Warning! Spoilers for Juggernaut #3 by Fabian Nicieza and Ron Garney!
Following his latest battle with the Hulk, the Juggernaut was served papers to appear in Manhattan civil court where he is being sued by a construction company that suffered from damages caused by one of his many scuffles, specifically his first fight with Spider-Man back in Amazing Spider-Man #229-#230. That battle, which ended with Cain essentially stuck in suspended animation while entombed inside solid concrete, continues to plague the unstoppable force of power with repercussions, specifically from those affected by its aftermath.
In the Amazing Spider-Man story – by Roger Stern and John Romita, Jr. – Juggernaut was working with Black Tom Cassidy to find Madame Web, hoping the powerful psychic would help them defeat their common enemy, the X-Men. No matter what Spider-Man and the authorities threw at him, the Juggernaut remained unstoppable and was successful in kidnapping Madame Web. Discarding her after learning she’d die without her web-themed life support system, Juggernaut and Spider-Man had an epic brawl, a dramatic and intense fight that ended in a nearby construction yard. Accidentally wandering into a pool of fresh cement, Cain’s weight caused him to sink into the concrete, his powers keeping him alive, giving the exhausted webslinger a victory. Although the Juggernaut would find a way out a year later, he never forgot that first battle with Spider-Man and apparently neither did the people who suffered as a result of it.
In Juggernaut #3, court is in session as photographs from the original battle are used as evidence in a 25-million dollar lawsuit against Cain from a construction company that lost their business as a result of the conflict. Having caused millions of dollars in damages and being of sound mind during the event in question, Cain is quiet while his friend and sidekick D-Cel records the entire proceeding to social media. Cain’s lawyer Bernie Rosenthal, who is well acquainted with the world of superheroes, argues that it was Spider-Man who was to blame for the use of the cement and thus responsible for the bankruptcy, not Cain. The case is interrupted by the attack of supervillain Quicksand, mind-controlled into attempting to capture D-Cel.
When they’re not retconning their own history, Marvel writers love to reference old stories. “Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut!” is considered one of the best Spider-Man stories ever written and this new story reminds readers of the real-life consequences of these big superhero battles that seem to happen every week or month in the Marvel universe. Somebody has to pay for all that property damage and someone has to answer for those businesses and livelihoods that are destroyed. So far, writer Fabian Nieceza has been using accountability as a central theme, seen when the Hulk reminded others that anything wrong he’s done, the Juggernaut has done the same and maybe worse. Instead of ignoring the summons, Juggernaut shows up to court in an oversized suit to owe up to what he’s done.
In the end, Quicksand is defeated and Damage Control is able to confirm that someone was controlling her actions for reasons unknown. The best part is that Cain’s lawyer is able to negotiate the settlement that not only did Juggernaut save everyone’s life, but that in exchange for dropping the suit, he’d provide enough materials for them to create enough cement to replace the original damages. With D-Cel calling the case closed and their looming enemy still unknown, it would appear the Juggernaut may not be able to run from the past but he’s more than willing to take responsibility for his present actions and hopefully put them behind him.
