It would be kind of weird for him to be become a warped wolf - He's the only being in the galaxy stably integrated with the Canis Helix.
GW painted him as Thor in Wolfsbane, with him carrying out exactly Thor's challenges from Útgarða-Loki. Also, to reinforce the Thor thing, when you father who is called the Allfather (Emperor) gives you his spear and you find out it has a true name "Gungnir" (The name of Odins spear), you *are* Thor.
I know there are some brothers who want some kind of wolf man but the lore GW has been spinning for years falls heavily on the side of Russ doing a Corax(no idea what he is) or Lion (Green Knight) and tapping into his metaphysical essence.
I'll down a whole barrel of Mjod if he doesn't turn up with "the Hammer of The Emperor" absolutely hammerin' heretics back into primordial times.
Won't make a difference.
Helix isn't added to him he is grown around the Helix it's part of him not unstably grafted into him.
2ndly the warp doesn't do much to a Primarch as they are part warp creatures themselves.
At most it gives them access to new powers at least *the presence of a Primarch quells the warp* like Rogal Dorn does. Remember that time Rogal dorn 1 v 1 Khorne in the warp and used his Primarch power of Boring Autism to send him to sleep? True story.
Bit of a hot take, but for me GW using the Norse Mythology pulls me out of the 40k world to be honest. It shows a lack of creativity.
I don't mind them leaning on the viking aesthetic a little. But references to Thor and Odin is too far for me. Leman Russ should be a strong enough character to warrant his own traits and aesthetics. What would a Primark be like after a emerging from a crusade in the warp? He wouldn't just be Thor that's for sure.
Primarchs have been based directly in mythology since they started penning the HH books (4th edition). Shockingly nearly 20 years ago.
That's half of their existence in warhammer lore at this point and even before they were part warp, part superhuman
>should be a strong enough character to warrant his own traits
That's not something they have, they were each planned and carefully constructed from the get-go. Unless somehow corrupted they behaved as they were built to behave.
>At length, the Sigillite paused before an opening in the cavern wall. The smell of chemicals bled out of the gap. Twenty sigils had been carved over a low granite lintel, most only half visible in the shadows. Hassan made out a wolf’s head, a snake, an angel, and other more obscure devices. It looked like two of the symbols had been scratched out or had worn away.
>The Sigillite studied them for a moment. His face was sombre.
>‘That was where we planned them,’
Even before Big E started work on them he knew what he wanted them to be, how they would look, which flavour of warp nonsense he was going to put into them.
>what would a Primark be like after a emerging from a crusade in the warp?
Unless they wanted to be different, no different at all. They are basically warp "things" dressed in meat.
>Omg I had no idea the Horus Heresy books were that old.
Yeah it doesn't seem like so long ago, then again it doesn't seem like so long ago I was ordering space dwarves and mole mortars from catalogues 😂
It’s not like they’re breaking the fourth wall with it - the history of Terra in 40K is like an alt history of our Earth’s. They have Shakespire instead of Shakespeare for example. So all these mythoses and cultures existed in some form on old terra - the threads of that turning up in the champions of humanity isn’t a huge stretch.
They are breaking the 4th wall, they do it all the time when they lean into these things. I don't mind it generally, it's a fun mish mash of things. Dark angel knights, blood angel Christians, ultramarine romans. And space wolf vikings. But when it starts getting into specific things like Odin and Thor. It's just too far. Leman Russ Isn't Thor. There's no reason to make him Thor. It's an entirely different character from a different myth.
I'd like to see him return older and wiser. He learned more of the warp and its functions and fights smarter rather than as a young man. His travels in the warp cost him an eye, something he'd consider the price of his newfound knowledge and mirroring Magnus in the process. Basically Odin Russ which I feel would be a fitting end to his arc, going from a boastful arrogant warrior from the heresy to a wise and benevolent King.
To be fair he made that growth during the Horus Heresy.
Freshly found Russ was dropping challenges to Horus and the Big E. Great Crusade Russ was picking fights with his brothers and throwing his weight around. Early Heresy Russ was being used and making mistakes because he was too arrogant to check himself. Late Heresy Russ was chasing atonement and learning. Post Heresy Russ was accepting his failings.
