50 Greatest Super Villains In Comic Book History

42. Juggernaut

(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)

This isn’t the only time you’ll see this in villains on this list, but the Juggernaut really is a perfectly twisted reflection of his stepbrother, Professor X. Cain Marko is a selfish bully, while the late Charles Xavier (mostly) put the needs of an entire race above his own. Professor X was physically frail but gifted with extraordinary powers of the mind, while the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak turned Marko into an almost literally unstoppable powerhouse.

Good costume, cool gimmick, smashes stuff … what’s not to like? He even comes with his own perfectly logical Achilles heel, though in his case, it’s actually his head. The Juggernaut’s helmet does more than just complete his look, it protects him from folks like his stepbrother who want to cheat and take him down by messing with his head.

Despite all that, it always seems like the Juggernaut is as close to being a joke (stuff like this doesn’t help) as he is to closing in on the greatest super villains of all time. Writers have had to go to great lengths to show that there’s more to him than just an easily fooled buffoon, even having him serve as a reluctant hero on occasion.

That’s all well and good, but to me, he’s best used as a foil that forces heroes to use their brains instead of charging right into a battle with him. You’re not going to stop the Juggernaut, but you might learn something about what it really takes to be a hero if you ever run up against him alone. Good luck!

Next: No. 41: Time is on his side