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The motivation is to fight for the survival of humanity, and the culture is set up to espouse the virtue of sacrifice for the god emperor. In-universe its clear why lots of people would wish to join.

I wouldn't want to join now, because I'm old enough to understand how sad a life as a glorified weapon is.

But if you would have asked 10 year old me if I wanted to become a super soldier, go into space and beat up bad guys? I might have said yes... Is that creepy or what?

That's the thing I find most disturbing about space marines, really: they're basically very sophisticated child soldiers.

 Tiennos wrote:
I wouldn't want to join now, because I'm old enough to understand how sad a life as a glorified weapon is.

But if you would have asked 10 year old me if I wanted to become a super soldier, go into space and beat up bad guys? I might have said yes... Is that creepy or what?

That's the thing I find most disturbing about space marines, really: they're basically very sophisticated child soldiers.

I remember (vaguely) the scene in False Gods, I think, when Torgaddon and Loken are walking through the Vengeful Spirit and Torgaddon begins to whistle, while he or Loken starts to jump to touch the overhanging parts of the ceiling, at first it took me aback how child-like it was, but now I think about it, it really fit.

They wouldn't accept me. I don't have a penis. Penis-having is a very important thing for space marines. More important than skill or ability, in fact, penis-having is the first thing they look for in an applicant.

 Melissia wrote:
They wouldn't accept me. I don't have a penis. Penis-having is a very important thing for space marines. More important than skill or ability, in fact, penis-having is the first thing they look for in an applicant.

The fact that 90% of men can't join aswell escaped you? on screening most people are rejected, its only the strongest of the strong. Not to mention the Emperor just didn't make a female primarch for whatever reason and even the male ones were flawed. I don't think the Emperor would have excluded half of humanity because he wanted a boys only club.

Its not like women don't have the Adeptus Sororitas who are a elite unit that didn't lose their humanity.Men can't join that them and isn't not like they are a far cry for space marines. In fact the Adeptus Sororitas for unaugmented humans are some of the best geared troops in the Imperium if not the best. There is also the Callidus assassin temple who recruit almost exclusively female agents.

Truth is if you want equality the imperial guard offer that from the top jobs to the lowest...gender isn't whats important. (Pity there isn't more female models though!)

Didn't Malcador suggest female primarchs and the Emperor thought he was joking?

 Melissia wrote:
They wouldn't accept me. I don't have a penis. Penis-having is a very important thing for space marines. More important than skill or ability, in fact, penis-having is the first thing they look for in an applicant.

This is a very funny post.

Rebel4ever85 wrote:

 Melissia wrote:
They wouldn't accept me. I don't have a penis. Penis-having is a very important thing for space marines. More important than skill or ability, in fact, penis-having is the first thing they look for in an applicant.

The fact that 90% of men can't join aswell escaped you? on screening most people are rejected, its only the strongest of the strong. Not to mention the Emperor just didn't make a female primarch for whatever reason and even the male ones were flawed. I don't think the Emperor would have excluded half of humanity because he wanted a boys only club.

Its not like women don't have the Adeptus Sororitas who are a elite unit that didn't lose their humanity.Men can't join that them and isn't not like they are a far cry for space marines. In fact the Adeptus Sororitas for unaugmented humans are some of the best geared troops in the Imperium if not the best. There is also the Callidus assassin temple who recruit almost exclusively female agents.

Truth is if you want equality the imperial guard offer that from the top jobs to the lowest...gender isn't whats important. (Pity there isn't more female models though!)

This is a sad post.

 Melissia wrote:
They wouldn't accept me. I don't have a penis. Penis-having is a very important thing for space marines. More important than skill or ability, in fact, penis-having is the first thing they look for in an applicant.

Said like that it sounds extremely stupid, but it's absolutely accurate.

we have no idea WHY they only take male applicants. it could simply be tradtion. it could be a desire to ensure some of your good genetic stock remains in the community., it could be geneseed for some reason requires a male host. we really have no iudea, and I bet in 40k none of the marine chapters do eaither.

They only take male applicants because they have to be male for gene seed to work because they were made from the genetics of the Primarchs who were all males. The Emperor in his infinite wisdom didn't seem to consider that female warriors were worth making as he thought Malcador was joking when he suggested female Primarchs.

pm713 wrote:
They only take male applicants because they have to be male for gene seed to work because they were made from the genetics of the Primarchs who were all males. The Emperor in his infinite wisdom didn't seem to consider that female warriors were worth making as he thought Malcador was joking when he suggested female Primarchs.

