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==List of Primarchs==
 
==List of Primarchs==
{|class="sortable" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" align="center" border="1" style="background:Ivory4";" width="100%"
+
{|class="sortable" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" align="center" border="1" style="background:Ivory4;text-align:center;width:100%;"
|- style=background:#565656 align=center align=center
+
|- style=background:#565656  
 
!width="5%" | Legion Number
 
!width="5%" | Legion Number
 
!width="7.5%" | Name
 
!width="7.5%" | Name
 
!width="5%" | Homeworld
 
!width="5%" | Homeworld
 
!width="5%" | Legion
 
!width="5%" | Legion
!width="5%" | Allegiance
+
!width="3%" | Allegiance
 
!width="32.5%" | Fate
 
!width="32.5%" | Fate
!width="5%" | Order of Discovery {{Fn|17}}
+
!width="3%" | Date of Discovery {{Fn|43}}
 
|-
 
|-
|align=center|'''I'''
+
! scope=row | I
 
|align=center|[[Lion El'Jonson]]
 
|align=center|[[Lion El'Jonson]]
 
|align=center|[[Caliban]]
 
|align=center|[[Caliban]]
 
|align=center|[[Dark Angels]]
 
|align=center|[[Dark Angels]]
 
|align=center|Loyal
 
|align=center|Loyal
|align=left|[[Lion El'Jonson#The Fate of The Lion|Slumbering deep within The Rock]]  
+
|align=left|[[Lion El'Jonson#The Fate of The Lion|Alive, slumbering deep within The Rock]]  
|align=center|11
+
|align=center|846.M30 (11th)
 
|-
 
|-
|align=center|'''II'''
+
! scope=row | II
 
! colspan="5" |Deleted from Imperial records, authorisation unknown.
 
! colspan="5" |Deleted from Imperial records, authorisation unknown.
|align=center|3 {{Fn|Note}}
+
|align=center|821.M30 (3rd){{Fn|Note 1}}
 
|-
 
|-
|align=center|'''III'''
+
! scope=row | III
 
|align=center|[[Fulgrim]]
 
|align=center|[[Fulgrim]]
 
|align=center|[[Chemos]]
 
|align=center|[[Chemos]]
 
|align=center|[[Emperor's Children]]
 
|align=center|[[Emperor's Children]]
 
|align=center|Traitor
 
|align=center|Traitor
|align=left|[[Fulgrim#Daemonhood|Daemon Prince]]
+
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Fulgrim#Daemonhood|Daemon Prince of Slaanesh]]
|align=center|5
+
|align=center|830.M30 (5th)
 
|-
 
|-
|align=center|'''IV'''
+
! scope=row | IV
 
|align=center|[[Perturabo]]
 
|align=center|[[Perturabo]]
 
|align=center|[[Olympia]]
 
|align=center|[[Olympia]]
 
|align=center|[[Iron Warriors]]
 
|align=center|[[Iron Warriors]]
 
|align=center|Traitor
 
|align=center|Traitor
|align=left|[[Perturabo#Post-Heresy|Daemon Prince]]
+
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Perturabo#Post-Heresy|Daemon Prince of Chaos Undivided]]
|align=center|12
+
|align=center|849.M30 (12th)
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align=center|'''V'''
 
|align=center|'''V'''
Line 70: Line 70:
 
|align=center|[[White Scars]]
 
|align=center|[[White Scars]]
 
|align=center|Loyal
 
|align=center|Loyal
|align=left|[[Jaghatai Khan#Post Heresy|Alive, disappeared in the Webway]]
+
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Jaghatai Khan#Post Heresy|Alive, disappeared in the Webway]]
|align=center|15
+
|align=center|865.M30 (15th)
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align=center|'''VI'''
 
|align=center|'''VI'''
Line 78: Line 78:
 
|align=center|[[Space Wolves]]
 
|align=center|[[Space Wolves]]
 
|align=center|Loyal
 
|align=center|Loyal
|align=left|[[Leman Russ (Primarch)#Post-Heresy|Alive, disappeared in the Eye of Terror]]
+
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Leman Russ (Primarch)#Post-Heresy|Alive, disappeared in the Eye of Terror]]
|align=center|2
+
|align=center|819.M30 (2nd)
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align=center|'''VII'''
 