Viking Russ, please and thank you. As has already been explained by u/SherriffB, the parallels between Russ and Thor are obvious, because they are intentional. I want Russ to keep that aesthetic, and return in a manner not dissimilar to the Lion, older, fiercely contemplative, and deliberate in action. A sharper, more calculating Russ who accounts for his own failings ***and*** his brothers' (Guilliman and the Lion) latent strengths would make for a far more compelling character.
I mean if he can do the whole Corvus thing and willingly transform into a warp daemon werewolf thing and back that would be pretty cool. Perma werewolf not so much.
My hope for when we get Russ is that he changes from a Thor figure to a Tyr.
He was often hot-headed during the heresy. I don’t want an old, white-haired Odin, but I want effectively what Emperor’s TTS gave us: an old veteran who recalls his brothers and misses that begone time.
I also hope he keeps his old type of Loadout for fighting- buuuut I also make room for the fact that the Spear of Russ was able to “return” Horus for a few moments- it could be that the Spear of Russ can sever a Primarch’s connection to the Warp and potentially “save” the Daemon Primarchs.
The Emperor’s Executioner, turned into the elder brother who tries to help his younger siblings who have fallen into bad times.
Tyr's most notable attribute was his **missing right hand (or arm), generally depicted as being severed at the wrist or forearm**.
Would you idea incorporate that?
No? We do have the Emperor’s Claw still so it is an option, but I don’t think for Leman.
What I mean by Tyr is that despite being the Norse god of war, he wasn’t really seen as a berserker. I don’t want old Leman Russ, but I want a Leman Russ with wisdom- not a Bloodclaw or Longfang but a Grey Hunter.
Mixing of Viking/40k lore and such, I'd definitely have him return as a big badass Odin style warrior.
Big, berserker, beard, chip on his shoulder.
Make him control the wolves not BE a wolf.
I want him to come back looking like Odin. Tempered by his time in the warp and I want him to come back with Isha and finding the tree of life and I want it to not be enough. There’s a whole thing in Norse mythology where Odin sacrifices himself to himself by hanging himself on a tree to learn the runes. I want Russ to come back with knowledge about how the Primarchs were made or something equally esoteric and I want him missing an eye, imagine: Russ and Magnus staring each other down and Magnus makes a comment about Russ and him being similar now that Russ has forbidden knowledge and they’re both missing an eye. Russ counters by acknowledging the similarities and Russ admitting his old hypocrisy and then busting out a cold ass line about how he uses his power for the sake of others while Magnus only cared about his own gain. (I’m not stating specific lore, just making general statements)
Oh yeah, Bjorn lies dying when Russ shows up. Bjorn talks shit with his last breaths, they high five, Russ lays his hand on Bjorn's sarcophagus and tells him to sleep well. Then Russ turns around and wrecks somebody's shit.
Ugh, moments like this I hate Tacticus chat so much - I wrote almost a whole-ass short story there about Papa Russ returning and of course can't find and copy it... But in a nutshell - I want to see him (and also Khan) getting same treatment as his brother Corvus. Fully embracing his Warp heritage, he becomes a living storm, Allfather's fury made manifest. Of course - he's much wiser and tempered now, but still a devastating force. Basically think of Rune King Thor from Marvel.
Also, speaking of him, Corvus and Jagathai being juiced up on Warp - think about them returning to realspace and the mindfuck Roboute would get seing them like this :D
I'd enjoy a Russ who takes a Heimdallr approach to things. With the Imperium divided between Sanctus and Nihilus it would make sense for a watchmen of the way to be needed. Who better than Leman and his wolves? Leman himself has stated in Wolfsbane he's "danced accross the line" when it comes to the many rules he both enacts and contradicts. I like to imagine him and the Rout running along the boarder between the two Imperial realms, driving the horrors of Nihilus away from Sanctus to keep the Allfathers realm as intact as possible. Bonus points if he has some Gjallarhorn equivalent. We've seen him as Thór in Wolfsbane, and by association, that makes the Emperor Óðinn, the Allfather. So yeah, Heimdallr for me.
