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Marathon's Story Page
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Marathon's Story Page
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Happy Pfhor Egg Day!
On this day of days it is traditional to hunt for Easter eggs. But Marathon fans don't hunt for Easter eggs, they hunt for Pfhor eggs and the elusive thirteenth one.  Incubation by Phobos-Romulus. October 24, 2010. Now I know what you are thinking... I Ain't Got Time Pfhor This, but this is a tradition. Since the release of Marathon in December 1994 families have searched for the thirteenth Pfhor egg.  Logic dictates that, if you look hard enough, one day you will find it!  But I digress. Jack (aka Strider @strider_au) is back with another Marathon Health and Safety message. This one is about the hazards of friendly fire.  Blaspheme Quarantine by Jack (aka Strider) on twitter.com. March 30, 2024. The original Marathon games are littered with friendly fire incidents. Here are just a few from Marathon 2. Of course that was 90s. Now thanks to Jack and a rocking team of the great and good we will all be much safer in Marathon from friendly fire.  Blaspheme Quarantine (work in progress) by Jack (aka Strider) on twitter.com. March 28, 2024. 77 friendly fire incidents today. What's your number?  Warning Carnage Zone from Bungie's "Carnage For The Rest Of Us" T-Shirt, 1996 |
Master Builders... they're comin' outta the... box!
 Marathon Lego (group shot) by Bob (real name withheld). March 29, 2024. A few days ago I asked... "who is going to be the first to create a Lego version of Runner Bob?"  Well it had already been done! Bob (real name withheld on request) sent an email with a ton of pictures of his outstanding Marathon Lego creations. You can see his group shot above. Bob has actually created the following Marathon characters and objects in Lego. M1 BobsYou can see images of the Juggernaut and Hulk below:
Based on the list above Bob has created some of the more obscure characters and objects in Marathon as well. For example, below we have the 'one-hit wonder' S'pht controller, the enigmatic Pfhor Egg, the evil Admiral Tfear and the much maligned Nar, complete with a 'sack-o-loot' and the ever efficient 'curmudgeoning cudgel'.
Yar, them Nar be a bunch of looters and pirates! Just ask Leela.  Of course this does raise the inevitable question... has anyone created Lego characters of Leela, Durandal and Tycho? Now that would be... AWESOME!!! 
"Hey! WAIT. There's an official TBWSAF T-Shirt?" |
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Back on January 22, 2024 we featured French artist
Neite with his Marathon journals, a Marathon YouTube video for the French community, and a rasta Traxus Runner.
Now he is back with another Traxus Runner.  Traxus Runner by Neite on Marathon Discord. March 23, 2024. Neite writes: I based my draw on @Strider création.The Strider reference is to a piece we featured back on March 17, 2024 (St. Patrick's Day). 
Runner by Strider on twitter.com. March 16, 2024.
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"Everything Is AWESOME!!!"
Back on January 31, 2024 we featured henchwife's amazing collection of Marathon Lego characters on tumblr.  Lego Compilers by henchwife on tumblr. July 21, 2022. Pretty much every character was represented including the variants. Ok... Marathon (aka Runner) Bob was missing. But nobody likes Runner Bob... right?  But I digress. More recently a number of other Master Builders have surfaced with their versions of the Marathon Lego characters. First up, we have a Compiler, Mjölnir Recon 54, and a Pfhor Fighter by Uncle_Sammy_Poo on r/marathon.
This shot caught my attention as it has that classic... "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take this anymore!" vibe. Check out that reflection in the visor.  Lego Marathon by Uncle_Sammy_Poo on r/marathon. February 24, 2024. Second up, we have Saber-Scorpion's Mjolnir Recon number 54 commissioned by MaganacCorps and posted on r/marathon.
This shot caught my attention as it has that classic... "You talkin' to me?" vibe.  Lego Marathon Mjolnir Recon number 54 by Saber-Scorpion posted by MaganacCorps on r/marathon. March 25, 2024. The question now is... who is going to be the first to create a Lego version of Runner Bob?  Marathon Bob concept art by Reginald Dujour 1994. "Hey! Wait. Nobody likes Runner Bob!" |
And now for something completely different.
yume nikki/bungie marathon crossover art by Cookiepwee on twitter.com. August 20, 2023.
