Space Marine 2 currently delights hundreds of thousands of players who are diving into the dystopian world of Warhammer 40,000 and slicing through bug aliens. Those playing co-op can even create their own Space Marine – but cannot choose the gender. Why? MeinMMO explains.
What are Space Marines? Space Marines are genetically modified super soldiers who have additional organs, are significantly larger, faster, and stronger than ordinary humans. They wear armor and wield weapons that even a bodybuilder would struggle to lift, and they can even survive headshots.
If you’re playing Space Marine 2, you will notice: Every single Space Marine is a man. From the soldier to the chapter master, there are no exceptions.
If the Emperor is already breeding his own superhumans, why not women? The answer is: He has. There is just no evidence for it in the lore.
Women were not financially viable
Games Workshop, the company behind Warhammer, officially showed something like female Space Marines in 1988. The expert site Bell Of Lost Souls unearthed an old issue of the magazine “White Dwarf” and discovered images of female warriors in the power armor of the Space Marines.
According to Alan Merrett, a former head of the Warhammer IP, Games Workshop ceased producing female figures for logistical reasons. No one bought these models. And because the distribution was stuck with the female Space Marines, the retailers demanded that they be removed from the catalog. This is exactly what happened. Any Background Fluff
was created just to justify this economic decision.
The 90s were a different time with a different spirit and consumption behavior. Meanwhile, the social status of women and the image of female soldiers have changed enormously, and fighting women are also frequently represented in video games and other media.
According to the story of Warhammer, there has never explicitly been no women among the Space Marines, as far as we know. The possibility remains open, but exactly this discussion has already caused trouble with the Custodes
– who are basically Space Marines but even more extreme.
Accordingly, there is no official lore answer, only an economic decision. Nevertheless, we try to explain a bit why no female Space Marines are known. Keep in mind that Games Workshop often neither confirms nor denies information.
The gene seed is responsible for Space Marines being men
For years, there have been discussions in the community about whether there are officially female Space Marines and if not, why not. After all, the process of creating a Space Marine is actually independent of gender:
- In slaves, the necessary organs and genetic information that Space Marines need are grown.
- Soldiers, usually men, are then implanted with a “gene seed” that starts to mutate the human body.
- In this process, the entire body and almost every single organ of the Space Marine is altered, and new organs like additional lungs and hearts are sometimes added.
In theory, this would also work with women. However, the important point here is the gene seed. This provides the Space Marine’s body with the information it needs to change in the correct way.
Gene seeds are, roughly explained, the DNA of a Primarch, i.e., one of the original “super Space Marines” created by the Emperor. However, they were all men, which raises the assumption that the gene seed only produces the correct results when applied to other men.
More on the subject of gene seed and the Primarchs can be found in our special on the Ultramarines, without whom there would be no Space Marines.
Space Marines are not allowed to reproduce
During our research, we came across some interesting theories from the community. A user on Reddit explains: Space Marines need some sort of natural limitation when it comes to reproduction.
At the moment, new Space Marines can only be created through the gene seed, which is why it is essential to rescue the bodies of fallen brothers. If there were female Space Marines, there could also be ways for Space Marines to reproduce in other ways.
Since they are a different but significantly stronger species than humans due to their transformation, they would simply displace humans due to their superiority. Therefore, it is necessary that there at least be no possibility for Space Marines to reproduce.
By the way: Essentially, all Space Marines are actually genderless. Sexuality is no longer relevant for these superhumans, so while the body still appears male, no actual gender can really be established.
In theory, however, it would be possible for there to be a scientific breakthrough in the gene labs, resulting in female Primaris being created. At least there are no official lore reasons against it.
The power women of Warhammer 40,000: The Adepta Sororitas
For anyone interested in fighting women in Warhammer 40,000, there is an equal alternative. The warrior-priestesses of the Adepta Sororitas are the fighting arm of the ecclesiarchy (also known as Sisters of Battle
).
These all-female fighters are not genetically modified but use almost the same weapons and armor as Space Marines. The reason for their strength lies supposedly in their strong belief in the Emperor, whom they collectively recognize as their father.
How much of this is true and how much is fan head-canon or claims from characters within the world is hard to say. Allegedly, the power of belief in the Sororitas is so strong that they can become something like living gods (“Living Saints”).
What is certain is that the Adepta Sororitas are structured similarly to Space Marines. They form into orders and follow a strict code. They even impose harsher punishments on their sisters when a Sororita has sinned. Anyone wanting to learn more should look into the Sisters Repentia or the Penitent Engine.
By the way, in the title image, you see Sister Argenta, a Sororita from the Order of the Holy Martyr (Our Martyred Lady
) from the role-playing game Rogue Trader. Her armor is an example of the different colors among the Sisters of Battle – just like with Space Marines.
In any case, Warhammer 40,000 offers much more than just pumped-up male super soldiers. There is a wealth to discover among the “normal” humans, but also among the Xenos – and there’s even a game about it: The role-playing game of Warhammer 40k on Steam gives me as a fan exactly what I’m missing in Space Marine 2