|align=center|'''VII'''
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|align=center|[[Imperial Fists]]
 
|align=center|[[Imperial Fists]]
 
|align=center|Loyal
 
|align=center|Loyal
|align=left|[[Rogal Dorn#Current Status|Presumed Dead]]   
+
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Rogal Dorn#Current Status|Presumed Dead]]   
|align=center|7
+
|align=center|835.M30 (7th)
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align=center|'''VIII'''
 
|align=center|'''VIII'''
Line 94: Line 94:
 
|align=center|[[Night Lords]]
 
|align=center|[[Night Lords]]
 
|align=center|Traitor
 
|align=center|Traitor
|align=left|[[Konrad Curze#Post-Heresy|Dead]]
+
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Konrad Curze#Post-Heresy|Dead]]
|align=center|16
+
|align=center|896.M30 (16th)
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align=center|'''IX'''
 
|align=center|'''IX'''
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|align=center|[[Blood Angels]]
 
|align=center|[[Blood Angels]]
 
|align=center|Loyal
 
|align=center|Loyal
|align=left|[[Sanguinius#Sacrifice|Dead]]
+
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Sanguinius#Sacrifice|Dead]]
|align=center|10
+
|align=center|843.M30 (10th)
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align=center|'''X'''
 
|align=center|'''X'''
Line 110: Line 110:
 
|align=center|[[Iron Hands]]
 
|align=center|[[Iron Hands]]
 
|align=center|Loyal
 
|align=center|Loyal
|align=left|[[Ferrus Manus#Horus Heresy|Dead]]
+
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Ferrus Manus#Horus Heresy|Dead]]
|align=center|4
+
|align=center|824.M30 (4th)
 
|-
 
|-
|align=center|'''XI'''
+
! scope=row | XI
 
! colspan="5" |Deleted from Imperial records, authorisation unknown.
 
! colspan="5" |Deleted from Imperial records, authorisation unknown.
|align=center|19 {{Fn|Note}}
+
|align=center|927.M30 (19th){{Fn|Note 1}}
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align=center|'''XII'''
 
|align=center|'''XII'''
Line 122: Line 122:
 
|align=center|[[World Eaters]]
 
|align=center|[[World Eaters]]
 
|align=center|Traitor
 
|align=center|Traitor
|align=left|[[Angron#Post-Heresy|Daemon Prince]]
+
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Angron#Post-Heresy|Daemon Prince of Khorne]]
|align=center|17
+
|align=center|899.M30 (17th)
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align=center|'''XIII'''
 
|align=center|'''XIII'''
Line 130: Line 130:
 
|align=center|[[Ultramarines]]
 
|align=center|[[Ultramarines]]
 
|align=center|Loyal
 
|align=center|Loyal
|align=left|[[Roboute Guilliman#Awakening|Alive]]
+
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Roboute Guilliman#Awakening|Alive]]
|align=center|8
+
|align=center|837.M30 (8th)
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align=center|'''XIV'''
 
|align=center|'''XIV'''
Line 138: Line 138:
 
|align=center|[[Death Guard]]
 
|align=center|[[Death Guard]]
 
|align=center|Traitor
 
|align=center|Traitor
|align=left|[[Mortarion#Post-Heresy|Daemon Prince]]
+
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Mortarion#Post-Heresy|Daemon Prince of Nurgle]]
|align=center|13
+
|align=center|854.M30 (13th)
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align=center|'''XV'''
 
|align=center|'''XV'''
Line 146: Line 146:
 
|align=center|[[Thousand Sons]]
 
|align=center|[[Thousand Sons]]
 
|align=center|Traitor
 
|align=center|Traitor
|align=left|[[Magnus#Post-Heresy|Daemon Prince]]
+
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Magnus#Post-Heresy|Daemon Prince of Tzeentch]]
|align=center|9
+
|align=center|840.M30 (9th)
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align=center|'''XVI'''
 
|align=center|'''XVI'''
Line 154: Line 154:
 
|align=center|[[Sons of Horus|Luna Wolves/Sons of Horus]]
 
