Space Marine women?

[Silver]

and only about what's badass and awesome and cool, and what would make the 14-year old players cum in their pants just thinking about the game, I don't think we'll see any interesting portrayals of Space Marines, at least in another 5 years.

Google Image "Samus". I think that answers both questions.

Samus is not badass, really. And she's more about sex appeal, anyway, at least in later titles, in the early titles though, her gender was portrayed in the best manner, according to me, it didn't matter (apart from the ending). It just didn't matter, and given the level of technology she has access to, it shouldn't.

No, it's based on misogyny. As is the reasons behind why there are only male space marines. It's supported and defended by the lore, but that lore only exists because Games Workshop thought female space marines weren't as badass.

I'm afraid it's not. The XY gender has a greater fight/flight reaction, musculature around vital areas, less internal vital organs, shorter life span, better spatial awareness, greater average size, no downtime in race production; so is built for frontline troops. It's hampered by it's need to protect the XX gender, so it's mind is more focussed when not exposed to the XX pheromone.

The XX gene though is more resilient, lighter, greater at multi-tasking, faster ability to learn, capable of short bursts of immense destructive force and greater stamina, but equally hampered by the XY pheromone.

The thing needed though, would be research into the YY gender, to see if it is capable of surviving.

You can argue about the political and sociological issues as much as you wish, but biologically that's why any animal works like that. Frontline have to be XX, Specialists are often XY. If there is a glut in one gender, then they can be used as cannon fodder, but we're looking at the most biologically capable.

Dwarves or Elves differ of course, because genetically they're different, but I doubt a Harlequin still has their 'nads intact.

No, that's you defending the design decision. Yes, there are differences between the two genders, but they aren't that big. They are also growing smaller in time, and in the future, especially with genetic engineering running rampant they'd probably be even smaller, or at least irrelevant. In those armours you're not getting too much pheromones messing with people either.

I also think the topic is interesting enough to be expanded into other fiction as well, since well, there's not much to discuss about 40K. The lore has final words on the matter. They don't exist, end of topic. (Unless you like bitching about why the lore looks like it does, of course. )



Bear in mind, I'm not saying that WH40K should have female space marines, I couldn't care less, the Eldar and Tau are going to feed you all to the nids anyway.

 

[imperialwar]

Just thought I'd hold you up on somethign here. "All Mechanicus Adepts are male"? No, they're not. There have been several instances in which there are female mechanicus adepts, two of which appear in the Commisar Cain series of books, and one in Mechanicum, the latest Horus Heresy book.



I stand corrected on the Mechanius and freely admit having not read these materials.
Tried to quote you directly. However i havent figure out that feature yet.

I have it from a highly reliable source ( Gamesworkshop hobbiest forum: Westgamer ) that the process of Genetic manipulation on the side of Space Marines is highly reliant on Testosterone. So even if they were once women it wouldnt last very long into the process.

 

[Elurindel]

Seeing as the Space Marines are recruited only from those who are already extremely physically capable, female being accepted into the Space Marines is the approximate equivalent of females being accepted into the SAS or the US Airborne or Navy Seals- technically possible but practically incredibly unlikely.
Also, what's the deal with the genetic therapy and implants- it's based on the Primarchs, all of whom are male, so would it work properly on female recruits anyway?

Actually, it's like trying to join the SAS, with no legs. The Space Marines have a much tougher training regime than anything we have today.

Just thought I'd hold you up on somethign here. "All Mechanicus Adepts are male"? No, they're not. There have been several instances in which there are female mechanicus adepts, two of which appear in the Commisar Cain series of books, and one in Mechanicum, the latest Horus Heresy book.



I stand corrected on the Mechanius and freely admit having not read these materials.
Tried to quote you directly. However i havent figure out that feature yet.

I have it from a highly reliable source ( Gamesworkshop hobbiest forum: Westgamer ) that the process of Genetic manipulation on the side of Space Marines is highly reliant on Testosterone. So even if they were once women it wouldnt last very long into the process.

No worries. There's a little quote button next to every post which you can use, or you can go the long way and use HTML tags.
But yeah, most Space Marine organs work on a lot of testosterone, which doesn't surprise me, as there's a lot of muscle growth and such for a Space Marine to go through.

Now, a non-40k space-marine-style soldier, I have no problems with being female. Especially if it does something to reverse the stereotype that games are for guys.

 

[TylerC]

Why would you watch that, ever.

Halo has space marine type girls.

 

[Cheesebob]

All 40k races are scum, apart from Orks and Tyranids!

 

[Neosage]

All 40k races are scum, apart from Orks and Tyranids!

Those two races can't even think for themselves.

 

[Ultrajoe]

All 40k races are scum, apart from Orks and Tyranids!

Those two races can't even think for themselves.

Orks: The party race, their weapons work because they believe they will. Despite physical impossibility. They staple on augmetic limbs and they somehow manage to work as intended.

Tyranids: Think? Instinct is wiping out the entire galaxy, you can keep your thinking!

 

[Neosage]

All 40k races are scum, apart from Orks and Tyranids!

Those two races can't even think for themselves.

Orks: The party race, their weapons work because they believe they will. Despite physical impossibility. They staple on augmetic limbs and they somehow manage to work as intended.

Tyranids: Think? Instinct is wiping out the entire galaxy, you can keep your thinking!

