X-Men’s Juggernaut, Explained

The Unstoppable Juggernaut has existed as one of the Marvel Universe’s most destructive forces since his creation. Bullets cannot scratch him. The world’s most powerful heroes cannot harm him. There is virtually no force in existence that can stop him in his tracks. Juggernaut has been one of the X-Men’s most feared villains for many years, and for good reason. A brash, hot-headed being with a love for destruction, Juggernaut has been a gigantic thorn in the mutant team’s side due to personal vendettas, paychecks, and more.

But in recent years, there has been a massive shift in Juggernaut’s outlook on life. Existing only to destroy has left him empty and wanting. Being tethered to an ancient god of crimson rage has worn its welcome, and Juggernaut has battled for his freedom. To call him a hero is a difficult matter, but what cannot be argued is that Juggernaut has become a deeply textured character in recent years. It may seem impossible, but Juggernaut has ascended from being a one-track supervillain to a trusted member of the X-Men.

A Magical Gem Transformed Cain Marko Into the Unstoppable Juggernaut

The World Would Never Be The Same After

Cain Marko was raised as a boy by his mother and stepfather, an arrangement that came about due to the death of Cain’s father. Newly married, Cain’s mother brought a stepbrother into Cain’s life, a boy named Charles Xavier. His parents favored his stepbrother, and Cain grew angry and resentful of Charles, a troubled relationship that would impact their adult lives tremendously. As the years passed, Cain and Charles were sent to serve in the Korean War. One day, while lost in a jungle, Cain stumbled across a forgotten temple.

Deep within, he found a massive ruby with an inscription that stated, “Whosoever touches this gem shall be granted the power of the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak! Henceforth, you who read these words, shall become … forevermore … a human juggernaut!” Reading the words aloud and placing his hands on the ruby, Cain became transformed into a being of limitless power. The temple crumbled around him, with many believing him to have died in the accident.

Years later, Cain reappeared as the Juggernaut, a force of indescribable power. His hatred for Charles Xavier fueled him, inciting him to attack the X-Men’s home. Over the years, Juggernaut would find himself at odds with several of Earth’s greatest heroes; Spider-Man, the Hulk, Thor, and the X-Men have all battled the magical villain.

Juggernaut has allied with various supervillains, most famously with Black Tom Cassidy, the X-Man Banshee’s brother. It would be this persona that Juggernaut would be known for best, and it was a title that he bore great pride in. It would be years before Juggernaut would have a change of heart that would take him off the path of pure destruction.

The Juggernaut is Truly One of the Most Destructive Forces on the Planet

Even Hulk and Thor Have Trouble Putting Him Down

As the avatar of the god Cyttorak, Juggernaut’s powers are magical in nature. As such, he is immune to nearly every type of attack or damage. He does not require food or water to live, he never needs to sleep, and he is immune to all poison and disease. The magical force field that he erects around himself protects him from physical and energy-based attacks.

The only type of attacks that Juggernaut is truly weak against are psychic attacks, a weakness that has been exploited many times in his history. To combat this, Juggernaut is equipped with a helmet impervious to psychic attacks and has even worn an extra skull cap underneath his helmet as a contingency. Very few individual X-Men can face Juggernaut one-on-one, which necessitates the full scope of their teamwork to come out on top when battling him.

To fight Juggernaut is to witness a truly unstoppable force. Juggernaut’s strength ranks him alongside the likes of the Hulk, the Thing, Colossus, and Thor. His absolute invulnerability to damage makes him so terrifying to face in battle. Conventional combat techniques are worthless against him.

The only being that has ever stopped Juggernaut while he was in motion was Hulk when he was the Horseman of Death and imbued with Celestial power. Defeating Juggernaut requires precise tactics and strategy. Luckily, the X-Men’s years of experience have usually resulted in hard-won victories against Juggernaut, but any fight with him is a fight for their lives.

Juggernaut Has Experienced a Change of Character in Recent Years

Living as a Walking Engine of Destruction Took Its Toll on Him

Over the years, Juggernaut has become disillusioned with his station as Cyttorak’s avatar. Limitless power and immortality became stale as he realized that his life was never truly his own. Shackled to the whims and desires of the crimson god, Juggernaut began to thirst for his independence.

This eventually came to pass; when Illyana Rasputin destroyed his Gem of Cytorrak and cast him into the dimension of Limbo, it seemed as if Juggernaut’s days as the indestructible engine of violence were over. However, while lost within Limbo, Juggernaut was able to destroy his armor, which warped him back to Earth. Depowered and destitute, Juggernaut returned to North Korea to seek the Forge of Cytorrak.

There, he gained the Crimson Bands of Cytorrak, magical armaments that allowed him to summon his suit at will. However, as the bands were physical objects that he wore, Juggernaut was no longer bound in spirit to Cyttorak himself.

Juggernaut traveled to the astral plane where Cytorrak resided and proclaimed himself free of the gods’ control. Sometime later, Juggernaut was offered a position on a newly formed X-Men team in the mutant nation of Krakoa. Juggernaut accepted this position gratefully, although the evening turned for the worse and the new X-Men were killed in an attack by Orchis. Thankfully, they were resurrected before the “From the Ashes” relaunch.

Juggernaut Has Finally Received a True Path of Redemption

Whether It Will Last Is Another Matter Entirely, though

For any Marvel fan to consider Juggernaut becoming a hero before his recent adventures, the idea would have been seen as completely unbelievable. This is the same being that routinely leveled buildings, crashed through mountains, and attacked heroes on sight. Juggernaut was a violent and unpredictable bully, a man who allowed his demons to get the best of him, both figuratively and literally. His stint on the Thunderbolts opened the possibility of his reformation. Still, as many other team members proved to be beyond salvation, it didn’t seem likely that Juggernaut would ever amount to more than the world’s most apocalyptic bruiser.

But fate casts individuals onto paths that once seemed forever out of reach, as even the X-Men’s Beast was unfortunate enough to learn most recently. Juggernaut’s 2020 series by Fabian Nicieza and Ron Garney proved that he was capable of turning over a new leaf and willing to make a concerted effort to reform. His dramatic change of heart brings into question how many of his past actions were committed by a man drowning in his unhappiness or by a man drunk off of a dark god’s power.

Regardless of the past, Juggernaut is primed to become the hero he was always capable of being. He continues to fight alongside the X-Men as a member of Cyclops’ new “From the Ashes” team. As long as his will is as mighty as his strength, there’s a solid chance that Cain Marko will forge a bright destiny for himself as a heroic, and still unstoppable, Juggernaut.