known to mankind. The words."don’t leave me here, Lord I can’t see you."cut deeper than any knife.
Virgin Astartes : *This sucks I can't believe the Emperor would abandon me like a spent bolter shell after all the battles I've fought*
Chad Guardsman : _Ah thank the Emperor, I can finally get some shut eye._
It's the bolt pistol talking. It's painful to think about.
"..." There's an olive clad soldier in the fighting hole. In front of them, a medicae's box. Open, with every wrapper torn apart. They are wrapped in bandages and dressings, some reddening already. But there is no pressure applied. Beside them is their autogun, ready and loaded, if some threat would come knocking.
"...Well, lord emperor. It's been some time, hasn't it?" They take off their helmet. Rough dark hair spills out, cropped battle short. Trembling hands fumble at cracked flak goggles, but give up halfway. Red seeps out from the imperfect seal.
"...did I do good, milord? I think you'd be proud. I hope you would be. I think I owe you that much."
The barrel is burned black from sustained fire, their armor pitted and scarred. Below the breastplate is a shard of metal, embedded through flakweave uniform.
"...I did as ordered. We held the line... I think we did that pretty good, until we ran out of rockets. Tanks hit our trenches then. But we still put up a fight... And I helped put one of those tormented spirits to rest, just like the enginseer told me. Can I sleep now lord?"
A battered face looks up, jerkily. It gazes across the ichor that's spilled across the ground, from wounds that wouldn't stop even from the smallest nick. Tens of thousands of millions, all helping to wash this world.
"Please don't order us to hurry up and wait, milord. I'd like to have a rest before the next fight..."
The helmet slowly tumbles from weakening fingers. It rolls, and rolls... and stops, beneath an old poster of an aquilla, half torn. The guardsman frowns as they see it.
"If... that's a sign... I'll take my chances with the commissar...! Just..."
A grimace. The bandages are more red now. Their eyes fluttered behind the goggles, and that draws a strong flinch.
"...let me have a break... Please mil..."
simply a man but thats all that it takes to defend the imperium
you can tell it wasn't the marine speaking because even astartes cannot survive a headshot
it was the pistol's machine spirit that spoke, and it lamented the indignity its final wielder suffered as if it was the astartes himself
And then the Blood ravens show up and accept this fine gift for the chapter. The End
As a viewer, the dichotomy of the reveal is thrilling. As an actor, and 40k fan, I just can't help myself imagining how different the two monologues would be, if given from an unambiguous perspective. A man and his weapon, having the same feeling of loneliness in death, sharing one last moment together.
the bolter, aka. the machine spirit, was the one who was passed over and over and fought eternal. However, both the Astartes and the bolter are tools to the imperium, tools to the Emperor himself, and such was the fate of both, the question and philosophy lingering are from each as well as both: "did they serve Him well?"
at least the implication behind goes both ways, for it's possible the Astarted was saved by the tech priests, thusly leaving the bolter behind and the machine spirit being upset about that, samely for the Astartes having finally died and not seen the Emperor ever shining his light upon him from the grim ending. Both are tools... and both were left behind...
Space Marines after 1 reality check: "Why do we have to die for mere mortals?" "We should give ourselfes to the ruinous powers!"
Imperial Guard after suffering millions of losses to not let chaos go further: "The planet is literally falling apart. You will stand your ground in the name of the Emperor." "Yes"
Also imperial guard: "what were the choices again?"
Imperium: "you can potentially die to a genestealer to the face, or you can *definitely* die to a bolter round to the back of your skull, just like *blam* private what's-his-name just did."
Imperial Guard: "oh. For the Emperor, I suppose..."
@@peterclarke7240the sneaky ork in question who for some reason shot him withe lasgun instead of a shooter while being no where near the front lines:
The planet break before the gaurd did
@@TheDragonfriday"...you'll break too, just like Cadia."
