Juggernaut (character)

The Juggernaut
File:Juggernaut.PNG Cover art for New Excalibur #12. Art by Michael Ryan
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The [Uncanny] X-Men (volume 1) #12 (July 1965).
Created by	Stan Lee Jack Kirby
In-story information
Alter ego	Cain Marko
Species	Magic-based Human Mutate
Team affiliations	New Excalibur Exiles (Malibu Comics) Brotherhood of Mutants Exemplars X-Men
Abilities	Superhuman strength, stamina, and durability Formerly: Ability to become unstoppable when in motion, Force field generation Invulnerability to all forms of physical damage

Juggernaut (real Cain Marko) is a fictional Marvel Comics character associated with the X-Men franchise. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared X-Men #12 (July 1965).

The Juggernaut, also known as Cain Marko, is X-Men founder Charles Xavier’s step-brother and bullied Xavier when they were children.

Granted almost unsurpassed superhuman strength and invulnerability (as great as The Hulk) by the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak, Juggernaut then embarked on a lengthy criminal career, often tangling with his step-brother’s superhero team.

Besides X-Men, Juggernaut has also been enemy of The Hulk and Spider-Man.

In 2000s issues of X-Men comic books, Juggernaut underwent a crisis of conscience and joined the team. He is currently a member of the European offshoot Excalibur.

A popular character, Juggernaut has fought the X-Men in several animated series and video games. Vinnie Jones played the character in the 2006 film X-Men: The Last Stand in which he is a member of Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants.

Publication history

Although mainly featuring as a villain for the X-Men titles, Juggernaut had his own one-shot in the late 1990s and currently is a main character in New Excalibur.

Fictional character biography

Origin

Cain Marko was born in Berkeley, California. He is the stepbrother of Charles Xavier, founder of the X-Men. His father, Kurt Marko married Charles' mother, Sharon, after her husband Brian Xavier died. Kurt physically abused Cain and drove Sharon to alcoholism. Anti-social and malicious in general, Cain held a special contempt for his stepbrother Charles Xavier who due to a hidden mutant power of telepathy excelled at all endeavors and cast Cain completely in shadow. One day Cain was further humiliated as Xavier probed his mind and learned of Cain's insecurities toward him and of Kurt Marko's physical abuse. The revelation to Cain that Xavier used a superhuman advantage to surpass him all this time was a major factor in Cain's hatred towards his brother.

Cain was sent to a military boarding school and later served in the U.S. Army. While serving together in the Korean War, Cain and Charles stumbled onto the ancient temple of Cyttorak, lost for centuries. On an altar, Cain saw a huge red gem, the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak, and immediately grabbed it. Upon the gem was an inscription, and he spoke it aloud: "Whosoever touches this gem shall be granted the power of the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak! Henceforth, you who read these words, shall become ... forevermore ... a human juggernaut!"

The cavern collapsed. Charles was able to escape, but it took Cain years to dig himself out as he underwent the transformation. Cain seethed with rage at his stepbrother and, after finally emerging from the mountains he was buried under, set out to hurt Charles as much as possible.

Criminal Life

Juggernaut first appeared on-panel in Uncanny X-Men #12, although his presence was sensed by Professor X in the previous issue. He has since fought various heroes of the Marvel Universe, primarily the X-Men but also including Spider-Man, the Avengers, Deadpool, and the Incredible Hulk.

File:Uncanny12.jpg

Cover of Uncanny X-Men #12. Art by Jack Kirby.

Despite his great power and the danger he poses to the X-Men, he has used these abilities not to be a supervillain, but more of a petty thug and career criminal. Unlike Magneto, Mr. Sinister, or Apocalypse, who are devoted to an ideology, Juggernaut's primary motivation is largely greed and hatred. During his criminal career the Juggernaut amassed notable wealth and thoroughly enjoyed his work. Often accompanying him was the mutant mercenary known as Black Tom Cassidy, who was his only friend, and with whom he once tried to share his power. Tom did not like the physical effects of the power on his body however, so it was eventually returned to Cain. As the power is mysteriously divided and diminished when possessed by more than one host, Cain hurled the gem into space to prevent anyone from invoking the power for themselves and weakening him again.

Cain has been involved in many famous stories over the year. One of the odder ones was X-Force #4, a crossover with Spiderman. Taking place in the mid-nineties, Cain actually knocks over one of the (empty) World Trade Center towers as part of his battle with the group.

