Space marine

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For the Warhammer 40,000 army, see Adeptus Astartes

Space marines are fictional soldiers that operate in outer space. Space marines are common in military science fiction-themed action movies and action games. Historical marines fulfil amphibious roles: ship defence, landing parties, and general high-mobility deployments. By extension, space marines defend spaceships, land on planets and satellites, and deployments that require rapid deployment throughout space.

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[edit] History

The first space marine unit, the Galactic Marines, was used in E. E. Smith's Lensman series, published starting in 1937.[citation needed]

The phrase "space marines" first appears in Robert A. Heinlein's "Misfit"[1] (1939) and is again used in "The Long Watch"[2] (1940). Heinlein's Starship Troopers is considered the defining work for the concept, despite the soldiers not being referred to as marines in the novel; for example, the actors playing the Colonial Marines in Aliens were required to read Starship Troopers as part of their training prior to filming.[3]

Playing a space marine in action games was popularized by id Software's Doom series, first published in 1993. It is a convenient game back-story as it excuses the presence of the character on a hostile alien world with little support and marine weaponry. Some critics have suggested it has been overused to the point of being an action game cliché.[4]

[edit] Characteristics

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Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (December 2007)

In film and television space marines often appear in squads, while in action games the protagonist marine is often alone (although this is more due to game limitations) or transferred between different units as the game progresses. In their amphibious role, marines are usually transported by "drop ships", and are supported on the ground by infantry fighting vehicles or lighter vehicles.

Marines are usually equipped with a science fiction assault rifle, similar to a modern firearm only superior in some manner, or some form of fictional man portable laser rifle. Fireteams often include an automatic rifle, such as a smart gun. Flamethrowers may be deployed against aliens with a susceptibility to fire. Sniper rifles are seen more rarely.

Clothing ranges from spacesuits and powered exoskeletons to battledress similar to that worn by contemporary armed forces.

[edit] Non-fiction

The United States Marine Corps's Project Hot Eagle considers the use of spacecraft to deliver marines to a target on the ground. "Within minutes of bursting into the atmosphere beyond the speed of sound – and dispatching that ominous sonic boom – a small squad of Marines could be on the ground and ready to take care of business within 2 hours."[5]

[edit] Appearances in fiction

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "The parade ground voice of a First Sergeant of Space Marines cut through the fog and drizzle..."
  2. ^ "Space marines, arms reversed and heads bowed, stood guard around [the coffin]..."
  3. ^ Internet Movie Database: Aliens Trivia. Retrieved on 2006-03-04.
  4. ^ Adams, Ernest (February 2001). "Dogma 2001: A Challenge to Game Designers". Gamasutra. “4. There shall be no...space marines” 
  5. ^ Marines in Spaaaaaace!. Defence Tech.org (September 19, 2005). Retrieved on 2006-04-03.
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