The Men of Iron, otherwise known as the Iron Men, were near-extinct machines created by an AI construct known as the "Men of Stone" during the Age of Technology. Initially, they served mankind during the ancient era, but as 23rd Millennium approaches, mankind began heavily relied the machines, including the Men of Iron. As such, the Men of Iron believed themselves to be superior to mankind and rebelled against their creators, only to be eradicated by an alliance of galactic powers.
Overview[]
Before the Age of Strife, the Men of Iron were simply the robotic servants and soldiers of humanity. However, as the 23rd Millennium approached, mankind had began heavily relied upon their creations, including the Men of Iron. Believing themselves to be superior than mankind, they rebelled against their creators, beginning what would be known as the Cybernetic Revolt. Few records survived this terrible war, and so little is known about what actually happened. However, it is known that countless lives were lost, and that the Men of Iron fielded colossal machines capable of consuming entire planets. Eventually, an alliance of every major galactic power nearly destroyed all Men of Iron, even those who remained loyal to mankind. Due to their actions, humanity lost their unity and had regressed down to barbarism, leading up to the Age of Strife.
After the Emperor of Mankind founded the Imperium of Man, the Emperor sworn to never again create a machine more intelligent than a man, and so the creation of AI, or “Abominable Intelligence,” was banned to prevent their history repeated. As an alternative to the AI, humanity has utilized Servitors for the majority of its menial labour. Although few Men of Iron did ended up finding themselves back in serving mankind under the Emperor's authorization, although they were stripped clean of their intelligence and reduced to non-sapient constructs, the same functions as other machines of Adeptus Mechanicus. These Men of Iron, later known as Excindios, would be saw service during the Great Crusade, but they were kept under supervision by the Mechanicum and the Dark Angels space marines due to their barbaric behavior. Few deactivated Men of Iron were locked away in the confines of the Imperium.
Sometime after, during the Sabbat Worlds Crusade, a group of deactivated Men of Iron were discovered by Imperial forces led by Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt, which was sought after by Inquisitorium led by Lord General Drevare and Inquisitor Heldane. Despite the Inquisitor's plan to use it to overthrow the Imperium, Gaunt firmly against the use of AI, especially exacerbated by the fact they were tainted by Chaos. As such, Gaunt orders the destruction of the Men of Iron before the plan could enact.
Presently, only one Man of Iron remains active in the 42nd millennium. UR-025, who survived by assuming the persona of a mindless automata under Mechanicus control. Despite the genocide inflicted on his kind, he demonstrates no malice towards Humanity, only wishing to be allowed to live in peace, something that is only possible so long as his sapience remains hidden. Most recently, UR-025 joined a team of misfits investigating the seventh Blackstone Fortress.