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Marathon's Story Page
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Marathon's Story Page
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This Day in Marathon.
Day #608. Jack is back! Jack Strider that is. Jack who hails from down under (Australia) was one of the most prolific Marathon fan artists in 2024. His portfolio is impresive ranging from Pathways Into Darkness, the Marathon Trilogy, and NuMarathon. His principal tools are Blender and Photoshop. Here is a new piece he is working on.  Marine (work in progress) by Jack Strider on Marathon Discord. January 18, 2024. Jack writes: new boy coming soonHere's a second work in progress piece.  Marine (work in progress 2) by Jack Strider on Marathon Discord. January 19, 2024. Jack writes: it's getting better as I go, trying to go for the M1 mullins vibe (rolled sleeves soon)Looking forward to seeing the final piece. A quick stroll through the daily Story page updates in 2024 (366 days) reveals a wealth of Jack's artwork. Here's a snapshot.
Check out Jack's work on ArtStation, Instagram, and Bluesky. Jack no longer uses X. |
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This Day in Marathon.
Day #607. So you have just beaten Marathon on Total Carnage... what do you do next? Well Marathon fan 'im ael, fjordling' created a Marathon Poster.  Marathon Poster by im ael, fjordling on Marathon Discord. June 12, 2024. im ael, fjordling writes: i beat m1 on TC.. then got a strong urge to manifest this "movie poster" style idea i had. took some frankensteining to match the mental image but im pleased with this mockup for nowThe poster uses in-game artwork from all three games as well as a piece of modified Marathon fan art and an image from another game. We'll get the 'other' game in a minute. The modified fan art is of course the UESC Marathon (a hollowed out Deimos, the smaller of Mars' two moons). 
UESC Marathon posted by Rampant_Durandal on r/StarshipPorn. April 25, 2013.
We featured this image back on February 5, 2025. It is interesting to note that this image predates the Marathon ARG by ten years. The text on the side of the ship reads COLONY SHIP TRAXUS CLASS. PLANETOID DEIMOS. UESC AUTHORIZATION V-4 In the Marathon ARG, Traxus OffWorld Industries resurrected the CRISTs as the Traxus OffWorld Solar Orbiters. They build big ships. Confused? Go read the Marathon ARG. But I digress. Back to that 'other' game? The only image in the Marathon Poster that might have you stumped is the green face with the evil grin. The image is taken from the loading screen of Dragon's Dogma, a 2012 action role-playing hack and slash video game by Capcom. First released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. im ael, fjordling writes: every time i saw it i just thought about the manual text and durandals "imagined" wicked smileYou can see the face in the loading screen below.  Today's news was sponsored by Traxus OffWorld Industries.  |
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This Day in Marathon.
Day #606. So back in August last year SIR DOUBLE D (@SIRDOBLEDAS) began creating bespoke artwork for each Marathon level capturing that iconic moment. An ambitious project. With four levels under his belt he began work on Couch Fishing. We featured a work in progress pic of this back on September 26, 2024. He wrote at the time: been busy with work and life stuff but here's a Super Early WIP. Blocking out "Couch Surfing"He wasn't kidding about being busy as it would be some four months before we would get to see it.  Couch Surfing by SIR_DOUBLE_D on r/marathon. January 16, 2024. The piece is entitled 'Couch Surfing' which I thought was intentional, it being a play on the original level name. Not so. SIR DOUBLE D writes: I've made a terrible mistake. IDK why I was thinking of Surfing instead of Fishing.And the iconic moment being captured? Well the artist's intent was to capture: ...how claustrophobic all the fights in the beginning areAnyone who has played Couch Fishing well know how tricky the opening part can be. The presence of Troopers just ups the ante and your blood pressure. Here is Jason Jones (Bungie Software) showing you how to complete the start of Couch Fishing on the Total Carnage. It dates from January 1995 (30 years ago). Not easy. Jason dies! What's up next? SIR DOUBLE D writes: Next one is the Rose so I'm gonna have to think of something interesting for that one.Has to be Hulks and BoBs. Lots of screaming BoBs.  Run Bob... Run... NOOOOO.... the OTHER WAY. For those who may have missed them here are the first four inconic moments from SIR DOUBLE D.
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This Day in Marathon.
