Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Amazing Spider-Man #70! The Juggernaut is one of the most complicated characters in Marvel Comics, as he seems to constantly be at war with himself, seemingly forever riding the line between hero and villain. When Cain Marko became the Juggernaut, he was fully prepared to lean into the darkest aspects of his personality, and basically become a super-villain bully. But, as the years went on, the Juggernaut changed, and he eventually became a hero. And now, so has the source of his power.
In The Amazing Spider-Man #70 by Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness, Spider-Man becomes Spider-Naut, he returns to Earth where he s the original Juggernaut, Cain Marko, in battle against one of Cyttorak’s sons who has become a follower of a powerful cosmic entity known as the Blight. Spider-Man uses the otherworldly power of the Crimson Cosmos that’s now flowing through his veins to take the fight to the Blight itself, and he’s ed by none other than Cyttorak.
Spider-Man soars into outer space to meet the Blight face to face, and he uses both the magic from the Crimson Cosmos and the spells he was taught by Doctor Strange to battle the eldritch beast. Unfortunately, the Blight is more of a force of nature than a living entity that can be beaten. It consumes life on a multiversal scale, and there’s no way to stop it. The only way to survive the Blight is to hide from it - as in, one’s entire plane of existence has to be kept hidden from the Blight. And the only one who has the power to do that is Cyttorak.
Cyttorak stood between Spider-Man and the Blight after being inspired by Peter Parker’s heroic actions and willingness to sacrifice himself for even the slightest chance of saving the world. Of course, Spider-Man didn’t have a chance against the Blight, but Cyttorak figured that if some mortal had that kind of bravery, then so could he. Cyttorak used his own body as a shield, channeling all his power to hide the entire Marvel Universe from the Blight. So long as Cyttorak stands guard, the Blight will never return, meaning Cyttorak must continue acting as Marvel’s cosmic sentry for all eternity.
Cyttorak Sacrifices Himself to Save the Marvel Universe
The Juggernaut’s Power Source is Changed Forever in Marvel Comics
Cyttorak is famously a demon-god from a dimension where chaos reigns, and he’s always wanted nothing more than to spread the chaos of the Crimson Cosmos as far and wide as he possibly can. That’s why the Juggernaut even exists, as Cyttorak is only able to spread chaos on Earth through a human avatar that he imbues with a mere fraction of his god-tier power. Not only does he simply want to spread chaos, given his demonic nature, but he also feeds on it. Every bit of destruction the Juggernaut ever caused gave Cyttorak even more power, siphoned from the physical world into the Crimson Cosmos.
It would stand to reason, then, that Cyttorak would welcome the utter annihilation of the world, especially if it was brought about by one of his sons (even if his son was willingly under the influence of the Blight). So, why would Cyttorak sacrifice himself to protect the world? Well, other than being moved by Spider-Man’s bravery, Cyttorak realized that the Blight would simply end all things - chaos or otherwise - and he would die as a result. Cyttorak decided that an eternal life spent as a hero was better than being snuffed out forever, which changed this living source of Juggernaut’s power from a force of evil to one of good.
Cyttorak Went on the Same Journey as the Juggernaut in Marvel Lore
Cyttorak Went from Villain to Hero, Just Like the Juggernaut
Cyttorak is the source of the Juggernaut’s power, and up until now, that power source was always perceived as evil. The Juggernaut fought against Cyttorak’s evil to become an X-Men hero, but the fact remained that the power source itself was wicked. However, that has completely changed with this issue, which is actually interesting, as it means the source of the Juggernaut’s power had the same character arc as the Juggernaut himself. Cain Marko was originally a villain in Marvel Comics before redeeming himself through acts of heroism. Now, Cyttorak can his avatar in that regard, as he, too, proved himself a true hero.
Juggernaut Just Proved He's Omega Level Whether Marvel its It or Not
Everyone knows the Juggernaut is insanely powerful, but not Omega-Level powerful! But now, he's proven himself as an actual Omega-Level powerhouse.
The fact that Cyttorak has decided to become a cosmic hero in Marvel Comics is also good for another reason: the Juggernaut won’t revert to villainy. The Juggernaut might be a hero now, but up until The Amazing Spider-Man #70, there was always that lingering chance he’d become a villain again at any moment. But, now that the literal source of the Juggernaut’s power is a hero, it’s safe to say that the Juggernaut won’t go back to villainy anytime soon, which is just another reason why this major change to Juggernaut lore is so exciting.
The Amazing Spider-Man #70 by Marvel Comics is available now.
