When it comes to the Marvel Universe, there is no shortage of powerful villains capable of causing damage on an unimaginable scale. Although, when it comes to pure physical power, one of the strongest recognized villains is without a doubt, Cain Marko, aka The Juggernaut.
Since his debut in 1965, Juggernaut has made huge waves in the Marvel franchise. He is featured across various mediums, including, television, video games, and even films. The Juggernaut appears as the antagonist for a variety of superheroes, such as Spider-Man and even Thor. Although the group with whom he has the most grudge against is Professor X, aka Charles Xavier, and his X-Men.
Most recently, Juggernaut makes a brand new (and thankfully much more accurate) appearance in the recently released Deadpool 2. Suffice to say, fans of the character are more than happy to hear of the Juggernaut’s cinematic comeback since his last failed portrayal by Vinnie Jones in 2006.
However, as powerful and as complex as this character is across various medias, even the most dedicated fans of the Juggernaut must realize the many inconsistencies that surround him.
The following list features 18 Things That Don’t Make Sense About the Juggernaut!
(Be warned the following contains some spoilers from Deadpool 2, so read at your own risk!)
14. Colossus Gains His Powers
Interestingly, Cain is not the only person to have been chosen by Cyttorak to become the vessel for the Juggernaut’s powers. Aside from Cain, at least one other person has taken the both the armor and identity of the Juggernaut.
In the crossover comic book, Fear Itself, the mutant Colossus puts himself at risk to obtain the Juggernaut’s abilities. After Cain becomes the herald of another deity called the Serpent, Colossus travels to Cyttorak’s realm and takes on the burden of becoming his latest herald. While he succeeds in defeating Cain, his new powers also threaten to turn him into another version of the Juggernaut.
Ultimately, while there are moments where he has lost control of himself, Colossus retains enough of his own awareness to realize the full extent of the danger he poses to others. In moments of clarity, he convinced his allies to take precautionary measures against him in the event he loses control of himself. Thankfully, his sister Magik, was able to successfully sever his connection to Cyttorak.
Firstly, it seems unlikely that Colossus would have been an ideal candidate for the Juggernaut’s power, even if it was to stop Cain’s rampage. After all, Cyttorak is part of a group of eight deities that seek to conquer all of mankind. Thus, it's very unlikely that Cyttorak would decide to permanently make Colossus his herald following Cain’s defeat. Especially considering that Cyttorak is well aware that Colossus' moral compass is a stark contrast to Cain’s.
13. Weak To Mysticism, Yet Immune To Thor’s Hammer
After becoming the host of Cyttorak's power, the Juggernaut gained more than just super strength and durability. He is practically indestructible thanks to a special force field which surrounds him and protects him from virtually all forms of physical attacks. This mystic barrier has allowed the Juggernaut to prevail multiple times over opponents that are as equally powerful as him. Furthermore, the Juggernaut’s powers also allow him to be completely self-sustaining. In other words, even if he is trapped in an uninhabitable environment, he is able to survive without the need to eat, or even breath.
However, the Juggernaut’s abilities are shown to be weak against other forms of powerful mysticism. Colossus’ sister Magik, can use her magic sword to potentially sever the Juggernaut’s connection with Cyttorak, thus robbing him of his powers. She demonstrates this ability with her brother Colossus who temporarily became Cyttorak’s herald.
Despite his weaknesses to mysticism, the Juggernaut has still shown heavy resistance to powerful enchanted weapons like Mjolnir.
During his encounters with Thor, the Asgardian was put through the ringer as his blows failed to cause any harm to Juggernaut. Not even one of Mjolnir’s special beams was able to slow him down.
4. Juggernaut’s Voice Actor In Deadpool 2
Remember back when Deadpool 2 released the titular “Wet on Wet” teaser trailer? It is hard to forget the amusing parody of Deadpool portraying Bob Ross as he paints a picture while discussing the wonders and joys of life. However, while he is painting, fans can make out the image of giant red blob on the painting. At the time, this blurry blob proved to be a huge hint regarding the potential appearance of the Juggernaut in Deadpool 2.