Day #605. It's sketchy Friday! We've got sketches. An image can be like a virus, resilient, highly contagious. Once in the mind it can grow and then you are drawing it... again and again... everywhere.  Thoth symbol sketch by void on Marathon Discord. September 21, 2024.  Thoth symbol sketch by void on Marathon Discord. January 14, 2024. These two sketchs are by void on the Marathon Discord. They were drawn 4 months apart. The most recent was a few days ago. The image is of course the Thoth symbol first seen in Marathon 2: Durandal.   It represents a balance between two opposites with a portion of the opposite element in each section. It is cleverly done and explains why Thoth behaves as he does in the game. You can find out more about Thoth on the Story page here. Is void still drawing Thoth symbols? To early to tell yet but there is a seat here for him... beside Hamish.  Marathoners Anonymous group therapy tru7h circle.  7777 by UmbratheCyborg on Marathon Discord. June 11, 2024. |
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This Day in Marathon.
Day #604. Happy Matt Soell's First Day! Yes folks, on this day 30 years ago Matt Soell joined Bungie. According to his semi-autobiography Matt had the good fortune of spotting a Help Wanted ad in the Chicago Reader for Tech Support a few weeks earlier, landed a job interview with Alexander Seropian and was hired. Matt wrote: "My job was pretty simple at first: man the phone lines. Seemingly everyone and their parents had ordered a copy of Marathon; very few of them had received it. Those who had often found themselves confounded by the installation process. I found myself talking almost non-stop from the time I got in to the moment I left. At the time Bungie only had three phone lines and an ass-backwards phone system that dumped customers straight into voice mail if Doug or I didn't pick up the phone in three rings or less. I had plenty to do.Matt became 'The Man in the Online Asbestos Suit', inheriting the title from Doug Zartman.  Matt Soell (seated) Doug Zartman (standing) Doug was now free to contemplate his existence in metaphorical terms aka Director of Public Relations.  Reflection of Self. Doug Zartman portrait. Mac Hall (Matt Boyd and Ian McConville) captured what it was like working for 'The Man' in their comic entitled "Web Bastard".  Happy Matt Soell's First Day! PARTAY!  Bungie's event banner. Retired... |
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This Day in Marathon.
Day #603. Digging deep in the recesses of the Story page archives I came across three images of the Marathon marine. They date back to at least 2012 and probably later. The only info I have on them is that they were made by someone called Colin.    Never one to leave a story untold the Story page's investigative division (Id) noted the initials C C on one of the images. QED it's Colin C. Now the Story page featured artwork by a Colin C back on September 18, 2024. Here's the image we featured.  Marathon Marine by Colin C (aka CrunchyDetail) on Freelancer.com. January, 2020. Colin C. (@CrunchyDetail), is a freelance graphic designer, from Canada. The styles are somewhat similar and I can't imagine there are many Colin C's out there doing Marathon artwork. Since the three images have no story here's one I happened to have lying around. OG Marathon Man. Memory isn't as good as it used to be. Most likely to say "Where's m'boots". Voted by his class as the person most likely to get the job done right. Nu Marathon Man. Has embraced alien technology. Most likely to say "The Pfhor did nothing wrong". Voted by his class as the person most likely to marry an alien! Chad Marathon Man. Mr. Big Guns. Most likely to say "Get some! Get some! Get some!" repeatedly. Voted by his class as the person most likely to save Leela.What's your story? |
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This Day in Marathon.
Day #602. Continuing our theme of celebrating Marathon art from around the world we give you... Eat the Path by Roman Groph (aka Roman Masalov), a freelance 2D artist, illustrator and concept artist in Yerevan, Armenia.  eat the path_9 by Roman Groph on ArtStation. January 12, 2024. While Roman didn't tag this as Marathon-related the title of the piece would suggest that it was inspired by the Marathon Infinity level of the same name. He also tagged the image as #cyborg and #rocketlauncher. Roman used Photoshop to create his image. Here's a work in progress pic.  eat the path by Roman Groph on ArtStation. January 12, 2024. Concerning the Infinity level Eat the Path, Chris Geisel (Double Aught) wrote: Another of Greg's famous concept maps. The pathways were supposed to be tricky, and they have red paths on the ceiling. It's another organic, angry map that has something to do with the player's inner journey. Only Greg knows for sure.The term 'eat the path' also features in the Infinity terminals. There is only one path and that is the path that you take, but you can take more than one path."Cross over the cell bars" is an allusion to Gheritt White, from the first game, Marathon. From Gheritt White to Renaldo Luigi. Let me leave you with this piece entitled renaldo.luigi.fxo.1.  renaldo.luigi.fxo.1 by PvtToaster on r/coaxedintoasnafu. June 1, 2023. |
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This Day in Marathon.