The Primarchs were not something the Emperor just put together like a jigsaw. The Emperor couldn't even do it himself he had to make some sort of deal with the gods of chaos to get the knowledge to make the primarchs. So it was extremely complex and if you throw another gender into the equation if becomes more complex.

Probably the biggest reason is the most obvious, they were to be the best humanity physically had to offer. The strongest men are stronger than the strongest women. So why would he dilute his super elite? considering how difficult it would likely have been to adapt the technology to another gender it simply wasn't worth it.

Rebel4ever85 wrote:
[snip]

The question of the thread is "Would you join the Astartes?". I gave my answer which was both 100% accurate and also, IMO, quite humorous. I can't join the Astartes because I don't have a penis, no matter my other qualities-- even if I were more physically fit, a better fighter, etc than everyone in this thread, it wouldn't matter because I don't have a penis, and therefor I cannot join. This is long-established 40k lore. If you don't like it, go ask GW to change the lore. Because no matter how much you whine about how I phrased my joke? The joke is entirely factually correct. And your tone-trolling will never change that.

For extra fun, next we can talk about how Space Marines reproduce by taking young boys and planting their (gene)seed in them.

I always enjoy when people will defend to the death that punching a tank with an electric glove makes total sense, but a woman wearing armor made by a space wizard is just impossible because reasons.

 Melissia wrote:
For extra fun, next we can talk about how Space Marines reproduce by taking young boys and planting their (gene)seed in them.

"No disturbing overtones there" murmured a writer in Nottingham.

 Melissia wrote:
For extra fun, next we can talk about how Space Marines reproduce by taking young boys and planting their (gene)seed in them.

I mean, considering how Space Marine live and the culture of most Chapters, there might be some of "planting of geneseed" here and there despite chemical castration being in the process.

100% I would join. Pretty sure the Astartes have a lot more fun and job satisfaction in their own way than pretty much any civilian job.

Rebel4ever85 wrote:


The Primarchs were not something the Emperor just put together like a jigsaw. The Emperor couldn't even do it himself he had to make some sort of deal with the gods of chaos to get the knowledge to make the primarchs. So it was extremely complex and if you throw another gender into the equation if becomes more complex.

The Primarchs are artificial recreations of Perpetuals . made by the Emperor, they also have a female genetic "mother" as well -- who is also a perpetual.

Although TBF there's so much other genetic tampering -- "wolf" DNA, wings etc etc that any claim of direct genetic lineage is going to be a bit wobbly.

Probably the biggest reason is the most obvious, they were to be the best humanity physically had to offer. The strongest men are stronger than the strongest women. So why would he dilute his super elite? considering how difficult it would likely have been to adapt the technology to another gender it simply wasn't worth it.

It's because the first range of models were male, this was then developed into the warrior monk background and it wasn't really practical to rewrite it all even when the mini producing technology eventually got better.

The Primarchs are artificial recreations of Perpetuals . made by the Emperor, they also have a female genetic "mother" as well -- who is also a perpetual.

Although TBF there's so much other genetic tampering -- "wolf" DNA, wings etc etc that any claim of direct genetic lineage is going to be a bit wobbly.

There was no woman involved. The Emperor got the knowledge from the chaos gods.

The means by which the Emperor crafted 20 individual superhuman genomes using His own arcane Perpetual genetic code as the base without resorting to the use of cloning is unknown to present Imperial science.

https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/Primarch


The Emperor was more than a Perpetual as John Grammaticus and Vulkan are Perpetual and nowhere near the Emperor in power, though he is described at times as a perpetual so your not wrong but he is a very special case.

nope.


See below -- very spoilery though !

Rebel4ever85 wrote:

pm713 wrote:
They only take male applicants because they have to be male for gene seed to work because they were made from the genetics of the Primarchs who were all males. The Emperor in his infinite wisdom didn't seem to consider that female warriors were worth making as he thought Malcador was joking when he suggested female Primarchs.

The Primarchs were not something the Emperor just put together like a jigsaw. The Emperor couldn't even do it himself he had to make some sort of deal with the gods of chaos to get the knowledge to make the primarchs. So it was extremely complex and if you throw another gender into the equation if becomes more complex.

Probably the biggest reason is the most obvious, they were to be the best humanity physically had to offer. The strongest men are stronger than the strongest women. So why would he dilute his super elite? considering how difficult it would likely have been to adapt the technology to another gender it simply wasn't worth it.