Sure enough, the Juggernaut makes a huge comeback towards the end of the film, as one of its major antagonists. Unlike, the failed portrayal by Vinnie Jones in X-Men: The Last Stand, the Deadpool 2 version of Juggernaut shares a much closer resemblance to his comic book counterpart. Although he is entirely CGI, he still makes a noticeable impact by delivering a performance worthy of his character. Interestingly, the voice actor chosen to portray the role of Juggernaut in the film was none other than Ryan Reynolds.
While it was amusing to see Reynolds have a climactic battle with himself, he just does not really fit in as Juggernaut's true voice actor. Unfortunately, due to the film’s low budget, hiring a voice actor for Juggernaut was impossible. Instead Reynolds filled in the role, but had his voice modified using a modulator to transform his voice in a manner befitting the villain.
Hopefully, in future films, a more fitting voice actor will be chosen to voice the Juggernaut.
2. His Mutant Status In Deadpool 2?
After 12 years since his last cinematic appearance, it is a huge relief to finally see a proper version of the Juggernaut on the big screen. Hopefully, future films could help clarify an important query surrounding him.
Is Juggernaut really a mutant in Deadpool 2?
For years, the comics have made sure to distinguish Juggernaut from mutants like the X-Men, thanks to his connection with Cyttorak. However, the film never actually confirms whether Juggernaut is actually a mutant or not. While, Juggernaut does confirm that Charles is his brother, not much else is revealed about him. Thus, it is unknown if the Deadpool 2 version of Juggernaut is a mutant or if his powers are more closely related to his comic book counterpart. Although, considering that he was held in a maximum-security prison for mutants and most likely had a collar that inhibited his powers, it is possible that Juggernaut’s powers may be more mutant than mystical.
Thanks to Deadpool 2, it is possible that Juggernaut may become more involved in future films, which could shed some more light on this mystery. However, the nature of his powers also leads us to question another important issue that took place in the film's climax
1. How Did He Survive In Deadpool 2?
The climax of Deadpool 2 features some of the film’s most intense moments. One of the best scenes includes a final brawl between Deadpool and his allies against the Juggernaut. Even with the assistance of Cable and his futuristic weapons, along with Domino’s luck, they barely manage to make him break a sweat. Thankfully, Colossus arrives, resulting in an intense brawl between two CGI giants. Interestingly, this battle pays close homage to their past fights in the comics. However, as it is the case in the comics, Colossus only defeats Juggernaut with the help of his allies. Colossus then incapacitates Juggernaut by throwing him in a pool of water along with an electrified cable for good measure.
Under normal circumstances, it is natural to feel concern on whether or not the Juggernaut could survive something like that. Thankfully, Juggernaut survives his electrocution, and later emerges from the pool in the film's final moments. However, the full extent of this Juggernaut's abilities remains unknown. Thus, it is uncertain if him surviving is due to the fact that he is extremely tough or because of his connection to Cyttorak.
One thing is for sure, with the way Colossus electrocuted him, not even Juggernaut could just walk away unscathed unless he had the powers of Cyttorak on his side.
11. Colossus Managed To Beat Him A Few Times
Over the years, both Colossus and Juggernaut have been involved in several fights with one another. Unfortunately for Colossus, the Juggernaut has proven time and time again that he is the superior fighter. However, this does not mean that Colossus is weak. In addition to his super strength, the metallic substance covering his skin makes him practically indestructible. Even the Juggernaut needs to add some extra power behind his blows to deal damage to him.
Most of the time, his powers have proven insufficient in fighting against the unstoppable force that is the Juggernaut. However, there have been moments, throughout several different storylines, where Colossus has successfully risen triumphant over the Juggernaut.
Although technically, in most of these instances, Colossus is only able to defeat the Juggernaut thanks to the help of allies or from a special powerup, such as when he gained the Juggernaut’s powers. In Deadpool 2, Colossus and Juggernaut duke it out in an intense battle of CGI giants. However, it can be argued that the only reason he won is because he had help. No matter how hard he tries to bridge the gap, it seems unlikely that Colossus can successfully defeat juggernaut on his own.
9. He Was Defeated By Squirrel Girl
The series Ultimate Spider-Man follows the adventures of Peter Parker as he trains alongside S.H.I.E.L.D. to become the ultimate superhero. Alongside him are other young heroes who seek similar goals, such as Squirrel Girl. As her name suggests, she possesses the abilities of a squirrel as well as the power to communicate with and control them. Although, she may not appear as a threat to most villains, she has proven herself capable of handling her own against some of the series stronger antagonists. This includes heavy hitters like the Juggernaut.
