- "Welcome back to the army, soldier."
"Shit." - — Dominic Santiago and Marcus Fenix
Marcus Fenix was a sergeant in the COG Armed Forces. A legendary war hero, Marcus served with distinction in the Pendulum Wars which earned him the Embry Star, COG's highest military award, for his actions during the Battle of Aspho Fields. Like the rest of humankind, he saw everything change on Emergence Day. Marcus bravely fought the Locust for ten years, then, during an intense battle, he abandoned his post to rescue his father, Professor Adam Fenix, but could not reach him in time. Marcus was tried for dereliction of duty and sentenced to 40 years in Jacinto Maximum Security Prison. Incarcerated for four years before being released by his longtime friend, Dominic Santiago. Marcus was later promoted to replace Minh Young Kim after his death. Along with the rest of Delta Squad, he successfully detonated the Lightmass Bomb and destroyed much of the Locust Hollow. With his reputation restored, Marcus finishing the war against the Locust, now works with the military to rebuild civilization. It's presumed that he holds romantic feelings for Anya Stroud.
BiographyEarly HistoryMarcus was born 21 years before E-Day to Elaine Fenix (a doctor) and Adam Fenix (a scientist and ex-COG Officer). At age 9 he was sent to Olafson Intermediate School by his parents in order to "mix with people". He became fast friends with Carlos Santiago, and his younger brother, Dominic. Three years later, Marcus' mother mysteriously disappeared, leaving Marcus with a severe traumatic effect. His only refuge was with the Santiago Family, as his father was preoccupied with unknown affiliations. Marcus joined the COG as an infantry soldier four years before E-Day after his best friend Carlos at age 17 against his father's wishes, who wished Marcus to be a scientist instead.
The Pendulum WarsThe Sarfuth border to Operation LevelerThe war had been going on for over 75 years when Marcus and Carlos Santiago were sent to Sarfuth to guard an Imulsion pipeline. He was only a private back then. Marcus wouldn't wear his COG issued helmet but his "do-rag" was acceptable headgear as long as the ties were tucked neatly. He was in Alpha-Five along with Carlos. During their tour of duty in Sarfuth they took part in the Sarfuth-Maranday Border Incident. Dominic Santiago, Tai Kaliso and Bernadette Mataki were also members of the 26th Royal Tyran infantry; All of which are veterans of Aspho Fields. At that battle all of the 26th officers where killed except for Mataki, Marcus took over an UIR Asp and stopped the UIR army advance on the Aspho Fields bridge and saved the commandos escaping from Aspho Point from enemy helicopters but was not able whole to save his best friend Carlos Santiago who commited suicide by grenade after being wounded (so Marcus wouldn't come and try to save him) on a bridge after attempting to destroy an Indie Asp.
The Locust-Human WarThe Hammer of Dawn counterattackApproximately a year and a month after E-Day Marcus was serving in A Company Two-Six RTI, 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.
Imprisonment
During a battle ten years after E-Day, Marcus abandoned his post in a vain attempt to save his father, Adam Fenix. As a result, he was jailed for cowardice and failure to obey orders, and only narrowly avoided execution due to his two exemplary tours of duty in the Pendulum Wars. Dominic Santiago testified for him, but to no avail. He was sentenced for life in Jacinto Maximum Security Prison, where he was prisoner number 098356-GX. While in the slab, Fenix was housed in Cell Block-38, where he gained his infamous scar.
The Lightmass OffensiveAfter four years served, the other prisoners are freed, but Colonel Hoffman leaves Marcus in jail. Dom comes and frees Marcus himself. After Dom springs Marcus from his cell, they fight their way through the abandoned prison. Eventually they board a King Raven helicopter and narrowly escape an emerging Corpser. Marcus and Dom rendezvous with Delta Squad, a COG unit comprised of Dom, Private Anthony Carmine, and Lieutenant Minh Young Kim. Delta Squad is quickly deployed into the field on a mission to locate the missing COG unit, Alpha Squad. Alpha possesses a Sonic Resonator, a newly developed tool that the military believes capable of mapping the Locust underworld. Later on, Private Anthony Carmine is shot in the head by a sniper while searching for Alpha Squad. Marcus and the rest of Delta eventually locate one member of Alpha Squad, Augustus Cole. Delta then rendezvoused with the remaining Alpha Squad members, and a firfefight ensues. The newly formed Delta Squad is forced to retreat from battle into the Tomb of The Unknowns, and during said retreat the current Lieutenant for Delta, Minh Young Kim, is killed by General RAAM. Once in the Tomb of The Unknowns, Delta encounters a Beserker, which is eventually defeated by Marcus and Dom using the Hammer of Dawn. Colonel Victor Hoffman then promotes Marcus as Sergeant and CO of Delta. Marcus leads Delta Squad through what's left of Sera with the intentions of mapping the Locust tunnels in order to destroy the Horde with the Lightmass Bomb, which after a series of challenges eventually is detonated by Marcus.
The Pirnah Badlands and Mission to MontevadoSeveral 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. 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. Despite this Marcus was able to get his squad back to Jacinto, and gave Gil a proper funeral. 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.
Jilane and the sins of the CoalitionFour 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. Brand did not have tactical command over Delta. 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. Entering the Hollow and losing friendsMarcus Fenix and Dominic are at a hospital in Jacinto six months after the Lightmass bombing. He and Dom both clear out the hospital, and then meet up with Tai Kaliso and Benjamin Carmine, who he trains beforehand. After facing the Locust raid, 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 an Aerial Assault, 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. Tai instructs Dizzy to escape, and Marcus attempts to exit the lift to assist Tai, 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, making a first-time engagement 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 Illima 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 Illima. 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 Nemacites 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 calls for extraction. A King Ravens 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 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, tells them the only way to Nexus is via the internal river location inside the mountain. 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 Locust Leviathan Fish. 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. They find Maria, who is bruised up and battered, similar to Tai, and realizing that she will never function again, Dom kills her so she won't have to suffer a slow death. 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, 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 the queen. She escapes, and Baird and Cole give chase. Myrrah instructs Skorge to kill Marcus and Dom before leaving, so a rageful 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 pursuied 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 (presumably) kill Skorge. They assist in the COG defense against a massive Locust raid, 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, causing an enormous explosion which ultimately ends up flooding the Hollow, making Operation Hollow Storm a success.
Jacinto's RemnantIn 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 a 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.
Return of the LambentEighteen months after the sinking of Jacinto. The COG disbanded and Fenix along with the rest of Delta become Stranded. The Lambent invade the surface and Delta Squad defends Anvil Gate from a Locust ambush before the Lambent Locust attack, and ultimately a Lambent Berserker. Marcus orders the Hammer of Dawn to attack, but Baird has to blind-fire it because he doesn't have full control. However, it is unable to kill the Lambent Berserker.
Personality and Traits
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 best 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. However, on occasions a glint of caring is seen under the hard exterior. He is able to show sorrow when losing a teammate. After Calos 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. 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, and it is hinted, about Anya Stroud. He appears shocked and saddened by the discovery of Maria Santiago in the Hollow, although soon manages to refocus on the mission at hand. After the apparent death of his father, Marcus would have consecutive nightmares of his father's death.
Notable Quotes
Behind the Scenes
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