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"There were a few times I thought I was a goner, and I would have been, if it wasn't for Marcus Fenix. While I was nearly getting my head blown off, doing my best just to survive, Marcus was handling shit like no one's business. Course we'd all heard the stories about him... The Pendulum Wars. Aspho Fields. Timgad. A living legend, right there in the flesh. But I tell you seriously, the stories didn't do him justice. The guy was unreal."
—Private Jace Stratton[3]

Sergeant Marcus Michael Fenix (COG tags CSID 293982-3932F-A1)[4] ES is a Gear in the COG Army. Marcus served with distinction in the Pendulum Wars and Locust War, which earned him the Embry Star, the COG's highest military award, for his actions during the Battle of Aspho Fields. Following the Locust Horde invasion on Emergence Day, Marcus defended key cities during the Emergence in Kalona and Destruction of Halvo Bay. In 10 A.E., Marcus was court martialed for dereliction of duty during the Fall of Ephyra, in which the Locust invaded and occupied Ephyra. Marcus abandoned his post to save his father, Professor Adam Fenix, after receiving a distress message. Marcus failed to rescue his father and the Locust took Ephyra - forcing the COG to relocate to Jacinto City. Marcus was sentenced to forty years at the Jacinto Maximum Security Prison.

After four years, he was pardoned by childhood friend Cpl. Dominic Santiago to join Delta-One during the Lightmass Offensive. Marcus was successful in leading Delta to deliver the Lightmass Bomb and destroy the Outer Hollow. With his reputation restored, Marcus continued fighting against the Locust in Operation: Hollow Storm and was instrumental in the sinking of Jacinto. After the COG relocated to Vectes, Marcus fought against Stranded insurgents and the rising Lambent threat. The COG collapsed in 15 A.E. following Chairman Richard Prescott's abandonment. Marcus, along with other Gears and civilians aboard the CNV Sovereign, attempted to survive until 17 A.E. when Prescott returned with the revelation that Adam Fenix was alive. Marcus led humanity to victory over the Locust and the Lambent by rescuing his father and deploying the Imulsion countermeasure.

Following the end of the Locust War, Marcus married Lt. Anya Stroud and relocated to the Stroud Estate. The COG reformed under his wife's leadership as First Minister. In 20 A.E., Anya gave birth to their son James Dominic. Anya died in 27 A.E. due to complications in her second pregnancy. Within the following twenty-five years after the Locust War, the crystallized Locust reemerged as Scions and created the Swarm to renew their war against humanity. Marcus reenlisted in the COG Army and led Delta-One, once again. After discovering JD's friend, Kait Diaz, was the granddaughter to Queen Myrrah, Marcus assisted her in severing her link to the Hivemind, at the cost of her mother Reyna becoming the new Queen. Marcus continues to lead Delta in the fight against the Swarm.

Biography

Early life

Marcus Fenix was born in 22 B.E. in Ephyra, Tyrus to Major Adam Fenix and Doctor Elain Fenix. His father was an officer of the COG Army and his mother was a biologist at La Croix University. Raised as a single child in Haldane Hall, Marcus was privately taught by tutors and his parents. Elain would often take him on trips to the mall, where he would explore,[5] and on her research trips near the Hollow.[6]

Pendulum Wars

Father on Deployment

"I'll be a Gear, too, then."
—Marcus, after his father explained to him what being a Gear meant
ElainFenix

Marcus with his mom.

In the 62nd year of the Pendulum Wars, Marcus was almost five years old, and Adam was getting ready to be deployed to Kashkur. Marcus had gotten old enough to understand where Adam was going, and became upset whenever his father's deployment date neared. Marcus was reading a map book in the library when his parents arrived, and Adam asked him to come along for a walk. Marcus got out of his chair and asked Adam why he had to leave again, and his father explained how being a Gear meant going where you were sent, and watching out for your friends and comrades on the battlefield. Marcus was struck by the comradeship being a Gear brought, and declared he would become a Gear as well. Adam told him that he wouldn't have to be one, and that the war would be over by then, which upset Marcus. As they went to the garden, Adam told Marcus that his mom had discovered some monsters, but Marcus told him that monsters didn't exist, and if they did, Adam would kill them. They then went around the garden, and Marcus impressed his father by naming all of the plants in the garden. Afterwards, he ate lunch with his parents.[7] Marcus started school several weeks after Adam left, and began trying to make sure he knew where his mom was at all times. Adam returned several months later, having been wounded in the leg during a battle. Marcus rushed out to greet him, but slowed down and stopped himself, and greeted his father formally. He asked if Adam had saved everyone, but Adam told him he had been unable to, but he would change things so he could save everyone in the future. Marcus was skeptical, and Elain sent him to get some pictures he had drawn at school so he could show them to Adam.[8]

Olafson Intermediate School

"Stay away from me, and stay away from Carlos. Or I'll do it again."
—Marcus to Roland Curzon after punching him in the face

Four years later, at the age of nine, Marcus was sent to Olafson Intermediate School by his parents in order to "mix with people" after having been home schooled for a couple years. On his first day of class, his math teacher, Major Fuller, had Marcus introduce himself to the rest of the class. Several members of the class were resentful of him because he was rich, but another kid named Carlos Santiago, defended him, and ate lunch with him when no one else did. During a Thrashball game in gym class, Marcus was picked by Carlos to join his team. The new student did well, but another kid, Joshua Curzon, tackled him harder than he needed to. In the locker room, Marcus told Carlos not to worry about him, and that he would be okay, but Carlos told him it wasn't fair that the other kids were picking on him. Carlos left first, and was attacked by Joshua and his older brother, Roland, along with one of their friends. Marcus intervened, and grabbed Joshua by his collar and slammed him into the ground, and punched Roland hard in the face, receiving a glancing blow in return. The Curzon's and their friend backed away from him, scared, and Marcus warned them to leave him and Carlos alone. The three ran off, and Marcus helped Carlos up, and asked if a mark was forming over his eye yet, because his father might get worried. Carlos told him to tell his dad that it had been Thrashball, and asked why he was in a regular school. Marcus told him that his dad wanted him to "mix with regular people" because he was alone a lot. Carlos thanked him for his help, and they talked a bit more until they left. After this, Marcus and Carlos became really good friends, along with Carlos' brother, Dom.[9]

Missing Mother

"Dad won't tell me where she was supposed to be."
—Marcus, after his mom disappeared.

Three years later, Marcus was at the Santiago's house helping work on an engine with Carlos and his dad, Eduardo Santiago. He ate lunch with them as well, putting large amounts of hot sauce on his food. He asked Eduardo if he would ever reenlist, and Eduardo told him that he would because it had been the best times of his life with his friends, but he now had a steady job and a family to take care of. Carlos said he was going to join the army. Marcus became worried that he would be alone without Carlos, and began thinking about joining the army as well. The phone then rang, and Eva Santiago answered it. She told Marcus it was his dad, and Marcus took the phone. He learned that his mother had gone missing, and his father came and picked him up. Marcus missed the next day of school, and his mother remained missing. When he went back to school, he stayed afterwards and talked with Carlos and Dom, telling them he didn't think his mom was coming back. He told them the police were looking for her, but that his dad wouldn't tell him where she had been when she disappeared. He was worried that she might have left because of him, but Carlos and Dom told him that that wasn't the cause. Elain remained missing for several months, and by the time of Marcus's fourteenth birthday, he no longer talked about her, and began spending even more time at the Santiago's house.[10]

Joining the Army

"I'll think less of me. And it's the only thing that's going to make me feel alive."
—Marcus, after his dad told him nobody would think less of him if he didn't join the army.

Five years later, Marcus decided to join the Coalition of Ordered Governments army as a regular infantry soldier, rather than going through officer school. Carlos had already joined, and came with him to the Fenix Estate when Marcus decided to tell his dad. Carlos asked him if his joining had made him decide to do it, but Marcus assured him he had made up his mind long ago. They found Adam in the front room, and Marcus told him they needed to talk. He informed him that he was going to enlist in the army as a regular Gear, and Adam protested that he was throwing away a college education. They argued for a moment, and Adam asked Carlos if he could talk some sense into Marcus, but Carlos told him he would do his best to keep Marcus safe. Adam realized he couldn't do anything to stop Marcus, and said he would support him. Marcus and Carlos then went to get lunch, and Carlos told him that Dom was marrying his girlfriend, Maria, and that she was pregnant. Marcus was surprised, and offered to help out, but Carlos told him that Dom wouldn't accept money. Marcus enlisted later that week, and was proud to receive his uniform. At Dom's wedding, he and Carlos wore their dress uniforms, and Dom later joined the army to support his family.[11]

Raid on the Acastu Imulsion Fields

"Still talking about me coming back and going to Uni. Like the war is some kind of gap year."
—Marcus, after Carlos asked him what Adam had talked about in his letter.

After finishing basic training, Marcus and Carlos were assigned to C Company of the 26th Royal Tyran infantry, and were deployed to the Acastu Imulsion Fields in Dushin to defend them. They were flown there on Corva CC-4005, and Marcus read a letter from his father that he had received prior to deploying. Major Helena Stroud, Marcus' commander and an old friend of his father, saw him reading the letter, and asked him if Adam still worked all day long. Marcus told her that he did, and she asked him to tell Adam that his old Lieutenant said hi, and to take a day off from the lab sometime. After she walked away, Carlos remarked that she was one to talk, since she never took any time off either. Marcus remarked that he had heard her daughter, Anya, had joined up as an officer cadet, which excited Carlos. He asked Marcus if he had seen her, and Marcus told him he had noticed how attractive she was. As the Corva prepared to land, Helena addressed Marcus and the other Gears, warning them that they needed to stay sharp and realize that they were out of training now, because she didn't want to have to write to anyone's parents if they were killed. After disembarking from the Corva, Marcus and Carlos, along with the other two members of their squad, Cpl.Maxon and Pvt.Quinn, listened as Helena remarked that they could now see the thing the COG was really fighting for: Imulsion. The four Gears then began a patrol around the refinery, and Carlos asked Marcus what his dad had said in the letter. Marcus told him that Adam was still talking about him coming back from the war and going to a university, acting like Marcus was only taking a year off from his studies. Carlos remarked that his dad just didn't give up, and Marcus said that people thought he took after him in that regard. Quinn asked if Adam was really the top scientist at the DRA, and after Marcus confirmed that he was, Quinn asked if he was working on anything cool. Marcus told him that he never told him about any of that kind of stuff, since it was classified. Maxon then alerted them to a report that a UIR Khimera had been detected, and they looked up and saw it flying at maximum altitude, doing a recon of the plant.[12]

BernieTalkingWithMarcus

Bernie comforting Marcus after Maxon's death.

"Fucking terrific start, Sarge."
—Marcus to Bernie, after his first patrol ended with Maxon dead and the Imulsion wells blown

Two nights later, Marcus and the others were assigned to do a night patrol around the fields. As they walked among the pipelines, Carlos said that he wished somebody would shoot at him to get the waiting over with. Marcus told him they would enter battle eventually, and that he just had to be patient. Carlos told him he was worried that he would freeze up, but Marcus assured him that drill would kick in and he would shoot back. Maxon then contacted them and asked them where Quinn was, and Marcus told him he was with them. Maxon ordered them to meet him at the north perimeter gates, because one of the drillers claimed to have heard a bike near there. The three of them hurried to meet Maxon and began searching for signs of an intruder. Marcus told Maxon that he didn't hear anything, but Maxon stopped him and said there was someone else out there, and called in to control to report a possible contact. They then saw a motor bike zoom out from under a pipeline, and opened fire on it. However, more Indie soldiers appeared and opened fire on the Gears, causing them to take cover behind some pipes. Maxon was hit in the throat, and Marcus told Quinn to see to him, and asked Carlos to give him some covering fire. Carlos told him he was crazy, but Marcus told him to just do it, and jumped over the pipe and charged at the Indies. He shot two of them, and a Packhorse arrived, driven by Sgt. Bernadette Mataki and with Sgt. Daniel Kennen on the gun. Kennen ordered him to get down, and he fired on the rest of the Indies with the gun, cutting them down. Kennen asked him if he was okay, but before he could answer, an explosion from the other side of the facility lit up the night. Marcus realized the Indies had blown up the Imulsion wells, but Bernie told him not to worry about that, and that they had to get Maxon help quickly. Marcus helped Carlos load Maxon into the Packhorse, and asked him not to mention this to his dad, and Carlos reassured him he wouldn't. Marcus waited at the medical building to see if Maxon would be okay, but Bernie eventually arrived and told him that Maxon hadn't made it. Marcus remarked that it was a "fucking terrific start" to his first tour of duty, and Bernie told him that he had stopped them from blowing the pipelines. Marcus protested that it didn't matter since Maxon had been killed, but she interrupted him and said that they lost people and it would never stop hurting, but that they had a job to do, and had to go back out every day until it was done. Marcus told her he understood, and she told him that he and the others had done a good job, and told him to follow her. Bernie led them on the remainder of their patrol, and Quinn remarked that the damage would be repaired in just a couple of days. Marcus looked at the burning fires and remarked that this was all for just keeping the lights on back home, but Bernie told them to stop talking and finish the patrol.[12]

QuinnDead

Marcus and Carlos grieving over Quinn's death.

Dealing with Casualties

"Fine. So's Carlos. But... we lost a couple of guys. You know how it is."
—Marcus, after Adam asked if he was alright when Marcus called him

A week later, Marcus was out on another patrol with Carlos and Quinn in a Packhorse. Quinn told Marcus that his dad should try inventing an alternative to Imulsion, since if they increased the fuel supply, nobody would have to fight over it. Carlos pointed out that all the alternative fuels from the past had had wars fought over them as well, so it likely wouldn't do any good. When control reported that Khimeras had been detected along the border, they pulled over next to some pipelines and tried to see if they could spot them. They couldn't, and as Quinn climbed onto a pipeline to try to get a better view, he asked Marcus what he thought they were doing. Marcus told them they were just assessing their strength, and would be back sooner or later. Quinn then began telling Marcus about something his mom was sending him in the mail, but he was suddenly shot in the head by a sniper and fell off the pipeline and onto the ground in front of Marcus and Carlos. Marcus told Carlos to stay down, and cradled Quinn's body in his arms. Carlos was deeply upset, remarking that it was just Quinn's first week, and he was just picked off from a kilometer away, and not even in a proper firefight. Marcus told him that he understood exactly what he meant. Two days later, Marcus was called into Helena's office, and she asked him if he was okay. He remarked nobody could feel okay after seeing one of their friends die within a week of deployment, and Helena told him not to beat himself up over the deaths of his comrades like his father did. Marcus told her he would get used to it, but she told him he wouldn't and shouldn't. Helena remarked that they all learned to deal with loss in their own separate way, and his father had done by deciding to leave the army and focus on building weapons. Marcus told her that he understood him a lot better now, and she ordered him to call his dad, saying that it was bad to leave things unsaid, since you never knew if you would get another chance to say them. Marcus agreed, and called his dad on the bases phone. Adam was surprised, and asked him if he was okay, and Marcus told him he and Carlos were fine, but that they had lost a couple of guys, and that he knew how it was. Adam told him he did, and that he was sorry about his comrades. Marcus asked him how his project was going, and Adam told him it was fine, and that they would get there eventually, and that Marcus knew how it was.[12]

TaiMeetingMarcus

Marcus and Tai discussing Tai's future.