@@alanmechling9822 The guard does not break. We remain the emperor's faithful to the very last, no matter what twisted horrors of the ruinous powers or foul xenos seek to darken the emperor's light. The guard have no fear of death, no lust for glory and power, only the righteous urge to carry out the emperor's will across the galaxy.
Primarchs break. Even the very sons of the emperor lusted for power.
Astartes break. Even the emperor's angels can fall to the ruinous powers.
Planets break. Even the rocks beneath our feet can crumble away.
The guard remains. A guardsman's only regret is that he has but one life to give for his emperor.
LONG LIVE CADIA
LONG LIVE THE GUARD
LONG LIVE THE GOD-EMPEROR OF MANKIND
I was thinking the whole time that he would doubt the emperor and fall to chaos in the end. Alas, this was a far deeper and emotional ending. Thank you for voicing it.
Wasn't he carried by Mechanicus so that he could be put into a Dreadnought?
@@foodeater1236It was the machine spirit of the Bolter that marine carried speaking.
"Immortal, but not invulnerable. Yes, they might live forever, but they would never get the chance. Immortality was a by-product for their Astartes strengths, but those strengths were gene-built for combat. They had been immortal only to die in war. That was the way of it. Brief, bright lives. Like Hastur Sejanus, the warrior Loken was replacing. Only the beloved Emperor, who had left the warring behind, would truly live forever."- Dan Abnett (Horus Rising)
The Virgin Space marine: Noooo I want memorial
The Chad Guards man: Thank god I not a Servitor
MEGA chad warhammer fantasy peasant: time to fight off literal demons with this spear lol
The gigachad thallax: a very pissed off brain in a jar bolted into a suit of armor.
The Giga Chad Veteran Guard: Dont fret lads, we'll regroup in hell!
@@sovietunion7643 Sometimes it’s not even a spear, just a pitchfork and some elbow grease
Guess you missed the point.
Many Astartes Space Marines die in battle and war. Many to never receive a memorial. Many to never receive recognition for their duty. Many to never be praised and respected for their service to The Imperium, The Emperor and their Chapter of their Primarch Father. A truly sad fate.
Oh no, they are absolutely recognized, and their recovery is a major priority. Even if their body is not recovered, they always will take their geneseed- which in of itself is a great honor. If an Astartes is to die, they only have one fear: their gene seed will not be recovered, and their chapter die off.
Space Marines after 1 reality check: "Why do we have to die for mere mortals?" "We should give ourselfes to the ruinous powers!"
Imperial Guard after suffering millions of losses to not let chaos go further: "The planet is literally falling apart. You will stand your ground in the name of the Emperor." "Yes"
Tell that to the trillions of guardsmen who died in droves all over the galaxy.
They basically recieved the same honours as Vietnam's bravest of heroes over the course of the war. Their names carved or drawn onto a plaque in a holy shrine, gathering dust on the walls while they go forgotten and their deeds go unheard @@techypriest7523
The last panel really adds to the grimdarkness. Bolters are tools, Astartes are tools, both serve the Emperor, but their zeal is most likely misplaced
CEASE YOUR BLASPHEMY HERETIC! GLORY TO THE GOD EMPEROR, HONOR AND VICTORY TO THE BLACK TEMPLARS!!!
'religious zeal is misplaced' MFs when they realize literally every single xeno currently populating the universe is absolutely terrible, even worse than the imperium's decadence.
like the tau and MAYBE the craftworld eldar are decent enough to have some agreements with the imperium that will last longer than immediate betrayal but thats it.
Grimdarkness? 😏
Whatever. 🤣
IS THAT HERESY I HEAR? *BLAM* *BLAM* *BLAM*
What a great narration, I love how you mixed out the vox effect of the astartes (or the bolt pistol?..). More of these would be very welcome!
More then likely the bolt pistol since space marines wouldn't lay around lamenting so long if a space marine is on his back for more then half a second he's likely dead
All those poor guardsman.
Don’t even get the recognition by one bit
Typical bloody space marine.
F in the chat :(
Don't worry lad. We live for the emperor, we die for the emperor. Most of us veterans are just glad we can finally get some shuteye when we finally die.