I assume the help from Chaos was to stick warpness in them not the genetics.

You can't argue that using women would be too hard when you put wings, wolf DNA, psychic powers and things like inherently making people want to follow you into them.

I don't think it's likely a significant difference would come of female demigod vs a male demigod and being male doesn't guarantee results either. Just look at Lorgar.

I assume the help from Chaos was to stick warpness in them not the genetics.

You can't argue that using women would be too hard when you put wings, wolf DNA, psychic powers and things like inherently making people want to follow you into them.

I don't think it's likely a significant difference would come of female demigod vs a male demigod and being male doesn't guarantee results either. Just look at Lorgar.

It was for knowledge to create the Primach's...if that was "warpness" we don't really know.

Wings were not planned so far as we know. No gene seed made by the emperor with wolf DNA. Wolf priests of Fenris were responsible for that. Most of the gene seeds are flawed. There are many flaws but from the top of my head....

Blood angels have the Red Thirst and the Black Rage.

Space wolves suffer from mutation due to incompatibility on the with the gene seed and the canix helix.

Ravenguard have a geneseed degradation causing some implants to fail and changes their skin and eyes.

Thousand sons suffered from mutations. Magus got this under control for a time.

Imperial Fists suffer from "Dorns Darkness

World Eaters - Corrupted geneseed and make them blood thirsty maniacs

I believe only 3 or 4 primarchs had a pure geneseed and one of those was Horus.

 Insectum7 wrote:

 Melissia wrote:
They wouldn't accept me. I don't have a penis. Penis-having is a very important thing for space marines. More important than skill or ability, in fact, penis-having is the first thing they look for in an applicant.

This is a sad post

Rebel4ever85 wrote:

 Melissia wrote:
They wouldn't accept me. I don't have a penis. Penis-having is a very important thing for space marines. More important than skill or ability, in fact, penis-having is the first thing they look for in an applicant.

The fact that 90% of men can't join aswell escaped you? on screening most people are rejected, its only the strongest of the strong. Not to mention the Emperor just didn't make a female primarch for whatever reason and even the male ones were flawed. I don't think the Emperor would have excluded half of humanity because he wanted a boys only club.

Its not like women don't have the Adeptus Sororitas who are a elite unit that didn't lose their humanity.Men can't join that them and isn't not like they are a far cry for space marines. In fact the Adeptus Sororitas for unaugmented humans are some of the best geared troops in the Imperium if not the best. There is also the Callidus assassin temple who recruit almost exclusively female agents.

Truth is if you want equality the imperial guard offer that from the top jobs to the lowest...gender isn't whats important. (Pity there isn't more female models though!)

this is a true post

Fixed that for you


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 reds8n wrote:
nope.


See below -- very spoilery though !

I bloody knew it, the chaos Gods did not scatter the primarchs it was always to convenient and didnt make sense, this combined with what magnus said makes sense finally, the Big E knew Astarte would scatter them and allowed it, planning on them landing on pre determined worlds, chaos mucked with that order and yet again his arrogance cost him.

 Melissia wrote:
They wouldn't accept me. I don't have a penis. Penis-having is a very important thing for space marines. More important than skill or ability, in fact, penis-having is the first thing they look for in an applicant.

Very good!

 Adrassil wrote:
I think for people to willingly join the Astartes you'd need a good amount of ignorance of the danger (which we don't have) and/or propaganda/brainwashing to see it as an 'honour' etc. Maybe if we were generations after being taken into the Imperium of Mankind, we'd be more likely to. I dunno, there's a good reason why Space Marine chapter recruit mostly from death worlds/feudal worlds as we in our 1st world luxuries wouldn't have the hard life to strengthen us not just to survive the transition but even to survive the brutal trials of initiation. Maybe if they took children from Syria or something, I dunno lol

I mean this is key. Would I, 21st century American, join the Astartes? LMAO nooooo. Already not interested in extending or repeating my military experiences. Why make it worse by becoming a brainwashed killing machine. Psycho indoctrination does not sound like a good time.

As a citizen of the imperium raised in a warrior culture to view the space marines as angels of death? Hell yeah I would take the chance to become one of the finest servants of my God-emperor. It’s not a question of whether I would become an astartes because that’s not something compatible with the society that shaped my intellectual development a version of me 38k years down the road would have a totally different approach. From my current perspective, the best gig in 40k is to be born on an agri-world in the worlds of Ultramar or a scholar somewhere far away from the fronts.

Rebel4ever85 wrote:

I assume the help from Chaos was to stick warpness in them not the genetics.