Battle of Irohma Island

"...we're not saints. But we are gonna win this fucking war and I'd rather have you on the winning side."
—Marcus, extending an offer to Tai Kaliso to join the COG

Later that year, Marcus and elements of the 26th RTI were sent to Irohma Island to defend it from the UIR. While there, Marcus learned of a massacre of a native village by the UIR that left few survivors. While out patrolling, Marcus noticed a native, Tai Kaliso, shadowing him and carrying a bow and arrow. He told Tai that he knew he was there, and warned him not to fire on him. Marcus told him that he was sorry about what had happened to his village, and explained that he and the COG were there to drive the UIR out of the South Islands. Marcus told Tai that while the COG were not Saints, they were going to win the war, and that he wanted Tai to be on the winning side, offering him a place in the COG army. Since he had nothing left on the island, Tai accepted Marcus' offer and joined C Company.[13]

Stationed on the Sarfuth-Maranday Border

"Okay, I take the corporal thing too seriously."
—Marcus, apologizing to Carlos after getting angry with him for violating regulations

One year later, Marcus had been promoted to Corporal, and was stationed at a base along the Sarfuth-Maranday border along with the rest of C Company. It was winter in Sarfuth, but Marcus refused to wear a helmet, instead wearing a do-rag that was permitted under regulations. He and Carlos were assigned to work with sniper team Three-Zero to protect a pipeline from sabotage by Indie soldiers. As they drove in an APC towards the pipeline, Marcus told Carlos that Captain Harrie had been killed after charging a gun position. He then contacted Pvt.Padrick Salton, and he told Marcus that someone had been digging animal traps along the pipeline for the past half hour, and he needed them to check it out. They arrived at the pipeline and inspected the traps, which looked legitimate but might have just been preparatory work for a bomb. They hid in the shadow of the pipeline to see if anyone else showed up, and they eventually spotted a Ski-Bike arriving at one of the traps. Marcus reminded Carlos they were not to cross the border into neutral Maranday, and to wait and see if the guy was actually a saboteur before acting. Padrick told them that the guy was taking a lot of things out of his pack. Marcus told him to wait, and they watched the guy a little longer, until he got spooked and began running. Marcus and Carlos chased after him after shooting and disabling his bike. Marcus told Carlos to try and take the guy alive for Intel to have, and to try to avoid killing him. Their chase took them over the border, but Carlos managed to tackle the guy. However, he reached into his jacket for a weapon, forcing Carlos to stab him.[14] Marcus helped Carlos carry the body back across the border, and they met Pad and his spotter Baz at the APC. Marcus searched the body, and found explosives in his jacket, as well as some papers. They loaded the body into the APC for Intel to look at, and drove back to the base. Marcus was upset with Carlos for crossing the border during the chase, but didn't say anything on the ride back. The Intel guy was happy with what they had found, and he and Carlos went back out in the APC to check for any more possible sabotage. Marcus apologized to Carlos for getting angry about him not following the SOP's, and that he had been right to chase the guy over the border. Carlos said he might have brought Maranday into the war if he had been caught, and that he was too caught up in trying to make a difference to pay attention to regulations. Marcus told him that they would be able to once winter was over and the regular fighting began again.[15]

Operation Leveler

"She's a psycho."
—Marcus, on commanding officer Helena Stroud

Nine months later, Marcus and the rest of C Company had been sent to Merrenat Naval Base, where they began training for a unknown operation. During a training exercise for a beach landing, Carlos tripped and fell into the water while exiting the landing craft. Marcus pulled him out from under the water and dragged him ashore, stopping for a moment to let him recover. However, Helena yelled at them for stopping, and ordered them to continue the exercise. They began crawling up the beach with the rest of the unit, and Marcus asked Carlos if he was okay. Carlos told him he was, but was angry with himself for falling. Marcus told him that it was their first time trying that landing at night and he had probably hit a hole or something. As their training op continued, Carlos continued to cough up water, and Marcus ordered him to fall out and see a medic, worried about secondary drowning. Carlos tried to convince him otherwise, but Marcus called for a medic over the radio, and Helena backed up his order. Two hours later, the training op was over, and Carlos returned to where the rest of the unit was camping in the woods. Marcus was expecting an argument, and told him that it had only been an exercise, and that they needed him for the actual operation. After eating a meal with Bernie and Tai, they joined the rest of the unit in being debriefed by Helena, who had brought her daughter, Cadet Anya Stroud, to the briefing. Marcus attempted to get more information about the mystery operation they were training for, and Helena told him that even she didn't know beyond a beach landing. After the briefing, Marcus remarked to Carlos that Helena was a psychopath, but Carlos told him that she was a psychopath who wins, which was what they needed.[16]

"Sounds like the kind of souvenir my father collects."
—Marcus, after leaning the objective of Operation Leveler and deducing his father’s involvement

After training ended, C Company was transferred to Fesor Naval Base, where they were kept in their quarters until they were ordered to board the CNV Kalona at five in the morning, two days before the operation. Marcus stood next to Carlos in the line of Gears as they waited to board the ship. Marcus asked Carlos if he had managed to get hold of Dom before they got their orders, and Carlos told him that they had left messages with each other, and that Dom was now completely locked down, and that Maria was due to give birth anytime. Carlos then asked Marcus if he had called his dad to let him know he was shipping out, and Marcus told him he had, and that his dad just went real quiet, as usual. Carlos asked if he had told him he was shipping out on the Kalona, and Marcus realized that he hadn't told him, and that he hadn't asked, and felt puzzled and hurt. Carlos told him they could work it out after he got back, but Marcus told him that he said that before every deployment. When Helena began approaching the Gears, Marcus called them all to attention. As they stood in line, they noticed Anya was following her mom, and Marcus was worried she would fall walking up the ramp onto the ship in her high heels. The Gear in front of them remarked that Marcus could give her CPR if that happened like he was dying to, but Marcus rebuked him and made him shut up. They then boarded the ship and dropped their equipment in their bunk, and headed up to the deck with the rest of the Gears to wave goodbye to their families. As Carlos waved goodbye to his parents, Marcus saw that Adam was also there, and waved at him. As they went out to sea, Carlos told Marcus that at least his father was trying to be there for him, but Marcus just thought that it was interesting that he had managed to figure out where he was deploying from, suspecting that he had known all along. Two hours later, Marcus and the others were briefed by Helena, and learned their objective: to prevent UIR reinforcements from reaching Aspho Point from Aspho Fields while a COG commando team, which included Dom, secured vital information on weapons research from the facility. Marcus realized that his father must have been involved in the planning of the operation, and hadn't told him.[17] Two days later, the Gears were getting some sleep before the operation began, but were interrupted when a navy rating came down and informed Carlos that his niece, Sylvia Santiago, had been born. Marcus and the other Gears began congratulating him. The company then assembled in the hanger deck to wait for the go order. Helena briefed them one more time, and they boarded their landing craft. Marcus asked Carlos if he was okay in the craft, and Carlos told him he would be fine when they landed. As they set off, they watched the divisionary attack on Berephus start, and realized that meant Dom was under way as well, and they both wished him luck.[18]

"Shit. Shit. Sorry ma'am. Sorry."
—Marcus, after missing with both his Longspears to take out an Asp

Twenty minutes after landing, Marcus and Carlos were set up behind a machine gun position. Carlos was worried because they weren't hearing anything from Aspho Point, but Marcus reassured him that that was how things were supposed to go during commando operations. They heard over the comm that an Indie commando squad had been spotted near Aspho Point, but Marcus told Carlos not to worry. Marcus then noticed some movement in the tree line near the field, and Carlos confirmed it as well, and contacted Helena. Helena ordered Marcus to load up a Longspear to fire, and Sgt. Daniel Kennen reported that Indie vehicles were approaching. Marcus spotted more Indie troops and informed Helena, and shooting broke out at Aspho Point. Marcus locked onto the lead Indie vehicle, and Helena ordered the company to open fire.[19] As the battle raged on, Asps began approaching the battlefield, moving along the road to Aspho Point. Worried that they might try to take out the facility and to prevent the COG from getting its hands on the research, Marcus began to look for a way to stop the Asps, and determined they would have to cross a bridge to get in range. They tried to figure out a way to stop them, but were distracted when anti-air units arrived as well, which would prevent the COG's Petrels from destroying Aspho Point's backup site. Marcus and Carlos continued to fire Longspears at the Indies, but began running low as more and more Indie vehicles arrived. Kennen was killed during the fighting, and Marcus forced Carlos to focus on the task at hand. He had two Longspears left, and waited for the order from Helena to use them, hoping that Dom and his team would be extracting soon.[20] Marcus watched as several Petrels flew over the battlefield toward their target, but was shocked along with the rest of the unit when some were shot down, forcing the others to break off. Helena ordered Marcus to take out the Asps that had somehow managed to shoot them down, but Marcus' first shot missed, hitting the ground. His second shot also missed, taking out an APC that moved to cover the Asp. Marcus was torn up by his failure, and apologized to Helena, who told him it wasn't his fault. She decided that someone had to work their way across the battlefield and drop grenades onto the Asps, and Marcus and Carlos volunteered to try, but Helena shot them down and told them she would do it herself. The remaining Gears in the company began regrouping as she made her way towards the Asp, and Marcus and Carlos joined Pvt. Byran Jakovs, Pvt. James Marasin, and Pvt. Steven Hurnan. They wondered what they would do about the second Asp, but watched as Helena reached the first one undetected and opened the hatch, dropping the grenades. However, her webbing got caught on the vehicle, and she was unable to jump clear, and died when the Asp exploded. Marcus and the others were horrified, but he contacted Bernie to inform her that she was in command now. Marcus was worried about Anya, who was providing mission control over the comm, and wondered how they were going to take out the second Asp so air support could arrive, and how they would take down the Khimeras flying towards Aspho Point.[21]

"We're going home. I'm taking Carlos home."
—Marcus to Bernie, after recovering Carlos' remains

Soon after, the commando team destroyed Aspho Point and began their extraction, but the Petrels still could not reach the backup site to destroy it. Bernie began making plans for extraction, but Marcus requested permission to try and take out the last Asp, as it was moving into position to attack the extraction zone and provide support to the Khimeras searching for the commandos. She gave approval, and Marcus organized Carlos, Jakovs, Hurnan, and Marasin alongside the road the Asp was moving along and hit it with five Gut-Punchers. They succeeded, but someone in the Asp remained alive and it continued to function, heading for the bridge to cross the battlefield. Carlos jumped up with Jakovs and Hurnan to charge the Asp, but all three were hit. Jakovs and Hurnan were killed, but Carlos rolled off the side of the road and into a ditch, and told the others he was fine after Marcus began shouting and asking if he was alright. Marcus then somehow managed to hijack the Asp, and charged into the Indie lines, shooting up all of their vehicles and soldiers.[22] For ten minutes Marcus devastated the Indie forces, and was hit three times by Indie light armor, but nothing slowed him down. He took out everything capable of shooting down airborne assets, including a Khimera that was hunting Dom and the other commandos. The Asp eventually came to a stop near the COG lines, and Marcus got out and Bernie congratulated him on his work. He asked her if Carlos was back with them yet, but she told him that he was still near the bridge firing on the Indies. Marcus was annoyed with him, thinking that he didn't trust him to take out the Indies by himself, and headed for the bridge. Bernie also began making her way to the bridge, and she asked Carlos if he could make his way back to the rally point. Carlos responded that he had been hit badly and couldn't move. Marcus was shocked, and demanded to know why he hadn't told anyone or called for a medic or him. Carlos told him that it was because he knew Marcus would try to rescue him, but he told him that it was useless and that he was already dead. Marcus told him to shut up, and continued to head towards him, moving from cover to cover to avoid Indie fire. Bernie ordered him to go back to the extraction zone, but he refused, and pointed out that she was still heading for Carlos as well. Carlos told them to stop, and that he had messed up and gotten Jakovs and the others killed, and told Marcus that he needed to take care of Dom. Carlos was hit again by Indie fire, and began begging Marcus to shoot him to put him out of his misery. Marcus froze, but regained control and told him that he was going to get him out of there. Carlos told him that he wouldn't be able to, and that he had to stop him from getting himself killed. Carlos then detonated a grenade, killing himself and destroying the bridge that the Indie vehicles would need to cross to get to the extraction point. Marcus bellowed in grief, but took advantage of the explosion to rush to the site and recover what he could of Carlos while Bernie covered him.[23]

"Dom... Dom, I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
—Marcus, as he tells Dom that Carlos is dead

Marcus and Bernie took Carlos' remains to the extraction zone, and Marcus knelt next to the sack containing the remains as they waited for a Sea Raven to arrive and extract them to the CNV Pomeroy. Bernie came up to him and told him that she had just spoke to control, and learned that Dom had made it, saving the lives of the rest of his unit in the process. Marcus remarked that Dom was a natural Gear, and Bernie offered to tell him about Carlos, but Marcus told her that it was his job, and that he was an honorary Santiago. Bernie comforted him, and told him how sorry she was, and Marcus began sobbing and crying silently, and asked her what he was going to do without Carlos, and that he had been like a brother to him. Bernie told him that he needed to be there for Dom, and that the rest of the unit was going to be there for them, and that they were family as well. Marcus asked her if she would have put Carlos out of his misery if she had gotten the chance, and she told him she would have, but he did it first. He wondered if there was something he could have done to save him, if he had gone after him instead of taking the Asp, but Bernie told him that he had done the right thing. They then wondered what they were going to tell Dom, as the truth that Carlos had made a mistake and gotten himself and others killed might devastate him. They decided to lie, and say that Carlos and the others had sacrificed their lives to blow up the bridge and stop the Indies. No one in the unit would contradict that, and the radio had been shut off so control had not heard what happened. The Sea Ravens then arrived, and Marcus made sure that Carlos was the first one on board.[24] When the Sea Raven landed on the Pomeroy, Dom was waiting for them, and Marcus saw he was disturbed when Carlos didn't emerge. Marcus went up to him, and tearfully informed him that Carlos had died.[25]

