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Now the unquestioned leader of the Sons of Horus, Abaddon eventually renamed them the [[Black Legion]] to expunge the name of his fallen father, who failed in his attempt to take over the Imperium. Studying what his predecessor had done, Abaddon realized that while he needed to court the [[Ruinous Powers]] as allies, he became determined to never become a thrall to their will as had been the case with Horus in the end.{{Fn|8c}} Abaddon slowly forged the Black Legion into a formidable fighting force with the help of his [[Ezekarion]] and fought against his primary rival, [[Death Guard]] Lord [[Thagus Daravek]].{{Fn|12}} While simultaneously dealing with Daravek with the help of [[Iskandar Khayon]], Abaddon eventually returned at the head of a diabolic horde which ravaged entire systems around the Eye of Terror before the Imperium could muster the strength to halt it. During this first [[Black Crusade]], Abaddon managed to slay his longtime enemy [[Sigismund]] in a duel after failing to sway him to his cause.{{Fn|12}} Though badly wounded in the fight with Sigismund, Abaddon survived and made many bloody pacts with the [[Gods of Chaos|infernal powers]]. At the end of the Crusade in the crypts below the Tower of Silence on Uralan, Abaddon recovered the [[Daemon Weapon|Daemon Sword]] ''[[Drach'nyen]]''.{{Fn|2}} With the howling daemon blade in his fist Abaddon became nigh unstoppable. Whole cities were burned in sacrifice to the ever-hungry daemons of Chaos, and entire armies were torn apart by gibbering [[Warp]] entities. Abaddon's power swelled to inhuman proportions as the gods of Chaos rewarded him lavishly and he undertook acts of fiendish bravery which horrified those who stood against him. Abaddon continued to forcibly absorb old warbands of the Sons of Horus into his forces, most notably the [[Sons of the Eye]]. Many other exiled and damned members of the nine Traitor Legions were also allowed to join his ranks.{{Fn|8a}}
During the [[12th Black Crusade]] ( or "Gothic War"), Abaddon almost brought an entire [[sector]] to its knees. His fleets were augmented with a newly constructed flagship, known for good reason as the [[Planet Killer]]. Abaddon attacked the Gothic Sector while the sector was cut off from reinforcements by Warp storms and caused huge damage to the Imperial battlefleet, destroyed a number of planets and devastated many more. Only the intervention of the [[Eldar]] enabled Imperial forces to stop the Chaos fleet. Though his aims were not fully achieved, Abaddon still captured two and destroyed four of the Imperial [[Blackstone Fortresses]], mysterious constructions allegedly ัre-dating the Imperium itself that could generate prodigious destructive firepower.{{Fn|33}} After the 12th Black Crusade, Abaddon attempted to control the two captured Blackstone Fortresses, but the constructs resisted him. An attempt to seize control through Daemons failed, resulting in one Blackstone Fortress becoming uncontrollable. However, Abaddon succeeded with the second fortress -the ''Will of Eternity''- by creating enetically a genetically modified psyker woman called [[Dravura Morkath]] who was able to pilot the ancient weapon. The Warmaster controlled Morkath by implanting false memories in her, suggesting to her that she was a spawn of the ''Will of Eternity'' who had been found and adopted by him.{{Fn|32c}}
[[File:Abaddon6.jpg|thumb|220px|right|Abaddon the Despoiler]]
In 999.M41, Abaddon unvleashed unleashed the [[13th Black Crusade]]. He managed to gain a foothold in the [[Cadian Gate]], planning to extend the [[Eye of Terror]] to encompass even [[Terra]] in a plan known as '''The Crimson Path'''.{{Fn|6}} By launching diversionary operations as well as an early invasion of Cadia using a massive force of largely second-rate troops and ships, the Warmaster skillfully manipulated the Imperials. After the defenders of Cadia had repelled the first wave, they dispersed parts of their forces -especially their large fleets- due to believing to have defeated the 13th Black Crusade. Instead, Abaddon surprised them with a second invasion using his best and most powerful assets.{{Fn|32a}} However, the Imperials still managed to frustrate some his his plans, while his subordinates fought among each other and were distracted by the powers of the Warp.{{Fn|32b}} As a result, the Imperials were able to temporarily cripple the Blackstone Fortress ''Will of Eternity'', thereby preventing the Warmaster from destroying Cadia from orbit.{{Fn|11a}}
Despite the setbacks, Abaddon's forces were able to gain a foothold on Cadia to the point where one bastion, Kasr Kraf, became the main focus of the defense. After the vicious Battle of the Elysion Fields, Kasr Kraf fell and Abaddon moved onto the last stage of his plan: destroying the [[Cadian Pylon]]s. In the final battle beneath Cadia's surface Abaddon personally clashed with a variety of foes including [[Saint Celestine]], the [[Geminae Superia]], [[Inquisitor]] [[Greyfax]], [[Orven Highfell]], and [[Ursarkar E. Creed]] for control of the Pylons. Abaddon bested them all and managed to defeat Celestine who had become depowered by the activation of Cadia's pylons. However despite the loss of an arm, Creed distracted Abaddon long enough for Celestine to impale him from behind with her sword. Horribly wounded, Abaddon was forced to teleport back to the ''Vengeful Spirit''.{{Fn|11b}}