In the episode, “The Next Iron Spider”, Squirrel Girl confronts the Juggernaut after she catches him robbing a bank. Although initially skeptical of the threat she poses, his opinion quickly changes as she summons and army of squirrels that quickly proceed to swarm him.
Normally, one would expect that something like this would not even faze the Juggernaut. Unfortunately, the sheer number of rodents ends up overwhelming the Juggernaut.
In the end, he pretends to lose the fight in the hopes that she would leave. The ridiculousness of the situation aside, it is somewhat sad to see such a top tier villain give up a fight (even if it was on purpose) to avoid facing an army of squirrels. Honestly, not one of his best moments.
8. Deadpool Beat Him With A Truck
If you have seen Deadpool 2, then you are no doubt aware of the outcome of Deadpool's initial confrontation with the Juggernaut. Unfortunately for the Merc with the Mouth, the fights ends with him being beaten and literally broken. Even though Deadpool’s healing factor allows him to survive most life-threatening situations, it is not well suited to taking on someone like the Juggernaut. That is what most people would say after witnessing the events of Deadpool 2. However, the comics reveal a different scenario to this confrontation.
In one of their many fights in the comics, the Juggernaut is blindsided after Deadpool rams him with a cement mixer and crashes him into a wall. While this attack does not kill him, it slows Juggernaut down long enough for Deadpool to deliver the final blow. Using the cement mixer that he smashed him with, Deadpool takes advantage of Juggernaut’s immobility to encase him in liquid cement.
What makes this moment so unbelievable is the fact that Juggernaut was not able to immediately remove the truck or break through the cement. Considering he does not need to breathe, it is a mystery why he allowed Deadpool to defeat him in such a humiliating way.
7. He Destroys A Bar, But He Is Not The Real Bad Guy
As a villain, Juggernaut has no problems with causing collateral damage if it means taking out his enemies. However, despite his obsession with eliminating Charles and the X-Men, there have been moments where he defies his criminal nature. Despite being a bad guy, even someone like the Juggernaut follows their own moral code. He demonstrates this after one of his major bouts with Colossus in Uncanny X-Men #183.
After he breaks up with Kitty Pryde, Wolverine and Nightcrawler decide to take Colossus out to a bar. At first glance, it appears the two are seeking to cheer him up by taking him out for drinks. However, Wolverine’s true intent is to teach Colossus a lesson for breaking up with Kitty by beating him up. Due to his indestructible skin, Wolverine finds an alternative method to beat up Colossus. His solution? He takes him to the same bar that the Juggernaut happens to frequent.
What makes this fight so incomprehensible is that it was the heroes who instigated the brawl in the first place. Juggernaut was just there to drink and was minding his own business. In the end, Juggernaut once again emerges victorious over Colossus. Although their battle ends up destroying the bar in the process, Juggernaut makes up for it by offering to pay for all the damages.
6. Juggernaut and Cerebro
Due to his connection with Charles and frequent battles with the X-Men, it is not uncommon for some people to mistakenly identify Juggernaut as a mutant. The portrayal of Juggernaut as a mutant, is a recurring theme in the films where he appears. However, while the films have often identified Juggernaut as a mutant, it is not the only medium to do so.
As it turns out, even the comics have made some slip ups every now and then regarding the true nature behind Juggernaut’s powers. Such a mistake is made in X-Men #12, where he makes his debut by attacking the X-Men at their mansion. Before he arrives, Charles learns of his step-brother’s impending arrival thanks to the computer Cerebro. Although it may not look like it, the fact that Cerebro was able to warn Charles about Juggernaut's proximity is actually a crucial error.
When Charles designed Cerebro, its purpose was to help him detect the locations of mutants anywhere in the world. However, this should not be the case for the Juggernaut.
As previously mentioned, the Juggernaut’s powers come from being the herald of the inter-dimensional deity Cyttorak. Therefore, it is impossible for Cerebro to have detected him, as he is not a mutant.
