Warning! Spoilers for Legion of X #3 by Marvel Comics
Marvel’s Juggernaut is used to being one of the most powerful, unstoppable forces in the universe, whether taking on heroes or fighting alongside the X-Men. But, after a villain who can possess bodies called the Skinjacker took his being and used him to attack mutants on Krakoa, Cain Marko can’t help but feel weak for once as he reveals his helplessness felt when he lost control due to the takeover.
Thanks to Nightcrawler recruiting him to his Legionaries team, Juggernaut currently resides in the mutant paradise of Krakoa. Despite having no X-Gene, the Quiet Council allowed the non-mutant to stay in their home, much to the objection of Cain Marko’s half-brother Professor X, who voted against him. The Legionaries protect Nightcrawler and Legion’s culture, the Spark, and their temple inside the mind of Marvel’s most unstable mutant. The Legionaries assembled and are taking on a new threat known as the Skinjacker, who is jumping inside the bodies of mutants on Krakoa and pulling off heinous and traumatic acts. The new villain recently inhabited Juggernaut and tried to turn his great power against his teammates, leaving the antihero feeling surprisingly weak.
In Legion of X #3 by Si Spurrier, Jan Bazaldua, Federico Blee, VC’s Clayton Cowles, Tom Muller, and Jay Bowen from Marvel Comics, Juggernaut opens up to Legion about how it felt to be possessed and “broken” by the Skinjacker. Despite the villain only being in his body for five minutes, Cain Marko admits it “felt like forever,” as the former X-Men villain explains he was in a “dark and cold” place that made him feel weaker than he had ever felt before – even compared to times he lost his powers.
The admission that Juggernaut felt weak is not something you hear from Juggernaut every day. Cain Marko prides himself on being an unstoppable force of destruction, so to hear that Skinjacker’s possession made the strongman struggle and helpless shows the type of threat the Legionaries, and ultimately the X-Men, are dealing with. Furthermore, Juggernaut’s rivalry with his half-brother Charles Xavier shows he already has trouble with those who can control his mind with their powers, as his armor is designed to protect him from ever being exploited. Essentially, the Skinjacker made Juggernaut’s worst fear come true.
Ultimately, Juggernaut feeling weak shows that even Marvel’s most indestructible antihero is helpless against the Skinjacker. The villain’s abilities are horrifying, as inhabiting the X-Men’s bodies (or whoever he chooses) to do as he pleases with them is a huge violation. It’s a sad yet humanizing moment for Juggernaut, as for once, he feels vulnerable and isn’t afraid to share how he’s feeling with his fellow Legionaries.