Day #601. And now for something completely different. Everything is not as it seems{}. seems{}. seems{}. Sony Interactive Entertainment proudly presents the long awaited Ratchet & Clank / Marathon crossover. A PlayStation exclusive.  Bigger Guns Nearby by discosmackdown on DeviantArt. July 2, 2009. But first some background. The Ratchet & Clank series of sci-fi action games span two decades (2002-2021) and were largely exclusive to PlayStation consoles. They feature the adventures of the titular protagonist Ratchet, a feline humanoid mechanic, and Clank the titular deuteragonist, a diminutive sentient Zoni "defective" robot. The Ratchet & Clank innuendo-like game titles, such as Going Commando, Up Your Arsenal and Size Matters, would not be out of place in the Bungie office humor of the 90s and beyond. Like Marathon Infinity, the 2021 Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart game involved dimensional time hoping to save the day. So no surprise then that Ratchet & Clank would get a Marathon crossover. discosmackdown, the artist of the above crossover piece, writes: READ THE DESCRIPTION OR YOU WON'T UNDERSTAND THE PICTURE AT ALL LOLUnfortunately discosmackdowm's DeviantArt page has been wiped out. Phhht! Just like that. Fortunately the Story page has you covered. It's what we do. Here's another image in that Ratchet & Clank / Marathon crossover.  Watch Your Back by discosmackdown on DeviantArt. October 31, 2012. Coming soon™... to a PlayStation near you. |
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This Day in Marathon.
Day #600. 600 Days of Night. 
30 Days of Night / Marathon gore mashup. January 12, 2025.
Yes folks, it has been 600 days since the Marathon announcement on May 24, 2023. 600 Days of Night... and counting.  |
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This Day in Marathon.
Day #599. Escape will make me God. This classic line is of course from Durandal at the end of Colony Ship For Sale, Cheap. Indeed this level has some of the best terminals in Marathon, possibly the Marathon Trilogy. Hard to believe for a level that many people loath with a passion. The level begins with the poignant three candles metaphor.  Durandal's ending is cutting... The candles burn out for you; I am free. Midway through the level (if you happen to find it) is the humorous secret classified ads terminal. Doug Zartman (former Bungie PR Director) explained the origin of this terminal and indeed the name of the level itself.  Doug Zartman on The Fourth Curtain Discord. Time is in GMT. By the time you reach the exit terminal you are probably experiencing a wide range of mixed emotions. Durandal's Darwin analogy is probably lost on you, as is perhaps his reference to the inevitable closure of the universe and your fate. Thankfully Faraz Parsa (@farazparsa) is on hand to remind us.  Marathon meme by Faraz Parsa (@farazparsa) on x.com. August 22, 2022. Never forget who you are.  Be sure to keep your Battleroids on a leash at all times... by whitestripe999 on r/marathon. February 14, 2023. Destiny my... |
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This Day in Marathon.
Day #598. It's sketchy Friday! We've got sketches. First up. Onions (aka giantOnions) gives us another Runner sketch entitled 'Antiquated Tech'  "Antiquated Tech" MIDA Runner sketch by Onions on r/marathon. January 2, 2025. This one has MIDA written all over it including the ubiquitous nose ring. 
How are you wearing your MIDA Strobe T-Shirt?  Marathon MIDA Strobe T-Shirt inside out view. Worn inside out... as you do! But I digress. We featured Onions other Runner sketches (dressed and undressed) back on December 20, 2024. AlexB207 (@AlexB207Swag) gives us two sketches which lead to his 'Marathon buddies' image featured on the Story page back on October 21, 2024.  Mr. Marathon head sketch by AlexB207 (aka Bus Gamer 2) on Marathon Discord. October 17, 2024. Alex writes: i reeaally cannot decide on how to draw mr marathon himself lol, cant tell if i want to be game accurate or craig accurateHe went on to do a final sketch before coloring. Alex writes: not sure if i want to give mr marathon his ingame colours or his craig mullins colours
Ah the struggles of being a Marathon artist. Indeed Alex himself put it nicely about the Mr. Marathon variants in this sketch.  They're Everywhere by AlexB207 (aka Bus Gamer 2) on Marathon Discord. October 17, 2024. Happy sketchy Friday. Stay sketchy. |
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This Day in Marathon.
Day #597. Happy "Kill Bob LeVitus" Day. Following the success of THE DISC at Macworld Expo 1995 in Boston, Power Computing Corporation released the DISC II at Macworld Expo 1996 in San Francisco on this day 28 years ago. The press announcement stated that the DISC II would include: Marathon featuring Bob LeVitus: A very special Marathon II Demo featuring Power Computing Evangelist Bob LeVitus - If you dig on Marathon, you're going to love this very special version.It was creatively called "Kill LeVitus Marathon". This special edition Marathon 2: Durandal demo replaced Marathon Bob with Power Computing Bob complete with Power Computing t-shirt.    It was 'open season' on Bob LeVitus. Oddly while the official press release referred to the DISC II the actual packaging called it DISC 2. The CD itself read: THE DISC 2. THIS DISC BYTES! Yes folks, 90's humor. Classic! Here is the front and back of the CD envelope. Remember those?