Later, the Juggernaut and seven others was revealed to be a part of The Exemplars, who, like Cain, are living manifestations of the power of various mystical entities. The 8 were entranced and supposed to battle each other to determine which entity was supreme. This battle would result in the destruction of the Earth but was prevented due to the Juggernaut breaking out of the trance with help from Professor Xavier. The Juggernaut then began taking down his fellow Exemplars early, which thwarted the intended plan. For this, the Exemplars later united against the Juggernaut and kidnapped him. The Juggernaut was rescued by the Avengers, who after being defeated by the Exemplars managed to convince them that they were not in their right minds. Released from their trance the Exemplars left peacefully. As a return for the favor of saving his life, the Juggernaut agreed to go to prison willingly (it would also be easier for him to escape later than to fight the Avengers).

Redemption

File:XMEN161.jpg

Juggernaut with the X-Men. Cover of X-Men Vol. 2, #161. Art by Salvador Larroca.

While in prison after a battle with Generation X, Juggernaut was abducted by the sentient Celestial ship, Prosh, and enlisted into a mission to help save man and mutantkind. Along with some others, his mind was sent back in time at different stops of his life where he could discover clues. In most stops, he found himself during parts of his life where he was trapped in various ways (buried under rubble, in prison, etc.), and realized he had wasted his life. When it was discovered that Prosh himself was the threat that he had warned them about, having been programmed by the Celestials to attack humanity, Juggernaut and the others defeated him. Soon after, the Juggernaut accepted an offer from the Commission on Superhuman Activity to become their headhunter and, in exchange, was pardoned from his past crimes. However, he threw away his pardon soon after when Black Tom talked him into going back to being a mercenary with him.

Later, the two friends would find themselves both in dire predicaments; the virus Black Tom had been suffering from, along with his secondary mutation, had converted his body into plant-matter, and the Juggernaut's power was reduced due to his patron deity Cyttorak redrawing his energies, most likely because of Juggernaut's betrayal of the Exemplars. The two formed a deal; Juggernaut would pretend to reform, trying to work on Xavier's soft side to become an X-Man. When or if Tom managed to recover, and if Juggernaut was able to convince the X-Men of his change, they would be able to defeat the X-Men from the inside.

The two staged a battle, in which the Juggernaut called the X-Men, asking them for help with Tom's powers, and Tom turned on Juggernaut, having gone mad due to his transformation. In the battle, the Juggernaut helped the X-Men defeat Tom, who then faked his death. After the battle, and with Tom gone, Xavier asked his stepbrother to return with them to the mansion.

While at the mansion, Juggernaut began to change when he befriended a young mutant boy from Canada named Sammy Pare (both had similar backgrounds, including an abusive father). After helping the X-Men on several occasions, he and Xavier started to reconcile their differences, and Xavier let his step-brother join the team (though many of the other members were less willing to forgive, either giving him the cold shoulder or trying to get him kicked out).

When Sammy's mother learned how he had befriended a dangerous criminal, she had the authorities take him home. When Cain later went to Canada to see how Sammy was doing, he arrived just in time to see Sammy being hit by his father during one of his beatings. Furious, he brutally beat up Mr. Pare, and Mrs. Pare called the Canadian superteam Alpha Flight to stop him. During the battle, she too was knocked out, and after realizing what he had done Juggernaut allowed himself to be arrested.

While in prison, he stopped the supervillain Rhino from escaping, instead of using the opportunity to escape himself. This, along with a plea from Mrs. Pare, who stated that various reports to the police of her husband's abusive nature had been ignored, and nothing had been done about it until the Juggernaut came. She also said that she realized he did care for Sammy, and that she was more scared of him being locked up and no one being left to protect them, than she was of him himself. Ultimately, Juggernaut's sentence was many hours of public service, along with court monitored therapy sessions for his anger management problems and his own history of abuse with his father.

Later, Black Tom Cassidy resurfaced, having gained enough control over his new powers though now resembling a humanoid tree, and Juggernaut joined his new Brotherhood of Mutants, with the intention of betraying the group and warning the X-Men when he had the chance. Sammy stumbled upon the Brotherhood having a meeting, and thinking that Juggernaut had betrayed the X-Men he became angry and started yelling. Annoyed, Black Tom killed the boy. Enraged, Juggernaut tried to kill his former friend. When the Brotherhood were sucked into a black hole by the second Xorn, Juggernaut accompanied them to make sure Nocturne (another mole) would be safe if everyone survived and to make sure the Brotherhood didn't try to attack the mansion again.