|align=center|[[Sons of Horus|Luna Wolves/Sons of Horus]]
 
|align=center|Traitor
 
|align=center|Traitor
|align=left|[[Horus Lupercal#Heresy|Dead]]
+
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Horus Lupercal#Heresy|Dead]]
|align=center|1 (or 20{{Fn|40a}})
+
|align=center|801.M30 (1st)
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align=center|'''XVII'''
 
|align=center|'''XVII'''
Line 162: Line 162:
 
|align=center|[[Word Bearers]]
 
|align=center|[[Word Bearers]]
 
|align=center|Traitor
 
|align=center|Traitor
|align=left|[[Lorgar Aurelian#Post-Heresy|Daemon Prince]]
+
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Lorgar Aurelian#Post-Heresy|Daemon Prince of Chaos Undivided]]
|align=center|14
+
|align=center|857.M30 (14th)
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align=center|'''XVIII'''
 
|align=center|'''XVIII'''
Line 170: Line 170:
 
|align=center|[[Salamanders]]
 
|align=center|[[Salamanders]]
 
|align=center|Loyal
 
|align=center|Loyal
|align=left|[[Vulkan#War of the Beast|Presumed Dead]]  
+
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Vulkan#War of the Beast|Last seen dead]], but [[perpetual]] and therefore presumably alive somewhere.
|align=center|6
+
|align=center|832.M30 (6th)
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align=center|'''XIX'''
 
|align=center|'''XIX'''
Line 178: Line 178:
 
|align=center|[[Raven Guard]]
 
|align=center|[[Raven Guard]]
 
|align=center|Loyal
 
|align=center|Loyal
|align=left|[[Corvus Corax#Post-Heresy|Alive, hunting Traitor Primarchs in the eye of Terror]]
+
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Corvus Corax#Post-Heresy|Alive, hunting Traitor Primarchs in the eye of Terror]]
|align=center|18
+
|align=center|922.M30 (18th)
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align=center|'''XX'''
 
|align=center|'''XX'''
 
|align=center|[[Alpharius Omegon]]
 
|align=center|[[Alpharius Omegon]]
|align=center|Unknown
+
|align=center|[[Terra]] (Alpharius){{Fn|40a}} / Unknown (Omegon){{Fn|40b}}
 
|align=center|[[Alpha Legion]]
 
|align=center|[[Alpha Legion]]
 
|align=center|Traitor
 
|align=center|Traitor
|align=left|[[Alpharius Omegon#Death and Rebirth|Alpharius: Dead]]; [[Alpharius Omegon#Post-Heresy|Omegon : Unknown]]
+
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Alpharius Omegon#Death and Rebirth|Alpharius: Dead]]; [[Alpharius Omegon#Post-Heresy|Omegon : Unknown]]
|align=center|20 (or 1{{Fn|40a}})
+
|align=center|981.M30 (officially 20th) <br>Alpharius discovered possibly much earlier{{Fn|Note 2}}
 
|}
 
|}
  
*{{Endn|Note}}: While the official Primarch rediscovery order given by [[Laurie Goulding]] does not distinguish between the Second and Eleventh Primarchs{{Fn|17}}, the novel [[Fulgrim: The Palatine Phoenix (Novel)|Fulgrim: The Palatine Phoenix]] confirms that the Second was one of the first eight Primarchs rediscovered{{Fn|41}}.
+
*{{Endn|Note 1}}: While the official Primarch rediscovery order given by [[Laurie Goulding]] does not distinguish between the Second and Eleventh Primarchs{{Fn|17}}, the novel [[Fulgrim: The Palatine Phoenix (Novel)|Fulgrim: The Palatine Phoenix]] confirms that the Second was one of the first eight Primarchs rediscovered.{{Fn|41}}
 +
*{{Endn|Note 2}}: Officially, Horus was the first Primarch rediscovered and Alpharius the last. According to Alpharius's own account, however, he was in fact the first Primarch recovered by the Emperor and Horus the second, with Alpharius's existence being kept secret until his twin Omegon - the last undiscovered Primarch - revealed himself (as 'Alpharius') to Horus and the Imperium.{{Fn|40}}
  