@@imperialguardsman5726 Thank you for being ones of humanities bulwark against terror.
Thank you for posting this! I remember reading this years ago and couldn't find it. I love the twist that it's the bolt pistol's machine spirit crying out for it's master.
"Many heroes have borne your arms before you. They will do so after your passing."
-Techpriestess Hadron Omega 7-7
Man that twist at the end showing the one speaking was actually the bolter pistols machine spirit showing it was proud to serve the astartes and the emperor and doesn’t want to be left and forgotten and wants to keep serving hits different and makes you think what the machine spirits of all the weapons of 40k think of the service and battles they serve in
You can interpret it in a few different ways. To me it makes more sense that it's the Space Marine talking until he's taken away. Then when the lines from the start are repeated, this time it's the bolter saying them, showing the Space Marine is to the Emperor what the bolter is to the space marine.
@@dearcastiel4667 true but to me it seems more impactful to be the bolter speaking since the space marines are trained/brainwashed to never falter in their beliefs but not the machine spirits of the bolters which is to me more interesting and unique and it makes more sense to me for a bolter to be close to so many named characters during their last stands and live to tell their tales
I love this little thing of a comic. Is it the spirit of the dead Astartes, begging the God Emperor to send him deliverance? Or is it the machine spirit of the bolter, begging for the fallen warrior to rise, to carry it away to new battle, to not be abandoned like scrap on the field in ignoble defeat. One may never know.
This is a bit of fresh air (or more appropriately, somber?) compared to the other Warhammer VA Channels.
Memes are fun but sometimes I just wanna be saaaaad….
It’s sad for all divisions they fight for their leaders until the end and when they fall in battle they often die alone forgotten replaced for a new solider just like all those dead around him.
Everyone’s talking about whether the POV is the space marine or the machine spirit of his bolt pistol
But nobody’s questioning if it’s the machine spirit of the marine’s armor itself, it’s developed such a 1:1 connection to its marine that it’s adopted his mindset and sees itself and its marine as 1 whole being, and it understands that the dark-mechs are gonna desecrate its untainted material for their heretical machinations
You're wrong. Check the text again, and you'll see it's either the marine, or the gun. It cannot be armor - that much is clear.
it is the gun. the gun is in the hands of all the other space marines that are mentioned.
you can see the chain hanging from it.
which makes sense when it speaks about killing the ork warboss.
"Wounds I had given them." Since when is armor used to wound someone? Noone talks about the possibility of this being the POV of his armor because everyone uderstands that its clearly not true.
@@usernameig975meele combat
@@usernameig975 Armour is used to wound but this is beside the point.
Don't worry, sacred machine spirit, you shall be reclaimed soon. It's just that Magos Biologis must collect the geneseed soon because flesh is weak. Toasters and bolters are next.
I'm calling it, it was the bolt pistol talking the whole time. Machine Spirit and all that
The sadness in his voice as he said “did I not serve you well?” Hit hard.
Edit: ha ha 69
cool that it was the same gun for all the space marines. same chain hanging from it.
so the "lord" was the space marine wielding it.
The sad irony is that the emperor would be disgusted with his creations and in all likelihood would abandon them to oblivion like he did with the thunder warriors.
Somewhere in the warp, in the domain of order, one more member of the Legion of the Damned blazes to life…
Reminder: this is literally the START of the Damnation Crusade comic. Really sets the tone.
What an absolutely MAGNIFICENT version! Mine has been sitting on the backlog for quite some time, but you know darn well I'll take inspiration from your vid. ;)
Thanks friend! Let me know when you do finish it!
When your sh*tposter ends up making art:
rewatching this I love to see the hints that its the bolter talking. The panel at 2:09 the narrator mentions "his shots" and talks about how they were inseparable, and at first you think its just the soldier talking about how he shot the ork and was close with the champion, but once you know the ending its obvious, especially since BTs chain their weapons to themselves. They were literally inseperable.
