ABADDON THE DESPOILER

In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000, 'Abaddon the Despoiler' is the Warmaster of Chaos, captain of the Black Legion and is rumoured to be the clone-progeny of Warmaster Horus - and at one time, his most favoured son.

Contents

History

The Great Crusade

The Horus Heresy

After the Heresy

Characterization

Weapons and Abilities

Notes and References

External links

History

The Great Crusade

During the Great Crusade, Ezekyle Abaddon was the Captain of the First Company of the Luna Wolves. He and Tarik Torgaddon, Captain of the Second Company, were members of an informal council known as the Mournival - four captains who served as advisors to Horus. After the Battle for Sixty-Three Nineteen, in which Tenth Company Captain Garviel Loken managed to reach the impostor Emperor ahead of him, Abaddon recommended Loken's elevation into the Mournival to replace 4th Company Captain Hastur Sejanus, who was killed shortly before the battle. He is also a member of the warrior lodge, the "quiet order" within the Luna Wolves, inspired by similar lodges on the world of Davin - which they had brought to compliance many years earlier.
In the first book, ''Horus Rising'', Abaddon notably stands against Horus's attempt to negotiate with a stray branch of humanity known as the interex, preferring to adhere to the Emperor's policy. This attitude is reversed in the second book, ''False Gods''. After Horus is critically injured upon their return to Davin, Abaddon along with other members of the warrior lodge take the Primarch to a mystic healer, an act in contradiction with Imperial doctrine (which is depicted as stringently anti-superstition). By the novel's conclusion, Abaddon is firmly aligned with Horus against the Emperor.
In the third novel, Galaxy In Flames, Abaddon's most significant action is to seemingly kill Garviel Loken during the Istvaan III incident.

The Horus Heresy

Abaddon led a squad of terminator armoured Sons of Horus Space Marines called "the Justaerin" at Istvaan V, Yarant and the Siege of Terra. After Horus's defeat, Abaddon took the lightning claw ("Talon of Horus") from his corpse and retreated to the Eye of Terror.

After the Heresy

After reuniting the Sons of Horus and destroying Horus's corpse, Abaddon renamed them The Black Legion. In total, the character has been responsible for 13 Black Crusades against the Imperium. During a conflict known as the Gothic War, early in the 41st millennium, Abaddon acquired the use of a battleship named the ''Planet Killer'', capable of destroying entire planets, as well as control of the Blackstone Fortresses.

Characterization

Previous to the Heresy, Abaddon is frequently depicted as looking up to Horus as a leader and a father figure, above the Emperor of Mankind. As a loyal captain of the Luna Wolf legion, Abaddon is described as proud, irascible and someone that would inspire men to "cry out for Abaddon's return" if he were to die, though the character becomes inexplicably darker and quicker to anger by the time of False Gods, the second book in the ''Horus Heresy'' series. Abaddon is also written as prone to panic and desperation when Horus' life is in danger and quick to cast blame on other characters (such as The Emperor and apothecary Vaddon).
Initially displaying examples of dogmatic devotion towards Imperial doctrine in ''Horus Rising'' and distrust of anything inhuman, Abaddon follows Horus unquestioningly after his recovery. Abaddon comes to believe that the Horus Heresy is the best for the Great Crusade and adopts the theory that winning and victory are the only things that matter.^[1]
Physically, he is a towering marine, with a crested top-knot atop his shaved head and the straight nose and wide spaced eyes reminiscent of the Warmaster, though not enough to truly resemble the Primarch.
After the Heresy, Abaddon's view of Horus is one of disdain. Abaddon has effectively stepped out of Horus' shadow, exemplified with the well known quote: ''"Horus was weak. Horus was a fool. He had the whole galaxy within his grasp and he let it slip away."'' He also displays a psychotic contempt for human life and is willing to inflict an endless stream of atrocities upon other human beings (codex Chaos 3rd edition page 9). Through martial skill and might, Abaddon has won the respect of the other traitor legions and is shown to be an inspiration to the Chaos Space Marines.

Weapons and Abilities

The character of Abaddon is written as a powerful warrior of immense strength and skill. He is armed with the daemon sword ''Drach'nyen'', with the ability to flay the souls from those it strikes. Drach'nyen is powerful enough to destroy Space Marine Land Raider heavy tanks with a single touch. In his right hand he carries the Talon of Horus, a unique lightning claw fitted with a combi bolter taken from the corpse of Warmaster Horus himself. Abaddon also possesses the Mark of Chaos Ascendant, which bestows all the benefits of every single mark of Chaos^[2].
In the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop wargame, his Terminator Armour's "Crux Terminatus" invulnerable save is greatly improved by the mark of Tzeentch. He is also described as a demagogue, able to sway followers to his cause against the Imperium.

Notes and References

1. Galaxy In Flames, , Ben, Counter, Games Workshop, 2006, ISBN 1-84416-393-8
2. Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Chaos Space Marines, , Andy, Chambers, Games Workshop, 2002, ISBN 1-84154-322-5


★ Horus Rising, , Dan, Abnett, Black Library, 2006, ISBN 1-84416-294-X

★ False Gods, , Graham, McNeill, Black Library, 2006, ISBN 1-84416-370-9

★ Galaxy in Flames, , Ben, Counter, Games Workshop, 2006, ISBN 1-84416-393-8

★ Execution Hour, , , Rennie, Black Library, 2001, ISBN 1-84154-142-7

External links

★ http://uk.games-workshop.com/chaosspacemarines/abaddon/1/ Abaddon the Despoiler at Games Workshop