 
==Two unknown Primarchs==
 
==Two unknown Primarchs==
Line 212: Line 213:
 
==Canon Conflicts==
 
==Canon Conflicts==
 
[[Gregor Eisenhorn]] refers to the "Primarch" of the [[White Consuls]] [[Space Marine Chapter]], when stating that he made it a point to commend a heroic [[Space Marine Sergeant|Sergeant]] who saved his life, at the cost of the Sergeant's own, on [[Thracian Primaris]].  Since the White Consuls are a [[Successor Chapter]], and because there are no living or active primarchs within the Imperium, he seems to be using the term "Primarch" interchangeably with that of [[Chapter Master]].{{Fn|5}}
 
[[Gregor Eisenhorn]] refers to the "Primarch" of the [[White Consuls]] [[Space Marine Chapter]], when stating that he made it a point to commend a heroic [[Space Marine Sergeant|Sergeant]] who saved his life, at the cost of the Sergeant's own, on [[Thracian Primaris]].  Since the White Consuls are a [[Successor Chapter]], and because there are no living or active primarchs within the Imperium, he seems to be using the term "Primarch" interchangeably with that of [[Chapter Master]].{{Fn|5}}
 +
 +
==Related Videos==
 +
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 +
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 +
|id=https://youtu.be/r-8qjAnppx0
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==Related Articles==
 
==Related Articles==
Line 286: Line 295:
 
*{{Endn|15}}: [[The Primarchs (Anthology)]]: Cover Illustration
 
*{{Endn|15}}: [[The Primarchs (Anthology)]]: Cover Illustration
 
*{{Endn|16}}: [[Horus Rising (Novel)]], Part Two, Chapter Seven, pg. 333
 
*{{Endn|16}}: [[Horus Rising (Novel)]], Part Two, Chapter Seven, pg. 333
*{{Endn|17}}: [https://web.archive.org/web/20161205231219/http://z13.invisionfree.com/The_First_Expedition/index.php?showtopic=136&st=15 The First Expedition Forums], provided by [[Black Library Publishing]] editor [[Laurie Goulding]] ''(saved archive page, dated December 2016, last accessed via Wayback Machine 16 May 2021)''
 
 
*{{Endn|18}}: [[Prospero Burns (Novel)]] {{cite this}}
 
*{{Endn|18}}: [[Prospero Burns (Novel)]] {{cite this}}
 
*{{Endn|19}}: [[Fulgrim (Novel)]], Chapter 14
 
*{{Endn|19}}: [[Fulgrim (Novel)]], Chapter 14
Line 328: Line 336:
 
*{{Endn|39}}: [[Fabius Bile: Clonelord (Novel)]], Chapters 24-25
 
*{{Endn|39}}: [[Fabius Bile: Clonelord (Novel)]], Chapters 24-25
 
*{{Endn|40}}: [[Alpharius: Head of the Hydra (Novel)]]
 
*{{Endn|40}}: [[Alpharius: Head of the Hydra (Novel)]]
**{{Endn|40a}}: ''The Discovery''
+
**{{Endn|40a}}: ''Discovery''
 
**{{Endn|40b}}: ''Hydra Dominatus''
 
**{{Endn|40b}}: ''Hydra Dominatus''
 
*{{Endn|41}}: [[Fulgrim: The Palatine Phoenix (Novel)]], Chapter 1
 
*{{Endn|41}}: [[Fulgrim: The Palatine Phoenix (Novel)]], Chapter 1
 
*{{Endn|42}}: [[Warhawk (Novel)]] - Chapter 13
 
*{{Endn|42}}: [[Warhawk (Novel)]] - Chapter 13
 +
*{{Endn|43}}: [https://thehorusheresy.com/explore-the-galaxy Timeline of Horus Heresy from official website] ''(last accessed 3 June 2022)''
  
 
{{Primarchs}}
 
{{Primarchs}}

Revision as of 15:35, 31 January 2023

Targetdrone.gif This article is about the Space Marine Primarchs. For other uses of Primarchs, see Primarchs (disambiguation).

