Space Marine 2 ends with a tease of a much larger conflict involving a significant Warhammer 40K character and faction that could dramatically alter the universe. Spoilers for the game and tabletop lore are included below.
The conclusion of Space Marine 2 suggests major implications for the broader 40K setting, which may influence the storyline of a potential Space Marine 3. The games draw inspiration from the current narrative of Warhammer 40K for their enemies and settings.
The Fourth Tyrannic War against the Tyranid Hive Fleet Leviathan is a prominent storyline within Warhammer 40K, but it’s not the only one. Space Marine 2 hints at humanity’s other conflicts. The Imperium’s battle against Chaos has persisted for more than ten thousand years, yet another adversary is awakening after centuries of dormancy.
The Ultramarines rush to disable the Necron technology.
The Necrons Wake from Their Slumber
We refer to the Necrons, an ancient race that was colonizing the galaxy long before humanity emerged. The final mission in Space Marine 2 occurs on a Necron Tomb World, which ironically, humanity has transformed into a graveyard.
Deep below the surface, countless Necrons remain dormant, awaiting orders from their King to awaken and reclaim the galaxy. During their slumber, both the Mechanicum and later, the Chaos Space Marines of the Thousand Sons Legion, have exploited their technology. Some automated security sentries even engaged the intruders before being ultimately defeated.
The Mechanicum sought to acquire a device known as the Pariah Nexus, a piece of technology the Necrons utilize to dispel the Warp or Immaterium (the hellish dimension housing Chaos). They believed it would be a crucial asset in humanity’s struggle against The Archenemy. However, the Ruinous Powers anticipated this move and manipulated events to reverse the intended effect, flooding the world with Chaos energy.
Fortunately, the Ultramarines and Titus thwarted this plan, defeating Chaos and refocusing on the Tyranids. However, if the Imperium and Forces of Chaos think the Necrons will overlook their interference, they are sorely mistaken. Space Marine 3 will likely introduce a new foe for the Astartes, with Space Marine 2 setting the stage for the Necrons in this role. Furthermore, the enigmatic leader known as the Silent King comes into play.
The Necrons yearn to return to flesh and blood.
Who is the Silent King?
The Silent King is a complex character within the 40K universe, one who aims to preserve life across the galaxy but views all races apart from the Necrons as mere insects. He was the ruler of the Necrons in their organic form. Following a time of bloody civil war, he unified the civilization and led them into the stars to explore the galaxy—ultimately seeking a remedy for the Necron’s troubled and brief existences.
The Necron homeworld was located near a sun going supernova, inflicting suffering upon the Necrons (originally known as the Necontyr) as they endured maladies such as cancer and pain. This dire situation led them to incredible engineering feats to flee their planet and find refuge. As a militaristic race, the Necrons conquered various worlds, only to discover that their suffering had become ingrained in their very DNA. No matter how far they traveled, their anguish followed.
This harsh reality made the Necrons increasingly aggressive in their quest for a cure. Attracted by their ferocity, a godlike race termed the Old Ones found themselves in conflict with the Necrons. The Silent King pleaded with them for immortality, but the Old Ones rejected his requests.
Desperate to save his people, he declared war on the Old Ones, but the conflict ended poorly for the Necron forces. Defeated, they returned, resigned to their fate.
The Forces of Chaos invade realspace by manipulating a Necron artifact.
Becoming a Race of Metal
The Necrons’ advanced technology eventually revealed that their sun’s demise was a result of its consumption by a godlike entity known as the C’tan. There were multiple C’tan, and they had their own grievances against the Old Ones. The C’tan promised the Necrons immortality by transforming them into machines, a deal the Silent King accepted, coercing his people to agree.
The Necrons allied with the C’tan to combat the Old Ones, emerging victorious. It’s noteworthy that the Orks (then known as the Krork) and the Eldar were creations of the Old Ones and fought against the Necron forces in this war. However, the C’tan deceived the Necrons, consuming their souls and using them merely as pawns in their desire for more souls. They wreaked havoc across galaxies, annihilating entire worlds.
Realizing the consequences of his actions, the Silent King escaped the C’tan’s control using his remarkable technology, turning the Necron’s weapons upon them and imprisoning shards of their essence indefinitely to prevent further damage. Nonetheless, the Eldar remained, seeking vengeance against the Necrons.
Tired of conflict and seeing his soulless kin trapped in metallic forms, the Silent King constructed massive Tomb Worlds for the Necrons to slumber for millions of years, hoping to awaken in an uninhabited universe free from strife. He chose to remain awake and went into exile to ponder his past mistakes and contemplate how to redeem and save his people.
