Column of Glory

Space Marines Portal Imperial Fists

The Column of Glory is a relic belonging to the Imperial Fists located on Holy Terra. The relic is a half kilometer high column embedded with the power armor of the Imperial Fists who lost their lives defending the Imperial Palace during the Horus Heresy. The Power Armor contains the bones of the dead Space Marines.^[1]

The Column of Glory is noted to be close to the Emperor's Golden Throne, but it is uncertain whether this means the Column is located within the Imperial Palace or simply nearby.

Clarity Problems

Information concerning the exact composition of the Column of Glory is vague. The Column is described as "rainbow metal" but the meaning of this description is not clear, entailing the following interpretative problems^[1][2]:

• It is unlikely that "rainbow metal" refers to the colors of Column given that the colors of Imperial Fists power armor do not fit that description.
• While it is possible the Column is composed of the power armor from the multiple Chapters that defended the Imperial Palace, which would therefore explain the "rainbow" coloration, this is not stated and would render the relic not specific to the Imperial Fists. If this were the case, it is almost certain that the other involved Chapters would demonstrate their pride in having a relic on Holy Terra, but yet there is no record of other Chapters claiming association with the Column.
• Instead, the description may refer to the shape of the structure, in which case the Column of Glory would in fact be an arch and not a column at all.

Sources

• 1: Space Marine (Novel) by Ian Watson: ^{[Needs Citation]}, p. 60
• 2: Sons of Dorn (Novel) by Chris Roberson: Chapter Five, p. 144