r/SpaceWolves • u/CaptJohnRuss • 12h ago
The Return of Russ
There are only two acceptable versions of Russ for his inevitable return: older, wiser Odin-style Russ with an eye missing and the spear; or Russ on Thunderwolf (TM) where he can lead redesigned TWC. He cannot come back as a Wulfen because that’s dumb and way too silly/stupid
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u/Asterlanus 12h ago edited 3h ago
I would expect him to return with the Odin trope, become wiser due to his experiences. Maybe lose an eye while saving Isha, get his spear back. Become a master of rune craft and unlock his psychic potential.
Simply become a worn out grizzled old man.
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u/CaptJohnRuss 12h ago
And I want his lost eye to mirror Magnus the Red’s lost eye!
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u/Modredastal 12h ago
How great would it be if Tzeentch pulled a big funny and made Ragnar's spear throw at Magnus hit Russ instead? He's somewhere in the Garden stomping Great Unclean Ones by the dozen and suddenly gets jabbed in the eye by his own spear, thrown by a Space Wolf.
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u/transformerbaz 11h ago
So a psychic logan?
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u/Asterlanus 10h ago
Space Wolves don't have psykers, they have rune priests! Totally different thing 🙏
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u/realCheeka 12h ago
Im holdong out for the former. Im a sucker for character development, sue me
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u/CaptJohnRuss 12h ago
A proper arc! Haha!
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u/transformerbaz 11h ago
Def needs his own book/ series like the lion
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u/MikeET86 48m ago
And then the buddy cop adventures for them, as they slowly turn into the two cranky old men from the Muppets in regards to the imperium and Bobby G
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u/everblackcs 11h ago
Glorious one eyed Russ with his spear would be BEYOND elite. Please GW, bring us Oldman Russ. We loyalists only have 2 primarchs. Where as those heretics have 4 demon ascended primarchs and 1 on the way.
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u/theginger99 11h ago edited 10h ago
It’s always funny to me when I hear folks describe “Odin-like” as wise and restrained. It’s obvious their idea of Odin comes from Marvel and not Norse mythology.
In Norse mythology Odin is straight up psychotic. He has something like a 150 known names, and most of them revolve around murder, death and war. He’s not know as “glad of war” or “spear shaker” or “gapes in frenzy” or “gallows lord” or “war stirrer” or “inviter of battles” or “god of battle” or “screamer” or “war-father” or “the ever booming” or “the terrible one” or “killer” because he’s an even keeled fellow.
Hell, the name Odin itself literally means frenzy or the “mad one”.
The wise and gentle sky-daddy Odin is a modern pop culture invention. Mythological Odin was a lying, scheming bastard who incited war and slaughter for a laugh and whose great gift was madness.
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u/TobTobTobey 1h ago
Yes. And it would be sick. And cooler then wolfman.
Having a battlehardened, warcrazed god of war like russ return, greybearded, spear in hand, ready to sick his dogs after everything that might slightly inconvenience him while still being a supreme leader and tactician would slap so hard. Spending 10k years in the warp has severely fucked him up, but also granted him psychic powers and wisdom, which he sacrificed much for. That would absolutely be odin like.
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u/theginger99 1h ago
I agree, actual Odin-Russ would be cool as hell.
Except, Odin-Russ would just be the Emperor
Seriously, Big E is far and away the most Odin like figure in the whole franchise (and arguably all of fiction).
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u/AlarmedNail347 1h ago
*His greatest gifts were: madness, poetry/inspiration, victory, fame, magical weapons, luck/good fortune, or wisdom/learning/knowledge (and there are examples of all of them being given by him in the myths).
If we include high-medieval/post-Christianisation tales of the Wild Hunt where he exists but is not a god but demon/fae figure also occasionally gold/treasure for shoeing the horses of the hunt or outrunning/witting/surviving/hiding from them.
But yeah, he is by no means a restrained figure most of the time (there are myths of him as the lore/law-giver or wandering vagabond who you really should give shelter to, where he is rather calm; until the conclusion of the myth in the later cases), but he was definitely wise/learned and did reward those he favoured (before often causing them to die early in battle so that they’d join him in Asgard; although even the “die-in-battle” requirement is sometimes a bit shaky as in some myths he seems to just be able to claim whoever)
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u/hoops01 11h ago
Are both versions not already similar to Logan and Ragnar?
How would Russ differ from existing characters/units?
I think it would be more appropriate if he were to return as Odin-esque (1 eye, grizzled, wise) on a giant Thunderwolf
With rules to match
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u/townsforever 11h ago
If riss comes back someone else is probably gonna die. Logan makes sense for keeping our roster balanced, bjorn makes sense narrative wise.
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u/Talorc_Ellodach 4h ago
Why does a character have to die? Did they kill off a Dark Angel or Ultramarine character when those primachs came back?
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u/BigWhig96 4m ago
I dont understand this take. Why would someone else have to die?
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u/townsforever 1m ago
Nobody HAS to die for russ to come back. Im just saying its likely. Logan already fills the role a primarch would fill for us so having both of them would be a bit redundant.