The Necrons fear that Chaos is worse than their old enemies.
The Necrons in Warhammer 40K
The Necrons are gradually awakening in the current era of 40K and are disheartened to witness that the galaxy remains populated and is engulfed in perpetual warfare. The Eldar maintain their animosity toward them, humanity has established cities over their Tomb Worlds, and since the defeat of the Old Ones, the Warp has been overrun by the malicious Gods of Chaos—mirroring the most negative aspects of the Old Ones and the dreaded C’tan.
The Silent King has ventured into the void beyond galaxies, witnessing enormous Tyranid invasion fleets on the horizon, far larger than Hive Fleet Leviathan. While Chaos cannot corrupt the Necrons due to their lack of souls, and the Tyranids have no interest in consuming their metallic forms, the Necrons perceive both Chaos and the Tyranids as the ultimate threats to existence in the galaxy.
Though the Necrons harbor no affection for the Eldar, the Imperium of Man, or the emerging Tau Empire, the Silent King aspires to help his people regain their flesh and blood in order to restore their souls. The fate of this can rely on humanity or the Eldar, and he cannot achieve this if all life is corrupted by Chaos or devoured by the Tyranids.
Consequently, the Necrons are compelled to undermine both Chaos and the Tyranids whenever possible—a goal recognized by both the Hive Mind and the Four Dark Gods.
The Space Marines disrupt what may be a Necron Pariah Nexus.
The Pariah Nexus
To realize their goals, the Necrons are experimenting with the technology they once used to defeat the Old Ones: the Pariah Nexus. They aim to generate pockets of space where the Warp holds no sway. If the Necrons could accomplish this across the galaxy, it would annihilate Chaos and disrupt the Tyranids’ connection to the Hive Mind, potentially saving the galaxy from both threats. However, as humanity and the Eldar are psychic races, their connection to the Warp would also be severed, risking their existence as well.
The Necrons recognize this technology as crucial to their supremacy and display little concern for the fates of the Eldar or humanity should they be caught in their Pariah Nexus experiments. Nevertheless, the other races will not idly allow this, even if it may lead to the end of the Tyranids and Chaos. The Silent King understands that further development of the Pariah Nexus will be necessary and likely realizes he will need to negotiate with “the lesser races” to achieve his ambitions.
Historically, the Necrons and the Imperium have collaborated against Chaos and the Tyranids, yet both factions have significant obstacles to overcome before meaningful cooperation can take place. The visage of humanity as a violent and xenophobic threat in the year 40,000 complicates matters. Nevertheless, seeds of collaboration between the Eldar, Tau, and Necrons are beginning to sprout, leaving the question of whether they will flourish.
The Space Marines delve deep into a Necron Tomb World that has been plundered by Chaos.
Putting it All Together in Space Marine 3
There is a strong possibility that Space Marine 3 will feature the Necrons as the primary enemy, similar to how Space Marine 1 focused on the Orks and the sequel targeted the Tyranids. This shift allows Games Workshop to highlight another increasingly pivotal faction in the tabletop game. The Necrons are projected to initiate an offensive against the Imperium due to the Mechanicum’s interference with their Tomb World.
In response, Titus and the Ultramarines will have to address the threat as the Necrons attempt to activate a Pariah Nexus to banish the remnants of Chaos and the Tyranids from the system. This development poses significant risks for humanity, igniting conflict. However, it’s anticipated that the Necrons will not remain the sole antagonists in Space Marine 3. Similar to the previous installments, it is believed a Chaos conspiracy will emerge, unveiling an even more significant threat.
In the current Warhammer 40K lore, the Silent King’s latest Pariah Nexus experiment has met fierce opposition from Imperial forces (with the Eldar even warning humanity about the Necrons’ danger). Further complicating matters, the ancient ruler faces a rebellion from within his ranks, as some Necrons resist reverting to biological life, believing their robotic existence to be superior.
Moreover, Abaddon the Despoiler, the Warmaster of Chaos, along with his daemonic ally Vashtor the Arkifane, have invaded the battleground with their own agenda. This scenario sets the stage for a multi-faction conflict. It remains to be seen if any unusual alliances will emerge.
Though lore development is typically slow in Warhammer 40K, this upcoming conflict is expected to be explored in a possible Space Marine 3, where the Necrons and the Silent King will finally have a chance to take center stage following their introduction in Space Marine 2.
Leave a Reply