Warning! Spoilers from Juggernaut #2 by Fabian Nicieza and Ron Garney
When two Marvel heavyweights, the Incredible Hulk vs. the Unstoppable Juggernaut, go head-to-head, it’s always a slugfest. One is a gamma-powered rage monster and the alter-ego of one of the planet’s greatest minds (Bruce Banner). The other is powered by the crimson gem of the deity Cyttorak, and the stepbrother of Charles Xavier. In the past, these two characters have been seriously overpowered and boast some astounding power sets; we’re talking super durability bordering on invincibility, strength enough to stop Mjönir in its tracks, and magical force barriers. You’d think it would be an even match up—anyone’s game, really. Unfortunately no, that is not the case. Not at all.
On a mission to accrue some good press and cultivate their celebrity status, Juggernaut and a newcomer named D-Cel – a wayward youth with the ability to decelerate kinetic motion – ravel to rural North Carolina where the cruel and clever Devil Hulk has gone on a rampage. The plan is simple: find Hulk, beat him, live-stream the whole affair, and become the next superhero viral sensations.
What should make this fight so riveting is that it pits an unstoppable force (Juggernaut) against an immovable object (Hulk). If All-Star Superman is anything to go by, the only possible outcome, other than total destruction, is for the two to surrender. As it turns out, however, the Juggernaut isn’t exactly unstoppable and the Hulk is more than unmovable. Technically, the contest isn’t one vs one, but rather one (the Hulk) vs. Juggernaut, D-Cell, and Damage Control (an organization dedicated to cleaning up the mess left behind by superheroes). Damage Control has designed a device to detect and absorb the gamma radiation emanating from the Hulk, effectively siphoning his strength and regenerative abilities, as well as a new containment cell to put him in when the dust clears. Alas, Juggernaut is utterly dominated by his opponent, and the majority of the fight amounts to Juggernaut being smacked around a forest for several pages. It isn’t until D-Cell catches Hulk in a deceleration field and Damage Control activates their gamma-draining beam that Juggernaut can get any good shots in.
In the heat of battle, D-Cell can’t help but remark how much stronger the Hulk is compared to him, and even with all these forces at play, the Hulk is only temporarily subdued. Moreover, the newly devised containment cell doesn’t amount to much as he easily frees himself shortly before the end of the issue, and lands an even mightier blow on Cain Marko’s morale (worth reading for more details).
Though this isn’t the first time the two have duked it out in the comics, this confrontation is at best anti-climactic, and nearly just plain disappointing. It’s almost as though Juggernaut’s heart wasn’t in it, that he’s still coming to terms with the time he spent trekking, powerless, through limbo. It’s entirely possible the two will have a rematch in a future issue of Marvel’s Juggernaut series—or perhaps Immortal Hulk—and who knows, the outcome might be different if Marko gets his act together.
