Summary
Marcus Fenix has become one of the mostwell-known and beloved video game protagonistsin the industry, and even though he hasn’t appeared in a mainlineGears of Wargame for quite some time, his larger-than-life persona has still made him a memorable character nonetheless. Though Marcus has proven on numerous occasions that he’s more than capable of holding his own on the battlefield, he’s also demonstrated he can be a pretty good speaker too, at least, when he’s not swearing his head off like a sailor in the middle of combat, that is.
In fact, Marcus has had quite a few impactful quotes throughout his adventures with the COG, and nowGears of War E-Dayhas finally been confirmed, it feels like the perfect time to reflect on Marcus, and specifically, his unique way with words. These are the Marcus Fenix quotes that have helped define the character over the years.
No matter how dark and dangerous a situation can get, Marcus is always able to lighten up the mood with an out-of-the-blue quip orsarcastic remark, such as this one said near the beginning ofGears of War 2. After Dom questions whether the Locust has caught on to Delta Squad’s plan, Marcus reminds his squadmates that they aren’t just there to hand out “Cookies,” meaning the Locust would definitely be getting suspicious as to what they’re up to.
Though this is admittedly a pretty funny and unexpected reply, it also indicates just how smart the Locust really are as enemies and the fact they are always watching the COG from the shadows, and preparing in advance. It’s a subtle line of dialogue that has stuck with many players because of how absurd yet intentional it is.
Theactive reloadis a mechanic in theGears of Wargames which allows players to fill up their gun with extra-powerful rounds if they can manage to press the reload button at the exact right time. When pulled off successfully, the player’s character will make a quick comment, and for Marcus, this is none other than his now signature “Nice” quote.
What makes this line so funny is the fact Marcus elongates it for so long and will scream it at the top of his lungs, even if there are enemies nearby. It’s also a quote that easily burrows its way into players' minds because of how often Marcus will be saying it, especially in the first game where there are far fewer voice lines.
Though Marcus does show up in the story ofGears of War 4, he’s a lot older and quite disillusioned with the whole idea of going out and fighting on the frontlines for the sake of the COG. At first, it’s not made clear whether Marcus actually enjoys his brief period of retirement, or if he secretly misses his life as a soldier, but one advantage he does cite about his age is the fact that, in his words “You don’t have to have an opinion on everything.”
For Marcus' standards, it’s a pretty profound and thought-provoking quote that is emblematic of how Marcus has essentially passed the torch to his son, JD, and his friends, to continue the fight for humanity’s survival. It’s also a quote that shows Marcus is at least somewhatembracing his old age, rather than being bitter about it.
4"Scratch One Grub"
Marcus Says This Line So Often That It Might As Well Be His Catchphrase
Probably the one quote that mostGearsplayers have heard more than any other is the now iconic line “Scratch one grub.” For context, “Grubs” is the nickname given to the Locust by the Cog, so it’s a word that gets thrown around a lot, but by far the person to say it more than every other character combined is Marcus. This specific quote has a chance of randomly triggering after Marcus kills a Locust, but since it doesn’t matter how he kills them, it means there’s always a good chance Marcus will yell this line after taking down an enemy.
However, despite it being one of the most common lines of dialogue in the first three games, Marcus' enthusiastic vocal delivery ensures that it never gets annoying, and has become somewhat of a catchphrase for the character. Unless Marcus only picked up the line later in his life, players can probably expect to hear this classic quote more than a few times inGears of War E-Day.
3"What Do I Look Like? A F****** Botanist?"
Gears of War 2retains the same cover-based gameplay as the first game, but it also throws in a few unique gimmicks to help keep encounters fresh. One of these gimmicks comes early on in the game when Marcus and the squad meet a herd of rockworms - harmless yet sturdy creatures who can be lured out and used as cover by feeding them plants known as Glowbes.
Understandably confused by all of this, Carmine asks Marcus what exactly these pieces of fruit are, only forhis mentorto come back with one of his most sarcastic responses. What makes this specific quote even more hilarious is the fact that Marcus’s big and bulky militaristic appearance probably couldn’t be any more different from what a botanist would wear, and it’s a line that is so random, it’s become a real highlight of its respective game.
2"It’s A Giant Worm! They’re Sinking Cities With A Giant Worm!"
At the beginning ofGears of War 2, it’s revealed the Locust have acquired a new superweapon that is powerful enough to sink entire cities. As a result, Marcus and the gang are tasked with seeking out what this weapon is and putting a stop to it once and for all. After venturing deep into the underground, they eventually discover this “superweapon” is actually an enormous worm that is digging through the ground and snacking on any cities that lie in its path of destruction.
This is already a shocking revelation, but the way Marcus announces this surprise to Anya over the telecom makes this scene so much more memorable. At the top of his lungs, Marcus begins screaming to Anya about the existence of the worm, and when paired withthe grandiose musicin the background, and the visual of the worm moving at a blistering pace, it does an excellent job of presenting the enemy as a pretty big deal.
The Locust and Lambent may be the ones fighting the COG on the frontlines, but the real mastermind who had secretly been pulling the strings behind the scenes was none other thanthe Locust queen herself, Myrrah. After the tragic loss of his best friend Dom, along with countless other comrades who fell in battle to the Locust, Marcus finally comes face to face with Myrrah at the very end ofGears of War 3and manages to plunge a dagger deep into her heart as soon as he gets the chance.
As Myrrah begins bleeding out, Marcus assures her that this fatal blow was payback, not just for Dom, but for all the humans that she had gotten killed because of the war. Myrrah first shows up inGears of War 2, but she manages to barely escape with her life intact in that game. Therefore, it makes this death scene all the more satisfying, while also being a heartfelt farewell to Dom in the process.