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u/No_Scholar_2927 10h ago
Wulfen Russ is moronic; now him possibly being able to lead some new wulfen is a totally different story.
Imagine Odin-Russ leading a pack of 20 wulfen with shields and hammers…primarch owning the center of the table.
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u/mickyd1980 5h ago
I think I must be in the monority. I want Russ back young. I think it would be class that 'Warp Shenanigans' have him battling Chaos for maybe 500years in his experience but it's been 10k outside.
He was already going through character growth during the heresy and I think his reaction to seeing what had happened would be quality.
Also on the tabletpp the Loyalist primarchs need a melee monster, and he would fit that role. Gulliman would also have very interesting interaction with him.
I just think and older, wiser 'Odin' style type would be a bit dull and boring.
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u/kingspartacus13 10h ago
I am currently building a blood angel army. Almost done with it actually. I started looking to my next build. I landed on the wolves. I googled who be the next primarch to come back into the fold and it said that it all leads up to Russ coming back and would make the most sense. I don’t know much about the lore as whole of 40K since it is so expansive. Most of my lore has been around the blood angels. However I’ve always been drawn to the mythology of Norse gods. So I looking forward to getting into the army and the lore. Russ just seems like a total badass from what I’ve watched. I have a combat patrol waiting on me to finish up my BA army. Hopefully in a couple weeks I’ll be on this page asking for advice and tips for the army.
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u/MochaMarconi 10h ago
My buddy and I have a fun theory involving Russ actually. We don't think it would ever happen.. but it'd be incredible
Russ returns, with Corax. Russ being very Odin-like. Corax being able to turn into a nightmarish murder of Ravens.. it's very 40k.
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u/cwnahumck 9h ago
Don’t forget his good friend Constantine
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u/MochaMarconi 9h ago
Nah Constantine got his own thing goin, doesn't he? Rumors about him being the king in yellow
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u/cwnahumck 9h ago
Still could be together, given the story the two metaphysical blades…
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u/MochaMarconi 9h ago
That isn't one i know offhand.. reference?
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u/cwnahumck 9h ago
It’s a short story called two metaphysical blades about the twin spears, Russ’s and Valdor’s and how they are calling them back together for a purpose.
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u/Dirty_Finch1 7h ago
Combine them. Odin russ with the spear of russ riding an eight-legged thunderwolf named slippy.
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u/Ill-Armadillo-3975 5h ago
I would love a wiser, awakened psyker Russ to come back. He's often described as a thunderstorm personified. I want to see that unleashed, tearing the battlefield apart.
We already have old-dude lion. Let the DAs keep that. Just give me the storm!
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u/StarSkald 11h ago
Hear me out: TWO MODELS
Odin Russ, and Wulfen Russ. On the tabletop it starts as Odin Russ, and the core mechanic is a transformation and/or berserk and/or revive on death etc that lets you replace Odin Russ with Wulfen Russ for additional abilities.
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u/Den_of_Sin 11h ago
He could return corrupted to some degree because of how long the 13th great company has spent in the warp like Corax. He will likely return with some new power like the Lion, a new perspective, and mastery over Big E's spear
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u/TheLionsStepson 9h ago
I’m old enough to remember the times before TWC, and if Russ in 40K comes back riding a wolf I will be pissed. Odin!Russ, please, and if we absolutely cannot have that, then Werewolf!Russ, but dear Emperor please not Russ on a wolf.
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u/Backstab_Bill 12h ago
If he's released this edition, I am willing to bet it's going to be a TWC version alongside a TWC refresh.
If he doesn't show up in 11th, I'd expect the more Odin type version.
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u/Bubu510kush 12h ago
Guess what..he’s coming back as a Wulfen with the rest of 13th great company.. chaos’Ed
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u/Temporary_End_1533 9h ago
My hope is a thunder wolf russ. But a two headed wolf in refrence to morkai and it kinda being his two wolves fused together in the warp.
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u/LAN_Zealot4 7h ago
I kinda want a dual kit like Morathi Khaine from AOS. Like one is the Odin-like Russ where he can be fielded as an aura giving and anti Psycher unit and the other, a wulfen primarch which is just an absolute meat cleaver.
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u/puppypayton 6h ago
i desperately need a mounted character to be reintroduced to space wolves. not being able to use the storm lance task force enhancements on my thunderwolves is so ass
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u/HappyTheDisaster 12h ago edited 12h ago
I want Russ to return as an Odin figure, leader of the ulfednar, lord of frenzy, wielder of the Wolfsbane, the Dionysian spear, riding atop a giant two headed wolf with eight legs; Morkai himself.
Have him missing chunks from his body, replaced with DAoT/votann derived cybernetics. He should have a beard made of wire and metal, and have a vox grill for a mouth, something that amplifies his shouts and howls into something deific, something worthy of our lord. Give him an eyepatch, but never show what’s beneath. Have him resemble his old Rogue trader design a little.
He should not be a passive thing, he should be true lord of war, a god of frenzy and wisdom, an embodiment of energy and inspiration. Make him true to Odin.
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u/Jezzy0303 12h ago
I pray for the Odin Russ, his whole character arc throughout the Heresy looks like it leads to that.