Aftermath of Aspho Fields

"I'll see that she's okay, Dom. We'll be fine."
—Marcus, telling Dom that he was going to make sure Anya got home safely

Five weeks later, Marcus had been promoted to Sergeant and was at an awards ceremony at the House of Sovereigns, where he and Dom would be presented with the Embry Star for their actions, and Carlos and Helena would be awarded ones posthumously, with Dom accepting Carlos' and Anya accepting her mother's. Marcus, Dom, and Anya stayed together before the ceremony, and they worked to protect her from the press who wanted to interview her. After being awarded their medals, Marcus and the others went outside to the graveyard where Carlos was buried, and found Lt.Col.Victor Hoffman there, paying his respects. Marcus didn't say anything, but Dom invited his commanding officer to come with them to dinner that evening with Adam and the Santiago's, but Hoffman turned the offer down, saying he would like to drink with them sometime. After Hoffman shook their hands, he left, leaving them alone to say goodbye to Carlos. Marcus dug a small hole into the grave, and placed Carlos' Embry Star in there with him, and buried it while crying. Unknown to him, Hoffman observed the whole thing and seeing Marcus like that made an impression on him. After enduring an extremely awkward dinner with his father, the Santiago's, and Anya, Marcus volunteered to make sure that Anya got home safely after she had a little too much to drink, and they spent the night together.[26] The two had sex and started a secret romantic relationship, despite the regulations against it.[27]

Skirmish in Ghato City

"Don't even think it. We got the Indie research. My dad says it's saved him years of work."
—Marcus, to Dom after he said that he sometimes thought Carlos died for nothing

Two years later, C Company was deployed to the Independent Republic of Furlin. Marcus was in a squad with Dom, Tai, and Pad, and they were sent to Ghato City to secure it. They encountered a small squad of Indies in the ruined city and engaged them, but became pinned down in a destroyed building. Marcus asked Pad if he could reach a nearby roof and snipe the Indies heavy weapons, and Pad told him he could if Marcus gave him some cover. Marcus told Tai to use their last RPG on the Indies to provide cover, and as Pad used the smoke from the explosion of the rocket hitting the Indies position to run for a building with a roof, Marcus, Dom, and Tai opened fire to cover him even more. Dom asked Marcus to remind him how much ground they had secured that week, and Marcus said that he was guessing it was zero, again. After Pad sniped the Indie manning the machine gun position, Marcus led the others in a charge against the Indie position with Pad providing sniper cover. Marcus asked Pad how many were left, and he told him that he had taken down three, leaving three more. Marcus, Dom, and Tai quickly shot two of them, and Marcus then jumped into the Indies building and finished the last one off. He called in to command that Ghato was secured, and that they would meet up with the rest of the unit at Tenla. They began walking out of the city towards the RV point, and Dom said that he had thought the war would end within months after Aspho Point, and he was now starting to think that Carlos had died for nothing. Marcus told him not to think like that, and that his dad said that the Indie research had saved him years of work on whatever he was doing. Dom asked if Adam was still not discussing it with him, and Marcus told him that top secret meant top secret to Adam.[28]

PadMarcusExplosion

Marcus, Pad, and other Gears taking cover from an Indie attack.

Ceasefire

"It wasn't in vain, Dom. Look..."
—Marcus, pointing out the surrendering Indie forces to Dom

Two weeks later, C Company was driving along a road on a cliffside overlooking a Furlin town, which Dom was relieved to see hadn't been bombed, but Marcus told him not to jinx it. The convoy stopped, and one of the other Gears called Marcus over to listen to the radio, telling him his father had done it. Marcus listened with the others as it was announced that Chairman Tomas Dalyell had announced that he was meeting with Premier Yori Deschenko to discuss the term of the UIR's surrender after the deployment of the Hammer of Dawn, which had been created by Adam. All of the Gears began celebrating, and Tai told him that his father had found his true path. Marcus told him that the war wasn't over yet, and that the peace process could still take days or weeks. He was proven right moments later when Indies began shelling the convoy and the town below. Dom was horrified, saying that it was insane and that somebody needed to tell the Indies that they had surrendered. Marcus told him that they hadn't technically surrendered yet, and took cover with the rest of the unit and began returning fire. Pad yelled that the Indies had to know the war was over, but Marcus pointed out that if it was them, they would fight to the last as well, and that the Indies likely thought the announcement was COG propaganda. As they returned fire, Lt.Preston told him that the Captain was trying to offer the Indies an informal ceasefire, but Marcus doubted it would work. Several Gears were then hit by mortar fire, but the Indies then stopped attacking, receiving word that the surrender was for real. Marcus was relieved the Pendulum Wars were at last ending, and hoped that it was the real thing. Three hours later, Marcus watched through binoculars as the Indies in the mountains began to surrender to the COG, and told Dom that it hadn't all been in vain. The next day, C Company had moved into the city below the cliffs, and Marcus and the others gathered together in silence as it turned noon, at which time the official surrender took effect.[28]

Locust War

Emergence Day

Six weeks after the end of the Pendulum Wars, a subterranean species called the Locust Horde emerged from the Hollow and attacked every major city on Sera in a surprise attack later known as Emergence Day. The Locust began a genocidal war against humanity for reasons unknown, and within twenty-six hours, 25% of the human population was killed. During the attacks, Marcus reported for duty and was assigned with Dominic Santiago to protect the civilians in the Kalona District.

Destruction of Halvo Bay

During the Destruction of Halvo Bay, Marcus Fenix lead Omega-Two in an attempt to secure the city's airport. They were charged with destroying a large Seeder. The battle changed hands repeatedly.[29] A few hours later they managed to eliminate the Seeder, but then he called Control for evacuation of his squad when they were pinned down near the Museum of Military Glory, but the estimated time for extraction was about an hour, to which Marcus said that they didn't have an hour. Awhile later Kilo Squad successfully deployed the Lightmass Missile, destroying the Museum and killing all the Locust in the area, saving Omega-Two in the process. Marcus reported over the radio that Omega-Two was "a little roasted", but clear.

Hammer of Dawn Strikes

Approximately a year and a month[30] after E-Day Marcus was serving in A Company Two-Six RTI,[31] in a unit with Dom, Tai Kaliso, and Padrick Salton, when the recall order for all military units to return to Ephyra came in. Despite their orders, they took a detour to engage Locust forces at Jannermont, and were involved in a skirmish there. Marcus would later arrived at checkpoint with Sergeant Mendez trying to keep military traffic open so they can safely evacuate to Ephyra before the Hammer of Dawn was used on the Locust Horde. Adam Fenix requested to Chairman Prescott that Marcus can be shipped back to Ephyra before the Hammer strikes. Prescott ordered that Marcus Fenix was to be recalled to Ephyra on a King Raven but Fenix refused the special treatment and let a civilian with a baby take his seat on the King Raven. Marcus Fenix and his squad would later move to retake Voslov Bridge and allowed thousands of citizens to escape the Hammer attacks.

Scouting Over the Cressy Escarpment

"Like I said, we've been here before, people. We stopped them then, and we'll stop them now."
—Marcus, to Bravo Squad and the crew of KR Nine-Six as they fretted about the Locust advance

Nine years after the Hammer of Dawn counterattack, Maria had disappeared and Marcus spent nearly every free moment helping Dom search for her. He was also placed in command of Bravo Squad, which included Dom, Tai, and Pvt. Jace Stratton. They were assigned to patrol above the Cressy Escarpment on KR Nine-Six near the end of Reap and provide support to a unit of sappers in the area as they tried to block sewer systems leading towards Ephyra. As they flew over the escarpment, they spotted the city of Estana burning in the distance, after having been attacked by the Locust two days prior. Jace remarked that the Locust would be in Ephyra within a week, but Marcus responded that they had been in this situation nine years before, but were still there now. Jace countered that they could not use the Hammer of Dawn to save them this time since they had nowhere else to run and that they had tried everything they could. The pilot of the Raven, Lt.Rothesay, told them that the sappers would be able to succeed in blocking the sewers, and several explosions echoed in the distance as the sappers destroyed bridges and blocked roads. Marcus commented that they were cutting it close, as they could see a massive Locust force closing in on the Jacinto Plateau from KR Nine-Six. Rothesay contacted Red-Three, who informed them that they were still pouring concrete to block a sewer. Marcus remarked that the Locust would reach them before they finished, and Jace added that it would not set in time anyway. The crew chief, Cpl. Charlie Castilla, noted if bedrock did not slow the Locust down, concrete would not either, and Jace repeated his assessment that Ephyra would be attacked within a week. Marcus cut off the conversation, reminding everyone that they had stopped Locust advances before, and would do so again. They then received word from Major Gill Gettner in KR Eight-Zero, who reported that a column of forty Locust were heading straight for Red-Three at Shenko Falls.[32]

Skirmish at Shenko Falls

"I'm sorry. I am so damn sorry."
—Marcus, to Red-Three after he failed to save Captain Shaw

Rothesay contacted Cpt. Shaw, the commander of Red-Three, and asked him to evacuate, but he refused to leave before their job was finished. Rothesay began flying to the work site, and they spotted Brumaks joining the Locust forces. Once they landed, Marcus jumped out of KR Nine-Six with the rest of Bravo and quickly found Shaw working with his five sappers to fill a sewer in with concrete. Marcus asked him to get on the Raven before it was too late, but Shaw felt he could not leave until he was finished and did not want to abandon their equipment, since they were running low on supplies. Marcus pointed out they were low on Gears too, and Shaw reluctantly ordered his team to get on the Raven. Marcus helped get them and what equipment they could onto the Raven, but Shaw remained with the cement truck for as long as he could. Castilla then opened fire on a group of Locust nearing the edge of the woods, and Shaw slipped and fell into the rapidly filling hole. Marcus tried to grab his hand, but he was too far down to reach, and Rothesay called out to them to get back on the Raven so they could use the winch to rescue Shaw. KR Nine-Six hovered in position over the pit, and Marcus lowered the winch down to Shaw as the others fired on the Locust below. Shaw got into the rescue harness and Marcus began bringing him up, but as he was just a few meters away from the Raven, Shaw slipped out of it and fell back into the hole. Marcus tried to get the harness back down to him, but the cement filled up over Shaw's head, leaving him completely submerged. Marcus prepared to dive in to rescue him, but Dom held him back and Rothesay lifted clear of the area and began flying back to Ephyra. Marcus was furious at them, but Dom pointed out there was nothing they could do without getting more people killed, and Marcus apologized to Shaw's people for his failure. Rothesay told Marcus he would drop him off at Haldane Hall so he could spend some time with his dad, but Marcus refused to take the leave. Rothesay overrode him and ordered him to have a talk and stiff drink with his father to forget what just happened, and that he was not giving Marcus a choice about it. Marcus reluctantly agreed, and went into the tail section of the Raven and then punched a bulkhead before rejoining the others in the crew bay, blaming himself for not being able to save Shaw and so many others who had died since Emergence Day.[33]

"You wanted to tell me something. Looks like it's bad news."
—Marcus to Adam, during their dinner together on Marcus' leave

Rothesay dropped Marcus off in the courtyard of Haldane Hall, and when he entered the home Adam came out of the kitchen to greet him. He aplogized for not changing out of his armor, and asked if it was okay if he took a shower before dinner. Adam told him to go ahead, and asked if he wanted a drink standing by afterwards. Marcus muttered that that would be a good idea, and switched to civilian clothes after his shower and joined his dad for dinner. Adam asked how things were going, and Marcus told him about how he lost Shaw. Adam tried to get him to not blame himself, but Marcus changed the subject and advised Adam to leave Haldane Hall, since the Locust would attack Ephyra any day now. Adam questioned where he would go, and was sure that the COG would hold Ephyra, but Marcus simply said that they would try. Marcus then noticed that Adam had taken down the photo of the deceased Chairman Tomas Dalyell presenting Adam the Octus Medal and asked him why. Adam told him that it brought back too many memories, and Marcus thought that he was referring to the Hammer of Dawn strikes and told him to stop beating himself up over it. Adam told him it was not that simple, and that there was something he needed to tell him. Marcus suggested they eat first, and as he checked the food, Adam asked Marcus how things were going with Anya. Marcus commented that it was about the usual, and Adam inquired how the search for Maria was coming and if he thought she was still alive. Marcus told him that Dom believed she was, and that was good enough for him. As Adam put the dinner on the table, Marcus asked what it was he wanted to tell him, and Adam began by saying it was something he had never told anyone. Marcus asked if it was about Elain, and Adam told him that it was, but not entirely. He asked if Marcus thought about her much, but Marcus informed him that he sometimes could not even recall her face. He then told Adam that if it was about the project he was working on to stop the Locust, Marcus did not need to hear about it since it was classified. Adam paused for a moment, then told him that it was about the project, and that he believed he was close to finding a way to stop the Locust. Marcus had heard that too many times before to believe it, but told Adam that that was great, but questioned if he should even be telling him that much. Adam was silent again for a few moments, and then told Marcus that he was right, classified meant classified.[34]

Scouting the Sewer

"Guess what's spooked them. Got to be grubs."
—Marcus, after watching a massive pack of rats flee past him, Hoffman, Rossi, Parry, and Slader

Several days later, Marcus accompanied Col. Victor Hoffman, Sgt. Drew Rossi, SSgt. Lennard Parry, and Tyran National Utilities manager Slader into a southern outfall sewer in Ephyra to scout around for possible Locust use of the sewers. As Parry and Slader inspected the sewer, Marcus scouted around with Hoffman and Rossi. When Rossi expressed concerns that the sewer was backing up due to the large amounts of sewage, Marcus reassured him that it was still flowing out. Hoffman asked Marcus if he was okay, having heard what happened at Shenko Falls, and Marcus told him he was fine. Hoffman remarked that he was due a few more days of leave, and suggested he spend more time with Adam, as he might not have a chance to soon. Marcus responded that Adam was busy, and they rejoined Parry and Slader, who gave Hoffman recommendations on how to defend the sewers. As they headed back to the ladder that led to Almar Street, they watched as a massive pack of rats fled past them. Marcus noticed one rat stuck in the water, and used his boot to help it get free and rejoin the rest of the pack. He guessed that the Locust were tunneling nearby and had spooked the rats, and Slader agreed, noting that rats were sensitive to vibrations. They climbed the ladder back up to the surface, where, Cpl. Aigle hosed them down with disinfectant. Hoffman ordered Marcus and Rossi to gather their squads and evacuate refugees south of La Croix Boulevard, since he did not want civilians in the way when the Locust attacked the city. They acknowledged his order and jogged off to gather their men and begin the sweep.[35]