5. The Marvel Time Scale
When it comes to comics, regardless if its Marvel or DC, the subject of real time can be a very confusing issue. Since Fantastic Four #1, all of Marvel's comics were designed to occur in the year in which they were released. In 1967, Marvel made the decision to compress and slow down the time which passes in their comics. However, due to the nature of the sliding timescale in Marvel comics, several inconsistencies and modifications regarding the origins of certain characters began to emerge. The origin story behind the Juggernaut's powers is one such instance.
During the 1950's, both Charles and Cain enlisted with the US army and were later sent to fight in the Korean War. It was during this conflict where Cain and Charles discovered a temple housing the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak, which would later transform Cain into the Juggernaut.
However, X-Men #12 was released in 1965, and due to the nature of Marvel’s sliding timescale, this subject is mostly referred to as a topical reference. In fact, in recent years, changes were made that no longer specify that the conflict they took part in was the Korean War. According to recent Marvel handbooks, both Charles and Cain participated in a conflict located in an eastern nation somewhere in Korea.
3. Why Did The Juggernaut Help Russell?
When it comes to the Juggernaut, you can always expect him to get into conflict with either the X-Men or some other hero(es). Following his comeback in Deadpool 2, Juggernaut successfully restores his damaged reputation. However, there is still some things about him that do not not make much sense. For example, why did Juggernaut decide to help Russell?
We know that he was in locked up, in the “Icebox’s” maximum security wing and that he appears to have made an alliance with the troubled youth. However, after helping him to escape from his confinement, he decides to help Russell follow through with his desire for revenge. It is curious to see that Juggernaut decides to keep his word, instead of following his own agenda. Aside from helping him to escape, the Juggernaut, who is possibly the strongest character in the film, has no real reason or connection that would prompt him to help Russel get his revenge.
It’s possible that he sympathized with Russell’s desire for revenge, due to his own vendetta against Charles. Also its possible that this version of Juggernaut has his own moral code just like in Uncanny X-Men #183. In this case, he could not break his promise to Russell, without going against his principles.
10. He Is Not Really Unstoppable
As his name suggests, Juggernaut is a very difficult foe to get rid of. He is so powerful that no single member of the X-Men can defeat him without help from other members. He has also proven himself capable of surviving in environments that would normally kill any living creature.
Although, there have been several instances where the Juggernaut's claims of being unstoppable have been proven false. In addition to psychic attacks, there are a plethora of other methods capable of incapacitating him and even temporarily disabling certain aspects of his powers. During one of his confrontations with Thor, the latter uses his hammer in a way that destabilizes the natural force field emitted by his powers, thus, leaving him temporarily vulnerable to Thor’s attack.
The Juggernaut is also prone to angry outbursts and tends to use brawn over brains to solve his problems. This flaw has often been exploited by opponents that are far weaker than him. For example, during a confrontation with Spider-Man, the latter manages to trick him onto a bed of wet cement and trapping him (albeit temporarily).
Furthermore, one of the most humiliating moments for the Juggernaut was the aftermath of his confrontation with Superman. Not only was Juggernaut unable to surpass the Man of Steel with his strength, he was beaten by the latter with only a single blow.
18. His Threat Level
Even among other top tier super villains like Apocalypse and Thanos, the Juggernaut stands out as one of the strongest antagonists in the Marvel franchise. In the many years that Juggernaut has fought the X-Men, most of the time his threat level requires multiple members to work together to stand a chance at defeating him. The threat he poses is on such a large scale, that he has made enemies of several other heroes. He’s tangled with Spider-Man, Deadpool, as well as with members of the Avengers like Hulk and Thor. In most of these fights, his opponents were unable to defeat him. Instead, they settled for finding ways to temporarily incapacitate him.
With such a rap sheet, there is no doubt that the Juggernaut ranks as one of the strongest villains ever, right? Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
While the Juggernaut has proven himself powerful, all that power does come with several downsides. One of the biggest happens to be that while he is a powerful fighter, he is not much of a strategist. As a result, the Juggernaut has more than once found himself on the losing ends of battles. Furthermore, even with his powers, he has often been defeated by opponents that are physically weaker than him, such as Iceman, Spider-Man, and even Professor X.
