Magnus the Red
From Warhammer 40k
One-eyed Primarch of the Thousand Sons Chaos Space Marine legion, Magnus the Red is one of the only surviving Primarchs, and is considered the equivalent of an extremely powerful daemon prince.
[edit] Early Life
Little is known of Magnus's early life, but it is known that he was discovered on the hive world of Prospero, where he led a small sorcery cult. The Primarch himself was massive with red skin and only born with one eye, all of which was part of his mutation. The Emperor dissolved the cult and made him the primarch of the Thousand Sons instead, but he reintroduced sorcery into his ranks quite often. He always used his magic to benefit the Imperium, which was the only thing that kept them from being dissolved, but the Legion was constantly in trouble.
[edit] Horus Heresy
While meditating on Prospero, Magnus foresaw Horus being corrupted by Chaos and the future events of the Horus Heresy, the betrayal of half the Space Marine Legions, and the sundering of the Imperium. The only fate the vision did not mention was Magnus's own. Burdened with the information by this precognitive vision, Magnus used the power of his Legion's greatest sorcerers to convey the news of the impending civil war to the Emperor himself via sorcery, rather than the unreliable means of Astrotelepathy.
Upon receiving the message, the Emperor was furious at Magnus's oath-breaking, particularly because the strong psychic message broke the seal on his webway project, an attempt to break into and use the Eldar webway that would render warp travel obsolete. The Emperor saw Magnus as the traitor, not his beloved Horus. Leman Russ, Primarch of the Space Wolves Legion, who had always been averse to witchcraft, was ordered swiftly to bring Magnus to Terra to account for his actions. During his voyage to Prospero, Leman Russ was ordered by Horus to destroy Magnus's Legion rather than simply bring them to account. Accompanying the Space Wolves were with a full contingent of Adeptus Custodes, and the elite anti-psyker (pariah gene-bearing) units, the Sisters of Silence.
The assault of Prospero took the Thousand Sons by total surprise. Raining death from orbit the Space Wolves destroyed the capital city, along with its libraries and all the hard-won knowledge sending Magnus into a deep melancholy. Upon landing on the planet the Space Wolves were met with fierce resistance but their ferocious attacks were slowly pushing the Thousand Sons back. Magnus then took to the battlefield and broke the assault with his great psychic powers, his gaze was said to turn even the staunchest Long Fangs to stone. Leman Russ moved to meet the Thousand Sons Primarch in melee combat. It was a battle of titanic proportion in which Magnus used his sorcerous powers to increase his already large size. At the climax of the battle, Magnus shattered Russ's breastplate with a mighty punch, puncturing one of the Primarch's hearts. As the giant was drawing his fist back for another strike, Leman clung onto his arm and when he was close enough, he kicked Magnus in his single eye. With Magnus blinded, Russ seized his opportunity to lift Magnus into the air and broke Magnus's back. In his moment of greatest need, Tzeentch came to Magnus and offered to save everything if he offered his fealty. To save himself, his Legion, his world, and all the knowledge he had accumulated, Magnus pledged himself to the Chaos God of Magic. His new patron's response was immediate. The City of Light was transported into the Eye of Terror. While Prospero was destroyed that day, Magnus and his Legion survived. By the time the Thousand Sons were seen next, they had joined up with Horus on his way to Terra, and Magnus had become the most powerful of all Tzeentch's daemonic servants.
After the Emperor defeated Horus, the Thousand Sons claimed a planet for themselves within the Eye of Terror. Now, Magnus's ever-changing form resides on the Planet of Sorcerers. Here, Magnus stands atop his tallest of towers, The Tower Of The Cyclops, and its vast sorcerous eye surveys the entire planet.