Fall of Ephyra

"Come on, Dom. Better not be late to the party."
—Marcus to Dom, after he hears Anya over the radio reporting that Reavers had been spotted over Ephyra

Later that day, the Locust began their final push on Ephyra, and Marcus rode in the passenger seat of a Packhorse as Dom drove him, Tai, and Jace back to the command post in Ephyra. Dom slowed down as they passed a column of smoke coming from a building, but he ducked as he spotted something holding a rifle. Marcus pointed his Lancer out the driver’s window, but lowered it when it turned out to just be a Stranded man. After Dom showed the guy a photo of Maria to see if he had seen her, Marcus offered to take the man back with them to the COG controlled center of Ephyra, but he refused, declaring that his situation would not really be any different. Dom started driving again, and they overheard Anya on the radio giving instructions to King Raven units as Reavers were spotted approaching the city. Marcus got agitated and told Dom to hurry up, and he reassured Marcus that Anya would be safe at the CIC that was set up in the Bank of Tyrus. Marcus reluctantly agreed with him, and they crossed over into Ephyra, where hundreds of vehicles and Gears were streaming into the city to prepare for the attack. They saw more civilians being evacuated and another column of smoke marking where a Reaver or Raven had been shot down, and artillery pieces began firing. They eventually arrived at the command post at the intersection of Almar and Correll streets, where they found Hoffman and Aigle preparing for the battle. Marcus asked for an update, and Hoffman told him that the main sewer was down the street, and that was where they were expecting the Locust to emerge. Marcus and the rest of Bravo followed Hoffman down to the trenches, and he was embarrassed as the rest of the Gears began cheer at his arrival.[36]

"Methane gas. They fractured a gas main. Or maybe it's sewer gas. Either way, that shit's combustible."
—Marcus, after Jace smelled gas coming from the main Locust E-Hole

As Marcus and the others waited for the Locust to emerge, Anya reported to them over the radio that the Locust had breached the sewer system, and were less than a kilometer from Correll Square. As rats began emerging from the manholes, the Gears tensely waited for the Locust to emerge. A Corpser then smashed through the ground, and Marcus joined in with the hundreds of other Gears in opening fire on the creature and Drones that began to emerge. They cut down the first wave of Locust, but the second managed to reach the barricade and the Gears engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the Drones. After cutting down a few Locust, Jace pointed out to Marcus and Dom that he smelled gas, and Marcus realized that the Locust had damaged a gas main when they emerged, and they could ignite it to close the emergence hole. Jace gave Marcus a Bolo Grenade, and as the battle raged around them, Marcus ran towards the hole and tossed the grenade into the hole. It exploded and set off the gas, creating a massive explosion that tore up the street and knocked Marcus backwards as flames gushed upward from the hole. They rejoined the other Gears in surrounding the few Locust that had escaped, and quickly cut them all down. As they headed back to the command post, they heard artillery in the distance, but were unable to raise anyone on the radio network. They found Hoffman and Aigle listening to a report that Locust were emerging all over the city, using the metro system to quickly move around. Marcus listened intently Anya then came over the radio and reported that the CIC had been cut off and Locust were entering the building, but the radio then went dead. Aigle reported that all comms had been lost, and Marcus asked for permission to take Bravo to the CIC and rescue any survivors. Hoffman ordered him to wait a moment as a King Raven landed and Lt.Kevan Mitchell informed them that at least ten thousand Locust had emerged into the city, and that the Ravens were using the Treasury roof as an evac point. Hoffman then ordered Marcus to go to the CIC and take any survivors to the evac point, and Marcus immediately took off down Almar Street towards the Bank of Tyrus, with Dom, Tai, and Jace following closely behind him.[37]

"It's okay. You did fine."
—Marcus to Anya, reassuring her after they rescued her from the bank

Marcus and the others were joined by JACK, who had been sent to assist them in the search. They killed the Locust that had breached the bank, and Marcus insisted on searching every corner of the building until they found Anya. They located her near one of the vaults, and he asked if she was okay. She told him that everyone else was dead, and that she had just run and hid, unable to help anyone. Marcus reassured her that she had done all she could and told her to stay close to him as they headed for the RV point on the treasury roof. Anya asked if they were pulling out of the city, but Marcus told her they were only pulling back, and were not beaten yet. As they moved through the building, Marcus and the others defended Anya when more Locust entered the building. Once the Locust were dead, Marcus yanked Anya up and began leading her through the halls to the roof access area as the others cut down Locust along the way. She panicked at the sight of a Brumak walking through the streets, and Marcus told her not to look at it or think about the battle. As they made it to the rooftops, Marcus contacted Hoffman and told him they had found Anya, and asked what his position was. He told Marcus that he had run into trouble and that they should just get to the Ravens without him. Jace then called out that Reavers were incoming, and Marcus jumped on top of Anya to protect her from debris as a King Raven was shot down and part of the fuselage shot over them and became embedded into the wall. Dom remarked that it had been Daniels Raven, and wondered where the Hammer Team was. Marcus guessed that they were dead, and apologized to Anya for jumping on top of her like that, but that it was better to have a few bruises than get killed by debris. As they moved along the rooftops, Marcus spotted the remains of two members of the Hammer Team on one of the roofs below them, and dropped down to retrieve the targeting laser, along with their COG Tags. He discovered that the targeting optic had become detached, and put it into one of his pouches to keep for safekeeping before rejoining the others.[38]

"I've put myself on the line every day since I was eighteen years old. Followed every order. Even the half-assed ones. But now I'm going to save my father. So with all due respect, fuck you, sir."
—Marcus to Hoffman, after being ordered to forget about his father and go to the Chancery Bridge

They arrived on the treasury roof to find a King Raven piloted by Strachan waiting for them, and they spotted Hoffman approaching the building with his right arm badly injured. Marcus ordered Dom, Tai, and Jace to get on the Raven while he and Anya waited for Hoffman to get to the roof. When Hoffman got up there, Marcus told him they needed to get his wound treated, but Hoffman insisted that they get to the Chancery Bridge in order to give Major Tomas the targeting laser before the Locust overwhelmed his position and took the city. After Hoffman ordered Anya to call in KR Eight-Zero and return to Jacinto to set up a new CIC, Marcus recommended that Hoffman go with her. Hoffman refused, and Marcus began trying to convince him to leave the battle. Their argument was interrupted when Anya told them that Adam had just contacted her, saying he wanted to say goodbye since the Locust were about to assault Haldane Hall, but she then lost the signal. Marcus quietly declared that he had to rescue him, but Hoffman ordered him to get on the Raven and bring the targeting laser to Chancery, since an entire brigade of Gears was in more trouble than Adam. Marcus got in Hoffman's face and refused to abandon his own father, even when Hoffman threatened to court-martial him. As Marcus stared to walk to the Raven, Hoffman grabbed him and spun him around, telling him that his father was useless and not worth the life of any Gear, especially Marcus'. Marcus responded by punching him in the face, briefly staring in shock at what he had done before he set the targeting laser on the ground, forgetting that the targeting optic was in his pocket, and began walking back to the Raven. He told Anya to take Hoffman on the other Raven to Chancery, but Anya started ordering him to stop and listen to her, and asked what he thought he was doing. Marcus responded that he was doing his duty, and boarded the Raven, telling the others that they had been assigned to rescue his father. Hoffman desperately tried to call Marcus back over the radio, but Marcus refused to answer him as the Raven lifted off and flew towards Haldane Hall.[39]

"Dad?! You okay, Dad?! Come on, let's get out of here."
—Marcus to Adam, just before the King Raven crashed into Haldane Hall and buried Adam

When the Raven reached the estate, Marcus and Dom dropped down from the Raven to search the grounds for Adam while the others covered them from the helicopter. As they began to search the house, Adam appeared carrying a briefcase, and asked what they were doing there and that they were going to get themselves killed. Marcus told Adam to follow him quickly and that he would explain later, but Adam insisted that they get his research from his lab before leaving. They heard explosions outside as the Locust breached the estates walls, and Marcus told his dad that his work did not matter anymore, and to just follow them. Adam did as he was told, but asked for Marcus' sidearm, but Marcus refused to give it to him and reassured him that they would protect him. Tai contacted them and said the Locust were massing outside the estate but not attacking, and that he and Jace would rope down to join them. Marcus warned him that they would be easy targets for the Locust, so Tai told him that they should distract the Locust then. Marcus and Dom rushed outside and opened fire on the gathered Drones, cutting them down as Tai and Jace hurried to join them. When the last of the Locust were dead, Marcus called in Strachan to land the Raven and evac them as the others gathered the Locusts weapons. As the Raven attempted to land, Adam called out that there were Boomers approaching, but the warning came too late and the huge creatures opened fire, shooting down the Raven and sending it crashing into Haldane Hall. Adam was buried under the debris of the building as Marcus desperately tried to reach him.[40] Marcus and Dom were knocked unconscious by debris as well, but KR One-One then arrived to extract Bravo Squad. Tai and Jace got them onto the Raven, and they were evacuated back to the parts of Jacinto City still in COG hands. Marcus' actions had caused Hoffman to get delayed in taking the targeting laser to Chancery Bridge, with all but two Gears stationed there dying and the Locust managing to cross over and take the entire East Barricade. Upon waking up, Marcus was informed of Adam's death, and charged with dereliction of duty.[41]

Trial of Marcus Fenix

Marcus was court-martialed for cowardice and failure to obey orders, and only narrowly avoided execution due to his two exemplary tours of duty in the Pendulum Wars and (secretly) Prescott intervening to keep Adam happy. Dominic Santiago testified for him, but to no avail. He was sentenced to 40 years imprisonment in Jacinto Maximum Security Prison.

Incarceration

While in the Slab, Fenix was housed in Cell Block-38 as Prisoner B1116/87. [42] Anya and Dom tried to gain a legal appeal to the court-martial, but also proved fruitless. During his time in the Slab, Marcus gained the respect of both the prisoners and most of the guards, except one named Campbell who hated him as his son was a Gear and was later killed in action. Marcus gained his facial scar when Campbell trapped him and released two guard dogs on him and a prisoner named Reeve. Marcus killed both dogs, but was mauled in the face by one, resulting in his scar.

During this time, he refused to let Dom and Anya visit him as he knew it would break their hearts and initially refused anything that would set him free as he felt he needed to pay for his crimes. He grew depressed and lost a lot of weight and muscle, but a visit from Chairman Prescott convinced him to not give up as Prescott promised that someday he might be released to rejoin the army. Prescott also arranges with the guards to give Marcus as much protection as possible and threatens to conscript them if they hurt him and to let Marcus' comrades know about what they did once they're conscripted. Marcus also gets a letter from Anya, but doesn't open it for awhile until Reeve convinces him to. The letter contains a picture of Anya watching him and a promise to wait for him.

Eventually he started helping the prisoners dig an escape tunnel as he wanted to escape simply to kill more Locust, but the tunnel flooded and he nearly drowned. With paper given to him by the senior warder Niko, Marcus responds to Anya to not wait for him and he told her that he wanted to move on with his life and is even offered the chance to have coffee and call Anya by Niko. While Marcus drinks the coffee, he doesn't call as he wants Anya to move on and not be reminded of him. When a Locust take-over of the area resulted in the prisoners basically taking control of the prison, Marcus learned of Dom's plan to break him out and was upset. When the Gears retook the area, Marcus gets Niko to give him his rifle so he could snipe some and Niko realized that if Marcus had wanted, he could've easily overpowered the guards and escaped.

This and the fact that Marcus clearly belongs fighting the Locust causes Niko to decide to help Marcus escape if he can. After the COG is able to reach the prison again, Prescott personally comes to see Marcus and delivers a letter along with the news that Anya is waiting for him and wants him to respond. Marcus is shocked as he only ever received a couple of letters from her and did respond and he asks Niko about it. Niko doesn't know, but investigates, leading Campbell to confess to Marcus that he burned all of the letters as a form of petty revenge on Marcus. When Campbell calls Anya a bitch, Marcus nearly beats him to death and threatens to actually kill him if he insults Anya again. After a bunch of what the prisoners believe is spiders come up through the toilets, Marcus is called to look at them and quickly grabs a pipe and starts beating them to death. Marcus explains that they are actually baby Corpsers and it means that the Locust are getting in and they need to prepare themselves.

Siege of the Slab

During the siege, Marcus, as the only expert on the Locust on hand, takes command of the prisoners and guards to defend themselves as best as possible. Niko has Campbell give Marcus his rifle and Reeve his pistol as they are the best shots and best at using weapons and thus the best to have them. Marcus also has Niko call into Control to let them know about the Locust attack and Niko informs him that Anya told him to pass along to Marcus that she loves him. Marcus briefly laments the fact that he couldn't return the favor, but Niko informs him that he took the liberty of doing it for him. Rather than being mad at this, Marcus thanks Niko for his actions.

Marcus defends the prison from baby Corpsers and Wretches and ultimately has the prisoners and guards barricade themselves in an abandoned wing where there are manual locks and they will be safe. Marcus and Reeve try to find where the Locust are coming in and locate an old elevator shaft, but are trapped when Locust Drones show up. Marcus urges Reeve to lock himself in a cell while Marcus does the same so they will be relatively safe, but Reeve, not wanting to be locked up again, locks Marcus in and flees through the old elevator shaft.[27]

"You can get into a lot of trouble for doin' this."
"Not anymore. Things have changed.
"
—Marcus to Dom after the breakout

After receiving word that the Locust had overrun the area, Hoffman and Prescott ordered the prisoners released and conscripted. Thanks to barricading themselves in the old wing, the other prisoners and guards were rescued, but they didn't know Marcus' location and Hoffman reluctantly ordered him left behind as it risked too many lives to try to find him. Learning of this from Prescott and unable to change Hoffman's mind, Dom took off to rescue Marcus with Hoffman's secret approval, taking along extra armor and an extra weapon on Hoffman's "suggestion" for Marcus and broke into the Slab and was able to free him from his cell before Wretches broke into his ceiling bars with the help of JACK.[27] Soon Dom explained to Marcus that everything changed after he was imprisoned and Hoffman pardoned all the prisoners except for him. Dom gave Marcus a duffle bag with his armor and a Hammerburst and they both headed out of the cells into the main cell blocks. Marcus questioned why Dom was in the prison and how he could get into trouble, but Dom told him that, "things had changed". Dom then gave Marcus the option of taking a route through the guards quarters which would take some time or into the prison block where Locust were located.[43]

After clearing the main building of Drones, Marcus and Dom searched the room for any ammo, but were interrupted by a group of Drones trying to blowtorch their way inside. Forcing the pair to get into cover, the Drones enter the first door and blasted the second door, injuring Dom and forcing Marcus to fight them off and save his friend. The pair soon entered the courtyard and found that KR-64 and KR Six-One were giving cover fire over the courtyard. Marcus and Dom battled their way to the back of the courtyard only to have witnessed Six-One getting shot down and the mission in the area is aborted, KR-64 came down to pick up Delta-Two while a Corpser emerged from the courtyard. While on board the King Raven, Marcus meets his new commanding officer, Lt. Minh Young Kim, and Pvt. Anthony Carmine, becoming a member of Delta-One.