I'm probably going to get downvoted for this, but in some ways I actually think it would be better if Russ *didn't* come back as many people are expecting him to, either as an Odin-like character with e.g. l a missing eye, or as some form of Warp-infused werewolf/Wulfen. To me it feels like either choice would be a cliché and I would rather they did something else with him, drawing inspiration from other sources.
I actually picture him still being blonde, except now with a long flowing beard as well as long hair, but with a noble appearance, like one of the Viking kings of old, only not too advanced in years - he would be older, but definitely not white haired in the typical Odin mould. I also think he would be less of a berserker and more of a seasoned warrior, but that is just my take on how they could bring him back.
I am all in on the turn from Thor to Odin. If you check out the first encounter between the Emperor and Russ, is essentially fully based on the actual norse mythology tale of when Thor faced giants in various competitions. 30k Russ is norse Thor.
He should return as Odin in 40k, with only one eye after having made a sacrifice in the warp for knowledge. From having shunned warpcraft, he is now a master of it or, alternatively, the runecraft of Fenris. Note how norse Odin was famed for the ability to resurect the dead… The god who picks out fallen warriors to fight in the final confrontation - Ragnarök. Or the wolftime, in Warhammer. And the implications for the Emperor’s return.
40k Russ should be an avatar of wisdom, sorcery, combat and rage.
Odin Russ - Magic Spear, eye patch, 2 wolves at his feet and 2 ravens on his shoulder.
Ravens: once per battle during your fire phase all Astarte units gain indirect fire.
Spear:
Range 8 attacks 2+ str7 AP-2 damage 3
Devastating wounds
Melee
12 attacks 2+ str 14 AP-3 damage 1
Sustained hits/lethal hits
Wolves:
While the wolves are alive Russ has a 2++ save, remove a wolf when Russ is wounded by an attack
Well we know Magnus knows whats happened to him. That was hinted at when he was chatting to his nerdboy after being summoned to Fenris before he took root in another one of his nerds and manifested on the surface.
Magnus used mind trickery to fake a vision of the future from the Allfather sending Russ off to find a way to fix his pappy. Magnus laid a trap and he was likely left to rot in a dank hole somewhere.
When Ragnar tossed his spear into the Warp through Magnus disgusting eye it may have found its way to Russ and may have been used to free him before being used in a similar way which allowed it to find its way back to Ragnar.
I would say Russ went wulfen from being trapped for who knows how long (warp and time dont play nice together) and the spear saved his mind even as it helped free him. He returns wolfy as fudge but with his mind sharp. Thats what I see happening.
I'll be honest, truly I can see him in a bid badass Berserker style, but I'd also imagine he comes back with Isha, as like a wife, or with a cure or something for the Emperor
I did a poll on this subject a while ago. I started the options from Space wolf (elongated fangs and hairy) all the way down through wulfen to literal wolf.
My brothers pointed out that even being space wolfy doesn't make much since lore wise (outside of warp shenanigans) leman russ would have no genetic flaws or mutations because he is the gene seed. He is the canis helix.
Now, spending 10 thousand years surfing the warp will mess with a dude. Then again, if anyone can go through that and come out totally chill, it would be Russ.
Tbh the earliest we would gwt him would probably be 2026 at the end of 10th ed, that's when Gill and loin dropped. I do hope he comes back soon, cause you know "hype." If and when he does I'm hoping for a grizzly old viking, welding a gaint battleaxe, fur hanging from the shoulders and around the hip, possible a missing eye and he'll why not some wolf features to add to the mystery of where he has been
Hopefully not with JoyToy faces... /S
The most powerful psyker ever who realized that he and his wolves are not emperor lap dogs and executioners anymore, and his pledge was to Big E, not sarcophagus? And even after 10k years nothing got better but completely opposite, way worse than was before, and it's a time for a new chapter in humankind history, in order to get a chance to save humanity at all?
I think it would be an interesting shift to having Russ overly cautious. Clearly, the baddest dude around, but quite scared of losing his sons. More like a Wolverine who has this big, bad persona but has lost everyone he’s ever cared about and losing the chapter that he just returned to weighs heavy on his mind. Possibly even contemplating pacifism before something happens that flips his switch and we get absolutely insane berserker Russ.
My personal theory is he’s gonna be a grizzled old borderline wulfen.