The Primarchs were the twenty genetically-engineered "sons" of the Emperor of Mankind, and the genetic "fathers" of the Space Marine Legions. The Emperor used his own DNA in their creation, and they were designed to be far superior to the average human: immensely larger, stronger, hardier, faster, and more intelligent. They were also incredibly charismatic, as their main role was to be generals and leaders of the Imperial military. Each had their own purpose and specialty, allowing them to serve in specific functions that the Emperor's forces would need in reconquering the galaxy.

Overview

Thunder Warriors

Originally, Primarch was simply a martial rank of the Thunder Warriors. Each of the twenty legions of Thunder Warriors was led by a "Primarch". However these warriors were no different than those they led. Instead, they were officers of superlative skill promoted to the position by the Emperor. One of the known Thunder Warriors Primarch's was Ushotan.[33]

Creation of the Primarchs

An assembly of the Primarchs during the great Triumph after the Ullanor Crusade. Left to right: Sanguinius, Mortarion, Magnus the Red, Angron, Jaghatai Khan, Lorgar Aurelian, Rogal Dorn, Horus Lupercal, and Fulgrim.

The Primarchs were created in a secret underground laboratory on Terra[14] under the tightest security. According to Ingethel the Ascended, the Primarchs were created by the Emperor with the aid of forbidden sciences and arcane lore derived from the Warp.[14] Eldrad Ulthran also states that the Emperor utilized dark powers to construct the Primarchs.[19] It is speculated the Primarchs were imbued with energies and knowledge that the Emperor gained in a Warp Portal on Molech.[20] The genetic material of the powerful Perpetual Erda were used in the creation of the Primarch's and she viewed them as her "sons".[38a] Perturabo would later estimate his own birth to be 792.M30, perhaps giving a date for the Primarch's creation.[26]

However, the Gods of Chaos somehow managed to spirit them away just prior to their maturation with a great Warp vortex[9] and it is speculated that they also managed to tamper with the infant Primarchs. The scattering of the Primarchs may have been the result of a Causal Loop created when Argel Tal and his men were sent back in time inside the Eye of Terror to the Emperor's laboratory, as they were convinced by Ingethel the Ascended to destroy the Gellar Fields protecting the infants from the touch of the Chaos Gods. Almost immediately after the Gellar Field generators were disabled, the Primarch's were sucked into a Warp vortex.[14] Other sources state that the Perpetual Erda was involved in the theft of the Primarch's and created the Warp Vortex that scattered them due to her anger over the fate the Emperor planned for her "children".[38a]. According to Erebus, Erda was unwittingly manipulated by the Chaos Gods into committing this act.[42] Several Primarchs including Konrad Curze, Roboute Guilliman, and even Sanguinius all came to believe that the scattering of the Primarchs and their upbringing on distant worlds had all been engineered by the Emperor.[23]

Scattered across the galaxy, beyond the Emperor's reach, and all landed on different worlds vastly separated from their Father. The Emperor could sense that the infant Primarchs were alive, but was unable to reach them. Therefore he used their previously collected DNA samples to create the Space Marines. The genetic material of each one of the Primarchs was used to found a single Space Marine Legion, twenty in total. The new homeworlds of the infant Primarchs and subsequent experiences on those worlds would influence and mold them to a large extent. There they quickly grew to adulthood and often rose to power, ruling, leading, and helping the inhabitants. As the Emperor found them, he was generally pleased by their actions, and quickly gave them the leadership of their respective legion.

While Arkhan Land aided the Emperor in investigating the nature of Angron and his Butcher's Nails, the Emperor explained that he had no emotional attachment to the Primarchs because they were tools and weapons. When asked why the Emperor allowed the Primarchs to call him father although he felt no attachment, the Emperor described the Pinnochio story and it is natural for a creation to refer to a creator as father.[25]

Rediscovery

Traditional accounts state that the first Primarch to be found was Horus, who became the Emperor's favourite. However a dubious account given by Alpharius states he was the first, and landed on Terra itself following the scattering.[40a] Most Primarchs somehow recognized the Emperor on sight, and immediately pledged their allegiance on the spot. A few, (Leman Russ, Ferrus Manus and Vulkan) only followed him after being bested in contests. Angron refused, and was abducted from his homeworld, something he never really accepted. The last to be found was Alpharius.