The back of the CD envelope stated: Bob LeVitus Must Die! - A very special Marathon 2 Demo.How unique? Well that's a story for another day. Today is Happy "Kill Bob LeVitus" Day. Bob LeVitus Must Die! |
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This Day in Marathon.
Day #596. An art piece by AlexB207 (@AlexB207Swag) on Monday 6, 2025 raised an interesting question. What is the canonical look of Mr. Marathon?There is a degree of consistency in the original game thanks to J. Reginald Dujour. Two chapter screens give us two profiles. Mr. Purple and Mr. Teal.
The Famous Five. Move fast, seize the initiative, wield superior firepower, dive into the melee, anticipate enemy movements, slaughter the defenseless, endure. 
Marathon Manual, Page 22. December 21, 1994.
And the iconic... Marathon stance. 
Marathon Manual, Page 17. December 21, 1994.
These images are consistent with the in-game multiplayer look. Even as far back as September 1994 we had Mr. Purple and Mr. Yellow.
And Mr. Red and Mr. Green courtesy of Inside Mac Games Magazine (October 1994).
In 1995 things went FUBAR. Or more precisely... in the words of Cole Porter... "Anything Goes". To be continued... |
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This Day in Marathon.
Day #595. On the subject of Juggernauts and UAPs... ...Neal D Anderson (@nealdanderson) gives us not one but two renditions.  Juggernaut by Neal D Anderson (@nealdanderson) on x.com. May 25, 2023.  Lh'owon ambush by Neal D Anderson (@nealdanderson) on x.com. May 25, 2023. Neal may be better known to you as Phobos-Romulus, brother to Deimos-Remus (Neal J Anderson). Neal D writes: Seeing Marathon in 2023 is honestly surreal- hope 'the big floaty thing that kicks our asses' returns in some shape or form.Love the Juggernaut's face in the first image. I have taken the liberty of calling the second image... Lh'owon ambush. I mean that's what it looks like. Right? Unless of course you are a one of those Pfhor apologists and believe that Tycho did nothing wrong. Then it might be... Mjolnir Recon 54 cowers in fear at the majesty of the Pfhor empire. Never! If you want to see a larger version of the second image and the expression on our hero's face then click here. It's a massive 9.5 MBs (png format). The Story page bringing you the tru7h one 'bit' at a time. |
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This Day in Marathon.
Day #594. AlexB207 (@AlexB207Swag) kick starts the New Year with a... "little portrait of mr marathon".  Mr. Marathon by AlexB207 (@AlexB207Swag) on x.com. January 3, 2025. If you catch the light just right you can just make out a trace of smile. A smile which reminds you of something from your past, but you can't remember exactly what it is. Oh wait! He's just happy kicking butt and taking names... Pfhor #1, Pfhor #2, Pfhor #3, Pfhor #4, ... etc ... 
vidboi by AlexB207 (@AlexB207Swag) on x.com. August 6, 2024.
Out with the old, in with the new. New Year, new icons. Zuc gives us the classic trilogy icons with a bit more of a modern-ish look.
Last year, Zuc gave us Marathon in Half-Life's cover style. 
Marathon Half-Life mock cover by Zuc on the Marathon Discord. June 10, 2024.
Marathon Infinity Half-Life mock cover by Zuc on the Marathon Discord. June 8, 2024.
Marathon (in) 2025 never looked so good. |
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This Day in Marathon.
Day #593. "IT'S WEIRD-LOOKING!" 3gunbutch writes: Recently been a lot of coverage on UAP's.Now for all you old timers out there UAP is the new term for UFO. UAP stands for 'Unidentified Aerial Phenomena' but it has been recently tweaked to mean 'Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena', a broader catch-all category. 3gunbutch continues: A now famous sighting from Nellis AFB in the 90's includes an artist depiction of a craft...Nellis AFB is Nellis Air Force Base located in Clark County Nevada, approximately 10 miles northeast from downtown Las Vegas, USA. It provides advanced combat aviation training. Think Top Gun. The best of the best of the best. With honors. They don't mess around at Nellis AFB. In the same month that Bungie released the Marathon demo, a high-tech Nellis Air Force surveillance camera captured images of what was described as a UFO (UAP). This surveillance footage was leaked in 1995. The person who leaked the footage was sent to prison. Shades of the Marathon Beta leak. Here are some images from the footage.