It's either the Bolt Pistol talking or the Marine...
If it's the Marine, I got good news for everyone. I believe his motto in his present life is _"TANKRED ENDURES!"_
If it's the bolt pistol... dang gun, that's tough. Toy Story and now You are gonna make me sad when i accidentally drop something.
Stories like this are what made me fall in love with Star Wars (the Clone Wars in particular but I love it all now) given the similar themes of "The disposable soldier" and stories of those unfortunate souls's points of view.
Love this, i think it has an underlying testament of how little the difference is between the marine and the bolter.
How many soldiers throughout history have lain on the battlefield thinking along those same lines. Great video!
That poor machine spirit...
This is a really good comic and a really good voice over. Kudos.
Black templar: why lord why have you forsaken me? Don't leave me like this.
Guardsmen: sooo first time huh?
Imperium Regular Infantryman: I will die here and no one will know, but I will die anyways.
Imperium Space Marine:
The end really got me, the whole speech is so well written, with a very careful choice of words.
Genuis.
Great voice story telling is all i can say.. what a talent.
this part always makes me cry :( i just want to make the bolters machine spirit happy
0:35 "No, no, I'm here. I'm just standing to your left"
the biggest twist here is mechanicus vultures leaving a sacred bolter to rot on the battlefield
Reminds me of that part from the Vinland Saga baltic sea arc where that dying Viking realizes the Valkyries are never coming
Well, the Emperor neglects.
Khorne's voice chimes in: "So here hear me out..."
Lmao noooooo
"I've got a job offering if you would like"
At least Khorne honors his great warriors, while the Emperor discards his.
*Khorne pulls up a chair and sits in it backwards* So. You got abandoned by the emperor.
I really thought that's where this was going.
God I love this, I can't tell if it's the Marine or the Pistol talking, the wording, the scenes and the sentiment makes it vague enough to where you can't distinguish between the two.
Maybe it's by design but it's so beautiful either way.
It is a great testament to both the quality of your voice acting and the quality of the writing, that I am getting emotional about a *gun being sad.*
Classical Space Marine, crying and saying words that can lead to heresy while my boy Private Jacop is just lying next to him with a shattered body but a fu*king intact honour
“no, foul xenos carrion eaters! don’t touch me! i shall die cursing you with the emperors zeal!”
“bro, we’re with the mechanicus, calm tf down. ur kinda hurt bad, so you gotta go in the dreadnought.”
“oh.”
To his defense, Those mars bois speaks in 0101010000110000..... so.... yeah
Somebody didn't understand it is not the space marine talking
A son of dorn finally knows what it feels like to be the one leading the charge and dieing and then getting no recognition for it at least with us we we're iron
I Keep forgetting that Warhammer 40K has its own comic book series-
iirc, he became Tankred, so he's fine. As fine as a Dreadnought could be considered to be.
TANKRED ENDURES~!!!!!!!!!!!
“IT MATTERS NOT WHO LIVES OR DIES. BLOOD IS SHED AS IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN. There is nothing else in this forsaken existence”
The gun no longer goes pew…
The part where he just gets carried away by some random ragged people was hilarious.
its darkmech. They will do the unthinkable to him
@@NicknameDS i was thinking mechanicus, but i forgot dark mech exist. Aside from that, the shot of him being whisk away is just hilarious. warhammer 40k can try to be serious, but no matter it's goofy at times like this.
they were maggot deamon that eat corspe
@@NicknameDS could be, i was thinking they were slaugth... and that's not a nice way to go.
this is how chaos cultists are born.
The Space Marine is obviously dead.
And his soul now either joined the Golden Army, or became one with Warp, depending on his life's choices.
So while it is purposefully not made clear, it being the Machinespirit of the Bolt-Pistol to speak, that makes much more sense.
And it is not speaking to the Emperor, the Machinegod or anyone else, it is speaking to the Space Marine.
Glorious.