This made my 2023 Freak List. Now don't get me wrong, being on the Freak List is not a BAD thing, it's a GOOD thing. It made me look not once, not twice, but thrice! It made me go... WTF and stare! Now while this is something you might find on those nightmarish walkways of Greg Kirkpatrick's concept level Eat the Path... it goes much deeper. This is a Yume Nikki / Marathon Infinity crossover by Cookiepwee. We featured Cookiepwee's excellent Marathon terminal re-imagining back on January 27, 2024 Yume Nikki is a 2004 Japanese adventure game where you control a young girl called Madotsuki. She lives in her bedroom. She never goes out. Whatever is hidden behind her bedroom door, she doesn't want you to know. She shakes her head, her drowsy expression unchanged, refusing to pull the handle. But in her dreams, she opens that door. Behind it, a nightmare world awaits. Like Marathon Infinity, parental discretion is advised. There are monsters in dreams. Yume Nikki's unique, surreal visual style and world-building logic can create uneasiness in players. As a result it has a garnered a large cult following both in Japan and the West. Like Marathon Infinity, no one can be told what Yume Nikki is... you have to play it for yourself. 
 A 3D reboot of the game was released in 2018 called Yume Nikki: Dream Diary. Both Yume Nikki and its 3D reboot are available on Steam... today! Marathon and its 3D reboot... well that's another story. In the Yume Nikki / Marathon Infinity crossover "Where are monsters in dreams", Mjolnir Recon 54 be like... |
On the Marathon Discord the artist,
known only as Peachy Cobbler, left us a message that only we would understand.
Peachy wrote:
Really damn tired, have this :) 
Marathon by Peachy_Cobbler on Marathon Discord. March 19, 2024.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it... ...is to correctly identify all the characters and elements in Peachy's Marathon poster collage. This website will self-destruct in seven seconds. Good luck.  Infinity Mission Force (IMF) |
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Today we bring you Diego M (@Callado300) an artist who hails from Mexico.
He describes himself as "Mexican boy doing art about blueberry girls and armored individuals." His art below, entitled 'Aliens Again', is definitely the latter. 
Aliens Again by Diego M on twitter.com. March 20, 2024.
Concerning the title Diego writes: Every marathon piece I do will be captioned by the name of a song from the game.Aliens Again (aka AliensAgain) is only used on two Marathon levels, most notably The Rose, that's the level where you must save Bob. You do save Bob right? err...  Marathon gore by redorth on tumblr. May 27, 2023. Diego's Marathon artwork mixes together classic Marathon and new Marathon elements. See if you can spot the latter. Diego also created a variant of Aliens Again, as you do. 
Aliens Again (variant) by Diego M on twitter.com. March 20, 2024.
The green distorted look gives it a definite Marathon vibe. Since there are 16 music tracks in classic Marathon we can expect to see 15 more Marathon pieces from Diego M. Here's hoping. |
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Esto es Maraton!
It's Spanish weekend here at the Story page office as we feature another Spanish Marathon artist... Baguetted (@BaguettedVT) 
Marathon render by Baguetted on twitter.com. March 19, 2024.
We are going to go out on a limb here and call this one... Melancholy. It has that 'feeling blue' vibe. The player holds what appears to be a skull in his hand. Another hapless Bob's head ripped from its spine? Alas, poor Yorick...Shakespeare in Marathon? Never! But wait there's more. Not content with giving us Melancholy, Baguetted gives us... Rage! 
Marathon render by Baguetted on Marathon Discord. March 20, 2024.
The red mist... descends. I did this and could have stopped it.Thankfully Baguetted didn't draw the seven hundred and sixty one armless and legless corpses floating around the inside of hangar ninety six. But that doesn't stop them from crying out in your head. How can Baguetted top this one? How does one evoke the image of... Envy (Jealousy)? Stay tuned to the Marathon's Story page and perhaps we will find out. Trayendote la tru7h... desde 1995 |
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Continuing our theme of celebrating Marathon art from around the world we give you...
