X-Men: The Juggernaut's Origins, Explained (2024)

While he may not be as magnificent as Magneto or as all-powerful as Apocalypse, the unstoppable Juggernaut is still one of the most popular villains in the X-Men franchise. Not only has he tangled with Marvel’s mightiest mutants countless times in the comics, he’s also faced off with the likes of Spider-Man, Thor, and the Hulk.

And of course, the Juggernaut is no stranger to the big screen either. He made his film debut back in 2006 with X-Men: The Last Stand, and turned up again unexpectedly in 2018’s Deadpool 2. However, there’s one important aspect of the character that has only been briefly alluded to in the movies — namely, his origin story.

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Juggernaut in the Movies

As previously stated, Cain Marko, aka the Juggernaut, made his first live action appearance in X-Men: The Last Stand, the third entry in the series. He’s portrayed on screen by Vinnie Jones, best known for his roles in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Gone in 60 Seconds, and Galavant, among others. Juggernaut is introduced as a prisoner in the same transport as Mystique, who is freed by Magneto and recruited for the Brotherhood of Mutants. It’s never explained how or why he was captured, and he never gives any reason for his loyalty to Magneto. He simply exists within the film as an obstacle for the X-Men to fight.

The Juggernaut’s most recent film appearance is in Deadpool 2, which depicts him as a fully CGI character voiced by none other than Deadpool himself, Ryan Reynolds. He’s introduced as a mysterious inmate held in the mutant prison known as the Icebox, who is befriended by Deadpool’s young ally Rusty Collins, aka Firefist. Eventually, Rusty helps free Juggernaut from prison. And in gratitude, Juggernaut aids Rusty on his quest for vengeance against the abusive staff at the Essex House for Mutant Rehabilitation — the orphanage where Rusty grew up. But even though Juggernaut isn’t much more plot-relevant in Deadpool 2 than he is in The Last Stand, his brief screen-time still features the only allusion to his backstory in any X-Men film to date.

In a brief exchange as they approach the orphanage, Juggernaut mentions to Rusty that his trademark helmet is meant to prevent his wheelchair-bound brother from reading his mind. While he’s never mentioned by name, it’s clear from context that the brother in question is meant to be Charles Xavier himself. And though this connection has yet to be explored elsewhere in the X-Men films, it is indeed the case that the Juggernaut is Professor X’s brother in the comics. But believe it or not, that isn’t the only surprising revelation from Juggernaut’s comic origin story that’s been left out of the movies.

Juggernaut in the Comics

The Juggernaut first burst onto the scene in July 1965 with X-Men #12 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Introduced as an enigmatic force of destruction rampaging his way through the Xavier School, Juggernaut’s introductory issue features Professor X relating the villain’s backstory to the X-Men as they take shelter from the devastation. Xavier explains that the Juggernaut’s true identity is Cain Marko, the son of Dr. Kurt Marko — Charles’ step-father, who married Sharon Xavier after the death of her first husband Brian Xavier. Abused by a father who preferred Xavier over his own biological son, Cain grew up bitter and resentful towards his step-brother.

As an adult, while fighting in the Korean War, Cain discovered an ancient temple to the mystical entity known as Cyttorak. While exploring the temple, Cain discovered the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak: a powerful artifact that granted him immense strength, transforming him into the unstoppable Juggernaut. While Cain was presumed dead after the temple collapsed, he survived to enact his vengeance on the step-brother he spent his whole life despising. The Juggernaut was hell-bent on destroying Charles Xavier, along with everything he’d built — at least, until he started to become less vengeful over the coming decades. These days, he’s actually an ally of the X-Men rather than an enemy.

The Juggernaut of the comics is notable for being one of the few A-list X-Men villains who isn’t a mutant in any way, shape, or form. His unstoppable strength comes not from an X-Gene, but from the magical power of the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak. Many adaptations, including both of his film appearances thus far, have omitted this origin for the character in favor of simply portraying him as a mutant. Though curiously, the X-Men: Evolution animated series attempted to split the difference, stating that the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak activated his latent mutant powers.

Over the decades, the Juggernaut has appeared in numerous X-Men adaptations, from movies to cartoons to video games. It seems like wherever the X-Men go, the Juggernaut is never far behind. But despite his notoriety, the finer details of his origin story are rarely explored outside of the comics. Perhaps when the X-Men inevitably make their way to the MCU, the Juggernaut will finally receive a film incarnation that embraces the mystical side of his backstory. But until then, the Juggernaut’s magical powers and relationship with Professor X will remain obscure knowledge outside of diehard comic fans.

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