Had to rewatch but yeah he refers to the marine as "Lord" and says things like "emporer knows" which would be weird to say to the emporer. Half way through I was thinking this was a wildly heretical series of thoughts for a marine.
Or you know, his armor
@@Bubba960 "I was at his right hand when he faced the warboss" "it was my shots that tore his meat and broke his bones, my shots, lord"
@@arcajeth5963 yea, fair point, but the whole bit on being scrapped made me think it was an armor suit
How broken beyond repair Black Templars are. He does one thing that the Emperor hated the most and asks him why he had left him to the ignoble end.
It was probably the gun talking, not the Marine. Why would he say “Emperor knows” when talking to the emperor.
Spoiler: the gun was picked up by a guardsman, who then lost it to an Inquisitor in a card game
Bruh
At least it's in good hands now.
Then the Inquisitor realized it was an Astartes-made bolt pistol when his/her shoulder got dislocated upon firing.
@@annhentaiuser6658 I hate this lore. Equal tabletop stats means equal recoil.
That poor machine spirit.
Dude that kind of thinking stirs the dark gods.
That SM would fall to chaos.
Guardsman: "Lol. lmao."
The emperor has a cult following. In the end your all expendable tools to him.
this made me think how horrifying machine souls must be, theyre not exactly proper living AI or life but theyre still Something in practically every machine, i wonder how they must feel, its probably like an animal that cant do anything except follow orders
Warhammer is such an emotional rollercoaster! I see their strength and I see my weakness and I just want to flay myself, to cease my own existence!
"Did I not serve you well?" hits deeper when you sober up than i thought it would
Never thought id feel for a gun like that. Warhammer is so over the top and cruel but goddamn do i love it
The pistol is talking about the space marine.
holy fuck
Virgin space marine vs chad guardsman
You serve the Emperor and the entirety of Humankind with highest splendor. You are someone the Emperor can believe into, in His eyes you are a saint, a god of war and where you lie is a sanctuary to your honor.
It’s giving “I gave you all I had, Dutch.” vibes
This is why I love the salamanders, they die knowing that they at least completed the mission which is protecting
Meanwhile on some doomed planet overrun with tyranids, orks, chaos or whatever other xenos you can think of bearing down of the Astra militaris:
Guardsman: "Kadia Stands!!!"
Wait Bolters have a mind of its own? Fuck this hits differently.
The mechanicus kept telling everyone about the machine spirits but nobody listed
*Toll the Great Bell Once!*
*For the Souls of Machines, Lost in the Void*
*Toll the Great Bell Twice!*
*Keep them in Your Eternal Power*
*Toll the Great Bell in Grief*
*Sing Praise to the God of All Machines*
~Priests of Mars, Graham Mcneil
Yes, my son. Sleep. I'm here.
- Nurgle
Goddamnit, when did 40k gain the ability to make me cry?
This BROKE MY HEART it was so beautiful
My love to whoever made the comic n man ur narration was perfect!
Thats a deep talk for a boltgun
Classical period music and 40k mixes so well.
Warhammer is peak fiction
my box fan dying after 5 years of loyal service of staying turned on on max setting 24/7
You served him well marine, but he himself is condemned to a fate worse than yours, but when all is done, when it is all over, the gates of death shall be open so that your souls may finally rest
Thats one depressed bolt pistol separated from his lord the space marine. This truly does machine spirits well
This is the part where the bolter choses chaos.
thats why chaos gods are the better way. you will not be abandoned like this marine, or like lorgar, nor will they burn a church thats in there favor
This sucks to listen to the way the space marine talks is like a child to his dad he sounds so determined but is slowly crushed by the silence it’s so sad to watch despite the space marines job of simply killing. You can tell he sounds like a little kid.
He says he can do it again 0:55
He states all the battles showing experience 1:24
And then his faith slowly crumbles in on itself 4:05
And like a child believes it’s his fault 4:22
This is amazing incredible work! This speaks to the grim dark nature that I love about this setting
Man, Bro picked a lot of words just to tell himself "You're Not That Guy"