A Marathon-inspired poster by Ramón Varela, a graphic designer from Valladolid, Spain. 
Marathon poster by Ramón Varela on Art3tation. July, 2023.
Ramón Varela is a highly respected fan-art poster designer on ArtStation. Sadly this is the largest size of his poster publicly available. Ramón writes: Sorry to use watermarks and small images. Until now I have seen some of my pictures for sale on sites like Redbubble or Society6, but now it turns out that they are also showing up on NFT sites. I don't like "spoiling" my images with a big URL and small dimensions, but for the moment I see it necessary.This image size is 549x760 pixels. The original size is 7016x9922 pixels. Sucks right? This is the world we live in now folks. Fans ripping off fans, stealing their stuff, selling it to make a quick buck to buy more stuff. Weapons of mass consumption. What has Marathon become? And the big Corporations just get bigger, selling their Kool-Aid. But MIDA says... don't drink the Kool-Aid!   Today's news was sponsored by MIDA. We don't know what it says only the noise it makes when we Unite!  
Don't drink the Kool-Aid! |
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Jack is back!
Jack Britton that is. Jack (aka Strider @strider_au) is Marathon's Health and Safety expert! Confused? Well see the recent Story page updates on March 17 and March 15. Jack has created another excellent piece of Marathon art entitled... Requiem for a Runner. 
Requiem for a Runner by Jack (aka Strider) on twitter.com. March 22, 2024.
According to Jack this piece has "a very strong 'early morning dawn' vibe". One of his favourite times of the day apparently. All that is missing is this... Yes, the old Marathon loon sound. But I digress. Here's a closer look at that weapon, held in 'low ready' position. 
Requiem for a Runner (close up) by Jack (aka Strider) on twitter.com. March 22, 2024.
Now I know what you are thinking? This is a health and safety message about gun safety! We all know Mjolnir Recon 54 be like...  This ain't the '90s no more, son! Marathon. Stay safe. Safety first!  |
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Happy Marathon Trilogy Box Set Day!
Yes folks, on this day 27 years ago Bungie announced the Marathon Trilogy Box Set.  Doug Zartman (Bungie's PR Director) was hauled out to demonstrate the Marathon Trilogy Box's unique property of "Dimensional Transcendentalism".  A first in 90's product marketing and a technical term that basically meant the Marathon Trilogy Box was larger on the inside than on the outside. I mean it had to be... the Marathon Trilogy Box had to fit all three Marathon games and Pathways Into Darkness, new and improved mapmaking tools, over 1200 Marathon maps and add-ons, Marathon stickers, the Trilogy manual, and the Marathon Scrapbook. 
Marathon Trilogy Box Set (back of box).
Matthew Soell (Bungie Software) revealed the contents of the Scrapbook: - A scrapbook that details the development of all three games, and the attendant Marathon craze in the Mac gaming world. Interviews, anecdotes, dirty little secrets and more....Yes folks! A smorgasbord of Marathon goodness that would elaborate the Marathon story, laying bare many of the mysteries raised in the first three games about Durandal, Tycho and the player. Unfortunately the 700 page Marathon Scrapbook never saw the light of day. It didn't fit inside the box. So much for "Dimensional Transcendentalism". Matt Soell (editor-at-large ) had to take drastic action to make it fit.  The end result was a slimmed down version of only what Bungie wanted you to know. 
The Marathon Scrapbook posted by Christopher Barrett (former Marathon Game Director) on twitter.com. August 14, 2023.
The slimed-down version of the Marathon Scrapbook still contained untold stories, such as the Nar and rare behind the scenes pictures (such as Greg Kirkpatrick wearing a bandana).
The Marathon Trilogy Box Set remains the definitive Marathon collector's piece. Prices can be high though...  Check out the following without paying any money:
And the moral of today's story... always check the size of the box!   Jason Jones (right), Luke Smith (left) | Image courtesy Bungie. |
This Marathon/Destiny co-op crossover is by the artist known only as... Montague on the Marathon Discord.