Well it is true my main army in WHFB is orcs....heh BUT they haven't really got very far for 40,000 years and in this one they have no animosity! Anyway Tyranids Pfft. Do you know why the deathwing are painted white?

 

[NordicNinja]

And you still think it's 'undoubtedly based' on misogyny, over something like practicality?

You mean the game where the monogender race is still incredibly incredibly buff and manlike instead of what a real monogender race would probably look like, rather androgynous? The game that's primarily about a bunch of guys in armor shooting at each other, who are only guys for some contrived soft science excuse? That the only characters represented as having females that fight are the Eldar? A game that didn't have a mono-female army to match the multiple mono-male armies until 1997?

That game couldn't possibly be misogynistic or ignoring a female playerbase at all!

You mean the army that was designed to be the ultimate fighting force of humanity? Who -are- androgynous, but with ample amounts of testosterone and muscle added because they're 8 foot tall killing machines?

Just because something doesn't include boobs doesn't make it misogynistic. And yes, I do appreciate the irony of that statement, but it's still true.

I will readily agree that the Imperium of Man is -totally- misogynistic. But saying Games Workshop is/was? That's pushing it.

Besides, I don't hear any complaints about lack of female Orks - something which is also thoroughly explained in canon.

 

[NordicNinja]

Technically they're freaking fungus.

But that's the point. Space Marines aren't human either. They just look like they are.

 

[Neosage]

Well it is true my main army in WHFB is orcs....heh BUT they haven't really got very far for 40,000 years and in this one they have no animosity! Anyway Tyranids Pfft. Do you know why the deathwing are painted white?

So it does not show up the stains? ^_-

No my dear, it is because a lone sqaud of deathwing, thought they were going to die due to a genestealer invasion, they painted their armour white and managed to hold off the whole invasion.

 

[Kevvers]

There are no female space marines in WH40K because the Imperium in is a fascistic patriarchy. Lets face it, the space marines are like a cross between the Spartans and the Crusaders.

 

[NordicNinja]

Well it is true my main army in WHFB is orcs....heh BUT they haven't really got very far for 40,000 years and in this one they have no animosity! Anyway Tyranids Pfft. Do you know why the deathwing are painted white?

So it does not show up the stains? ^_-

No my dear, it is because a lone sqaud of deathwing, thought they were going to die due to a genestealer invasion, they painted their armour white and managed to hold off the whole invasion.

They got lucky. =þ

 

[Neosage]

There are no female space marines in WH40K because the Imperium in is a fascistic patriarchy. Lets face it, the space marines are like a cross between the Spartans and the Crusaders.

I think they are slightly more over zealous than the crusaders and mightier than the spartan.

 

[Fightbulb]

I didn't bother reading all 4 pages, but as a person who's been playing Warhammer for 14 years, I'm going to say that no, there are no female space marines. Sisters of Battle aren't female space marines. It doesn't make sense for female space marines to exist, because space marines are selected as children (spartan-wise), then trained and genetically/technologically modified to be as strong and durable as possible. The Imperium is too shortsighted/stubborn/locked in tradition (take your pick) to even consider training women to become space marines.

 

[Gitsnik]

Why does this keep cropping up on the escapist. Keep seeing female marine threads.

Head over to www.bolterandchainsword.com and learn all you need to know about marines (both male and their female counter-parts, the sisters of battle). There is errata all over the bell of lost souls, the warhammer wiki and the B&C itself.

/thread

(Please be advised that it is late, gits is rather grumpy, and he has been dealing with idiotic helldesk users all day)

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

I believe Aliens, the movie that inspired the modern space marine stereotype, had a couple lady space marines. I haven't seen it in a long time, so I don't remember them exactly.

Didn't the escapist have an article on this?

 

[Neosage]

No my dear, it is because a lone sqaud of deathwing, thought they were going to die due to a genestealer invasion, they painted their armour white and managed to hold off the whole invasion.

They got lucky. =þ

Wait, did you just say an invasion of Genestealers? Not Lictors or a Carnifex or any of the more deadly types. Just Genestealers as in the tyranid scouting force, close combat only, ususally half human, meat shield GENESTEALERS? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Yeah. Be proud of "fighting" off a force of the tyranids basic troopers when youre in full Terminator armour. Whats next? A special squad of IG who bested a horde of kittens.

Actually it was more like 5 terminators against a planetsworth of genestealers.

 

[Simriel]

Space marines CANT be female. The implants are designed for the male physiology

 

[Simriel]

No my dear, it is because a lone sqaud of deathwing, thought they were going to die due to a genestealer invasion, they painted their armour white and managed to hold off the whole invasion.

They got lucky. =þ

Wait, did you just say an invasion of Genestealers? Not Lictors or a Carnifex or any of the more deadly types. Just Genestealers as in the tyranid scouting force, close combat only, ususally half human, meat shield GENESTEALERS? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Yeah. Be proud of "fighting" off a force of the tyranids basic troopers when youre in full Terminator armour. Whats next? A special squad of IG who bested a horde of kittens.

Actually it was more like 5 terminators against a planetsworth of genestealers.

Genestealer cults can have hundreds of thousands of hybrids and thousands of purestrain stealers in them. Also one stealer can take out like 2 termies. And stealsers are never meat shield