According to Malcador the Sigilite, both the Emperor and himself deliberately agitated the Primarchs and sought to turn them against one another, with the resulting war purging certain unmanageable Primarchs and their respective Space Marine Legions just as they had the earlier Thunder Warriors. This would leave humanity, not bio-engineered superhumans, as the rulers of the galaxy. However, the Ruinious Powers intervened before their plan could be fully formulated, leading to disaster in the Horus Heresy. This account may be either a partial or total lie, as Malcador himself seems to keep its validity ambiguous.[27]

At the end of the Great Crusade Warmaster Horus fell to Chaos, and eight of his fellow Primarchs followed him against the Emperor, resulting in a full-scale civil war known as the Horus Heresy. Each Primarch chose his side, loyalists against traitors, leading their legions against their former comrades.

List of Primarchs

Legion Number Name Homeworld Legion Allegiance Fate Date of Discovery [43]
I Lion El'Jonson Caliban Dark Angels Loyal Alive, slumbering deep within The Rock 846.M30 (11th)
II Deleted from Imperial records, authorisation unknown. 821.M30 (3rd)[Note 1]
III Fulgrim Chemos Emperor's Children Traitor Daemon Prince of Slaanesh 830.M30 (5th)
IV Perturabo Olympia Iron Warriors Traitor Daemon Prince of Chaos Undivided 849.M30 (12th)
V Jaghatai Khan Mundus Planus White Scars Loyal Alive, disappeared in the Webway 865.M30 (15th)
VI Leman Russ Fenris Space Wolves Loyal Alive, disappeared in the Eye of Terror 819.M30 (2nd)
VII Rogal Dorn Inwit Imperial Fists Loyal Presumed Dead 835.M30 (7th)
VIII Konrad Curze Nostramo Night Lords Traitor Dead 896.M30 (16th)
IX Sanguinius Baal Blood Angels Loyal Dead 843.M30 (10th)
X Ferrus Manus Medusa Iron Hands Loyal Dead 824.M30 (4th)
XI Deleted from Imperial records, authorisation unknown. 927.M30 (19th)[Note 1]
XII Angron Nuceria World Eaters Traitor Daemon Prince of Khorne 899.M30 (17th)
XIII Roboute Guilliman Macragge Ultramarines Loyal Alive 837.M30 (8th)
XIV Mortarion Barbarus Death Guard Traitor Daemon Prince of Nurgle 854.M30 (13th)
XV Magnus the Red Prospero Thousand Sons Traitor Daemon Prince of Tzeentch 840.M30 (9th)
XVI Horus Lupercal Cthonia Luna Wolves/Sons of Horus Traitor Dead 801.M30 (1st)
XVII Lorgar Aurelian Colchis Word Bearers Traitor Daemon Prince of Chaos Undivided 857.M30 (14th)
XVIII Vulkan Nocturne Salamanders Loyal Last seen dead, but perpetual and therefore presumably alive somewhere. 832.M30 (6th)
XIX Corvus Corax Deliverance Raven Guard Loyal Alive, hunting Traitor Primarchs in the eye of Terror 922.M30 (18th)
XX Alpharius Omegon Terra (Alpharius)[40a] / Unknown (Omegon)[40b] Alpha Legion Traitor Alpharius: Dead; Omegon : Unknown 981.M30 (officially 20th)
Alpharius discovered possibly much earlier[Note 2]
  • Note 1: While the official Primarch rediscovery order given by Laurie Goulding does not distinguish between the Second and Eleventh Primarchs[17], the novel Fulgrim: The Palatine Phoenix confirms that the Second was one of the first eight Primarchs rediscovered.[41]
  • Note 2: Officially, Horus was the first Primarch rediscovered and Alpharius the last. According to Alpharius's own account, however, he was in fact the first Primarch recovered by the Emperor and Horus the second, with Alpharius's existence being kept secret until his twin Omegon - the last undiscovered Primarch - revealed himself (as 'Alpharius') to Horus and the Imperium.[40]

Two unknown Primarchs

Almost nothing is known about the two unknown primarchs.

