Space Marines are considered the perfect warriors of the Empire in Warhammer 40,000. Before they existed, the Emperor created other fighters who could easily defeat any Space Marine in combat. But the first attempt came with too many errors.
What kind of warriors are these? The Thunder Warriors, or in German: Thunder Warriors, are the first superhumans created by the Emperor – along with the Adeptus Custodes.
Through genetic manipulation, a human became a warrior who was bigger, stronger, faster and, above all, more brutal. These super soldiers were created for one purpose: to unite Terra, our Earth.
In order to subdue the scattered and divided empires of our earth, the Emperor has created a weapon that guarantees him victory. The fact that the Thunder Warriors no longer exist today is due to a mistake in their creation – or dark calculation.
In our special you will find out more about the creation of the empire of humanity.
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Brutal superhumans and perfect killing machines
Thunder Warriors were pretty much the strongest warriors humanity has ever produced. They had even thicker bones and faster reflexes than Space Marines in today’s Warhammer 40,000 – and they already undergo stark genetic changes.
Their tolerance for psionic powers is said to have been so high that attacking psykers suffered enormous pain. In later battles, a single Thunder Warrior is said to have taken on 4-5 Space Marines alone. To give you an idea, a few stories from the world:
Heretics might say that Thunder Warriors were essentially the human version of the warrior Orcs. In battle, the warriors were considered virtually invincible. Only one flaw finally doomed her to ruin.
The Thunder Warriors were later “evolved.” The first Space Marines were created this way.
Warriors without discipline and morals
On Reddit, a user asked why the Emperor doesn’t actually use the Thunder Warriors for combat when they are so much badass than Space Marines. The question spurred a great deal of discussion.
The Thunder Warriors had a similar structure to the Space Marines today. 20 legions, each led by a Primarch, went into battle for the Emperor. However, their imperfections have caused them to lack the most important aspect of a soldier: discipline.
The Thunder Warriors’ genetic modifications were not perfect. Her body and especially her mind has continued to deteriorate. The Thunder Warriors were perfect, brutal warriors, but they also often simply ignored orders or simply dropped dead. Their lifespan was significantly shorter than that of the Adeptus Astartes today.
Thunderknights, like Space Marines, cannot reproduce on their own. New warriors must be created, usually by the Emperor. But towards the end of the wars of unification he decided not to do that anymore.
According to history, all the Thunder Warriors died in the final battle on Terra at Mount Ararat. However, one survivor claims that this story is just a smokescreen. Actually, the Custodes are said to have wiped them out when the Thunder Warriors rebelled against the Emperor.
The end of the Thunder Warriors and the beginning of the Adeptus Astartes
Today there are officially no more Thunder Warriors. The few who escaped the genocide either succumbed to their genetic defect or died in battle at some point.
However, the Space Marines, or Legiones Astartes, emerged from the “experiment”. Similar in strength to Thunder Warriors, but significantly less hot-headed, but loyal and disciplined, the Space Marines were the warriors and strategists that the Emperor wanted for his empire.
In case you’re wondering where these strange names always come from: In Warhammer 40,000, people have their own language.
According to rumors and stories, there are still some Thunder Warriors who survived against all odds and later became part of the Astartes. One survivor, Arik Taranis, even attempted to create his own Thunder Warriors using the Emperor’s techniques.
However, if these rumors are true, human historians will do their best to cover it up.
Today, the Empire has a physically weaker replacement for the Thunder Warriors in the Space Marines, but one that is more capable in war. However, even the normal humans produce fighters who are in no way inferior to even the superhumans of the Astartes: Forget Space Marines: A women’s order in Warhammer 40,000 is much more impressive, because they are “just humans”