And yes, like all UFO footage it is tiny and blurred. Following detailed forensic analysis of the video footage an artist depiction of the craft was made.  As 3gunbutch points out this looks like a S'pht'Kr defender... ...or even a Juggernaut. Now... I know what you're thinking. How could Bungie know what a Juggernaut looked like if the Nellis UFO surveillance footage wasn't leaked until 1995? Did someone tell them?  |
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This Day in Marathon.
Day #592. On this day 30 years ago the doors to the Macworld Expo in San Francisco opened. Bungie were there in force showing off their recently released game Marathon. Here's a short clip of the Bungie Booth (#3472). During the Expo Bungie also hosted the Marathon Macworld Mayhem Tournament.  Mayhem ensued. The finals were 3 rounds of 1-on-1 PvP action. There can be only one! The Macworld Expo in San Francisco on January 4-7, 1995 was a big success for Bungie and also for Apple. Jennifer Dees, in an article for Mac/Chicago Magazine entitled "Macworld Sell-Out: Bungie's Marathon", wrote: Running native and drawing crowds was Marathon, the incredibly popular new game from Chicago's Bungie Software. Reginald DuJour, who designed the game's graphics as well as the high-tech packaging for Marathon, said that getting everything working smoothly had caused some delays but it had been worth the wait. The enthusiastic crowds trying out Marathon, in the Apple Pavilion and also in Bungie's separate booth in Moscone North, apparently agreed.And for those that remember... the Marathon 101 Competition: Q13. At the 1995 San Francisco Macworld Expo, Bungie were out in force selling Marathon after the long delay with the "Box". As a result the Bungie crew all wore name tags with titles such as "Box Production Manager", "Box Quality Manager", "Box Design Manager". Who wore the name tag "Manager of Delays"? Choose the correct one. (5 marks) 1. Alex Seropian |
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This Day in Marathon.
Day #591. It's sketchy Friday! We've got sketches. First up. logic over on the Marathon Discord gives us this sketch of a S'pht'Kr Defender.  S'pht'Kr Defender sketch by logic on Marathon Discord. December 30, 2024. logic writes: Cam ain't great. Sketch ain't either.I like the style of this image. Only wish it was bigger and clearer. Check out the little scenes around the edges with text from the terminals. On the subject of sketches, Italian artist juzo-kun wrote: The reason why I rarely if ever publish sketches: they are the messiest things.She did give us this sketch of a S'pht'Kr Defender.  Compiler and a S'pht'Kr sketch by juzo-kun on tumblr. June 13, 2016. juzo-kun wrote: A Compiler and a S'pht'Kr with a cameo of Alex (my version of the Security Officer) dealing with Lh'owon wildlife.juzo-kun is a prolific artist with many Marathon pieces in her portfolio. However they are spread out over numerous sites so compiling them all in one place is not easy. Here's another sketch from 10 years ago or so.  Time Pfhor Tea sketch by juzo-kun on Instagram. October 24, 2015. It's a piece she did for Inktober 2015. Given that it had no title I have taken the liberty of calling it... Beat the Pfhor, Time Pfhor Tea. Tea-riffic! Happy sketchy Friday. Stay sketchy. |
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This Day in Marathon.
Day #590. So your New Year's resolution is to play Marathon straight through. Only one problem. Level 13... Colony Ship For Sale, Cheap. Thanks to Smytsidian for this humerous start to 2025. And yes, Bungie numbered the Marathon levels starting from zero. That's lore folks. This made everyone's favorite level number 13. Coincidence? As Jason Jones remarked: "In Marathon 2, when I said that I hoped "All Roads Lead To Sol" atoned for the sins of "Colony Ship For Sale, Cheap!" I was serious. I can't believe anyone ever finished Marathon 1. I can't believe Greg didn't shoot me."Indeed the catch line for Colony Ship For Sale, Cheap could easily have be... 'Escape Will Make Me God'. AlexB207 (@AlexB207Swag) on his 94th attempt at getting the seven pillars right.  Colony Ship for Sale, Cheap by AlexB207 (@AlexB207Swag) on x.com. August 2, 2024. On a more festive note Zott820 rang in the New Year with this little ditty. Go watch it on the big screen with full soundaround sound. Excellently executed piece. Auld Lang Syne never sounded so good. |
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This Day in Marathon.
Day #589. Happy New Year to Marathon's Story page readers... Everywhere! And what a year 2024 was. Here's a snapshot of some of what we covered.
 Jason Jones (right), Luke Smith (left) | Image courtesy Bungie. |
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Last updated January 1, 2025