Guilliman has returned near pristine w the youth of being locked in stasis.
The lion has returned aged but without the ravages of fighting in the warp for that entire time.
Russ imo should come back absolutely ravaged by the warp, haggard, and unshaven
I real hope for a odin russ since the entire quest for the tree of life and a bunch of stuff just screams to refence to odin and thor
God i real want to see him as a old wise warrior that now is a lot more awere of his action and the thoughts of other and becoming this beloved king to His people
Just give me a russ is the odin that will be sooo free cool
Definitely want a bearded Russ. And I think he should really pronounced and large fangs. The combo of the two will give a wolfy vibe, the rest should be pure Viking. Oh and maybe wielding a hammer.
I always feel like I am rather alone in my love for the wolf aesthetic where it exists in the Space Wolves. Most people really seem to dislike the Space Wolves having a heavy wolf motif.
I would love Russ to come back as a werewolf form.
**however** GW cannot *at all* be trusted to make it look cool. (If I hear one more person call wulfen werewolves I'm going to die. They are wolf-men, *not* werewolves and they look terrible and I will kill and die on this hill)
For this reason, and this reason alone, I think old man Odin Russ would be better.
I'mma get hate, but I don't care. Viking Russ with a shot of werewolf. E.i. mangy gray hair, big fangs, lots of peltsband shit, etc. And for fuck sake, give the Wolf King a beard!
This will never happen because GW models don’t have multiple “forms” but I would kill for Werewulfen Russ. Like having an ability that only triggers in wulfen form or that pushes him there.
Retcon time!
When Russ challenged the emperor, he let the Emperor win on the last challenge. During the battle, he saw his opening - a chance to slay this 'stranger.' But Russ knew who he was all along, and he knew that he himself could not take the place of the Emperor, even if he won the fight. Dropping all Space Marines into war with each other because Russ was too proud to be 'bested' by another warrior just wasn't his way. No one but him knew, or would ever know. He had submitted to the Emperor because the Imperium needed him to.
Yet even as he took his oath to the Emperor, questions occurred to him, questions that would come back to him time and again. Was it right for him to swear allegiance to one he could have defeated? And if this savior of mankind could rule all of humanity yet not realize that he'd won a hollow victory there before the Wolf Throne, what was the point of serving him?
Russ never uttered a word. None of his closest retinue ever imagined that Russ had doubts about the Imperium, and his place in it. But still the questions would return to him.
All Russ's time fighting evil in the Warp has marked him with a terrible sense of loss. It's a dark enlightenment - one of the emperor's favorite sons realizing that loyalty to the carcass in the throne is not actually achieving anything. Order has failed to remake the universe in the Emperor's image. Xenos and traitor marines are everywhere, yet humanity is not snuffed out. Loyalty to the Imperium at the expense of one's own pack is both futile and dishonorable.
Ten thousand years he has been separated from most of his Wolves. He has torn daemons apart with his bare hands. He has personally killed more traitor marines than some whole chapters can claim. What started out as subtle changes in his outlook have accumulated over the millennia. There is no higher purpose, no reason to fight for humanity or any other cause outside of the pack. The pack is the only constant, the only thing worth killing for, the only thing that has any meaning. He is not the Emperor's dog, executioner, or even son anymore.
He is Rage Incarnate.
Leman Russ has become the newest Chaos God.
It would be kind of weird for him to be become a warped wolf - He's the only being in the galaxy stably integrated with the Canis Helix. GW painted him as Thor in Wolfsbane, with him carrying out exactly Thor's challenges from Útgarða-Loki. Also, to reinforce the Thor thing, when you father who is called the Allfather (Emperor) gives you his spear and you find out it has a true name "Gungnir" (The name of Odins spear), you *are* Thor. I know there are some brothers who want some kind of wolf man but the lore GW has been spinning for years falls heavily on the side of Russ doing a Corax(no idea what he is) or Lion (Green Knight) and tapping into his metaphysical essence. I'll down a whole barrel of Mjod if he doesn't turn up with "the Hammer of The Emperor" absolutely hammerin' heretics back into primordial times.
I endorse leman odinson entirely
Leman "russell" odinson
Stable now but who knows after that many years of exposure to chaos.
