Found among those taken by a Tyranid Hive Fleet, Calgar Marneus joined the Utramarines and quickly rose through the ranks to be what we know him as today.
Via our good friends at Lexicanum
As one might expect from an embodiment of the Ultramarines’ nobility, Calgar is immune to fear and is resolutely courageous under fire; where lesser men would dive for cover when being fired upon, Marneus Calgar takes quick stock of the situation, decides the best course of action, and only if he so decides to leap into cover, then he will do so.
During the Battle of Macragge against the Tyranids, Calgar stood his ground on Cold Steel Ridge against horde of xenos attackers. But the Tyranids were too many, and his body was rend and torn. Calgar faced down the Swarmlord, but due to his injuries was no match for the beast. Before he could be finished off, he was rescued by his fellow Ultramarines.
Within a vault inside the Fortress of Hera are records devoted to the achievements and deeds of notable Ultramarines; twenty-eight volumes are devoted to Marneus Calgar, twice the number devoted to that of any other living Ultramarine, and unsurpassed by any other in the Chapter’s history except Roboute Guilliman himself. These achievements include
- Leading the breaching assault on the Tyranid Hive Ship designated Behemoth Primus during the Battle of Macragge.
- Single-handedly holding the gate against an Ork Horde for a night and a day at the Siege of Zalathras.
- Defeating an Eldar Avatar in single-handed combat, thus leading to the rout of Eldar forces at the Battle for Orar’s Sepulchre.
- Recapturing the star fort Indomitable from the daemonic hordes of M’kar the Reborn.
- Claiming data-records from the world of Thrax as it was being overrun by Daemons.
- Slaying the Swarmlord during the Battle of Ichar IV.
- Surviving a Night Lords ambush and rallying the populous of the Feudal World of Barathred to defeat hundreds of the traitorous Chaos Space Marines.
Older sources state that Calgar was found amongst those taken by the Tyranid Hive Fleet Locust, at approximately age 14; and that he was then recruited into the Ultramarines as a neophyte in the armoury and rose quickly through the ranks to serve as Master of the Household before finally becoming the Lord of Macragge. This is contradicted in several later publications which state that Hive Fleet Behemoth was the first recorded conflict with the Tyranids and that Calgar was not only a member of the Ultramarines at that time, but already Chapter Master.
The same older publication states that, following a skirmish against the Hive Fleet Perseus in 976.M41, Calgar lost all four limbs as well as large areas of body tissue and his left eye and that he is now fitted with bionic replacements and is is more machine than man. All depictions (and models) of Calgar show him as having a bionic eye, but no mention of other injuries or bionic implants has made in further publications.