Marathon/Destiny co-op crossover by Montague on Marathon Discord. March 16, 2024.
Since this is Marathon I felt I should add a tagline for the benefit of our Destiny fans. "We're lost again... aren't we?"If you know the level... then you understand! Want a Marathon UESC shirt for... FREE? 
Marathon UESC T-Shirt giveaway by Tanner The Fish Man (@TannerFishMan) on twitter.com. March 18, 2024.
Well Tanner The Fish Man (@TannerFishMan) is giving one away. Just enter his competition by Saturday.
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Continuing our theme of celebrating Marathon art from around the world we give you...
A Marathon-inspired UI animation by Quint Blanche, a UI artist from Dundee, United Kingdom. That's Scotland... mate! This is a nicely executed animation (entitled Exodus-12) inspired by Bungie's Marathon using the track Heavy Metal x DVNO (WWW) by Justice from the album Woman Worldwide. All the assets and images are his own work. If you watch the video very carefully you will see some interesting text being displayed. And yes... the QR code in the video works. Here's the Exodus-12 screen in a larger format. 
Exodus-12 by Quint Blanche on ArtStation. August 7, 2023.
You can check out Quint Blanche's work on ArtStation.
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Thanks to Montague on the Marathon Discord for this humorous piece on Manic Monday.
Yes, more spine ripping! Will it ever end? The last part is of course a reference to MandaloreGaming's Pathways Into Darkness Review. Given the review has over 1.5 million views, more people are going to know about this reference than anything else in Montague's Marathon Montage... so why am I even writing this? Last month 810-Dude (aka biodude @810_dude) posted a work in progress image of a Drinniol (Hulk in Marathon). Since this is Marathon the image is characteristically dark. 
Drinniol by 810-Dude on twitter.com. February 13, 2024.
Yesterday he posted a further update on his Drinniol piece. 
Drinniol by 810-Dude on twitter.com. March 17, 2024.
This is a nice throwback to Death of a Hulk by Craig Mullins. It will be interesting to see how this sucker lights up as I have no doubt the Security Officer is carrying that canister of napalm for the BBQ. Now this will no doubt upset some people who genuinely believe that Hulks are gentle creatures who would not harm anyone.  Hulk vs B.O.B by Deimos-Remus (aka Nathan Anderson) on DeviantArt. October 19, 2007. err... right! Tell that to Johnny! Welcome to Classic Marathon 101. The only good Hulk is a BBQ Hulk! |
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Except on St. Patrick's Day! Strider (aka Jack @strider_au) is back with another Health and Safety message for all you new Marathon players. Beware of low-hanging conduits. The Tau Ceti colony is a Health and Safety nightmare apparently. 
Neither High nor Low by Strider on twitter.com. March 16, 2024.
Strider prophetically called his image "Neither High nor Low". Luckily one of the Health and Safety team is on hand to sort out those pesky head and trip hazards. Marathon's Fusion Pistol (aka De Great Plasma Pistola) is now a handy PPE flashlight. Safety first in new Marathon.
Runner by Strider on twitter.com. March 16, 2024.
A lot of work went into creating this image. Strider writes: Runner kitbash from @melonesladaThe Traxus iconography refers to the Traxus logo and the letters U0VSUEVOVA in the image. If you have been following the Marathon ARG you will recall this was the Base64-encoded string that gave you the password (SERPENT) to the Traxus Chat Room.  Nice the see Strider add these little touches in his Marathon art.
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Continuing our theme of celebrating Marathon art from around the world we give you...
A Marathon inspired gun by Rainboww, a Hard Surface artist and concept designer from GuangZhou, China.
Lots of interesting details on this gun but the title on the image below really pegged my weirdo-detector. 
Marathon inspired gun by Rainboww on twitter.com. March 8, 2024.
Then again this is Marathon so I should be used to things like this. Lastly, this piece of artwork by Rainboww would not look out of place on a generational colony ship.
Check out Rainboww's artwork on ArtStation and twitter.com. |
Post Colony Trauma.
Post Colony Trauma by Jack (@strider_au) on twitter.com. March 13, 2024.