Lightmass Offensive

"Welcome to Delta squad."
—Kim, welcoming Marcus to the squad

Flying over the ruins of Ephyra city, the former capital of the COG and now a Locust stronghold, Kim informed Marcus that they were going to land on Embry Square. Kim told Marcus that Hoffman was leading the operation, which worried Marcus since Hoffman had left him to die. While Carmine took potshots at any Locust down below, he asked if Marcus was THE Marcus Fenix, hero of Aspho Fields. Carmine's reaction to the Pendulum Wars hero was a "Wow! Cool!" and was given a negative reaction from Marcus while Carmine went back to taking potshots. The King Raven soon landed in the square and Hoffman greeted Kim, but reminded Marcus that he is still a traitor and unworthy of the armor of a Gear. While Hoffman explained to Kim that he has a way to win the war and wipe out the Locust, Marcus sees Anya for the first time in years but only gives her a fixed look. However, he is relieved as he realizes that she didn't forget him and move on as he'd told her to.[27] But the Locust interrupted the reunion, forcing the Gears to hit the sandbags while Anya retreated to the landed King Raven. Marcus and Delta engaged the Drones while Hoffman gives him the details of the Lightmass Offensive and how they need to find Alpha Squad and the Sonic Resonator which is more important than the Gears. Marcus and the Gears defeated the Drones and Hoffman left the square before telling Marcus that he needs 110% of him and Marcus reminded Hoffman he is not fighting for him. Soon more Drones attacked Delta-One but Hoffman's Raven took them out. Delta-One soon have to battle their way to Alpha's last known location, after battling the Locusts and closing three Emergence Holes, Delta soon discover three dead Gears, Dom hoping it was not Jan Rojas. After getting access to the dead Gears who were next to a large E-Hole, Delta soon discovered that there were no COG tags on them, and the resonator wasn’t there. Delta and Marcus were soon ambushed by a group of Drones with a Troika Heavy Machine Gun, but Marcus was able to flank the turret and kill the advancing Drones. Delta soon found themselves inside a fountain and several E-Holes pop out around them forcing Delta to hunker down in the fountain. Fighting off several Drones, Marcus was able to close at least two of the E-Holes but the third one was out of sight and sent wave after of wave of Drones. After killing all the Drones, Marcus and Delta move on from the fountain and into a building while they discuss how Command can stop the Locust from attacking from underground. Soon Delta entered a building and split into two teams, battling their way inside, Marcus was sent to take out a spotter that was guiding a troika. After gaining the Locust turret, another Locust E-hole opened up and Marcus and Delta slaughtered the Locust before killing a single Drone that came from the room behind them.

After leaving the building, Delta was in front of the House of Sovereigns, the capital building of the COG. Delta battled their way into the courtyard in front of the House of Sovereigns, Kim ordered Marcus to hit the entrenched Locust from the right and battle his way inside the building, engaging in close quarters combat with Locust Grenadiers, after killing all the Drones and taking out the turret, Delta follow up on their squad leader. While in cover behind the sandbags, Anthony exposed himself to show Kim that his Lancer was jammed leading to his death. Soon several Drones attack them and Delta was able to fight them off. After the attack, members of Delta, including Marcus, felt sympathy for Carmine, but moved up into the capital building, fighting several more Grenadiers. The squad hit a locked door, but Kim had the codes to enter it. Hearing distant gunshots, Marcus and Delta climb the stairs to find Augustus Cole single handedly fighting and killing a whole squad of Drones, but was wounded by a grenade. Marcus was able to save Cole and he reported to Delta CO on the whereabouts of Alpha squad, but also told them that Seeders are inside the building and stopping them from communicating with the CIC and the Nemacyst from allowing any air support. Delta, along with Cole, moved on to find all the Seeders, finding the first seeder next to a canal inside the building, Marcus used the Hammer of Dawn to take out the first Seeder. Delta then move back inside the House of Sovereigns. After being attacked by packs of Wretches, Delta discovered the remains of Rojas, and Cole, Dom, and Kim, paused to pay his respects. Delta soon took out the two remaining Seeders but not before one took out a causeway inside the building. After regaining contact with Alpha squad, Delta's new objective was to gain access to the roof. Delta was able to make it to the roof and kill the Drone on the turret and open fire on the drones on ground level and clear the skies of any Nemacyst. After a short firefight, Delta was able to relieve Alpha squad whom was trapped inside the Tomb of the Unknowns.

Regrouping with Alpha, Kim called for a King Raven, while Cole told Baird that Rojas did not make it, when General RAAM attacked the Gears and took out the King Raven that crashed on top of Delta's and Alpha's location, splitting Kim from the rest of the Gears. Marcus and the others were pinned down in front of the Tomb and were not able to save Kim from RAAM, who fatally stabbed him with his knife. Briefly shocked after witnessing RAAM kill Kim, Marcus intended to kill RAAM but was quickly talked out of it by Santiago who reminded him of their mission. Falling back inside the tomb, Marcus reported Kim's death to Anya and gave her a status update. Marcus soon asked for advice from control when the Locust unleashed a Berserker inside the Tomb, which killed Gyules, leaving only Baird and Cole left in Alpha. Anya advised Marcus to get the Berserker outside to kill it with the Hammer of Dawn. taking control of the situation, Marcus told Baird and Cole to sit tight and him and Dom would lead the Berserker in a game of cat and mouse before leading her outside and killing her with the Hammer. With Kim dead and Marcus having the most leadership experience, Hoffman restored him to his former rank of Sergeant and gave him and Dom overall command of Delta Squad and was reassasigned as Delta-One with Santiago while Baird and Cole took their old spots in Delta-Two. Marcus asked for a King Raven, but Locust air forces could not allow for any reinforcements, forcing the Gears to walk to the Lethia Imulsion Facility, but Dom had a plan that involved getting a Junker from the Stranded.[44]

"Shut up Baird, keep moving."

What? What'd I say... I'm sure that there's some nice... Stranded... maybe not."

—Marcus and Baird on Dom's plan

With Delta under his command and night soon coming, Marcus went along with Dom's plan, but Baird did not believe that he really had a plan. Marcus split up at a fork in the road with Baird and soon battled two Boomers. Inside the building, they find a Corpser and some drones. Delta was able to kill the two Drones, but the Corpser followed Delta around the city, while they fight their way out of the building and taking several fortified positions. After taking a Locust hard point and hitting a lock door, Dom told Delta that he knows a Stranded that have a Junker that could drive them to Lethia Imulsion Facility. With a new goal, Marcus and Delta set out for the Stranded outpost, battling their way on a bridge and taking out a Drone on a Troika. Delta successfully reached the Stranded outpost, but did not meet a warm welcome from the Stranded, with some members hiding from the Gears while others openly taunt them. The Gears meet Franklin Tsoko, the de facto leader of the Stranded camp. Marcus allowed Dom to deal with the Stranded and after a short conversation, Franklin was willing give him his Junker, but Cole and Baird had to stay behind in the camp in case any Locust attacked them.

Leaving with the information that the Junker was at Aspho Gas Station, Franklin told them they have to go to Checkpoint One and Checkpoint Two to get to the gas station. Reaching the river, Marcus and Dom rode abroad a cable ferry across the river, but night finally reached and the Kryll attack the surface looking for any food. Marcus and Dom were able to get across the river but now had to stay in the light to avoid being killed by the Kryll. Marcus contacted Delta-Two and ordered Baird to eat any food the Stranded gave him and told Cole and Baird to get ready for anything. Reaching checkpoint one, Marcus was told to stop and the Stranded would approach them, but their overhead light busted and the Kryll killed them. When Dom contacted Franklin and told them that the Stranded at the checkpoint one where dead, Franklin began organization of the settlement defense. Marcus and Dom bypass checkpoint one and reached a street where a Locust E-hole opened behind cover and forcing Marcus and Dom to engaged in a firefight, Marcus ordered Dom to shoot any Propane Tanks they encounter while Dom told him that the Stranded lived off the tanks, but Marcus told him its either them or the Locust. Engaging in several more firefights with the Locust and destroying more propane tanks, Delta was finally able to make it too the second checkpoint, finding a drunk Stranded, Marcus ordered Jack to go with the Stranded to get the power on inside the building so they can pass safely across into the gas station. Marcus finding the building full of dead bodies and Wretches, Marcus and Dom was able to get out of the building. They found the gas station on the bottom of a hill and they pushed a burning car so they could pass safely to the gas station. Reaching Aspho station and Chaps, the owner of the gas station, Chaps scorned them for burning down half the neighborhood and alerting the Locust to his presence. Marcus asked him if the Junker is ready but Chaps figured they would never have made it to him, so Marcus had to fill the Junker with gas himself but the Horde attacked them and Marcus and Dom, along with Chaps had to defend the station. Battling over a dozen Drones and a Boomer, Marcus and Dom, along with Chaps escaped the gas station in the Junker taking damage and ramming a Boomer which was still able to take out the gas station, destroying it and all the stored fuel.

Now in the damaged Junker and a power problem that can't let the Junker use its UV Turret and engine at the same time. Marcus would have to stop the Junker and use the turret, to kill any attacking Kryll. Marcus drove the Junker across the highway and into some streets frying any Kryll. Marcus was able to reach the Stranded settlement in time before being overrun, getting off the Junker, Dom and Marcus regroup with Baird and Cole to help the Stranded fight off the Locust while Chaps walked away drinking a beer. At the walls of the settlement, Marcus and Delta battled dozens of Drones while more E-holes pop outside the settlement. Delta was able to kill all the attacking Locust outside the camp, but a massive E-hole opened inside the settlement, but Marcus shot a massive gas tank and it fell on the Boomers inside the E-Hole and killing all of them, saving Delta and the Stranded. After the battle, Delta joined up inside the Junker and headed for the Imulsion factory.

Delta reaching the gates of the Lethia Imulsion Facility, move into to plant the Resonator inside the Hollows, which the factory would allowed them access too. When they enter the factory courtyards, they discover the Lambent Wretchs, which had few reported sightings before. At the front door of the factory, they found it lock and too thick for JACK to rip it. Marcus ordered Cole and Baird to take the sewers while he and Dom tried to find another way in. After passing a guard post, they encountered the Lambent Wretches and had to fight their way inside the factory. After finding the elevator to the second level of the factory and entering though a window, Marcus and Dom discovered how rundown the factory was since its abandonment and the Lambent Wretches kept on stalking the two Gears while they tried to reach their objective. Marcus and Dom entered a room with no power and had Baird restore the power, immediately finding out that the wretches had massacred a group of Stranded. Finding the mauled bodies of some Stranded, Dom was visibly sickened, asking Baird to "Turn'em off" to Baird's evident confusion. Moving further into the room, they were unable to get past the door on the left without a security code but found a Stranded hiding in another room to the right, hoping for rescue, who knew the code for the door. Marcus had the Stranded lead them to the cart control room, where they reach room with dimensional lumber as the floor, the Stranded was the first to walk on the wooden planks but fell in and was killed by the Wretches below. Marcus and Dom were able to safely move through the room. Marcus and Dom eventually meet up with Baird and Cole and noted their smell from the sewers. With the squad at full strength, Delta headed out to the Cart control room and battled a large numbers of Wretches and Drones along with a Boomer, finally reaching the cart control room. Marcus ordered one Gear per cart, mostly because of how Baird and Cole smelled. Anya controlled the carts and to navigate them safely to the drilling zone and barely avoiding Drones, Wretches, the furnace and a Boomer "checking for tickets". The squad finally reached the end of the rails and proceeded on foot. Finally reaching the elevator to the Hollows, four Boomers were waiting for them. Delta was able to kill them and entered the Hollow, some of the first Serans in years.

After reaching the bottom of the lift, Marcus ordered Baird and Cole to stay back with the resonator while he and Dom tried to find a way to the objective point. Fighting several Wretches and Drones, Marcus and Delta had to find a way to set off the resonator and get the data before the Kryll come back into the Hollows before dawn comes. Marcus and Dom was walking near a ridge when they fell down into a ravine and into a Locust ambush, after defeating the Drones, Marcus ordered Baird and Cole to go on without them, while Marcus and Dom would try to find them and the pump zone where they would set off the resonator. Marcus and Dom, battled their way thought the Hollow, trying to find their way back to Baird and Cole, but like before, they fell down into a ravine and had to start over. Unfortunately for Marcus and Dom, a Corpser was waiting for them near an Imulsion pit. Marcus and Dom battled the giant creature of the Hollow and forced it onto a scaffolding and shot all the clamps, which dumped the Corpser into the Imulsion, but it was still alive and jumped out in a one last ditch attack on Marcus who did not move an inch as the creature attacked. After the duel with the Corpser, Baird and Cole arrived after the battle and joined up with Marcus and Dom. Now once more at full strength, Delta heads out for the pump station inside the Hollow. The squad headed to the pump station, splitting into two teams, Theron Guards were heard whispering in the building, neither Marcus nor Dom had ever seen them before, but Baird knew them by name. The Therons and the Drones under their command attack them but Marcus and Delta were able to defeat them and place the Resonator. With the Resonator in place and the countdown initiated, Delta headed for the elevator and got to the surface before the resonator sent off a sonic blast that even hit the surface and knocked them down. Unfortunately the resonator did not map all of the Hollows, but Baird found a Geobot that contained data about the Hollows, data that belonged to Marcus' father, Adam Fenix. Hoffman ordered Marcus to return home to get his father's data so they can map the Locust tunnels.