You can't argue that using women would be too hard when you put wings, wolf DNA, psychic powers and things like inherently making people want to follow you into them.

I don't think it's likely a significant difference would come of female demigod vs a male demigod and being male doesn't guarantee results either. Just look at Lorgar.

It was for knowledge to create the Primach's...if that was "warpness" we don't really know.

Wings were not planned so far as we know. No gene seed made by the emperor with wolf DNA. Wolf priests of Fenris were responsible for that. Most of the gene seeds are flawed. There are many flaws but from the top of my head....

Blood angels have the Red Thirst and the Black Rage.

Space wolves suffer from mutation due to incompatibility on the with the gene seed and the canix helix.

Ravenguard have a geneseed degradation causing some implants to fail and changes their skin and eyes.

Thousand sons suffered from mutations. Magus got this under control for a time.

Imperial Fists suffer from "Dorns Darkness

World Eaters - Corrupted geneseed and make them blood thirsty maniacs

I believe only 3 or 4 primarchs had a pure geneseed and one of those was Horus.

The wolf DNA is in Leman Russ, it's 100% from the Emperor.
The space wolves don't have incompatibility issues with anything, they're meant to have the canis helix it's not some addon that got tossed in by a bored priest.

The only time the World Eaters became maniacs I'm aware of is after the Nails went in.

 Formosa wrote:

 Insectum7 wrote:

 Melissia wrote:
They wouldn't accept me. I don't have a penis. Penis-having is a very important thing for space marines. More important than skill or ability, in fact, penis-having is the first thing they look for in an applicant.

This is a very funny sad post

Rebel4ever85 wrote:

 Melissia wrote:
They wouldn't accept me. I don't have a penis. Penis-having is a very important thing for space marines. More important than skill or ability, in fact, penis-having is the first thing they look for in an applicant.

The fact that 90% of men can't join aswell escaped you? on screening most people are rejected, its only the strongest of the strong. Not to mention the Emperor just didn't make a female primarch for whatever reason and even the male ones were flawed. I don't think the Emperor would have excluded half of humanity because he wanted a boys only club.

Its not like women don't have the Adeptus Sororitas who are a elite unit that didn't lose their humanity.Men can't join that them and isn't not like they are a far cry for space marines. In fact the Adeptus Sororitas for unaugmented humans are some of the best geared troops in the Imperium if not the best. There is also the Callidus assassin temple who recruit almost exclusively female agents.

Truth is if you want equality the imperial guard offer that from the top jobs to the lowest...gender isn't whats important. (Pity there isn't more female models though!)

this is a sad true post

Fixed that for you

Those that say feminists have no sense of humor haven't met the no-jokes-about-all-male-space-marines crowd I guess.

 reds8n wrote:
nope.


See below -- very spoilery though !

What book is this from?

 Formosa wrote:
[snip]

I see yet another has had their sense of humor surgically removed from their brains

Look, I tried to join the Space Marines, but then they were like "we need to see your penis before we can let you join". It's just the truth. And I'm like "well what if I don't have one" and they looked at me blankly and said "why wouldn't you have one? are you some kind of mutant?" And, not wanting to cause an issue, I quickly said "well, maybe it got blown off in the war?" And then they conversed upon themselves, and thought very hard about it. "Sorry, we thank you for your service of course, and we hope the bleeding cavity heals some day, but you still MUST have a penis to become part of our sacred club."

 draugadan wrote:

 reds8n wrote:
nope.


See below -- very spoilery though !

What book is this from?

Saturnine, latest siege of Terra book.

Removed

 reds8n wrote:

 draugadan wrote:
What book is this from?

Saturnine, latest siege of Terra book.

To me the Perpetual stuff is... weird, to say the least. A lot of strange retcons that didn't need to happen. But I think I'm getting off topic, here.

 Melissia wrote:

 Formosa wrote:
[snip]

I see yet another has had their sense of humor surgically removed from their brains

Look, I tried to join the Space Marines, but then they were like "we need to see your penis before we can let you join". It's just the truth. And I'm like "well what if I don't have one" and they looked at me blankly and said "why wouldn't you have one? are you some kind of mutant?" And, not wanting to cause an issue, I quickly said "well, maybe it got blown off in the war?" And then they conversed upon themselves, and thought very hard about it. "Sorry, we thank you for your service of course, and we hope the bleeding cavity heals some day, but you still MUST have a penis to become part of our sacred club."

Can confirm, my wife has a similar story