Marvel just revealed its new scions of the Demon Lord Cyttorak - the being who gives Juggernaut his powers. Now, it seems that after dying to Cyttorak's servants, Spider-Man will be resurrected as his new avatar.
Per Marvel, the change is coming in March 26's Amazing Spider-Man #70, and will likely see the new 'Spider-Naut' go up against the original Juggernaut, who has been helping Peter in his battle against the Scions of Cyttorak. The announcement asks, "Did Spider-Man fight his way through Cyttorak’s champions just to become one himself!?"
Amazing Spider-Man #70 |
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Release Date: |
March 13, 2024 |
Writer: |
Joe Kelly & Justina Ireland |
Artists: |
Ed McGuinness, Gleb Melnikov, CAFU & Andrea Broccardo |
Cover Artist: |
Ed McGuinness |
In AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #70, enter the Spider-Naut! But who is this unstoppable webbed-wonder?! And does he represent the world’s last hope or Cyttorak’s ultimate victory? |
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Ed McGuinness' jaw-dropping cover art sees Spider-Naut running up the side of a building, combining Spider-Man's wall-crawling with Juggernaut's unstoppable momentum. Meanwhile, Björn Barends' epic variant cover shows a battered Spider-Man/Juggernaut, with one eye glowing through the shattered lens of the character's unbreakable helm.
Juggernaut's powers vastly increase his strength, speed and durability, which vary according to Cyttorak's favor. He also possesses mystic armor which protects him from psychic attack and can even 'heal' when damaged. However, his most unique power is his unstoppable momentum, which means that once he reaches a certain speed, no force on Earth can make him stop or even slow him down.
Why Juggernaut's Trion Powers Are So Much Stronger Than His Regular Form
Juggernaut is already immensely powerful in X-Men canon, but even his most impressive feat in his normal form is nothing compared to his Trion power.
Spider-Man's Death Is Turning Him into the New Juggernaut
Doctor Doom's Plans for Spider-Man Have a Stunning Outcome
In Amazing Spider-Man's ongoing '8 Deaths of Spider-Man' arc, Spider-Man has been given a mystic upgrade by Doctor Doom. Since seizing the Sorcerer Supreme title, Doom has taken on the duties of Doctor Strange, including keeping Cyttorak and his scions in line. However, seeing physical conflict against the scions as below him, Doom empowered Spider-Man to fight them instead, giving him magical webs and the ability to resurrect from death again and again.
Recently, Marvel revealed that Spider-Man won't survive the arc. Taking on the embodiments of chaos and destruction is about to get Spider-Man killed, pushing him beyond his extra lives. Now, Marvel has revealed that while Cain Marko's Juggernaut and the X-Men will fight on against Cyttorak, Peter's death will result in the creation of the Spider-Naut - a new avatar of Cyttorak on Earth, suspiciously patterned after Spider-Man's costume.
While Juggernaut debuted as an X-Men villain, Spider-Man has a long history of fighting him - especially in the iconic Amazing Spider-Man #230 (Roger Stern & John Romita Jr), which is considered one of the best Juggernaut stories ever published.
10 Most Important Juggernaut Moments That Defined Marvel's Unstoppable Antihero
The Juggernaut has experienced an epic journey that took him from a hardened villain to an antihero. Here are the Top 10 moments of that journey!
Peter Parker Is the Perfect Juggernaut
Spider-Man Is One of the Only Heroes Who Could Handle Cyttorak's Corruption
While the Spider-Naut certainly appears to be a threat, that's far from guaranteed. After all, Peter Parker is actually the perfect candidate to become the new Juggernaut. Traditionally, the Juggernaut is powered by the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak, with any destruction he causes going to feed the Demon Lord's powers. However, the power that Cyttorak provides comes at a cost, filling its bearer with the urge to kill and destroy.
While the original Juggernaut still has his powers in Marvel lore, he's been free of Cyttorak's influence since his 2020 solo series. Juggernaut discovered new armor forged from the mystic force known as the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak - a way to access the Demon Lord's powers without inviting his influence.