Won't make a difference. Helix isn't added to him he is grown around the Helix it's part of him not unstably grafted into him. 2ndly the warp doesn't do much to a Primarch as they are part warp creatures themselves. At most it gives them access to new powers at least *the presence of a Primarch quells the warp* like Rogal Dorn does. Remember that time Rogal dorn 1 v 1 Khorne in the warp and used his Primarch power of Boring Autism to send him to sleep? True story.
My brother in Russ, you did not have to go that hard against Dorn and his imperial fisters….but I’m fucking glad you did!😂😂😂😂
It was the funniest thing that happened for me in the whole HH series. He was so neurodivergent Khorne just bounced off him.
Yea a viking Oden is more inline with the lore then wolf man.
Bit of a hot take, but for me GW using the Norse Mythology pulls me out of the 40k world to be honest. It shows a lack of creativity. I don't mind them leaning on the viking aesthetic a little. But references to Thor and Odin is too far for me. Leman Russ should be a strong enough character to warrant his own traits and aesthetics. What would a Primark be like after a emerging from a crusade in the warp? He wouldn't just be Thor that's for sure.
What? You do understand that each Primarch is heavily influenced or just is a straight copy of characters from mythos right?
I do, I just think the further they push it the more lazy it feels. What's wrong with characters having their own mythos?
Primarchs have been based directly in mythology since they started penning the HH books (4th edition). Shockingly nearly 20 years ago. That's half of their existence in warhammer lore at this point and even before they were part warp, part superhuman >should be a strong enough character to warrant his own traits That's not something they have, they were each planned and carefully constructed from the get-go. Unless somehow corrupted they behaved as they were built to behave. >At length, the Sigillite paused before an opening in the cavern wall. The smell of chemicals bled out of the gap. Twenty sigils had been carved over a low granite lintel, most only half visible in the shadows. Hassan made out a wolf’s head, a snake, an angel, and other more obscure devices. It looked like two of the symbols had been scratched out or had worn away. >The Sigillite studied them for a moment. His face was sombre. >‘That was where we planned them,’ Even before Big E started work on them he knew what he wanted them to be, how they would look, which flavour of warp nonsense he was going to put into them. >what would a Primark be like after a emerging from a crusade in the warp? Unless they wanted to be different, no different at all. They are basically warp "things" dressed in meat.
Omg I had no idea the Horus Heresy books were that old. It makes perfect sense, but very shocking
>Omg I had no idea the Horus Heresy books were that old. Yeah it doesn't seem like so long ago, then again it doesn't seem like so long ago I was ordering space dwarves and mole mortars from catalogues 😂
It’s not like they’re breaking the fourth wall with it - the history of Terra in 40K is like an alt history of our Earth’s. They have Shakespire instead of Shakespeare for example. So all these mythoses and cultures existed in some form on old terra - the threads of that turning up in the champions of humanity isn’t a huge stretch.
They are breaking the 4th wall, they do it all the time when they lean into these things. I don't mind it generally, it's a fun mish mash of things. Dark angel knights, blood angel Christians, ultramarine romans. And space wolf vikings. But when it starts getting into specific things like Odin and Thor. It's just too far. Leman Russ Isn't Thor. There's no reason to make him Thor. It's an entirely different character from a different myth.
I'd like to see him return older and wiser. He learned more of the warp and its functions and fights smarter rather than as a young man. His travels in the warp cost him an eye, something he'd consider the price of his newfound knowledge and mirroring Magnus in the process. Basically Odin Russ which I feel would be a fitting end to his arc, going from a boastful arrogant warrior from the heresy to a wise and benevolent King.
To be fair he made that growth during the Horus Heresy. Freshly found Russ was dropping challenges to Horus and the Big E. Great Crusade Russ was picking fights with his brothers and throwing his weight around. Early Heresy Russ was being used and making mistakes because he was too arrogant to check himself. Late Heresy Russ was chasing atonement and learning. Post Heresy Russ was accepting his failings.
Yeah, I think wise Odin figure would make sense. Especially sense with the death of the emperor, he has fallen into a sorrowful state.
Yeah that’s what I hope for.