Delta flew to East Barricade Academy on KR Six-Four, with KR Two-Five and another Gear squad flying alongside. A group of Locust Nemacyst attacked their King Ravens, nearly taking out Six-Four, but Two-Five was hit and crash landed in the city below. KR Six-Four landed in a courtyard of the academy in that was full of Locust. After clearing the courtyard, Locust reinforcements arrived in the formed of two Boomers and Drones. Delta was able to beat back the Locust, and Marcus contacted control for the fastest way to get to the Fenix's Estate through the ruins. Anya sayed there were two possible routes, Delta takes both with Baird and Marcus took the upper levels, while Dom and Cole took the courtyard. The group then battle through squads of Locust and neutralize a Seeder. They eventually reach KR Two-Five's crash site and scare off the scavenging Standard. Baird and Cole then stay behind with the surviving Gears, while Marcus and Dom continue on ahead. The duo reached a greenhouse but the door is blocked. Marcus tells JACK to rip it open, while he and Dom fight off hordes of Locust, including two Boomers. After Jack cut through the door, the duo proceed inside. The two then bump into a Berserker who they manage to trick into collapsing pillars which exposed open sky, allowing the two to drop the hammer on the beast, vanquishing it. Marcus and Dom then fought their way through Drones, Grenadiers, Theron Guards, Boomers, Wretches, and Nemacyst, before reaching Haldane Hall and regrouping with Braid and Cole.

After arriving at Timgad Station, Delta fought a large group of Locust as they waited for the Tyro Pillar to arrive. Only Marcus and Dom only made it onto the train, while Baird and Cole waited for pickup by a King Raven. The two Gears had to battle their way to the first cart where the Lightmass Bomb is located. Marcus and Dom had to defeat a group of Therons and Lancer armed Drones, after clearing the carts, the duo hit a locked door. While ordering JACK to rip the door, a Berserker jumped onto the end cart. Marcus contacted Control, and begged for Anya to use the Hammer of Dawn in the Berserker, but the Seeders' Nemacysts had "inked" up the sky and prevented the Hammer of Dawn from being used. Without their only weapon against the Berserker, Marcus had to use his wits to kill the Berserker, tricking it into going on some train cars and detaching them from the train. After killing the Berserker, Marcus and Dom moved into the train cars. After fighting through more Drones and Therons, along with Reavers and Lambent Wretches, the only thing between them and the bomb is the Locust leader RAAM. The duo battle through his Kryll shield and managed kill RAAM, avenging Kim's death. Marcus activates the bomb and sends it plummeting into an Imulsion field. With the map data from East Barricade the bombs hit several Locust strongholds and almost completely destroys the Outer Hollow. Hoffman believes this has wiped the Locust out, but they soon learn that this had not happened.

Pirnah Badlands and Mission to Montevado

Several weeks after the Lightmass Offensive, Delta-One (including two new members; Jace Stratton and Gil Gonzalez) were sent to the Pirnah Badlands to search for and rescue missing Gears. The only survivor they found was Michael Barrick of Echo-Six.[45] After recovering Barrick, Delta set off on the return to Jacinto. However, during the journey the squad picked up a distress signal, which turned out to be a Locust ambush. Although all enemy forces were destroyed, Gonzalez was fatally wounded.[46] Despite this, Marcus was able to get his squad back to Jacinto, and gave Gil a proper funeral.

Marcusandanyadate

Marcus and Anya at The Rusty Nail.

During down time in Jacinto, Fenix went to The Rusty Nail for rest, relaxation and to meet up with Anya, but ended up fighting (and beating) two men. After the week of leave was up, Fenix and the rest of Delta-One was sent to Montevado. Whilst flying over the Dorado Hills, they were shot down by Locust, but survived and managed to reach a Stranded camp outside of Montevado, appropriately named Fucked. Marcus and Delta-One had to neutralize a force of Locust raiders in order to protect the encampment, in what became known as the Battle for Fucked. Afterwards, Delta used a Junker (that a stranded named Jonboy had promised them) to get to Montevado. During the journey they were attacked by a Brumak, but were saved by the intervention of Sigma-One. Fenix and the rest of Delta made it to Montevado. Unfortunately, however, the Riftworm sank the city just after they had entered.[47]

Hollow issue 10

Marcus fighting alongside Alex.

Liberation of Jilane

Four months after the city of Jilane fell to the Horde, a city infamous for artificial insemination and other ways for the COG to boost human populace, both by traditions and by science. Col.Hoffman ordered Delta-One with elements of Sigma and Foxtrot to a search and rescue mission in the city. Leading Delta since Sgt. Alex Brand did not have tactical command over Delta.[48] Delta entered the city finding evidences of the Jilane Massacre along with survivors, the Grievous bodily love, a stranded group of women defending the children of Jilane hiding out in the "farm". After a short firefight, Delta was able to convince the GBL that they are not the enemy even though what the COG has done to them. After finding the beacon and crazy women holding it, Fenix discovered she was not trying to call the COG but the Horde.

Siege of Jacinto

Operation: Hollow Storm

Chairman Prescott orders dozens of Gears in the Coalition to assault Landown, a nearby location, and drill deep into the Locust's Inner Hollow. Marcus boards an Assault Derrick named "Betty" with the squad and an ex-Stranded soldier named Dizzy Wallin. Many Gears are lost on the trip due to Nemacysts, but Marcus and company reach Landown safely. As he boards the Grindlift, the drilling device, Skorge, the Kantus priest leader, leaps onto the Derrick and engages in a chainsaw duel with Tai and Dizzy. Dizzy instructs Dom and Marcus to escape while he and Tai hold him off, Marcus attempts to exit the lift to assist, but the Grindlift launches too soon.

The two of them land in the Hollow and quickly engage Locust forces to save other Gears. The fate of Dizzy and Tai remains unknown, but Carmine is saved by Marcus as he is cornered by two emergence holes. They journey further underground, engaging with the Locust Kantus Priests at what appears to be a Locust stronghold and witness the movement of a gigantic Riftworm. The worm, large enough to swallow the foundations for which entire cities were built on, destroys the city of Ilima just as Marcus, Dom and Carmine exit the Hollow.

They trek across the city, meeting up with Cole and rescuing Baird from Locust captivity. They board a Locust Prison Barge, and discover a brutally tortured Tai. Marcus arms him with a Gnasher Shotgun, not noticing/taking into account the countless scars and whip marks on him. Tai glances at the Shotgun, realizing his soul already left his body, then points it at his chin, and fires. At this point and further on, Dizzy is still MIA. The squad leaves the Beast Barge and order an extraction from Ilima. Just as their King Raven picks them up, the Riftworm bursts out of the ground and swallows the helicopter whole. The fate of the pilot is unknown, but the squad wakes up inside the worm, finding that Carmine is missing. They battle parasitical Nemacytes and find Carmine being mauled by one. He soon dies, and the remaining four chainsaw themselves out of the worm after disabling its three hearts. Marcus then, clearly at a loss for words, calls for extraction.

A King Raven drops Delta Squad a Centaur tank instead of an extraction, and they are instructed by Hoffman to drive to a nearby research facility, where Niles, an autonomous security system, warns them to stay away from the status tanks. Marcus and Dom extract data from the lab about the Locust stronghold and queen, and accidentally awaken the Sires inside the tanks. They burst free, but Marcus and Dom make it out of the facility alive.

Marcus and company then drive the Centaur atop Mount Kadar and into the highway to Nexus, the Locust stronghold. Chaps, a gas station owner Marcus and Dom encountered during the Lightmass Offensive, tells them the only way to Nexus is via the internal river location inside the mountain. Chaps also tells them how to find Maria. Baird and Cole extract several human survivors to the surface, whilst the two others make their way to Nexus, boarding a Locust gunboat and slaying a Leviathan.

They both make it to the entrance, as Dom expresses his desperation for his missing wife, Maria. Marcus is reluctant to follow him on the search, but gives in after Dom reminds him how he was willing to sacrifice everything to save his father. They find Maria, who is bruised, battered, malnourished, and brain dead. Realizing that she will never function again, Dom kills her so she won't have to suffer a slow death, something that affects even Marcus. They enter Nexus, a complex network of structures deep underground, inside an immensely gigantic cavern, above a seemingly infinite sea of Imulsion below. They fight to a location where summoning COG reinforcements would be probable. The beacon is activated via Jack, and the assault on Nexus begins. Baird and Cole reunite with Marcus and Dom, so the four of them enter the Locust palace and face Queen Myrrah. She escapes, and Baird and Cole give chase. Myrrah instructs Skorge to kill Marcus and Dom before leaving, a fight ensues. Skorge is beaten, and boards his mutated Reaver mount, the Hydra, and lifts off. Delta hops on two Reavers to flee and are pursued by Skorge.

Aboard the Reavers, Delta flies to Jacinto. After Dom and Marcus encounter the High Kantus's mount, they dogfight with him in a drawn-out chase and eventually kill Skorge. They assist in the COG defense against a massive Locust assault, and Colonel Victor Hoffman orders Marcus and Dom to clear out the underground space beneath Jacinto to allow a Lightmass Bombing; doing so would flood the Hollow, which the COG believes would kill the Locust Horde. Marcus and Dom make their way down, hijacking a Brumak, and wreaking havoc with it in the process. The Brumak is infected with Imulsion after having to step in it clear out the aforementioned underground space, and turns into an explosive, Lambent Brumak. The Brumak hits the raven carrying the bomb, and it is lost. Marcus then realizes that a Lambent Brumak is the same as a Lambent Wretch, except on a gargantuan scale. Baird confirms this, and Marcus then destroys the Brumak with the hammer of dawn, causing an enormous explosion which ultimately ends up flooding the Hollow, making Operation Hollow Storm a bittersweet success.

In the hours after the sinking of Jacinto, only 60% of the city's population survived. Marcus was evacuated along with the remaining population. Bernie, who was left behind in Jacinto, was able to signal Marcus and was rescued. The remnant of the COG began to make their way to Port Farrall. At the new settlement, Delta was put on crowd control and they spent much of their time trying to keep the citizens under control. Though they believed that the war was over, they soon saw the truth. After an attack by a battalion of Locusts, a Corpser and other stragglers around the port, the true enemy began settle in; winter. At first, the abandoned port city lacked of resources and shelters, though after almost a week, engineers of the COG Army started to rehabilitate potential buildings for sheltering. After scouting the area, Marcus along Delta Squad, found an underground tunnel complex, which they explored and found ammunition and rations. This underground warehouse came into attack by a pack of wild dogs, during the animal raid, Bernadette Mataki was bitten in the leg, but was treated right away by medics, Marcus comments on how even animal are struggling to survive. Though Marcus was struggling with his personal feelings with Anya, she revealed that she shares Marcus' attraction.

Stranded Insurgency

Lambent Pandemic

Collapse of the COG

Victory Day

Marcusgettingready

Marcus gets ready to finish the Lambent.

Eighteen months after sinking Jacinto and abandoning Vectes, Marcus is part of a rapid reaction force on the CNV Sovereign. Prescott returns suddenly with a message for Marcus, revealing that his father is still alive and has a weapon that will destroy the Locust and the Lambent. When the Lambent attack the ship, Marcus, Dom, Jace and Anya help fight off the attack as the ship is abandoned. A Lambent Leviathan attacks the ship, and Cole contacts Marcus to lure the Leviathan under the Centennial Bridge to "give it a headache". His squad uses two Silverbacks to lure the monster under the bridge, where Baird, Cole, Carmine, and Sam drop a crate of Tickers onto the Leviathan, killing it but destroying the ship. After the explosion, Cole's group finds an unconscious Marcus and Dom at the shore. Marcus sends Sam and Carmine to help at the lifeboat north of the ship, while he leads the other to find Anya, Jace, and Prescott, the lattermost being mortally wounded. Before dying, Prescott confirms that Adam is still alive and gives them the decryption key to A2897. Afterwards, Marcus views the rest of his father's message, reacting angrily when Adam mentions that Prescott had abducted him.

Needing to reach Hoffman, who has the data disc, Marcus leads his squad into the Deadlands, where they fight a horde of Savage Locust to reach a Gas Barge and fly to Anvil Gate. During this, Marcus's squad finds that Queen Myrrah is still alive.

On the way to Anvil Gate, Marcus and his group rescue Dizzy Wallin from more Locust. Later, Queen Myrrah attacks the Gas Barge and causes it to crash. Marcus reunites with Hoffman at the crash site and Marcus lets him know about the recent developments. After fighting off a Locust and Lambent attack on Anvil Gate, the group views the disk with Hoffman and Bernie. Marcus learns the details of Azura and its Maelstrom barrier, and organizes a mission to get fuel and a submarine with Dizzy along to repair and pilot the sub, while Baird and Cole go for reinforcements.

Marcus leads a mission to find fuel for the sub; Dom suggests to go to Mercy, which Marcus agrees on. They fight their way through an abandoned Seran city, where Locust have taken up residence among the ruins, eventually gunning past a Savage Locust outpost in Concord Air Base. Marcus warns the team to watch their back, as the Locust are "angry" and will likely seek vengeance for their fallen comrades. At Mercy, they find the town deserted, but find explosive charges placed on the pipeline. They find an insane man claiming that a "sickness" is spreading and that he will stop it. The squad pursues the man into the sewers, where they find him killed. Marcus hears crying and initially believes it to be a female Stranded, but is horrified when the "Stranded" reveals herself as a Lambent Human. They fight their way through the hordes of Formers and activate the pipeline; however, by this time, the Locust from Concord Air Base have arrived, damaging the truck to the point where it is leaking fuel. Marcus is forced to abandon the truck. To make their matters worse, Lambent join in on the fight, and Dom kills off both sides by sacrificing himself, leaving Marcus devastated.

Following the disastrous mission to Mercy, Marcus leads a Mission to Char to get the sub and fuel. After fending off a Lambent attack, Marcus meets with Aaron Griffin, who agrees to give them the fuel they need in exchange for getting it for him, with Griffin taking Dizzy hostage to force him to do so. Marcus gets the fuel, but a Locust attack devastates Griffin's people and only Dizzy and Griffin survive, leading Griffin to refuse them the fuel. Marcus leads everyone to the Endeavour Naval Shipyards, where they find a sub and leave Dizzy in order to get a new propeller and fuel for the sub, coming under attack from the Locust. The group succeeds in its mission and sets off in the sub for Azura.