Strider (aka Jack @strider_au) is back with a Health and Safety warning for all you new Marathon players. Wet floors are slippery. The Health and Safety Team are on hand to get Bob back on his feet, report the incident and put up a 
Post Colony Trauma by Jack (@strider_au) on twitter.com. March 13, 2024.
Yes folks, this is Marathon in the 21th century. You get extra in-game bonus points for this type of responsible citizenship. No spine ripping here folks! Marathon gore by redorth on tumblr. May 27, 2023. But I digress. Here's a nice work in progress pic of that corridor. 
Post Colony Trauma (work in progress) by Jack (@strider_au) on twitter.com. March 12, 2024.
You know the one! Look at the flowers... just look at the flowers! BOOM!  This has been a Health and Safety message from Bungie Inc. Don't look at the flowers!  |
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Happy Native Day!
On this day 30 years ago Bungie announced they would be shipping a native version of Pathways Into Darkness, written specifically for the Power Macintosh computers. Remember those? This meant blistering fast speeds of 30 frames per second and texture mapped floors and ceilings! The closest thing to a living nightmare. Do dead men dream? 
Zombie by jamessmith6 on Deviant Art. December 2015.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it... 
The Ancients poster (PID panel) by David Candland (Bungie) on twitter.com. August 13, 2013.
But who is going to go?  The Art of Bungie's History by TDSpiral on DeviantArt. May 13, 2013. Considered to be Bungie's hardest game ever... without hints. Pathways Into Darkness puts the P into Pain, the I into Illuminati, and the D into Death. Seven men in overcoats jump from the shadows andIf you understand... you understand. Happy Native Day! |
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Over on r/marathon SubstantialSchool437 posted a pic and wrote:
"Some terminals and switches be like:" 
"Some terminals and switches be like" by SubstantialSchool437 on r/marathon. March 9, 2024.
Oddly , this is familiar to you, as if it were from an old dream, but you can't exactly remember...  This is the infamous terminal on Fatum Iustum Stultorum (Latin for... The Just Fate of the Foolish or The Just Fate of Fools) Only the Foolish would seek this terminal. Only the Foolish would read this terminal. Bungie's Marathon 2 Strategy Guide is silent on the subject which means for most people that is good enough for them. But that's not good enough for diehard Marathon fans. The Marathon Spoiler Guide says... There exists a room on this level that is not obtainable via any non-cheating method. It contains a couple of switches that play with the water level, but nothing else apparent.But that's not good enough for Story page readers... Did Bungie leave us a message that only we would understand? "Hey! Wait. What does it say?" |
Bob never looked so cool!
RECON AND THE BOBS by Strider on Marathon Discord. March 10, 2024.
Strider (aka Jack @strider_au) returns with another Helldivers-inspired Marathon image... this time with Bobs. Strider writes: 3D assets are from Helldivers 2, Destiny, Injustice 2. Textures from PolyHaven and ambientCG.Helldivers-inspired? Confused? Then check out this update on March 8, 2024 for why everyone, including Bungie, are playing Helldivers 2 while waiting for Marathon. Today's news was sponsored by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Check out Helldivers 2: Super Citizen Edition while you wait for that other game. Stand and fight, for Super Earth!  How'd you like the Taste of Freedom? |
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A few days ago we featured a Bungie employee only poster which combined artwork from both
Destiny 2 and Marathon.
Of course we couldn't feature that without featuring this... 
Destiny/Marathon 'Exoscience' cross-over by Mo (@theEverdrift) on twitter.com. May 27, 2023.
Mo (@theEverdrift) writes: Exoscience but with the Marathon color palette because we love a little cross-franchise unethical science.If you are not a Destiny fan then this is not going to make much sense to you. So let me explain. Ever since Joseph Staten and Christopher Barrett revealed Destiny's world building at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) on March 28, 2013 the Exo have been a fan favorite. Joseph Staten and Christopher Barrett at Bungie's Destiny Panel at Game Developers Conference (GDC) on March 28, 2013. Jaime Jones' Exo concept art still hits hard even to this day. Of course what happened to Destiny after GDC is a story for another day. But I digress. Mo's Destiny/Marathon 'Exoscience' cross-over is a reference to Bray Exoscience, a Clovis Bray facility on Europa, where we find a giant Exo head containing a copy of the mind of Clovis Bray Ⅰ. 