He ended up in Mojoworld and became the property of Mojo along with Nocturne. To escape, Nocturne took control of Mojo's henchman, Spiral, and opened a portal to the X-Men's Danger Room, where they were reunited with the team. This, however, was a trap set by Spiral, who was in more control of her body than thought, leaving a portal open to allow Mojo to cross over as well. Mojo turned the X-Men into X-Babies, but they managed to overpower his forces anyway. Juggernaut still felt extremely guilty about Sammy's death, and how the boy's last words were that he hated him. He wondered if he should remain a child, this being his chance to start over with a clean slate, but Storm comforted him and convinced him not to. The X-Men were re-aged, and Juggernaut remained with the team.

New Excalibur

Template:Spoiler In the wake of House of M, in which the majority of the mutant population was depowered, Juggernaut joined the New Excalibur team in London. In a recent conflict, Juggernaut came face to face with a depowered and angry Black Tom Cassidy holding a young girl hostage. Deciding to negotiate instead of fight, Juggernaut talked Cassidy down, making him feel remorse for killing Juggernaut's friend Samuel Pare and turning himself in. It has been suggested in recent issues of New Excalibur that Juggernaut may once again "turn to the dark side" as he seeks to regain the full measure of his power. To that end, he travelled to Cyttorak's temple in South Korea. When he demanded to have his power restored, Cyttorak revealed that Cain Marko had never been intended to become the Juggernaut at all, and that the ancient god had instead intended for Charles Xavier to become his avatar. At the end of New Excalibur #15, Cain Marko unwraps the Gem of Cyttorak, even though he told his New Excalibur teammates that he had not taken the gem. What this means has yet to be revealed, though in the next issue his armor and helmet look like his old armor and helmet.

Juggernaut and Nocturne have grown quite close after their time together as moles in Black Tom's Brotherhood, in Mojoworld, and now in New Excalibur. A romantic relationship has not happened yet, but it has been implied that both sides like the other, especially Nocturne. To complicate matters Juggernaut has also developed a crush on Dazzler, a fellow teammate. Template:Endspoiler

Powers and abilities

Because of his association with the X-Men, Juggernaut is often mistakenly labeled a mutant. Juggernaut is considered a mutate, a normal human that was changed by the Ruby of Cyttorak. The ruby bonded to his soul and altered his being, giving him powers exceeding those of most 'Homo Superior.' The ruby is the root of his power, not genetic evolution.

Juggernaut traditionally possessed vast power of mystical origin. He had tremendous strength, a total resistance to physical injury due to his mystic spell of invulnerability; an impenetrable force field that he could summon at will and unlimited stamina. His spell also granted him unbreakable skin, therefore making his forcefield an added protection in case he did not wish for a certain attack to touch his physical body. Due to the mystical energies flowing through his body, he did not need to eat, breathe or drink fluids. As a vessel of mystic energy, he also possessed many abstract powers that had yet to be fully revealed. Finally, while moving he was, essentially, unstoppable, except in extreme cases such as when Thor united his godly power with his magical hammer and fired a concentrated beam at Juggernaut (Juggernaut did not force ahead again before the ground collapsed underneath them), and the psychic being Onslaught.

File:Jugg heal.jpg

Juggernaut flayed down to a skeleton

To compensate for his most significant vulnerability — to telepathic assault — he also wore a helmet, and sometimes also a skullcap, of a mystical alloy which prevented his mind from being read or attacked by any type of telepathic means.

With his depowerment at the hands of Cyttorak, however, his power levels decreased in almost every aspect. He now needed to breathe, and, while still highly super-strong, possessed only a fraction of the strength he once wielded. He also became mortal and could be killed by relatively minor amounts of punishment. Finally, he was no longer an "unstoppable force", and was stripped of his mystical armour and telepathy-shielding helmet (instead wearing "unstable molecule" replicas. Juggernaut can still easily power through the combination of the evil version of Jean Grey's telekinetic onslaught and the evil version of Cyclops' full assault optic blast with no ill effects to himself. Juggernaut also easily withstood an ice barrage from the evil version of Iceman. However, he still does not possess his mystical armor and remains susceptible to attacks on his mind and senses by telepaths.

