Games Workshop and author Mike Brooks reportedly villainized political pundit Carl Benjamin aka Sargon of Akkad in their 2020 book Necromunda: Road to Redemption.
Necromunda: Road to Redemption (2020), Black Library
As reported by Fandom Pulse, X user Chainsword40k brought this revelation to public attention while noting that Brooks is a woke activist and “one of the most woke [Black Library] author[s].”
Chainsword40k posted, “Just a friendly reminder that Mike Brooks new novel Lelith Hesperax: Queen of Knives will be released later this year. I won’t tell you what to do but I am not buying it. Mike Brooks is obsessed with gender identity and one of the most woke BL author. Here are some examples.”
Chainsword40k on X
From there, Chainsword40k shared a number of screenshots to prove his assertions. First, he shared a screenshot of Brooks claiming that the Ork faction the Freebooterz “support Pride, Trans Rights, and Black Lives Matter” from August 2020.
Mike Brooks on X
Next, he shared a list of Brooks’ activism being inserted into Warhammer 40k lore. It states, “Black Library author who just needs to insert real life politics and a woke agenda into every piece of fiction he makes. Here are some of the finest examples in his novels.
- Wanted: Dead – LGBTQ characters, gangers that believe in the God Empress instead of Emperor
- Da Big Dakka – Transgender Drukhari
- Brutal Kunnin – Non binary characters and gender neutral pronouns
- Renegades: Harrowmaster – Paraphrasing what Umberto Eco writes in Ur-Fascism
- Road to Redemption: Writing villain known as Sarkon Aggad which is an obvious jab at Sargon of Akkad (Carl Benjamin.), lots of try hard allegories of real life politics.
- Lion: Sons of the Forest – Nu-pronouns and gender identity. Implying that space marines could have some kind of romantic feelings for each other.
- Rites of Passage – Yep, you guessed it. Nu-pronouns. Pushing his own ideology into the characters mouths.
Chainsword40k on X
The user then shared excerpts from various books to prove his point. He shared the excerpt from Necromunda: Road to Redemption that depicts Sarkon Aggad as a slave master getting killed by a character named Alin Choll.
The excerpt reads, “Sarkon Aggad bellowed with rage, his voxcaster amplifying it until his war cry was nearly a weapon in its own right, and lumbered into a charge, both chainaxes revving up until the whirl of their blades became a banshee scream. Alin Choll raised their silenced stub gun and trained it on the behemoth bearing down on them, an action which looked to Zeke to be the equivalent of menacing sumpkroc with a toothpick.”
It continues, “Shadows threw themselves on Aggad, slowing him, overwhelming him. The slave master lashed out with his chainaxes and one of his assailants was thrown clear, nearly bisected, but there were too many for him to fight. His arms were immobilised and he was borne down to the ground, bellowing with impotent rage. Then a short, squat shape clambered onto his back and wrapped a chain — a slave’s manacles — around Aggad’s neck and began to pull. Aggad’s breathing, hideously amplified by his voxcaster, became more and more ragged, more and more desperate. Then, as his executioner gave one final wrench on the chains, Sarkon Aggad’s death rattle rang out.”
An excerpt from Necromunda: Road to Redemption via Chainsword40k on X
Benjamin reacted to being parodied by Games Workshop and Brooks writing on X, “I am officially canon in the Warhammer universe.” He then added, “If anyone can supply a proper description of this character, I am happy to make him and paint him.”
I am officially canon in the Warhammer universe. https://t.co/gQicAK6DuU pic.twitter.com/U1R0FxgAaQ
— Carl Benjamin (@Sargon_of_Akkad) May 1, 2024
READ: Games Workshop CFO Sells Two-Thirds Of Her Shares Amid Growing Warhammer Boycott
Chainsword40k then supplied him one. It reads, “That voice again, stentorian and rolling, packed with bombast and venom. A huge figure stepped into Zeke’s view, silhouetted against the shifting blue light of the plasma regulators. He was close enough now to make out details: a pair of chainaxes, one held casually in each hand. A breath-griller over the man’s mouth must contain the receiver for the voxcaster speakers, which sat atop his armoured pauldrons and sent his voice booming out into the underhive. His hair was long and dark, and fell wetly over his chest and shoulders. His features were largely in shadow, but what Zeke could see of them were suffused with rage.”
It continues, “Sarkon Aggad, slave master. Zeke stumbled to a halt and raised his autopistol, firing a spray of shells. His aim was off, and the rounds knocked sparks from Aggad’s chestplate instead of blowing apart his skull. The slave master staggered back, but kept his feet.”
Benjamin reacted writing, “What a cool description.”
What a cool description. https://t.co/7xB8ExmhnU
— Carl Benjamin (@Sargon_of_Akkad) May 1, 2024
What do you make of Games Workshop villainizing political pundit Carl Benjamin in their Warhammer 40k universe by author Mike Brooks?
I hear some people trying to be reasonable in blaming the right and left for tearing each other apart but this is a good illustration of why I don’t believe that to be the case. The left is constantly itching for a cultural fight and goes to very odd lengths to instigate the right. The right, for the most part, wants to be left alone. These people are obsessed with tearing things down and doing so in these very strange and almost passive aggressive ways.
Carl should be happy with this description as a Nurgle player.