While Spider-Man isn't immune to corruption, he is better placed than almost anyone to embody this kind of power. In J. Michael Straczynski and John Romita Jr.'s Amazing Spider-Man #507, Peter learns why he was chosen to become Earth-616's Spider-Totem, with the mystical being known as the Gatekeeper explaining that due to being severely bullied as a teenager, Peter has a deep appreciation of what it feels like to be at the mercy of greater power, and will thus use his own powers with responsibility and empathy. If anyone can resist falling to Cyttorak's influence, and even ultimately reject it, it's Peter Parker.
This Isn't the First Time a Hero Has Taken the Juggernaut Title
Spider-Man Is Following Colossus' Tragic Example
The idea of a superhero becoming the Juggernaut isn't new. Most famously, Colossus became the new Juggernaut in a sacrifice intended to strip Cyttorak's power from the original. Colossus used his new power heroically, but he was quickly poisoned by Cyttorak's corruption, becoming a self-confessed monster until his sister Magik managed to free him from Cyttorak's control. Fellow X-Men hero Emma Frost also took on the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak in the Sins of Sinister event, becoming an intergalactic tyrant by combining it with her own diamond skin.
However, easily the most unlikely hero to become the Juggernaut is Howard the Duck, who gained the mantle in Cosmic Ghost Rider #3 as a member of a far-future Guardians of the Galaxy roster. And while Doctor Doom may have set Spider-Man on the path to becoming the Spider-Naut, he too has wielded the Juggernaut's power - albeit in the alternate world of Heroes Reborn, where he became Doctor Juggernaut after incorporating the Crimson Gem into his armor. Hopefully, Spidey can retain his heroism better than the heroes and villains who went before.
Marvel's New Juggernaut, the Survivor: Powers and Origin Explained
The Avengers have just discovered Marvel's new Juggernaut, aka the Survivor. The daughter of the Demon Lord Cyttorak's powers and origin explained.
Juggernaut's Family Just Keeps Expanding
He's Becoming a Legitimate Marvel Franchise
Interestingly, the Spider-Naut is the latest addition to Juggernaut's growing 'family' of characters. While Cain Marko has long been a villain in Marvel canon, he began working with the X-Men during the 2019-2024 Krakoan Era, seeking redemption. Since then, fans have met both 'the Survivor' - a refugee from Cyttorak's dimension who can create Juggernaut-like constructs - and new hero Kid Juggernaut.
The latter - currently appearing in Marvel's digital comic Avengers Academy - is a descendant of the Juggernaut before Cain Marko, with the young Justin Jin attempting to give the Juggernaut name a more heroic legacy. Of course, there's also the original Cain Marko, who may get a chance to stop the Spider-Naut in his tracks. Amazing Spider-Man #69 will apparently see the X-Men fighting among themselves, with Juggernaut in the middle of the fray - is he back under Cyttorak's sway, and what does that mean for Spider-Man's transformation?
The true nature of the new Spider-Naut will only be revealed when Amazing Spider-Man #70 hits comic shelves, but there's a huge amount of potential to combining Juggernaut and Spider-Man lore in this way, especially with how many loose threads currently exist in Marvel lore involving the various heroes and villains connected to Cyttorak.
Amazing Spider-Man #70 is coming March 26 from Marvel Comics.
- Alias
- Peter Parker, Ben Reilly, Otto Octavius, Yu Komori, Kaine Parker, Pavitr Prabhakar, William Braddock, Miles Morales, Kurt Wagner
- Created By
- Stan Lee, Steve Ditko
- Franchise
- Marvel, Spider-Man
- Race
- Human
- First Appearance
- Amazing Fantasy
- Alliance
- Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Secret Defenders, Future Foundation, Heroes for Hire, Mighty Avengers, New Avengers, Web-Warriors
Spider-Man is the name given to several individuals who have employed a spider-moniker throughout Marvel Comics. Typically gaining their powers through a bite from a radioactive spider, the different Spider-Man heroes employ super-strength, agility, and intellect while utilizing webbing to swing and tangle up their foes. The most notable of these Spider-Men is Peter Parker, who remains one of the most popular superheroes throughout the world.
- Alias
- Cain Marko
- Created By
- Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
- Franchise
- Marvel
- First Appearance
- The X-Men (1963)
- Alliance
- Brotherhood of Mutants, All-New Exiles, New Excalibur, Lethal Legion, X-Men, Thunderbolts
Source: Marvel