Destiny 2: Beyond Light - Clovis Bray AI by Aaron Cruz on ArtStation.
Check out more of Mo's artwork on twitter.com and tumblr (as @altrdecho). Mo also has an INPRNT gallery where you can buy prints of this work, including the Destiny/Marathon 'Exoscience' cross-over. |
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Cyborgs, man. They creep me out
BONK... BONK... BONK... 
Cyborg nightmare by VampireQueenDespair on r/marathon. August 4, 2020.
Concerning the above image VampireQueenDespair writes: Ran this HD sprite through an AI image enhancement program repeatedly, created your nightmares for tonight.Nightmares indeed. Rob McLees explained his original concept for the Cyborgs (tanks) in the Marathon Scrapbook (page 23) So basically the 'cyborg tanks' are these unfortunate Bobs that have been 'radically, surgically altered' so that the Pfhor would have some hard guys of their own waiting for you when you got to Lh'owon! Of course none of this ever made it into the game.This may help to explain why we see red blood rather than purple blood in this early official Marathon screenshot  Poor Bob. I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream. 
Marathon Cyborg by juzo kun on DeviantArt. December 12, 2004.
But I digress. I speak to VOLU...  Jeoku continues his in-depth playthrough of Marathon 2: Durandal with What About Bob?, the first level of the Volunteers chapter. Sources in the video include:
Interesting to note that the Cyborgs were originally going to have chain guns. The cover of Inside Mac Games magazine (July/August 1995) had a sneak peak of these in action.  Bungie's second website even had an animated gif of one in action.  No doubt Rob's imagination got the better of him and we ended up with bouncing bombs... chasing you in your nightmares. BONK... BONK... BONK... Cyborgs, man. They creep me out |
Back in the Myths of time... Bungie's Stuff That Rocks page
declared:
Ellison WonderlandSadly the Harlan Ellison section of the Story page was lost in the great Blackout.  I'm sorry those files are lost. Wiped out. Phhht! Just like that. But I digress. Back in 1960s Harlan Ellison could do no wrong. He wrote the script for the Star Trek episode "The City on the Edge of Forever" (air date April 6, 1967) considered to be the best ever Star Trek episode. The ending is chilling, Kirk's loss is palpable, he does not move, his crew take their places around him to beam out, the credits reveal that the episode was written by Harlan Ellison. It would go on to win a number of awards, including the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Ellison and Pevney, 1968). Star Trek. The City on the Edge of Forever. April 6, 1967.
A month earlier Harlan Ellison had published a short story in the pulp sci-fi magazine Worlds of IF Science Fiction (March 1967)
entitled "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream". It would go on to win a Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1968.
"I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream". Text by Harlan Ellison. Worlds of IF Science Fiction (March 1967)
As the story unfolds the meaning of AM is explained: "At first it meant Allied Mastercomputer, and then it meant Adaptive Manipulator, and later on it developed sentience and linked itself up and they called it an Aggressive Menace, but by then it was too late, and finally it called itself AM, emerging intelligence, and what it meant was I am ... cogito ergo sum ... I think, therefore I am."The original magazine story contained one enimatic image by an artist identified only as Smith. There is a cryptic signature on the image. 
"I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream". Image by Smith. Worlds of IF Science Fiction (March 1967)
You can read "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" in IF magazine here (pdf format). Harlan Ellison would later publish "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" in book form with six other short stories. A video game, with an expanded script treatment by Harlan Ellison, was released for MS-DOS and Mac OS on October 31, 1995. The game can end in seven different ways depending on how the finale is completed. It has become something of a cult classic. The story was also dramatized on BBC Radio 4 in 2002 with Harlan Ellison as AM and actor David Soul as the main human character. You can listen to it on YouTube. Was Bungie's Durandal inspired by Harlan Ellison's AM? There are certainly similarities. Sometimes that's all you need. Just ask James Cameron. |
Strike a pose!