17. Juggernaut and Xavier’s Complicated Relationship In The Films
Following his first appearance in X-Men vol 1, #12, the Juggernaut's primary purpose in life is to eliminate Professor X. In the same issue, Charles reveals the reason for his grudge against him as well as the fact that he and Cain are step-siblings. Unfortunately, their relationship was not a positive one. In fact, Cain has harbored a deep resentment towards Charles due to his father showing favouritism for him. Even in his father’s final moments, he showed more concern for Charles than he did his own son.
The Juggernaut’s connection to Charles is one of the reasons that makes him such a great antagonist for the X-Men. So far, only the comics and certain TV series have managed to accurately portray it. Despite appearing in the film, X-Men: The Last Stand, Juggernaut and Charles have no connection to each other.
Thankfully, their relationship as brothers has been revived in Deadpool 2.
In the moments leading to the film’s decisive battle, Juggernaut hints that he and Charles are brothers. Thus, there is still a chance that an upcoming film will further explore their relationship as it is meant to be.
Hopefully, no other major screw ups to the timeline will be made.
16. The Origins Of His Powers: Comics vs Films
In terms of pure physical power, there are very few beings, both hero and villain alike, capable of matching the Juggernaut. He even possesses enough power to beat the likes of The Hulk, another equally unstoppable force, without wearing his special armor.
For those who have only followed Juggernaut in film, the origins of his powers can be somewhat confusing. Unlike Charles, Cain’s powers are not the result of a genetic mutation. The Juggernaut’s obtains his powers after coming into contact with a mystic gem hosting the power of a divine being called Cyttorak.
For some reason, there are several incarnations of this character that do not remain faithful to his comic book origins. One major example is his portrayal in X-Men: The Last Stand. As mentioned earlier, not only is this version of Juggernaut not related to Charles, his powers were also changed due to some unwanted meddling. Rather than being a herald of Cyttorak, the Juggernaut became just another mutant.
It was due to his status as a mutant that allowed him to be conveniently defeated by Kitty Pryde, after having his powers temporarily disabled. If anything, this version of the Juggernaut is by far the weakest one to have ever existed.
12. His Original Purpose In Days Of Future Past
Most do not realize this, but during the development of X-Men: Days of Future Past, there were plans to include Juggernaut in the film. Originally, the plan was to include a younger version of the character, who was supposed to be portrayed by Josh Helman (who was later casted to play a young William Stryker). According to an interview with Empire Podcast, Mathew Vaughn describes the original purpose young Juggernaut would have played in breaking Magneto out of prison. Basically, the plan was to throw him out of a plane at 20,000 feet and use him as a missile to create an opening that would allow Magneto to escape.
Eventually, the idea was abandoned and the character was replaced with Quicksilver. While the idea of seeing a young Juggernaut is something many would no doubt enjoy, the original idea did not make much sense for the film's plot.
Firstly, using Juggernaut like a missile to blast a hole through the White House does not really help Logan’s mission to prevent a mutant apocalypse. Plus, let’s face it, the idea is not what you would describe as brilliant or original. Thankfully, the scene was replaced with Quicksilver’s slow-motion fight scene, which is one of the best moments in the film.
15. Why Was He Even In X-Men Last Stand?
In light of the negative criticism it has received, there are many who claim that X-Men: The Last Stand nearly ruined the X-Men film franchise. The film’s plot revolves around the Dark Phoenix saga, which is hailed as one of the best comic book storylines ever made. Unfortunately, the film fails to live up to the saga’s true potential. One of the biggest flaws was Magneto and the many underdeveloped characters that are apart of his army, which also includes the Juggernaut.
When he was first revealed, the Juggernaut should have established himself as the third strongest character after Jean and Magneto. Instead, this version of the Juggernaut ends up being far weaker than he should be. In the end, he is nothing more than a huge disappointment.
Even though he constantly refers to himself as the Juggernaut, there is nothing that really ties him to his comic book counterpart. The only real connection between them is their arrogant attitude and the similarities in their powers. He only stands out as just another underdeveloped character, with no real connection to any of the X-Men, especially Charles.
Not to mention that the manner in which he is defeated was clearly unsuitable for someone hailed as one of the X-Men'S greatest foes.
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Do you think they'll ever get Juggernaut's past right? Let us know in the comments!