Having served the Astartes for 10,000 years, the Mark VII Aquila Power Armor has seen the greatest and the worst of the Imperium of Man.
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Power Armor is worn primarily by the Space Marines, Sisters of Battle, Adeptus Custodes and the Chaos Space Marines. It is a completely enclosed suit of armor, made of thick ceramite plates. The armor would be heavy and cumbersome to wear but for the electrically motivated fiber bundles within the armor that replicate the wearer’s movement and enhance his/her strength. Power armor is fully sealed, isolating the wearer from the outside environment and protecting him from gas weapons and harsh atmospheres. It also commonly includes numerous auxiliary systems such as communicators and auto-senses.
The backpack contains the main power plant, environmental system and additional stabilizers. Whilst power armor is most commonly associated with the Adeptus Astartes, the Sisters of Battle and many Inquisitors also use powered armour of one sort or another.
![Mark VII armour, also known as the “Aquila,” “Imperator” or “Eagle” armour, was developed during the Horus Heresy, and remains in use as the most common form of power armour ten thousand years later. It represents the final major development of Mark 6 armour.[1] While the final battle for Mars was underway, the Imperium realised the planet would eventually be lost. Armour development teams were transferred to Earth to continue, incorporating their latest work into the armour type that would become Mark 7. As Mars fell to Horus, the new armour began reaching the Space Marines on Terra and Luna.[1] Mark 7's main improvement is the newly designed chest plastron which covers the chest and arm cabling. The chest bears the Imperial Eagle, giving the armour its common name of Armorum Imperator, or Eagle Armour. This mark abandons the studded shoulder armour plate, and replaces the helmet. As Mark 7 is a development of Mark 6, both have a great deal in common, and parts from one mark are readily interchangeable with parts from the other,[1] like the helmet.[8]](https://spcdn.shortpixel.ai/spio/ret_img,q_orig,to_webp,s_webp/spikeybits.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Mark_VII_Power_Armour-3.jpg)
Typically however these armours may not contain the same strength-enhancing properties or life-support functions of Space Marine power armor, nor do they provide the same amount of protection. All armor may further be augmented by various artifacts, relics and enhancements such as pauldrons and greaves.
Power armor has been in use since before the Age of the Imperium, from the techno-barbarians of Earth to the original Space Marines created by the Emperor. Over the history of the Imperium, power armor has developed into many different forms. Need, circumstances and recovery of new materials and technology has shaped the armor’s evolution.
Mark VII armor, also known as the “Aquila,” “Imperator” or “Eagle” armor, was developed during the Horus Heresy, and remains in use as the most common form of power armour ten thousand years later. It represents the final major development of Mark 6 armor. While the final battle for Mars was underway, the Imperium realized the planet would eventually be lost. Armour development teams were transferred to Earth to continue, incorporating their latest work into the armor type that would become Mark 7. As Mars fell to Horus, the new armor began reaching the Space Marines on Terra and Luna.
Mark 7’s main improvement is the newly designed chest plastron which covers the chest and arm cabling. The chest bears the Imperial Eagle, giving the armor its common name of Armorum Imperator, or Eagle Armour. This mark abandons the studded shoulder armor plate, and replaces the helmet. As Mark 7 is a development of Mark 6, both have a great deal in common, and parts from one mark are readily interchangeable with parts from the other, like the helmet.