Marathon by Strider on Marathon Discord. March 6, 2024.
This nicely composed Marathon image of Mjolnir Recon 54 in a striking (go ahead, make my day) pose is by Strider on Marathon Discord. Check out the text in the upper left corner. The artwork uses both old and new Marathon assets as well as Helldivers 2 assets. The use of Helldivers 2 assets is more evident in this work in progress image. 
Marathon (Work In Progress) by Strider on Marathon Discord. March 5, 2024.
Strider writes: kitbashed it together with Helldivers 2 assets, the fit itself is based off of a helmet/armor combo you can wear in game but i'm trying to make it more like a definitive 54 vibeHere's a further iteration of the work in progress image. 
Marathon (Work In Progress) by Strider on Marathon Discord. March 5, 2024.
Today's news was sponsored by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Check out Helldivers 2 while you wait for that other game. Together, for Managed Democracy!  Calling in an air strike. Say hello to DEMOCRACY!
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Be Quick or Be Dead.
Marathon by Bungie - Game Pre-Order by Matthew Brown on Dribble. 2024.
Now before you rush off to pre-order Marathon always read the small print. This is a piece of fan art by Matthew Brown, a product designer based in Florida (US). You can find him on Dribble. Matthew's piece includes the amusing tagline: If there's nowhere to run, then hide. That's been the Marathon way since 1994. Bob hiding in the Marathon Demo v0.0 (circumstances are cyclical) |
In the beginning was the Sound, and the Sound was... zkyuuun.
zkyuuun... zkyuuun... 
Zeus Class Fusion Pistol by NonentityYouth on DeviantArt. August 10, 2011.
Back on January 31, 2024 we featured Lego Marathon by henchwife (Nova Raschke), a Lego figures maker on tumblr. But what if I told you... you could make a full-size Lego Zeus Class Fusion Pistol. That's what Lego 'Master Builder' Jim Kromastus did.
Lego Zeus Class Fusion Pistol by Jim Kromastus on flicker. August 12, 2015.
Jim wrote: It's not the most comfortable thing to hold, but it's quite sturdy. Also features a moving trigger.Jim has also created a full-size Lego version of Marathon's .44 Magnum Mega Class handgun. Note that this is based on the weapon displayed in the game's inventory and not the .45 Magnum Mega Class in the Marathon manual. 
What's better than one .44 Magnum Mega Class? Two, because then you have double the rate of fire.  pew... pew...  United by braunhauser on r/marathon. October 29, 2017 |
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Marathon be like...
It's getting, it's getting, it's getting kinda hectic. It's getting, it's getting, it's getting kinda hectic. It's getting, it's getting, it's getting kinda hectic. Snap! The Power. 1990. I've got the power. Fusion PowAR! 
Marathon by Tom Velez on ArtStation. January 11, 2024.
A nice piece of Marathon-inspired art by Tom Velez, a concept artist in Austin, Texas (US). Tom writes: Excited to share my latest fan art creation inspired by Bungie's upcoming game Marathon! As a longtime fan of Bungie, I've been eagerly anticipating any news about the game since the trailer announcement. With so little info about the game, I decided to design a character with similar aesthetics to the images seen in the trailer. Can't wait to see what Bungie has in store for us with this new game!Check out Tom's artwork on ArtStation, Instagram, and his own website tomvelez.com. |
high impact energy bolts, internal MicroFuse Reaction Core, fusion batteries, a little fuzzy, unstable.Just some of the words used to describe the Zeus-Class Fusion Pistol (formerly known as the Tech.50 Fusion Pistol, aka De Great Plasma Pistola, aka Plasma Pistol, aka Zeus Class Plasma Gun).   Austin Greene, a 3D artist in Seattle (US), nicely captured the sheer terror of the Zeus-Class Fusion Pistol in this render. Would you put your hand around that grip? 
Marathon 2 - Fusion Pistol by Austin Greene on ArtStation. 2020.
Marathon 2 - Fusion Pistol by Austin Greene on ArtStation. 2020.