Other versions of Juggernaut

• The Exiles encounter an alternate Juggernaut in a world where all superhumans have been jailed or exterminated. Cain Marko has been detained for years in a maximum-security prison, held immobile so that he cannot use his powers. He is freed by a genocidal Charles Xavier, becoming the first member of Xavier's murderous X-Men.

• An alternate Juggernaut briefly appears in the Marvel Zombies series. Infected with the zombie virus, he is one of a horde of supervillains seeking to feed on the corpse of Galactus. Their attempt is unsuccessful and a zombified Wolverine uses his newly acquired Power Cosmic to decapitate Juggernaut.

Age of Apocalypse

File:AOA CAIN.jpg

Cain in the age of apocalypse, by Warren Ellis and Ken Lashley.

In the Age of Apocalypse, Juggernaut abandons violence and seems obsessed with Xavier's death. He goes by the name of Brother Cain and has become a monk, a complete pacifist. He dwells in Avalon, with Destiny.

When Avalon is attacked by Apocalypse's Pale Riders, Cain initially refuses to fight. A furious Nightcrawler then tells him that everyone in Avalon will die if he doesn't help to battle the invaders. Cain struggles with the decision, but falls and dies before he can act - seemingly killed by an aneurysm, a victim of his own mental conflict.

MC2

Juggernaut is the father of Zane Yama, a.k.a. J2. For years Juggernaut was stuck in another dimension, but managed to return to his wife and son.

Ultimate Juggernaut

Ultimate Juggernaut. Art by Tom Raney.

In the Ultimate Marvel continuity, not much is known about Cain Marko. What is known is that he grew up in the same trailer park as Rogue did and does not seem to be related to Xavier in any way. He refers to himself as "trailer trash" at one point, but also points out that because he grew up in a trailer park people often underestimate his intelligence. This had led to a belief that he is actually smarter than his 616 counterpart. Ultimate Juggernaut seems to be a regular mutant with super strength and durability, with no mystical background to his powers.

At some point in his life he was incarcerated by Weapon X and forced to act as a living weapon under the direction of Col. John Wraith. Juggernaut was part of the strike force that took out the X-Men, forcing them into Weapon X as well. When The Brotherhood removed the security implants that were prohibiting the mutants from leaving their cells, Juggernaut fought for his freedom. After the entire ordeal, Cain was offered a place with both Xavier's X-Men and The Brotherhood. Cain chose The Brotherhood, but has apparently since left the team for parts unknown. In the Ultimate X-Men 2005 annual, Juggernaut was bonded with a gem stolen by Rogue and Gambit called the Cyttorak Gem. Though its full repercussions are unknown, Juggernaut did describe himself as feeling "better than ever". He also revealed that he had a crush on Rogue, whom he grew up with and shared a cell with while in the Weapon X program.

His trademark helmet was made for him by Weapon X. It is able to track anyone who has ever been in the Weapon X program. It was destroyed by Gambit when he battled Juggernaut in Las Vegas.

Appearances in other media

Television

File:01-08 Juggernaught and Colossus.jpg

Colossus attacks Juggernaut in "The Unstoppable Juggernaut"

• Juggernaut was the villain in the "A Firestar is Born," the episode of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends that featured the X-Men. He was voiced by William H. Marshall.
• In Pryde of the X-Men, a 1989 pilot for an X-Men animated series, Juggernaut was one of Magneto's henchmen.
• The character fully appeared in three episodes of the 1990s X-Men animated series, "The Unstoppable Juggernaut," "Phoenix Saga Part 3: Cry of the Banshee" (with a teaser cameo at the end of the previous episode) and "Juggernaut Returns." He attempted to get revenge on Xavier, his stepbrother in this continuity, in all three episodes.
• Juggernaut also appeared in the later series X-Men: Evolution, voiced by Paul Dobson. This version was also Xavier’s half-brother, a mutant whose powers were awakened by mysticism. In this series, his strength and intelligence are significantly less than in other continuities, although he can still throw tanks and other vehicles, and he was still described as unstoppable. In his two of his three appearances, he was released from his prison by Mystique; in the first he attempted to attack Professor X, so Mystique could steal Cerebro, in the second his prison unit was sabotaged by Mystique to draw Xavier away from the institute, and in the third appearance he went on a rampage while Xavier was left in his place in stasis in prison.

Internet parody

Main article: The Juggernaut Bitch!!

