Upon completion of his training, a Space Marine will be presented with a suit of power armour to wear into battle. It is a mighty honour to wear one of these incredible suits and one that only Humanity’s greatest warriors are deemed worthy of.
More than human
Every Space Marine aspirant must undergo a series of highly-invasive medical procedures, transforming them from humans into genetically-engineered warriors. They receive 19 new organs in total, ranging from the Betcher’s Gland that enables them to spit acid, to the Black Carapace – a subcutaneous membrane that links the Space Marine’s nervous system to the neural controls inside his power armour.
Space Marines are genetically-engineered super warriors. Technically human, they are virtually anything but, possessing two hearts, three lungs and towering muscular physiques that dwarf even the largest human. Unarmoured, a Space Marine is more than a match for most foes, able to shatter bones with his bare hands. Clad in a suit of power armour, he is a god of war that only the galaxy’s most terrible denizens would have a hope of defeating.A Space Marine’s power armour is made of thick plates of hardened ceramite, making it incredibly resilient to damage. Though heavy and cumbersome, the armour is connected to the battle-brother wearing it by a host of neural cables that plug into the Black Carapace implanted beneath his skin, replicating his movements across the suit. This gives the Space Marine an incredible range of movement and agility considering his massive size and bulk. The armour’s systems further enhance his killing potential by augmenting his strength, maintaining vital signs and further enhancing his already superhuman constitution. Power armour is far more than protection from enemy bullets, as you can see to the right…
Head-up displays inside the helmet include the Space Marine’s vital signs and those of his squad. They also link to the camera mounted above the barrel of the holy boltgun, ensuring unerring accuracy.
Auto-reactive shoulder pads. Shaped to deflect or absorb incoming fire, they also feature a Space Marine’s Chapter and squad insignia.
The helmet’s photolenses react to ambient light levels, protecting the wearer’s eyes from intense light levels. They also enable him to see in infrared and ultraviolet.
Vox unit and rebreather. Although a Space Marine can breathe toxic air using his multi-lung organ, his helmet is designed to filter out the worst pollutants before they get to the wearer. In old concept designs, the front of the helmet was designed to lift up like the visor of a medieval helmet, but the design never made it into miniature form.
The molecular bonding studs on this shoulder pad are a hang-over from the days of the Horus Heresy when armour was in short supply. They hold an extra layer of armour to the shoulder pad facing the enemy. The placement of the studs means that the Chapter symbol is moved to the opposite pauldron.
Mk. VI power armour featured dual technology circuits, one set inside the torso armour, the other mounted on the outside in armoured cabling. Nutrient dispensers, drug injectors and bodily waste filters are also housed inside the armour’s torso.
Purity seals are often inscribed with an oath of moment. They are affixed to the power armour with a wax seal by a Chapter serf before battle.
Backpack exhaust vents to prevent overheating.
Power armour requires a great deal of power and so houses a small nuclear reactor in its backpack, which can sustain the armour’s power levels indefinitely. Without it the neural fibres in the suit would fail, leaving the wearer encumbered by the weight of his armour.
Stabiliser jets for use in zero-gravity situations.
Electronic sealant strips and flexible joints ensure that power armour is fully enclosed for use in hazardous environments and even in the vacuum of space.
Some Chapters use specialised equipment such as the osmotic gill, which is used to filter oxygen from high-moisture environments.
Mk. VII and VIII power armour features a plastron that covers the power cables. It often features an aquila or a winged skull to show fealty to the Emperor.
Most components of power armour are compatible. This Space Marine wears a Mk. VII helm and a Mk. VI breastplate.
Most backpacks have a standard design, but some older marks still exist. This backpack from a Mk. VI suit features a bank of coolant coils across the hood.
Most tech-adepts are unwilling to modify a suit of power armour lest it upset the machine spirit, but some modifications are required, such as the reinforced greaves worn by Devastator Marines, which conceal banks of recoil suspensors.
In the background the Mk. IV helmet inspired the design of the Mk. VI helmet, but in real life it was the other way around!