Cypher (Warhammer 40,000)

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Cypher
Cypher

Cypher is a fictional character in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. He is an enigmatic character, a legend on almost every world of the Imperium.

[edit] Background

The terrible secret of the Dark Angels is that during the Horus Heresy some of their brethren fell to Chaos, corrupted by the Legion's second in command, Luther. The renegades were defeated in a battle that destroyed the Dark Angels' homeworld, Caliban, but many of the traitors survived to be cast through space and time by the Chaos gods. The events of Luther's betrayal are known only to select few amongst the Dark Angels and their successor Chapters. The defeated survivors are known as The Fallen, mercilessly hunted down and made to repent by the Interrogator-Chaplains of the Dark Angels.

Cypher, known as Fallen One, continually draws the attention of the Dark Angels. He is believed responsible for many acts of instability across the Imperium, and is hunted by the Dark Angels with zeal even greater than that reserved for 'normal' Fallen. Even when he is captured, he soon vanishes, whisked away by his mysterious patron. Although his immediate presence heralds disorder and strife for the Imperium, it always emerges transcendent from it, stronger than before, which may suggest an intention behind Cypher's actions to make the Imperium stronger through struggle (following the old philosophy of 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger')

Although the Dark Angels believe that they can only gain forgiveness for their actions by "redeeming" all of the Fallen, others privy to the full tale believe that Cypher may have another answer. These people believe that Cypher's seemingly random appearances conceal a path that is slowly leading towards Holy Terra. They also point to the fact that Cypher carries a sword, yet he never draws it. This could be the sword of Primarch El'Jonson, broken in half and then lost during his final battle with the traitor Luther. One theory states that if Cypher manages to enter the presence of the Emperor of Mankind, the sword will repair itself and the Fallen Angels will be forgiven for their transgressions. Another theory states that the Cypher wishes to use the sword to slay the dying Emperor's mortal body, thus completing the Star Child cycle.

[edit] The Voice of the Emperor

It is widely believed by fans that Cypher used the alias of "The Voice of the Emperor" during the recent worldwide Eye of Terror campaign. Though this was unconfirmed, the description of the Voice of the Emperor - specifically that he carried a sword and a pair of exquisitely-crafted pistols - fits the appearance of Cypher to a tee, and Andy Chambers mentions the connection in an article describing the results of the campaign (White Dwarf 287). Although he appeared to be supporting the Black Crusade on the surface, some believe that the disruptive actions of the Voice brought about a focus by the Ecclesiarchy that greatly assisted the Imperium during the Black Crusade, along with drawing the Dark Angels into several conflicts where their assistance was of great benefit to the Imperial war effort.[citation needed]

"The Voice" is also mentioned in Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Black Templars (McNeil, Thorpe, and Haines, 2005), where he is described as a figure wearing ancient, black power armour, devoid of livery. A Black Templars strike cruiser, the Ophidium Gulf, assists a Dark Angels force in pursuit of "The Voice". Although the Black Templars capture him, they were forced to hand him over as the Dark Angels fleet threatened to fire on the Gulf. The crew of the Gulf released the prisoner into the custody of the Dark Angels, and after a single communication back to the High Marshal, disappeared without a trace. Due to the suspicious nature of its disappearance, this has led some fans to believe that the Dark Angels destroyed the Gulf in order to hide their secret shame.

Upon their return to the Rock, the cell in which "The Voice" had been confined was discovered to be empty.

[edit] References

  • Johnson, Jervis (1999). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Dark Angels, 1st Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-869893-67-0. 
  • McNeil, Graham; Thorpe, Gav, and Haines, Pete (2005). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Black Templars, 1st Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-685-2. 
  • (May 2003) "Heroes and Villains of the 41st Millennium – Cypher, the Fallen Angel". White Dwarf: Australian Edition (281). ISSN 0265-8712. 
  • (November 2003) "Death By A Thousand Cuts". White Dwarf: Australian Edition (287). ISSN 0265-8712. Retrieved on 2006-04-24.