Is The Juggernaut Unstoppable?

With the Marvel Universe, there are plenty of powerhouses with terrifying super strength. Characters like The Hulk and Thor have performed impressive feats of might. The Juggernaut is another powerful character who’s torn through his opponents. Often considered unstoppable, The Juggernaut has held his own against many superheroes and defeated them. But where do his powers come from and can he truly be called ‘unstoppable?’

As the stepbrother of Charles Xavier, Cain Marko always had a chip on his shoulders. He bullied Professor X frequently and the two eventually served in the Korean War. Marko came across an ancient temple containing the Crimson Gem of Cytorrak, a mystical artefact imbued with the strength of an evil deity.

Marko gained immense superhuman strength and durability, courtesy of Cytorrak. As an avatar of destruction, Juggernaut’s powers are magical in nature. His reputation for being unstoppable comes from the mystical barrier he generates every time he moves. When in motion, Juggernaut can repel anything in his path.

There have only been a few occasions when the forcefield has been penetrated and the Juggernaut has been ‘stopped.’ Thor was able to use Mjolnir to magically break through. Hulk is the only character to physically stop Juggernaut, and this was during a time when he was enhanced with Celestial technology. Beyond those two examples, Juggernaut’s momentum has only ever been used against him as a way to remove him from the battlefield.

A previous weakness of the Juggernaut used to be his vulnerability to mental attacks, which is why he wore his helmet for protection. When the helmet was removed, Marko was vulnerable to telepathic assault. However, during his latest rebirth, Juggernaut’s weakness to mental attacks has been negated by Cytorrak. The god enhanced him to a point that was far beyond previous levels.

There have been times when Marko has found himself stripped of his powers. During the Fear Itself arc, Marko became an avatar for The Serpent, to which Cytorrak took offense. This led to Colossus becoming the new Juggernaut for a time.

Being the Juggernaut comes with a heavy burden as the Crimson Gem of Cytorrak constantly stokes Marko’s rage and has left him unstable. The same thing happened to Colossus, as he experienced an intense bloodlust. Marko has been able to control himself on occasion, especially when separated from the Gem’s influence.

With Cytorrak having enhanced Marko’s powers and stripped him of his weaknesses, it could be argued that Juggernaut is truly unstoppable. Of course, this all depends on a writer’s preference when they’re handling a Juggernaut story.

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