Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Fall of the House of X #3! The Juggernaut is one of the most dangerous villains in the Marvel Universe, having nearly killed the X-Men countless times, enslaved an entire planet, and even gained enough magical power to conquer a whole universe. At least, that’s how Cain Marko used to be described, as Marvel Comics has officially made Juggernaut a hero – and his latest feat of heroism confirms it.
In Fall of the House of X #3 by Gerry Duggan, Lucas Werneck, and Jethro Morales, Juggernaut is pulling the last remaining fragment of Krakoa through a vast desert in a last-ditch effort to save the mutant island from Orchis. Meanwhile, Cyclops has teamed up with Orchis scientist, Dr. Gregory, to track down Nimrod, all while Kate Pryde and Emma Frost assassinate Dr. Stasis, and Apocalypse raises an army of mutants on Mars.
By the end of the issue, Stasis is dead, Nimrod has activated Sentinel City on the moon, and Apocalypse’s forces have arrived on Earth to help fight for mutant survival. And all the while, the Juggernaut stays true to his mission, even if it means fighting that fight all alone in a desolate corner of a world that hates him and those he cares about, all to save what’s left of his one true home.
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The Juggernaut will Either Succeed in Protecting Krakoa, or Die Trying
Cain Marko has never been depicted as the smartest man, as the schemes he was always involved in as a villain usually required a mastermind behind his muscle, but his instincts were always second to none. The Juggernaut is a man who refuses to die, even in the face of utter hopelessness. Juggernaut’s been marooned in outer space by Thor, and even trapped in an alternate dimension during a fight with Dr. Strange. But, in those situations, Juggernaut conquered the planet he was marooned on, and learned powerful magic to free himself from his interdimensional prison.
What fans are seeing with the Juggernaut in Fall of the House of X #3 is nothing they haven’t seen from him before, except for one key difference: while protecting Krakoa, the Juggernaut is fully prepared to die. In those other examples, the Juggernaut did what he needed to do to survive without considering anyone else. But here, considering someone else is all the Juggernaut is doing, which is the very definition of being a hero.
Juggernaut Acting as Krakoa’s Last Hope is Ironic, Beyond His Villainous Past
Legion of X #2 by Si Spurrier and Jan Bazaldua
It’s ironic that Juggernaut is the last hope of Krakoa’s survival, not just because he used to be a villain, but because his own brother – Professor X – didn’t want him there to begin with. Marko reveals as much in Legion of X #2, stating that his brother didn’t want him to join the Legionnaires, or even be on the island at all, due to Marko’s lack of an X-gene. But now, it’s revealed that Xavier is the one who failed Krakoa, while the Juggernaut is the one keeping it alive.
While Xavier’s lack of faith in the Juggernaut is ironic given that Marko’s now willing to sacrifice his life for Krakoa, Professor X wasn’t alone in thinking that the Juggernaut was still – at his core – a villain, and that his time as a hero with the X-Men was only a blip on his villainous radar, as many fans shared that sentiment as well. However, it’s fair to say that Fall of the House of X #3 has settled that debate once and for all, as the Juggernaut is now officially a hero in Marvel Comics canon.
Fall of the House of X #3 by Marvel Comics is available now.