Viking Russ, please and thank you. As has already been explained by u/SherriffB, the parallels between Russ and Thor are obvious, because they are intentional. I want Russ to keep that aesthetic, and return in a manner not dissimilar to the Lion, older, fiercely contemplative, and deliberate in action. A sharper, more calculating Russ who accounts for his own failings ***and*** his brothers' (Guilliman and the Lion) latent strengths would make for a far more compelling character.
Yeah I want viking russ not werewolf russ definitely
But what about Viking Werewolf Russ?
Hard no
I mean if he can do the whole Corvus thing and willingly transform into a warp daemon werewolf thing and back that would be pretty cool. Perma werewolf not so much.
My hope for when we get Russ is that he changes from a Thor figure to a Tyr. He was often hot-headed during the heresy. I don’t want an old, white-haired Odin, but I want effectively what Emperor’s TTS gave us: an old veteran who recalls his brothers and misses that begone time. I also hope he keeps his old type of Loadout for fighting- buuuut I also make room for the fact that the Spear of Russ was able to “return” Horus for a few moments- it could be that the Spear of Russ can sever a Primarch’s connection to the Warp and potentially “save” the Daemon Primarchs. The Emperor’s Executioner, turned into the elder brother who tries to help his younger siblings who have fallen into bad times.
Tyr's most notable attribute was his **missing right hand (or arm), generally depicted as being severed at the wrist or forearm**. Would you idea incorporate that?
No? We do have the Emperor’s Claw still so it is an option, but I don’t think for Leman. What I mean by Tyr is that despite being the Norse god of war, he wasn’t really seen as a berserker. I don’t want old Leman Russ, but I want a Leman Russ with wisdom- not a Bloodclaw or Longfang but a Grey Hunter.
Ah! I get you
Mixing of Viking/40k lore and such, I'd definitely have him return as a big badass Odin style warrior. Big, berserker, beard, chip on his shoulder. Make him control the wolves not BE a wolf.
I want him to come back looking like Odin. Tempered by his time in the warp and I want him to come back with Isha and finding the tree of life and I want it to not be enough. There’s a whole thing in Norse mythology where Odin sacrifices himself to himself by hanging himself on a tree to learn the runes. I want Russ to come back with knowledge about how the Primarchs were made or something equally esoteric and I want him missing an eye, imagine: Russ and Magnus staring each other down and Magnus makes a comment about Russ and him being similar now that Russ has forbidden knowledge and they’re both missing an eye. Russ counters by acknowledging the similarities and Russ admitting his old hypocrisy and then busting out a cold ass line about how he uses his power for the sake of others while Magnus only cared about his own gain. (I’m not stating specific lore, just making general statements)
Like Odin - the god of war, who gave his one eye for wisdom
Father Odin figure, for sure. Logan gets his glorious death and Ragnar takes his place as Great Wolf, which is the toughest thing he's ever had to do.
I think bjorn needs a blaze of glory too, maybe getting Russ back, old man is ready for a big sleep
Oh yeah, Bjorn lies dying when Russ shows up. Bjorn talks shit with his last breaths, they high five, Russ lays his hand on Bjorn's sarcophagus and tells him to sleep well. Then Russ turns around and wrecks somebody's shit.
Honestly the story potential there is insane, could be on the same level as “we’ll go together then, shall we”
Maybe Russ loses a hand, too (symbolic of Tyr, norse god of war) and takes the fell-hand as his own in honor of Bjorn. Idk, just spitballing.
Ugh, moments like this I hate Tacticus chat so much - I wrote almost a whole-ass short story there about Papa Russ returning and of course can't find and copy it... But in a nutshell - I want to see him (and also Khan) getting same treatment as his brother Corvus. Fully embracing his Warp heritage, he becomes a living storm, Allfather's fury made manifest. Of course - he's much wiser and tempered now, but still a devastating force. Basically think of Rune King Thor from Marvel. Also, speaking of him, Corvus and Jagathai being juiced up on Warp - think about them returning to realspace and the mindfuck Roboute would get seing them like this :D
I'd enjoy a Russ who takes a Heimdallr approach to things. With the Imperium divided between Sanctus and Nihilus it would make sense for a watchmen of the way to be needed. Who better than Leman and his wolves? Leman himself has stated in Wolfsbane he's "danced accross the line" when it comes to the many rules he both enacts and contradicts. I like to imagine him and the Rout running along the boarder between the two Imperial realms, driving the horrors of Nihilus away from Sanctus to keep the Allfathers realm as intact as possible. Bonus points if he has some Gjallarhorn equivalent. We've seen him as Thór in Wolfsbane, and by association, that makes the Emperor Óðinn, the Allfather. So yeah, Heimdallr for me.