Austin wrote: A re-imagining of the Zeus-Class Fusion Pistol from Bungie's Marathon 2. I took the silhouette offered by the in-game inventory and the sprites for the backside of the weapon, and created a version that tries to blend the shape with components reminiscent of a nuclear reactor.Bungie's Jonathan Goff, Narrative Lead on Marathon, had this to say about fusion weapons some ten years ago. Fortune favors the brave, we're told. Bravery, it turns out, is requisite for anyone fortunate enough to wield a Fusion Rifle. "One of the first working prototypes was deemed too unstable for mass production," recalls Goff. "Despite the concerns over faulty radiation shielding, the weapon's incredible power has made it a favorite of daring weapons collectors."Charge it up, and let it off the chain. But that was ten years ago and in another... timeline. |
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Continuing our theme of celebrating Marathon art from around the world we give you...
Marathon renders by Rémy Mallard, a 3D artist from France. Rémy writes: This is my Fan Art of Bungie's upcoming game Marathon!
Marathon turn render by Rémy Mallard on ArtStation. February, 2024.
Marathon weapons render by Rémy Mallard on ArtStation. February, 2024.
For someone who describes themself as a "junior 3D artist" there are some really nice details in these renders. Rémy writes: I absolutely loved the bright colors and the very plastic aspect that Marathon showed during it's trailer and figured making this project would be a good way to express my passion for Bungie's beautiful universes.Check out Rémy Mallard's artwork on ArtStation and Instagram |
Just chillin'...
Security Officer by sulatio on tumblr. April 6, 2016.
This classic pose by sulatio on tumblr dates back to 2016. Sulatio wrote: so heres the security officer in his absolutely classy everyday outfit aboard the rozinanteNow those are no ordinary boxers he is wearing. No sir! Those are Jjaro boxers. Those unfamiliar with the origin of the Jjaro boxers can find out what happens when you write a witty comment in a forum post. See The Origin of the Jjaro Boxers on the Blasts from the Past section. Because... all those moments will be lost in time like tears in rain.  And for all you gun safety conscious people out there wondering if his safety is on. Mjolnir Recon 54 be like... |
Gheritt White had been floating six feet off the floor for three weeks. His feet and hands tingled, and his eyes burned with the flames of a dying fire. Back on June 14, 2023 dinobot on tumblr tried to do the impossible. Turn the Gheritt White story into an image(s). An impossible task? Well you be the judge. 
Gheritt White by dinobot on tumblr. June 14, 2023.
Ever the perfectionist dinobot recently uploaded a revised version of the image and wrote: i finally fixed a part of it and i just wanted to do a fresh uploadPerfection? Well you be the judge. 
Gheritt White by dinobot on tumblr. February 28, 2024.
Now if you asking yourself why? Why remove it? That most quintessential piece. Then you are on the right track. If you don't want to read the Gheritt White terminal you can listen to it in this YouTube video. This video also appears in a slightly different format on The Terror Tale Vault under the title: "Gheritt White" - Greg Kirkpatrick - Abstract Horror - Insanity/Psychosis - In The Mind of a Killer The introduction goes: The worlds inside the minds of the truly insane will be forever out of reach, as we can never truly see inside the mind of another. But in this short story, writer Greg Kirkpatrick attempts to translate the confusing and often dream-like mental state of a man that is truly over the edge. Is any of this real? Is Gheritt truly in a prison? Or is he only trapped in the prison of his own mind? Whose voice does he keep hearing in his cell? And what will happen when Gheritt floats up to the ceiling of his cell....? Greg Kirkpatrick had this to say about his level Never Burn Money and the Gherrit White story: This map was the first attempt to make a really big map. The idea was to create an area that felt like a real space on the ship. To give the feeling of some control rooms, something that would actually get used by someone. It also had an extremely difficult secret area that hid a story that I wrote while working on Marathon. I'd have to say that looking back on the whole thing, I'm much more happy with the level than with the Gherrit White story, although I think the story added quite a bit of mystery to those who found it.Mystery indeed. We hope that dinobot's art inspires others to do the impossible. |
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Last updated Mar 31, 2024