Mortarion vs. Doom Slayer: Clash in the Plague Garden
A Duel in the Plague Garden
This panel from the fan comic If Doom Slayer joins the Imperium of Man captures a dramatic confrontation between two towering figures: Mortarion, Daemon Primarch of the Death Guard, and the Doom Slayer himself. Mortarion dominates the left side, draped in rotting robes and crowned by his distinctive spiked hood, giving off an aura of grim majesty. His monstrous wings drip with plague and corruption, their feathers resembling rotted leaves. He proudly wields a glaive, introducing it as a weapon forged in the Plague Garden and infused with a poison too vile to imagine. This moment is full of theatrical tension, a declaration of vengeance after a past defeat. Mortarion’s presence is grotesque but noble in a way only Chaos can manage—majestic decay made flesh.
The Return of the Slayer
On the right side, the Doom Slayer appears as a looming figure of silent menace. Standing firm in his signature armor, he exudes raw defiance in the face of Mortarion’s threats. The second bottom panel shows him in full, with one foot forward, ready to strike—wordless as ever, but entirely focused. Mortarion mocks the Slayer, claiming he will win this time using a weapon that mirrors his enemy’s sword. There’s history between them, and this panel implies their last battle ended with Mortarion’s defeat. The contrast between Mortarion’s monologue and Doom Slayer’s stoic silence builds incredible tension—it’s classic “villain speaks, hero acts.”
A World of Rot and Rage
The setting around them is haunting, composed of twisted, root-like tentacle trees that seem to move with malicious intent. In the lower right corner, a warning is shouted by one of Doom Slayer’s allies, cautioning him not to get too close or risk entrapment. The whole forest feels alive, like a nightmarish extension of Mortarion’s will. The environment plays a role in the story, adding danger beyond just the duel itself. The use of heavy inks, cross-hatching, and bold contrast gives the page a brutal, almost decaying aesthetic—matching the corruption of Nurgle and the raw fury of the Doom Slayer. It’s an intense snapshot of two unstoppable forces clashing in the filth of a daemon world.