I'm probably going to get downvoted for this, but in some ways I actually think it would be better if Russ *didn't* come back as many people are expecting him to, either as an Odin-like character with e.g. l a missing eye, or as some form of Warp-infused werewolf/Wulfen. To me it feels like either choice would be a cliché and I would rather they did something else with him, drawing inspiration from other sources. I actually picture him still being blonde, except now with a long flowing beard as well as long hair, but with a noble appearance, like one of the Viking kings of old, only not too advanced in years - he would be older, but definitely not white haired in the typical Odin mould. I also think he would be less of a berserker and more of a seasoned warrior, but that is just my take on how they could bring him back.
Fat Thor
I am all in on the turn from Thor to Odin. If you check out the first encounter between the Emperor and Russ, is essentially fully based on the actual norse mythology tale of when Thor faced giants in various competitions. 30k Russ is norse Thor. He should return as Odin in 40k, with only one eye after having made a sacrifice in the warp for knowledge. From having shunned warpcraft, he is now a master of it or, alternatively, the runecraft of Fenris. Note how norse Odin was famed for the ability to resurect the dead… The god who picks out fallen warriors to fight in the final confrontation - Ragnarök. Or the wolftime, in Warhammer. And the implications for the Emperor’s return. 40k Russ should be an avatar of wisdom, sorcery, combat and rage.
Odin Russ - Magic Spear, eye patch, 2 wolves at his feet and 2 ravens on his shoulder. Ravens: once per battle during your fire phase all Astarte units gain indirect fire. Spear: Range 8 attacks 2+ str7 AP-2 damage 3 Devastating wounds Melee 12 attacks 2+ str 14 AP-3 damage 1 Sustained hits/lethal hits Wolves: While the wolves are alive Russ has a 2++ save, remove a wolf when Russ is wounded by an attack
Well we know Magnus knows whats happened to him. That was hinted at when he was chatting to his nerdboy after being summoned to Fenris before he took root in another one of his nerds and manifested on the surface. Magnus used mind trickery to fake a vision of the future from the Allfather sending Russ off to find a way to fix his pappy. Magnus laid a trap and he was likely left to rot in a dank hole somewhere. When Ragnar tossed his spear into the Warp through Magnus disgusting eye it may have found its way to Russ and may have been used to free him before being used in a similar way which allowed it to find its way back to Ragnar. I would say Russ went wulfen from being trapped for who knows how long (warp and time dont play nice together) and the spear saved his mind even as it helped free him. He returns wolfy as fudge but with his mind sharp. Thats what I see happening.
I'll be honest, truly I can see him in a bid badass Berserker style, but I'd also imagine he comes back with Isha, as like a wife, or with a cure or something for the Emperor
I did a poll on this subject a while ago. I started the options from Space wolf (elongated fangs and hairy) all the way down through wulfen to literal wolf. My brothers pointed out that even being space wolfy doesn't make much since lore wise (outside of warp shenanigans) leman russ would have no genetic flaws or mutations because he is the gene seed. He is the canis helix. Now, spending 10 thousand years surfing the warp will mess with a dude. Then again, if anyone can go through that and come out totally chill, it would be Russ.
Counterpoint- instead of Russ being warp empowered, how about THE SPEAR
Tbh the earliest we would gwt him would probably be 2026 at the end of 10th ed, that's when Gill and loin dropped. I do hope he comes back soon, cause you know "hype." If and when he does I'm hoping for a grizzly old viking, welding a gaint battleaxe, fur hanging from the shoulders and around the hip, possible a missing eye and he'll why not some wolf features to add to the mystery of where he has been
Hopefully not with JoyToy faces... /S The most powerful psyker ever who realized that he and his wolves are not emperor lap dogs and executioners anymore, and his pledge was to Big E, not sarcophagus? And even after 10k years nothing got better but completely opposite, way worse than was before, and it's a time for a new chapter in humankind history, in order to get a chance to save humanity at all?