References to the second and eleventh Primarchs are made in the short story, The Lighting Tower[12], in which Rogal Dorn describes the plinths on which their statues stand should be vacant and says that 'no one ever spoke of those two absent brothers. Their separate tragedies had seemed like aberrations. Had they, in fact, been warnings that no one had heeded?' Also in The First Heretic, Lorgar makes several references saying that the Emperor ordered them to be forgotten. During the time five Word Bearer captains spent being shown secrets of the galaxy by the daemon Ingethel they are shown the Emperor's gene-labs where he is creating the Primarchs and the moment that they were scattered by Chaos. During their time wandering the labs as insubstantial ghosts undetectable as long as they don't touch anything they speak of the two lost legions, mentioning how they were erased from Imperial records and how Roboute Guilliman's Ultramarines legion mysteriously swelled in numbers each time one of the two legions was "erased." The implication seems clear that at least part of the fighting force of the "lost" legions was entrusted to Roboute Guilliman and incorporated into the Ultramarines.[14]

Note: If this is true then perhaps entire chapters descended from the original Ultramarines legion are in fact part of the gene-seed of the two lost legions. At the time of the Heresy remarks made by the five Word Bearers captains Argel Tal, Xaphen, Torgal, Malnor and Dagotal suggest that the fate of the lost legions is relatively common knowledge though kept hushed up. In the intervening ten millennia between the Heresy and the current age of the 41st millennium it is likely this information was forgotten. It is an interesting side-note that the lost legions were numbers two and eleven. Two plus eleven equals thirteen-the number of the Ultramarines legion.[14]

The traitor Primarchs in this story are covered with a shroud, so the fate of the second and eleventh is undetermined. They may have been found and befell a tragedy as it implies they were spoken about previously.

In the novel Prospero Burns by Dan Abnett, it is suggested that Leman Russ and his Space Wolves legion had been used by the Emperor in the past to cull/pacify the two legions and that the Emperor had created the Wolves for just an event, utilizing their barbaric, untamed nature as a sort of insurance policy for use against other Space Marine Legions. This is further demonstrated by the unleashing of the Wolves on the Thousand Sons Legion in the same novel.[18]

Clones

There have been several instances of cloned Primarchs, the result being a mentally unstable, confused, and sometimes deformed creature. The first cloned primarch was Ferrus Manus, created by Fabius Bile at the demand of a mad Fulgrim. Fulgrim attempted to again convert Ferrus to his cause before killing him once more, a process that was repeated multiple times with new clones.[21]

Perhaps the most notable example of a cloned Primarch was after the Horus Heresy, where Fabius Bile again cloned a son of the Emperor, this time Horus from DNA provided by the Warmaster's corpse. Confused and senile, this clone of Horus didn't initially recognize many of his closest comrades such as Ezekyle Abaddon and proved a poor imitation of the real Lupercal. Abaddon killed the clone, and in its dying moments it recognized who the First Captain was. During the same period, Bile attempted to clone all twenty Primarch's from gathered samples, the result being a hall of pods with monstrosities and deformed adolescent creatures. All of these abominations were killed by Abaddon and his forces.[22]

Sometime after The Shattering, Bile discovered one of his clones of Fulgrim managed to survive underneath the rubble of Harmony. Under Bile's care the clone rapidly matured and was "pure", retaining none of Fulgrim's corruption. However when Bile saw that the clone still retained all of Fulgrim's arrogance and was doomed to go down the same path as the original, he traded him to Trazyn the Infinite in exchange for a lost Emperor's Children Gene-Seed stock.[39]

Canon Conflicts

Gregor Eisenhorn refers to the "Primarch" of the White Consuls Space Marine Chapter, when stating that he made it a point to commend a heroic Sergeant who saved his life, at the cost of the Sergeant's own, on Thracian Primaris. Since the White Consuls are a Successor Chapter, and because there are no living or active primarchs within the Imperium, he seems to be using the term "Primarch" interchangeably with that of Chapter Master.[5]

