Fictional Origins
In the distant future, the Emperor of Mankind creates twenty Primarchs, genetically engineered superhumans possessing immense physical and psychic power. Each Primarch's genome serves as a template for a Legion of Space Marines.
During the late 30th millennium AD, the Emperor undertakes the Great Crusade and uses the Space Marine Legions to reconquer the human-inhabited worlds of the galaxy, uniting them into the Imperium of Man. As the campaign draws to a close, a number of Primarchs and their Legions convert to the worship of the Chaos Gods and rebel against the Emperor. The rebels are ultimately defeated and banished, though they continue to harass the Imperium as Chaos Space Marines. The Emperor is critically wounded in battle and placed on permanent life-support. The Legions of Space Marines who remain loyal to him are restructured into smaller units, called Chapters, so as to make a future mass rebellion unlikely.
Read more about this topic: Space Marines (Warhammer 40,000)
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