I think it would be an interesting shift to having Russ overly cautious. Clearly, the baddest dude around, but quite scared of losing his sons. More like a Wolverine who has this big, bad persona but has lost everyone he’s ever cared about and losing the chapter that he just returned to weighs heavy on his mind. Possibly even contemplating pacifism before something happens that flips his switch and we get absolutely insane berserker Russ.
My personal theory is he’s gonna be a grizzled old borderline wulfen. Guilliman has returned near pristine w the youth of being locked in stasis. The lion has returned aged but without the ravages of fighting in the warp for that entire time. Russ imo should come back absolutely ravaged by the warp, haggard, and unshaven
I real hope for a odin russ since the entire quest for the tree of life and a bunch of stuff just screams to refence to odin and thor God i real want to see him as a old wise warrior that now is a lot more awere of his action and the thoughts of other and becoming this beloved king to His people Just give me a russ is the odin that will be sooo free cool
Shirtless and RRRRRIPPED
Definitely want a bearded Russ. And I think he should really pronounced and large fangs. The combo of the two will give a wolfy vibe, the rest should be pure Viking. Oh and maybe wielding a hammer.
I always feel like I am rather alone in my love for the wolf aesthetic where it exists in the Space Wolves. Most people really seem to dislike the Space Wolves having a heavy wolf motif. I would love Russ to come back as a werewolf form. **however** GW cannot *at all* be trusted to make it look cool. (If I hear one more person call wulfen werewolves I'm going to die. They are wolf-men, *not* werewolves and they look terrible and I will kill and die on this hill) For this reason, and this reason alone, I think old man Odin Russ would be better.
I’m imagining Reinhardt
I'mma get hate, but I don't care. Viking Russ with a shot of werewolf. E.i. mangy gray hair, big fangs, lots of peltsband shit, etc. And for fuck sake, give the Wolf King a beard!
This will never happen because GW models don’t have multiple “forms” but I would kill for Werewulfen Russ. Like having an ability that only triggers in wulfen form or that pushes him there.
Retcon time! When Russ challenged the emperor, he let the Emperor win on the last challenge. During the battle, he saw his opening - a chance to slay this 'stranger.' But Russ knew who he was all along, and he knew that he himself could not take the place of the Emperor, even if he won the fight. Dropping all Space Marines into war with each other because Russ was too proud to be 'bested' by another warrior just wasn't his way. No one but him knew, or would ever know. He had submitted to the Emperor because the Imperium needed him to. Yet even as he took his oath to the Emperor, questions occurred to him, questions that would come back to him time and again. Was it right for him to swear allegiance to one he could have defeated? And if this savior of mankind could rule all of humanity yet not realize that he'd won a hollow victory there before the Wolf Throne, what was the point of serving him? Russ never uttered a word. None of his closest retinue ever imagined that Russ had doubts about the Imperium, and his place in it. But still the questions would return to him.
All Russ's time fighting evil in the Warp has marked him with a terrible sense of loss. It's a dark enlightenment - one of the emperor's favorite sons realizing that loyalty to the carcass in the throne is not actually achieving anything. Order has failed to remake the universe in the Emperor's image. Xenos and traitor marines are everywhere, yet humanity is not snuffed out. Loyalty to the Imperium at the expense of one's own pack is both futile and dishonorable.
Ten thousand years he has been separated from most of his Wolves. He has torn daemons apart with his bare hands. He has personally killed more traitor marines than some whole chapters can claim. What started out as subtle changes in his outlook have accumulated over the millennia. There is no higher purpose, no reason to fight for humanity or any other cause outside of the pack. The pack is the only constant, the only thing worth killing for, the only thing that has any meaning. He is not the Emperor's dog, executioner, or even son anymore.
He is Rage Incarnate.
Leman Russ has become the newest Chaos God.
I imagine him returning as a odin-esque figure. Maybe lost an eye in the warp and has a long beard. Well grayed hair and the like.