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Legiones Astartes Forces of the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy
Command PrimarchLegion MasterPraetorCenturionSpace Marine Command SquadChief ApothecaryForgemasterChief LibrarianHeraldDecurion
Elite Troops Veteran SquadTerminator SquadDestroyer SquadMoritatChampion ConsulHonour GuardNullificator
Troops Tactical SquadAssault SquadBreacher Siege SquadSeeker SquadOutrider SquadSky Seeker SquadHussar SquadTactical Support SquadReconnaissance SquadHeavy Support SquadSky Hunter SquadDespoiler SquadNewbloods
Specialists Techmarine (MortificatorForge Lord)Apothecary (Primus Medicae) • ChaplainLibrarian (Esoterist)Master of SignalsConsul (PraevianDelegatusWarmongerArmistosOpsequiariNullificator)VigilatorSiege BreakerPathfinder
Dreadnoughts ContemptorDeredeoCastaferrumVenerableMortisLeviathan
Armored Vehicles Rhino (Advancer) • Predator (ExecutionerInfernus) • Land Raider (PhobosProteusAchilles) • SabreKratosTermite
Heavy Vehicles SpartanKratosSicaran (VenatorPunisherArcusOmega) • Malcador (AnnihilatorDefenderInfernus) • CerberusTyphon
Super-Heavy Vehicles Fellblade (Glaive) • FalchionShadowswordStormbladeMastodonCapitol ImperialisLeviathan
Fast Attack Vehicles JetbikeBike (Attack Bike) • Land SpeederJavelin
Artillery BasiliskMedusaWhirlwind (ScorpiusHyperios) • Vindicator (Laser Destroyer) • Arquitor (GravitonSpiculaMorbus) • RapierHeavy Quad LauncherTarantula
Aircraft Drop Pod (Deathstorm) • Kharybdis Assault ClawDreadclawStormbirdThunderhawk (Thunderhawk Transporter) • Storm Eagle (Fire Raptor) • StormstrikePrimaris Lightning Strike FighterXiphon InterceptorCaestus Assault RamOrgus FlyerApisLotusWrathLightning CrowStormhawkCorsairDeathbirdSwordstrikeCastellanPythosHarbingerHawkwing
Legion-specific

I - Deathwing (Companions) • Dreadwing (InteremptorsNaufragia) • Firewing (Enigmatii) • Ironwing (Forge-wrightsExcindio Class Robot) • RavenwingStormwingPaladinKnights CenobiumIII - KakophoniPalatine BladesPhoenix GuardSun KillersIV - Iron CircleIron HavocStor-BezashkTyranthikosTyrant Siege TerminatorDodakathikThunderstrikeThunderburstWarsmithCastellan RhinoV - KeshigEbon KeshigGolden KeshigFalcon's ClawsKaraoghlanlarKyzaganSagyar MazanStormseerVI - Blood ClawsDeathswornFenrisian WolfGrey SlayerGrey StalkerBlood ClawBlack CullRune PriestWolf GuardWolf PriestHrimthursarEldthursarHunterVII - CastellanHuscarlsPhalanx WarderTemplar BrethrenVIII - AtramentarNight RaptorTerror SquadContekarReaverIX - Angel's TearsBurning EyesHigh HostContemptor-IncaendiusCrimson PaladinsDawnbreakerSanguinary GuardX - GorgonIron FatherMedusan ImmortalMorlocksXII - DevourerRampagerCaedereRed ButchersTriariiBloodiedRed HandXIII - EvocatiFulmentarusLocutarusInvictariiPraetorianNemesis DestroyersXIV - DeathshroudGrave WardensMortus PoisonersPlague MarinesXV - Ammitara OccultCastellax-AcheaHidden OnesKhenetai OccultOsironScarab OccultNumerologistsXVI - JustaerinLuperciReaverXVII - Anakatis KulAshen CircleDark ApostleDiabolistGal VorbakMhara GalVakrah JalProcuratorXVIII - Forge WardenFiredrakesPyre GuardPyroclastSanctifierXIX - Dark FuryDarkwingMor DeythanRaptorShadow WardensDeliverersWhispercutterXX - LernaeanHeadhunterOperativeSaboteur

Support Forces Imperial Army (Imperialis MilitiaSolar AuxiliaImperial Armada) • Mechanicum (Collegia TitanicaTaghmata OmnissiahSkitarii) • Sisters of SilenceCustodian Guard