Warhammer 40K: Terror From the Shadows – Genestealer Cults Parallels – PRIME
Something is festering in the shadows, and it’s closer than you might think…
There are a multitude of threats to the lives of humanity in the 41st millennium. From bloodthirsty xenos from beyond the stars to the ever-present shadow of Chaos. However, perhaps the most insidious enemy of the Imperium of man is the one hiding within its very cities. The Genestealer Cults present one of the deadliest threats to human life. Not because of great power or skill, but because they can appear in even the most well-fortified of strongholds. Even Holy Terra, a fortress world long thought impregnable, is currently under assault from this hidden enemy.
The cults are a slow rot within the fabric of the Imperium, biding their time sometimes for generations. When they emerge, they sweep over unsuspecting worlds like a tide, screeching prayers to their four-armed god. Brother turns against brother, and even spouses might find themselves on the business end of a lasgun. The cults in a mad frenzy will sweep across their previous homeworld. Of course, this is all a tragic front. Their “loving” Patriarch is simply setting them up as the final course of the meal their true masters will soon have.
As with all things in the world of Warhammer, these terrifying warriors find more than a few parallels in the real world, pop culture, and literature. Underground threats, insidious cults, and traitorous allies are not uncommon in our world, though hopefully, they don’t worship predatory insects. Here are a few similar organizations in both fiction and the world that line up with the Genestealer Cults reasonably well.
Lovecraftian Cults
Some of the most famous literary cults are those found within the works of H.P. Lovecraft. The fanatical worshippers of the unknowable old gods operate in the shadows, working to undermine society and bring about their masters’ dark intentions. This is especially true with the residents of the port town of Innsmouth and the worshippers of Hastur (though most credit for him should go to Robert Chambers rather than Lovecraft). The citizens of Innsmouth shift particularly close to a Genestealer cult, as they make human sacrifices to the aquatic creatures known as Deep Ones, as well as offering them viable mates.
Half-Deep One children are born in the town through this process, creating mutant fish monsters with bulging eyes and wide, toothy mouths. The god of the Deep Ones, and likely their progenitor, is the Elder God Dagon, a massive creature that lives deep below the ocean. The cult of Dagon in Innsmouth was allegedly the first to make sacrifices to the Elder God. When they were discovered and executed, the Deep Ones attacked the town in retribution. Leading to the state of affairs during the events of the short story.
This process is very similar to how a cult infects a human world. First, a Genestealer will abduct stragglers, bestowing them with the “Genestealer’s Kiss” a process…perhaps better not discussed. Through this, they establish a synaptic connection, psychically convincing the unfortunate victim that the Genestealer is a friend, sent to free the world from tyranny. The infected person will then return to their homes. Eventually, their offspring will begin to show more and more signs of their dark patronage.
Eventually, Purestrain Genestealers are born, though the cultists treat them just like any other child. The Genestealer becomes a massive Patriarch, bloated with psychic power and strength as their influence grows. When the time is right, usually just before a Hive Fleet is set to invade, the Patriarch sends a psychic signal to attack, and the cult begins the work of cleansing the world. When the Hive Fleet descends, they welcome their “saviors” with open arms, only to be devoured as food for the great swarm.
Sleeper Agents
A common theme in modern spy and wartime films is the idea of sleeper agents. These hidden spies live among their enemies, sometimes unaware of their true allegiance, until some trigger activates them to attack. Usually, these agents serve as assassins, getting close to critical political targets to strike unsuspected when the time is right. Other times, they are placed in high-security jobs, feeding vital information back to their home country or stockpiling secrets to use as blackmail material.
The Black Widow assassins from Marvel are a perfect example, though they are usually fully aware of their actions as they carry out their tasks. However, the recent film showed us that this was a product of their conditioning and that once they were freed of their mental programming, they wanted nothing to do with the program. This is similar to the psychic malaise the Patriarch places on their cultists, convincing them that they are acting in the best interest of their world and that those sent to protect them are the true oppressors.
Order 66
Perhaps one of the most well-known examples of unexpected betrayal was the execution of the Jedi Order at the end of the Clone Wars. Thanks to a pre-programmed order. Each of the Clone Troopers on Kamino was embedded with a code, to assassinate their commanders when given the command to, “execute Order 66.” We see throughout the films and various animated projects that the Jedi and the Clones they commanded did share real respect and, at times, friendship, giving them nicknames and developing real relationships. To see them callously shoot their once-allies down is heart-wrenching. But their programming cannot be denied. Thankfully some, like the genetically mutated “Bad Batch”, were able to resist their programming, and a few Jedi were able to escape.
In a similar fashion, a Genestealer Cultist will obey their master’s command without question. They will shoot down trusted friends or even lovers without a second thought. While they are not conditioned in the same way as the clones, they are at least adjacent in that they believe what they are doing is right. Those who stand against them are on the side of the oppressor, and they deserve no mercy.