On February 14, 2006, the parody troupe My Way Entertainment released an overdub of "Phoenix Saga Part 3: Cry of the Banshee" entitled "The Juggernaut Bitch!!," which used a variety of slang, profanity and non sequiturs. [1]. The Juggernaut was voiced by Randy Hayes, who created the often-repeated line, "Don’t you know who I am? I’m the Juggernaut, bitch!" The clip became a popular Internet meme [2] and the line was included in X-Men: The Last Stand. In June, My Way released a sequel "J2: Juggment Day," using footage from "Juggernaut Returns".

Film

Vinnie Jones as the Juggernaut, in a scene from X-Men: The Last Stand

In X-Men: The Last Stand, Juggernaut (played by Vinnie Jones) serves as one of Magneto's Brotherhood Alliance army. In this version, he is a mutant, and his connection to Charles Xavier is not made.

His helmet, as opposed to the dome with three holes (one for each eye and another for the mouth), instead appears to be a concrete version of Magneto's which leaves his face exposed. Juggernaut first appears in the mobile prison convoy, but is freed by Magneto. Reading from the prison records, Pyro states that, if allowed to build any momentum, he cannot be stopped, explaining why he can't be simply chained down. Once freed, Juggernaut joins Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants.

He is involved in two battles. He faces off against Wolverine in Jean Grey's old neighborhood. Later, during the attack on Alcatraz Island, Magneto sends Juggernaut to kill Leech, a mutant who is the source of the reviled "cure" for genetic mutation. X-Men Kitty Pryde outwits him, using her phasing power to trap him in the ground. Enraged, Juggernaut yells, "Don't you know who I am!? I'm the Juggernaut, bitch!" before breaking free. He is knocked unconscious when he attempts to ram a wall, unaware that Leech has nullified his power.

His fate is unknown at the end of the film. Jones has stated that he may return for future installments in the series, including the upcoming Wolverine spin-off. [3]

Music

• In the song "Physical Stamina" off Jeru tha Damaja's album Wrath of the Math rapper Afu-Ra states that he is "strong like the Juggernaut, electric like Magneto."

• Rapper Killer Mike has a song called "Juggernaut" which samples the line from the third movie, "Don't you know who I am? I'm the Juggernaut bitch!"

• Popular NYHC band Crown of Thornz had a song entitled The Juggernaut. The lyrics are in reference to the comic book character.

Video games

Juggernaut has appeared in various X-Men video games spinoffs:

• He appeared in Data East's 1991 arcade game, Captain America and the Avengers, inside of the satellite of Red Skull, as the mid-boss of the stage 4, The Laser Canon. He has the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak inserted in the visor of his helmet, instead of the normal three holes. His opening phrase: "Obey me, or die!"

• He appeared in the X-Men arcade game, is the boss of Stage 5, guarding the gathering of the Egyptian-style temple, and wielding a bazooka; and return later in stage 7 as the fifth and last of five sub-bosses, after Master Mold, inside of Avalon, Magneto's base in Asteroid M.

File:Juggernaut 517 thumb.jpg

Juggernaut as a playable character in the video game X-Men Legends II

• He was one of two bosses; along with Apocalypse; for Wolverine's stage in the 1992 game Spider-Man and the X-Men: Arcade's Revenge.

• He also appears in X-Men for the Sega Genesis.

• He also appears as a Danger Room simulation in the X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse Super NES game.

• And made rare appearances as a playable character in several of Capcom's Marvel-based fighting games, beginning with X-Men: Children of the Atom as the semi-final boss, after already selectable in Marvel Super Heroes and return in in the Marvel vs. Capcom crossover series in X-Men vs. Street Fighter, in Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes as a striker, and in Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes; his Capcom rendition is notable for being the largest version of the Juggernaut yet; slightly taller than in the comics, and just about as wide.

• Juggernaut also appeared as a boss in the 2000s X2: Wolverine's Revenge and X-Men: Mutant Academy 2, and as a playable character in X-Men: Next Dimension.

• Most recently, he appeared as an enemy in X-Men Legends, and as a playable character in its sequel, X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse. In both video games, he was voiced by John DiMaggio.

External links

• MDP: Juggernaut - Marvel Database Project
• UncannyXmen.net, Spotlight feature on Juggernaut
• Juggernaut on the Marvel Universe Character Bio Wiki
• Ultimate Juggernaut on the Marvel Universe Character Bio Wiki