On the way, the sub comes under attack from Manglers and a Leviathan and Marcus mans one of the sub's gun pods along with everyone but Dizzy to defend the sub. The defense works and the Manglers are driven off and the Leviathan killed. After traveling through a whirlpool and a minefield, Marcus and the others finally reach Azura, traveling through a field of bodies slaughtered by the Locust and land. Marcus orders Dizzy to take the sub down to a safe distance, as it may be their only means of escape.

During the battle that follows, Marcus and his squad, guided by his father, deactivate the Maelstrom Barrier and allow Gorasni reinforcements led by Baird, Cole and Trescu to arrive. Marcus leads an assault to rescue his father and after battling Myrrah on her Tempest, finally reaches him. Adam reveals that he knew about the Locust for five years before Emergence Day and had developed a neutron bomb-like weapon that would destroy everything heavily infected by Imulsion, which he reveals is a living parasitical organism, including the Locust and Lambent organisms, while hopefully leaving mostly uninfected humans alone. Marcus leads the group to the top of the Pinnacle Tower, where they fend off the Lambent before taking up defensive positions as Adam activates his weapon. Myrrah, who survived the earlier fight, attacks, and Marcus works to drive her off and kill the Tempest with the Hammer of Dawn. When Baird asks Adam how he "tested it", Adam reveals that he infected himself heavily with Imulsion to test its life cycle, and is thus killed by the activating weapon. Before he dies, Adam pleads for Marcus to "go—and live—for me." As Marcus grieves, an injured but alive Myrrah emerges from the Tempest's remains, to everyone's shock and Marcus's anger. As Marcus orders his squad to hold their fire, Myrrah taunts Marcus over his father's death and tendency to build weapons of mass destruction. As she does, Marcus gets in close to Myrrah and stabs her in the heart with Dom's commando knife, killing her, saying from it was his fallen friend and all the humans that Mrryah killed. The weapon then activates, destroying the Locust, Lambent, and Imulsion. As everyone later celebrates, Marcus sits down on the beach, grieving and unsure of what to do now that the war is finally over. Anya, taking his hand, convinces him that they finally have a tomorrow to look forward to, as his father had wished for him and his friends.

Interwar Period

Oldmanfenix

Marcus planting a tree on his homestead, while his wife and son watches.

In the years after the Locust War, Marcus came to be regarded as a legendary war hero. He and Anya had a son, James Dominic Fenix, who followed in his footsteps and joined the army of the restored Coalition of Ordered Governments.[49] However Marcus had warned his son not to join the newly reformed COG, and it seemed to cause a rift between the two men, especially when JD expressed thoughts of leaving the COG some time after becoming a lieutenant. Marcus argued with his son to stay in the COG because he knew that the COG would relentlessly pursue him, however JD once again refused to listen, causing the rift between the two to widen. During an unknown time, Anya Stroud passed away, causing Marcus to go into deep depression.

Swarm Invasion

Rescue of Fort Umson

Later, JD would return home after the events of Settlement 5 and the abduction of Fort Umson's entire population. Having found a strange crystal in the wreckage of the abduction, JD begrudgingly traveled back home to seek the advice of his father. During their reunion, JD and Marcus argued over old grudges before JD revealed the strange crystal, which immediately prompted Marcus to help investigate. However, before Marcus and the others are able to proceed, they are interrupted by First Minister Jinn, leader of the COG. While Jinn showed an amount of respect to Marcus, she still ended up fighting against him and the others, as she had assumed the Outsiders were kidnapping COG citizens. After a prolonged engagement across the family estate, including several encounters with Kestrel helicopters and Windflares, Marcus and the others escape on two MULE bikes that Marcus had stored away. During the escape, Marcus also helps bring down a Vulture gunship, finally causing the COG to cease chasing them.

Following a hunch, Marcus leads the group towards a Locust mass grave deep within an abandoned osmium mine, located beneath the ancient Fort Reval. During the group's trip through the ancient fortress city, they encounter strange red biomass and pods, and are stalked by a unknown creature. Eventually the group enters into a wide courtyard, with their stalker laying in wait for them. Marcus tells them to wait while he smokes the creature out. He prepares a Bolo Grenade to lure the creature out; however, Marcus does notice more of them sneaking from behind. Marcus is hit by the creature's quills, and is forcibly sucked into its stomach.

The group manages to track down the Snatcher, due to the radio frequencies emitted by Marcus' radio when JD was within range. Marcus almost succumbs to the mutagenic process turning humans into Juvies. While imprisoned within the pod, Marcus was able to observe the Swarm's hive mind, the collective thoughts of the Swarm and it's victims. He tells Kait that he felt the Outsiders from her village at first, but they all disappeared, and that her mother is still alive, but not podded. Marcus remarks how the Locust had never truly died out, and that the Swarm was its evolved form.

After being freed, Marcus and the others escape from the mine and Marcus reveals that Kait's mother is at another nesting site beneath the Tollen Dam. While Kait and the others are determined to rescue Kait's mother on their own, Marcus heavily cautions against the plan, knowing that the second nest is twice the size of the one they just escaped. Marcus attempts to persuade the group to make a detour to get back-up, but he is overruled. He reluctantly follows his son and the others to the dam.

During the events of the dam, Marcus provides supporting fire and situational advice during the group's hard fight to the top of the dam through countless Swarm troops and several Windflares. When they reach the top and see the immense size of the second nest, Marcus once again attempts to convince the group to call for back-up, which is successful. The group then heads for the town of Speyer, where there is a large telecommunications relay that has been abandoned for years, but Marcus is confident he will still be able to contact his reinforcements. The group battles the Speaker, a Swarm commander that led the raid against Fort Umson, and helps kill a Swarmak, a large, horribly disfigured variant of the Brumak, before proceeding to the communications relay.

While in Speyer, Marcus again helps the group press forward through the Swarm forces and they successfully take the relay station. Marcus heads inside for a few moments while JD, Kait and Del hold the facility while Marcus manages to receive support. After the large battle the remaining Swarm forces in Speyer, Marcus is treated to a happy reunion with his support; Damon Baird, Augustus Cole and Samantha Byrne.

Together with JD, Kait and Del and the large mechs and King Raven supplied by Baird, the group pushes through to the second Swarm hive and lays waste to it and all of the strange, monstrous creatures within it, including a incredibly massive guardian creature.

Following the victory at the nest, the group enters into the core chamber to retrieve Kait's mother, only for it to be revealed that she has been made part of the Swarm biomass, and that removing her will kill her. Kait, devastated, asks if Marcus knew the whole time from when he was connected to the hive mind, which he confirms. Marcus and the others leave Kait with her mother and wait outside the entrance to the nest. Some time later Kait returns to the group and Marcus provides her with as much comfort and support as the old soldier can muster, saying that he has been where Kait is now, and that time is the only thing that will fix it.

Rejoining the COG

Following the events at the Tollen Dam, Marcus together with JD, Del and Kait rejoined the ranks of the COG Army in order to fight the threat posed by the Swarm. Together, they formed the new Delta Squad.

Mission to Azura Research Facility

In the files on Adam Fenix's data disk, Baird found information revealing that the Abandoned Research Facility on Azura still had an intact silo with a COG Rocket carrying a prototype Hammer of Dawn satellite. Baird sent the reformed Delta Squad on a mission back to Azura to launch the satellite as a first step towards restoring the Hammer of Dawn network. During the mission, Marcus revealed to his younger squad mates that only a handful of people made it off of Azura following the final battle of the Locust War and that the island still held many COG secrets, some of which Baird knew thanks to Marcus' father.

Fighting through the Swarm Hive on the island, Delta reached the silo, but when their bot Dave tried to launch the rocket, the silo doors would only partially open. Though Baird urged the squad to run as the rocket was going to explode upon takeoff, JD decided to risk his life to hit a manual override against the wishes of his squad and much to Marcus' anger and frustration. JD succeeded in opening the hatch and Marcus quickly closed the blast doors before takeoff. The mission a success, Delta was extracted by Samantha Byrne.[50]

Returning to New Ephyra, Marcus berated JD for his actions, but offered to speak with Jinn alone first in an attempt to cool her ire while the rest of Delta met with Baird. Jinn argued with Marcus over the restoration of the Hammer of Dawn network and pointed out that his wife was against it. Marcus was enraged by Jinn's attempt to use Anya as an argument against him and over what he saw as Jinn's role in Anya's death due to her breeding program. Jinn insisted that Anya deserved to be buried amongst the Allfathers as a symbol of hope, but Marcus snapped that Jinn's symbol was his wife.

The argument was interrupted by the arrival of JD, Del and Kait who Jinn turned her anger upon. When Jinn tried to use Marcus' distrust as proof that the Hammer of Dawn network should not be restored, Marcus stated that he distrusted the people who used the Hammer of Dawn, not the weapon itself. Jinn ordered that the Hammer of Dawn was not to be used despite their efforts to restore it.[51]

Evacuation of Settlement 2

The meeting between Delta and Jinn was interrupted with news about Settlement 2 which was being evacuated due to a nearby Locust burial site becoming active. Under attack, Clayton Carmine requested reinforcements and JD volunteered Delta to help which Jinn accepted. Traveling in two separate Ravens, JD ordered Marcus to help cover the settlement's front gate while he and the others went in further and ended up getting shot down by a Swarmak. Marcus helped rescue Lizzie Carmine from danger and earned the thanks of his old squad mate and friend Clayton, her uncle, for his help.[52]

Separated from JD and Del, Marcus and Kait eventually linked back up with them at The Palace Theater where they discovered to their shock and horror that the evacuees within had been slaughtered. Fighting their way outside and joined by Cole and Fahz Chutani, Delta killed a Swarmak. While waiting for Lizzie to pick them up, to everyone else's shock, Fahz revealed during an argument that it was JD who fired the first shot during the Settlement 2 Protest Massacre. Lizzie's convoy arrived, but came under heavy fire by Swarm ground troops and three Swarmaks. Despite Baird not having full control over the Hammer of Dawn, JD had him fire it using JD as a target. The Hammer of Dawn killed the attacking Swarm forces, but Baird lost control of it and the beam struck Lizzie's Minotaur as JD tried to save her, killing Lizzie and severely injuring JD.[53]

Ambush of Riftworm Village

Four months later, Marcus was part of the reinforcements sent to help defend Riftworm Village, located in the remains of the Riftworm killed by Delta during Operation: Hollow Storm. Marcus and JD, who had been promoted to Captain, rescued Kait from inside of a Snatcher that had captured her. Mourning the death of her uncle Oscar, Kait revealed that she was having strange dreams that she now believed were a message and showed the group her grandmother's necklace which bore the symbol of the Locust Horde. Marcus suggested that Kait travel to the New Hope Research Facility to search for answers to the origins of the Locust and Kait's connection to them. Accompanied by Del, Kait followed Marcus' suggestion, but Marcus had to remain behind as his disappearance would've drawn too much notice from Jinn.[54] Instead, Marcus acted as controller for Kait and Del.

Mission to Mount Kadar

At the facility, Marcus helped guide the two through it and offered revelations about the research conducted at New Hope that he had learned since his first mission there. At Marcus' direction, Kait and Del reactivated the Niles AI and had JACK search it for clues before they had to flee when a Swarm attack destroyed the AI who activated a chemical purge of the facility.

Though most of the AI's files were corrupted, several mentioned the name "Kadar" which Marcus recognized as being Mount Kadar where Delta had located the back entrance to Nexus. Marcus had Baird search through the files which ultimately led Kait and Del to a secret lab beneath Mount Kadar where the Locust had been created.

After severing her connection to the Swarm Hivemind and accidentally awakening Reyna Diaz as the new Swarm Queen, Kait met up with Marcus, Baird and Sam outside in a King Raven and warned Marcus of the new threat.[55]

Reactivating the Hammer of Dawn

Battle of Old Ephyra

Personality and Traits

MarcusTattoo

Marcus' tattoo.

"I got to admit, It's tough to keep going. Everyone I loved is dead. Some call them the lucky ones.. the ones that died on E-day, they never lived to see how much we've lost and how many principles we've compromised. But whenever I doubt what we're fighting for I just look to my squad. I mean maybe it's a good thing we lost everything. It's like a clean slate. We can make the world we always wanted to. Without repeating the same mistakes. I look at guys like Jace and Dom and realize we'll inherit this world. We're the ones who will make Sera beautiful again. That's a world worth fighting for."
—Sgt.Fenix journal found in Tollen.[56]
Pirnahbadland

Fenix is a legend among the Gears, but it doesn't do him any good.

A totally professional soldier, Marcus Fenix is generally gruff and aggressive. He is a natural leader; being promoted to Corporal not long after he joined the army,[2] and was promoted to Sergeant after the death of Lt. Kim;[43] despite Hoffman’s disappointment in him due the fact he deserted his post during the Battle of Ephyra. As Delta Squad’s Sergeant, Marcus generally displayed an effective, no-nonsense style of leadership in and out of battle. While sometimes open to suggestions from his squad, Marcus generally expected his orders to be followed without question. He also did not believe in taking any unnecessary risks unless there was no other options.

However, there have been several times when Marcus has put friends and family before the call of duty; he deserted his post to try and save his father, as well as going with Dom to look for Maria despite that not being their mission. He frequently displays great loyalty to his friends. While serving time in the slab, he would tattoo his prison tag on his right arm.[1]

While Marcus was a dedicated soldier in the COG Army, he came to see the mistakes the COG had made politically during his years of service. Noticing the propaganda and cover ups the COG had been involved with, Marcus grew a sense of distrust towards the government's agendas to the point of seeing some of its ideals as lies, a trait which annoyed or angered COG soldiers who believed it stood for something like Lieutenant Kim while they were at the House of Sovereigns. However, he did not let his distrust of the government get in the way of his duties as a soldier and continued to take orders regardless of their sometimes suspicious nature which aimed to boost the political agenda of the COG. After the Locust War, Marcus continued to serve until his tour was over and choose to leave the COG behind with Anya, seeing it become something he wanted nothing to be apart of. When First Minister Jinn declared marital law on Sera, she allowed Marcus to live outside the COG, though this did not change his low opinion of the new COG, going so far as to urge his son James not to enlisting the Army.

