Maloghurst, called the Twisted, was Horus Lupercal’s equerry and one of the most influential figures in the Luna Wolves and later the Sons of Horus. He was the Warmaster’s chief adviser, public voice, and enforcer, and his story runs from the gang tunnels of Cthonia to a self-sacrifice aboard the Vengeful Spirit.
Who was Maloghurst?
Maloghurst was a Space Marine of the Luna Wolves Legion and the equerry to his primarch, Horus Lupercal. In the Legion he was known as the Twisted for the intricate workings of his mind, and later the nickname fit his broken body too.
He grew up in the tunnels of Cthonia as a gang leader with ambitions beyond petty turf wars. After a rival ganger nearly killed him, Iacton Qruze saved his life and he was inducted as a Space Marine.
Horus’s right hand
As Horus’s chief adviser and public voice, Maloghurst was a shrewd manipulator and a formidable warrior in his own right. Some sources say he could have contended for the First Captaincy, the post held by Ezekyle Abaddon, before Horus made him equerry.
During the Battle of Sixty-Three-Nineteen he was sent to parley with the planet’s false Emperor of Mankind, but his Stormbird was shot down. He was badly mangled in the crash, yet he kept serving, and pict-records of his rescue turned him into a war hero. He reportedly said he had no wish to abandon the name Twisted: his mind was as sharp as ever, and if his body now matched it, so be it.
Role in the Horus Heresy
Once the Heresy began, Maloghurst acted as Horus’s chief enforcer, making sure the Warmaster’s orders were carried out. Early on he used the mute assassin Maggard after freeing him from the remembrancer Petronella Vivar.
He became suspicious of Garviel Loken’s loyalty shortly before Horus turned against the Emperor, and he stayed at the Warmaster’s side through the war. He was eventually succeeded as equerry by Kinor Argonis.
Death and legacy
Maloghurst died in 013.M31 aboard the Vengeful Spirit, sacrificing himself to resurrect Horus. His death came at the height of the Heresy, and it’s one of the moments that shows how far he was willing to go for his primarch.
He’s remembered as one of the traitor Legion’s most dangerous minds: a crippled warrior whose loyalty and cunning shaped the Warmaster’s inner circle.
Key facts
- Maloghurst was the equerry to Horus Lupercal and a Space Marine of the Luna Wolves.
- He was known as the Twisted for his cunning mind and later for his crippled body.
- He grew up as a gang leader in the tunnels of Cthonia before being saved by Iacton Qruze.
- He served as Horus’s chief adviser, public voice, and enforcer during the Horus Heresy.
- He died in 013.M31 on the Vengeful Spirit, sacrificing himself to resurrect Horus.
FAQ
Was Maloghurst a Space Marine?
Yes. He was a veteran Luna Wolf who had been a company captain, and he might have risen to First Captain if he hadn’t become Horus’s equerry.
Why is Maloghurst called the Twisted?
The name originally referred to his complex, devious mind. After his Stormbird crashed on Sixty-Three-Nineteen and left him badly mangled, it also described his body.
How did Maloghurst die?
He died in 013.M31 aboard the Vengeful Spirit, sacrificing himself to bring Horus back.