Following Marcus taking her home after Operation Leveler, Marcus and Anya began a secret relationship that lasted twelve years until Marcus was sent to prison. Marcus never outright declared his love for Anya and never stayed the whole night, but part of the reason he wouldn't be open about their relationship is he worried about ruining Anya's career as an officer being in a relationship with an enlisted man could get her put up on charges and he wouldn't stay a whole night due to not wanting to worry Anya with his bad nightmares. She was unaware of this and thought it might be a sign he didn't love her, but when Dom revealed the truth, Anya wished he would've stayed anyway as she believed she could've handled his nightmares. Despite this, Marcus loved Anya and never even looked at another woman. Despite the relationship being a secret, Dom, Hoffman, Adam Fenix and Prescott at least all learned about it at some point, but did nothing to stop it, indicating that the relationship may have actually been an open secret, at least after Emergence Day. A few other people displayed knowledge after Marcus went to prison, furthering the idea that everyone knew, but did nothing to stop it. After he was sent to prison, Marcus asked Anya to forget about him and move on as he didn't want her to wait for him. Anya was shown to be frustrated by this as she wanted to be with Marcus despite regulations, but Dom affirmed the fact that Marcus loved her and despite having to potentially wait forty years, Anya refused to give up on him. Being separated from Anya and in prison affected Marcus to the point where he found it hard to read the few letters he got from her, though after he did he was shown to reread them which helped keep him sane. However, Marcus was adamant in Anya moving on without him and even refused an opportunity to call Anya directly by the senior warder as he didn't want to learn she'd moved on with her life and then have him remind her of their past. However, when the prison came under Locust siege and he learned that Anya had been the one to answer the call for help and asked to have Marcus told she loved him, he lamented not being able to tell her the same and was happy to learn that the senior warder had taken the liberty of doing so for him, one of the few occasions where he openly showed that he did love Anya. Upon briefly reuniting with Anya in Embry Square, Marcus is relieved to find out from her reaction to his presence that she did wait for him after all. After he flooded Jacinto, Marcus was desperate to reach Anya over the radio and was clearly devastated when she didn't respond, leading him to presume her dead. After Anya is revealed to be alive and well, Marcus is relieved and the two have a brief talk about his time in prison and Anya's letters to him with Anya telling him that her feelings for him hadn't changed. Anya later comforted him over the deaths of Dom and his father, even taking his hand saying they now had a future to look forward too. Despite Marcus rarely displaying emotion and never openly showing affection for her, he didn't reject her actions.

Marcus was a very cold person, and he rarely displays any emotions other than anger. Part of his cold demeanor stems from the loss of his close friend Carlos Santiago and a strained parental relationship during his childhood and adolescent years although, as Maria Santiago points out, his father at the very least cared deeply about him but apparently didn't know how to truly show it. Before he died, his father was shown to be very happy to see Marcus and Marcus was completely devastated by his death despite their strained relationship, especially since it was so soon after he lost Dom. It is shown that Adam did love his son deeply and threatened to kill himself if the Locust harmed Marcus rather than go with them. A condition of his surrender was that Marcus was to be safe which Queen Myrrah agreed with. Marcus never learned that his special treatment in prison was done by Prescott to keep Adam happy and cooperating. However, on occasions a glint of caring is seen under the hard exterior. He is able to show sorrow when losing a teammate. After Carlos died, Marcus is seen digging a hole in his grave, and then placing his Embry Star in the hole. This was one of the few occasions where Marcus was known to cry. After Gil was killed he headed for The Rusty Nail which is the only place to find him after a mission.[57] He tells Ben Carmine that he will get out of the Hollows, and later appears distressed by his death, as he was about Tai Kaliso’s suicide. He also cares a great deal about Dom. He appears shocked and saddened by the discovery of Maria Santiago in the Hollow. He initially refuses to search for her because of the mission, but when reminded of how he was willing to throw everything away for his own father, he agrees to help. When Dom is unsure what to do, Marcus reassures him and then walks away to leave him alone with her and briefly seems distressed when he hears Dom put her out of her misery. Despite finding a way to sneak into Nexus and thus accomplish the mission easier and with less risk, Marcus offers Dom the choice to go in "guns blazing," understanding his need for revenge. When Dom sacrifices himself to save him and the rest of Delta Squad, Marcus is shown to be completely devastated and irrationally tries to race into a fire to save Dom despite the fact that he is clearly dead, only stopping when Anya manages to talk some sense into him. Marcus is so devastated by this that the rest of his squad is shown to be extremely worried about his mental state soon afterwards. After the apparent death of his father, Marcus would have consecutive nightmares of his father's death.[1] Marcus also doesn't react well to people making fun of or hurting those he cares about: he beats up two men in The Rusty Nail for getting too rough with Anya, he nearly beats Campbell to death for calling Anya a bitch and he kills Queen Myrrah after she mocks his father and all of his work, telling her that he was doing it for Dom and everyone else she killed. The deaths of Dom and his father seem to break Marcus as he tells Anya that he doesn't know what to do anymore after so much loss and wonders what they even have to look forward to now, but Anya reminds him they now have a future to look forward to and that his father had wanted him to live and embrace that future. In a rare display of affection, possibly showing him moving on towards that future and still needing comfort, Marcus doesn't reject Anya holding his hand, even in front of all the other survivors of the battle.

At some point following the end of the war, Marcus and Anya marry and have a son, moving to Anya's family estate. While the details of this period are not known, Marcus is seemingly treated with an immense amount of hero worship by the survivors of the vicious conflict, and he seems to become a public figure whose opinions are taken seriously within the government of the newly reformed COG. However, Marcus seemingly appears to withdraw from public life to care for his family. At some point within this period of time, Anya passes away, and his son JD goes against his wishes and joins the COG, leading to a rift between the two men. Marcus becomes 'famously disgruntled' and allows the once immaculate family estate to turn to ruin, refusing even to appear for the twenty-fifth anniversary memorial of the end of the Locust War. Shortly after his son returns, and while their short lived reunion is tense and angry, Marcus eventually relents and decides to help his son. Over the course of the following events Marcus and his son seem to take large steps towards repairing their relationship.

Lliam's Marcus Fenix

Liam's Marcus Fenix, this comic strip lead to Liam Sharp job for Wildstorm and Epic Games.[58]

Notable Quotes

"Anybody need some sniper practice?"
—Marcus Fenix Upon seeing a Locust Patrol
"Alright guys, sit tight. We came here to help you, and that's what we're gonna do. Dom, let's go."
—After receiving instructions on how to defeat a Berserker in Act 1 of the first game
"Well, we're not here to sell cookies, so they know something's up."
—First encounter with Theron Guards in Gears 1
"Drop the "sir" shit, kid. We're not that polite out here."
—Gears of War 2, to Benjamin Carmine
"What do I look like, a fucking botanist? Some kinda plant, I don't know."
—To Benjamin Carmine inquiring what the glowing red plants in the Hollow are
"And I used to be so pretty"
—Marcus on his scars from the slab[59]
"Next lake, you're swimmin'!"
—Response to Baird's challenge of Marcus's driving skills in Ascension after traveling over an icy lake with the Centaur
"We're not saints. But we are gonna win this fucking war and I'd rather have you on the winning side."
—Marcus Fenix persuading Tai to join the COG.
"They can eat shit and die for all I care."
—Responding to Ben Carmine's inquiry if the Locust feed on Imulsion
"I think you're bat-shit crazy. That's what I think."
—Responding to Baird's comments on the Corpser saving Delta Squad as a snack
"But this thing's at full power, and I haven't seen one of these in about fifteen years...aw, shit."
—Marcus upon a transmitter during the Mission to the Pirnah Badlands[60]
"That's one! That's two! That's three! That's four! That's five motherfuckers!"
—Marcus Fenix upon a sniper side mission
"Looks to me like you need all the help you can get."
—To Victor Hoffman
"Always the shit closest to home that hits you the hardest."
—Marcus during a conversation with Dom and Carmine about how long the Locust have been in the Hollow
"Are you the Marcus Fenix? The one that fought at Aspho Fields?
"Yep."
"Wow. Cool!"
"Not really.
"
—Marcus' reaction to Carmine's excitement on the Raven after Dom gets him out of the Slab
"Anya, it's a giant worm! They're sinking cities with a giant worm! "
—In reaction to seeing Ilima City sunk by the Riftworm
"Tai is as tough as a Brumak, though, so if anyone can make it, it'd be him."
—In response to Dom's query about whether he thinks Dizzy & Tai are okay
"Hey, I thought you'd enjoy the irony of Grub-on-Glowie violence?"
"Yeah, it's fuckin' hilarious! YOU'RE GONNA BLOW UP THE WHOLE SHIP, GENIUS!!!
"
—Marcus and Baird after Baird drops Tickers on a Lambent Leviathan
"Uh… What's in those cages?"
"It's a keep-out sign."
"Well, it almost worked.
"
—Baird, Marcus and Cole, upon coming across caged human corpses in the desert area
""I just lost my fucking brother, alright? You hear that?! My brother! You and your tower and all this fucking Imulsion can go to hell!""
—-Marcus confronting Griffin
"Why don't you two guys shut up before we wake its mother?"
—to Baird and Cole in the Corpser lair
"It's a parasite. So you can kill it!"
—when Adam Fenix reveals the Imulsion's true parasitic nature
"Feel that? That's from Dom, and everyone else you killed, you bitch!'"
—Marcus killing Queen Myrrah in revenge for all the deaths she caused
"Welcome home, James."
—Marcus to his son

Gallery

Behind the scenes

Crimson Omen
Gearspedia has 282 images related to Marcus Michael Fenix.
  • Marcus is voiced by John DiMaggio. He would have been voiced by Steve Blum but was replaced during production.
  • Marcus was named Fenix because Cliff Bleszinski lost everything from his first failed marriage and was rising from his own ashes.[61]
  • It took over a year for Marcus to be taken from the concept art and placed into the game.[62]
  • Before the game's release, Marcus' face looked a lot thinner and closer to normal proportions and scarless.[62]
  • The game's designers said that they gave Marcus his scars as a way to give him a "used" look, a way of showing that he's seen combat and war before.
  • Marcus, along with Dom, appear in the multiplayer of the Capcom game Lost Planet 2.
  • Marcus was included in the Gears of War 3 HeroClix Toys.
  • Marcus's prisoner number was mentioned in Gears of War: Destroyed Beauty as being 098356-GX [63] however this was retconned in the novel The Slab where it was mentioned as being B1116/87.[64]
  • Marcus was originally to be the opening narrator to Gears of War 3. Instead of Anya Stroud recording the historical events that led to the end of the Coalition of Ordered Governments, Marcus gives a monologue about war:
"You can't save them all. Seems the more you try, the more you lose. So you save whatever you can... a city, a home, a life. Then you try to forget who you had to sacrifice along the way, and all you can do is start over. But the nightmare never ends. A new kind of death comes after you, even worse than the last. You can't even save the people you love. So you keep fighting for the few still left alive. And you survive... because that's all you've got left. We're all Stranded, now."
—Marcus's monologue.
  • Marcus alongside Kait were added as purchasable guest character skins to Fortnite during Chapter 3 Season 1 as part of the Delta-One cosmetic set.[65]

Multiplayer

  • Marcus is a playable character in Gears of War multiplayer matches for the COG team in all Gears of War games.
    • In Gears of War 3, three Marcus multiplayer skins are available: his Gears of War 3 model, Classic Marcus from Gears of War 1 and 2, and Unarmored Marcus.
  • In Gears of War: Judgment multiplayer, Young Marcus can be unlocked through a pre-order code from Gamestop/Game, among other retailers. He can be purchased through the xbox store for $1.99 [66]
  • In Gears of War 4, seven Marcus multiplayer skins are available: Armored Marcus, Biker Marcus, Classic Marcus, Day of the Dead Marcus, Old Man Marcus, V-Day Marcus and Vintage Marcus. His Biker and V-Day skins are only available in the Marcus Fenix Gear Pack, his Classic skin is only available in the Classic Delta Squad and Classic Marcus Gear Packs, his Day of the Dead skin is only available in the Day of the Dead Gear Pack, his Old Man skin can only be unlocked via the Brothers to the End Elite Gear Pack players receive for pre-ordering the game, and his Vintage skin is only available by crafting scrap.

Action Figures

Appearances

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Gameinformer Article
  2. 2.0 2.1 Gears of War: Aspho Fields
  3. Gears of War: Hollow Part One pg. 7-8
  4. Gears 5 Collectible - Trauma Record: Marcus Fenix
  5. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 9
  6. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 100
  7. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 95-102
  8. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 424-425
  9. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 49-57
  10. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 57-63
  11. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 81-89
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Gears of War: Unsaid
  13. Gears of War: The Quickening
  14. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 94-107
  15. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 113-119
  16. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 147-156
  17. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 175-184
  18. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 217-223
  19. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 240-245
  20. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 269-276
  21. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 282-290
  22. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 299-305
  23. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 312-318
  24. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 319-324
  25. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 246-347
  26. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 347-357
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 Gears of War: The Slab
  28. 28.0 28.1 Gears of War: Promise Me
  29. Gears of War: Judgment Act III: Seahorse Hills
  30. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 52
  31. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 133
  32. Gears of War: The Slab pg 3-9
  33. Gears of War: The Slab pg 9-14
  34. Gears of War: The Slab pg 19-22
  35. Gears of War: The Slab pg 31-36
  36. Gears of War: The Slab pg 59-63
  37. Gears of War: The Slab pg 63-68
  38. Gears of War: The Slab pg 72-75
  39. Gears of War: The Slab pg 75-79
  40. Gears of War: The Slab pg 84-88
  41. Gears of War: The Slab pg 94-96
  42. Gears of War: The Slab pg 233
  43. 43.0 43.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Gears of War
  44. Gears of War Act 1-2
  45. Gears of War: Hollow Issue 1
  46. Gears of War: Hollow Issue 2
  47. Gears of War: Hollow Issue 5
  48. Gears of War: Barren Issue one
  49. Game Informer: Exclusive Reveal: Meet The New Cast Of Gears Of War 4
  50. Gears 5: Act I: Shot in the Dark
  51. Gears 5: Act I: Diplomacy
  52. Gears 5: Act I: This Is War
  53. Gears 5: Act I: The Tide Turns
  54. Gears 5: Act II: Recruitment Drive
  55. Gears 5
  56. Last Day
  57. Gears of War: Hollow Issue 2
  58. http://liamsharp.deviantart.com/gallery/878043?offset=24#/d1m0qg4
  59. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 102
  60. Gears of War: Hollow
  61. https://twitter.com/therealcliffyb/status/635976375975985152
  62. 62.0 62.1 Art of Gears of War
  63. https://www.unseen64.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/gears-of-war-20050706103957177.jpgy
  64. Gears of War: The Slab pg 233
  65. https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/en-US/news/marcus-fenix-and-kait-diaz-descend-into-battle-in-fortnite
  66. http://epicgames.com/community/2012/11/gears-of-war-judgment-available-for-pre-order/
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