A few days ago I was thinking back through some of my favorite villains from childhood comic collecting. Mainly, I remembered loving Rhino, Abomination (those two especially because I had the comic-record combo for Hulk #171), and Juggernaut. Apparently, I was a fan of large, monstrous creatures when I was growing up. Makes sense because I watched my VHS of King Kong and Godzilla until they disintegrated.

Shortly thereafter I thought I would go do some research in preparing to buy myself a modest copy of X-Men #12, the first appearance of Juggernaut. I was, however, shocked to find how expensive that book is these days. Even factoring in the early Silver Age factor. This intrigued me. To the point that I had to begin researching why Juggernaut's first book is so desired among collectors. After various stops and starts within television and movies, Juggernaut actually joining the X-Men for a brief time, and a long-term love-hate relationship with Charles Xavier, I became even more enamored with the character than ever before.

Why does Juggernaut demand such prices? What's his appeal almost 60 years later? Let's dig in and find out.

A Brief History of Fair Market Value

Currently, here are some FMV figures for X-Men #12:

  • CGC 9.0 - $1,650 (less than 80 above this grade exist on the CGC census)
  • CGC 6.0 - $625 (although nothing has sold for less than $640 in four months)
  • CGC 3.0 - $300 (a copy just sold on eBay July 19th for $345)
  • CGC 0.5 - $120 (still consistently over $100 for the lowest grade possible)

For some context, these FMVs are roughly the same as Fantastic Four #52. Which is the first appearance of Black Panther. Juggernaut has had some moments of extreme excitement and some interesting moments. However, let's not kid ourselves into thinking he has anywhere near the cultural or historical relevance as T'Challa.

If we go back five years and look at all CGC grades from 9.4 down to 2.5, the smallest return on investment for this book in that time-frame is 24.6%. CGC 8.0 is up 71%, while 6.0 is up 61% - just shocking increases in a relatively short period.

Juggernaut did appear in one of Fox's X-Men movies (X-Men: The Last Stand) in 2006 and he shows up as a cartoonish-type villain in Deadpool 2, but has not been seen on the screen otherwise. So, other factors must be in play here.

Sibling Rivalry

Whether it's Thor/Loki/Hela, Scott and Alex Summers, T'Challa and Jakarra, or Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, Marvel seems to have found a winning formula with creating interesting sibling rivalries or conflicts. They likely resonate with us so much because the underlying issues are often so relatable to our own relationships with our siblings. Charles Xavier and his step-brother Cain Marko are certainly no different. Their turmoil is even magnified by the jealousy Cain felt for Charles' powers as they were growing up together.

As coincidence would have it, it was Charles who was trying to rescue Cain when he discovered the Cyttorak Gem in Korea that gave him the Juggernaut powers. Finally possessing powers that would rival the strength of any of Charles' students, Juggernaut would go on to wreak havoc to various X-teams for generations.

Juggernaut Ain't No Pushover

Some villains come and go relatively quickly. While some prove to be no match for the heroes across the pages of our comics. Not true for Juggernaut. In one of their first encounters, Juggernaut overpowers the X-Men and Professor X has to recruit the Human Torch to burn off Juggernaut's helmet. Years later, Juggernaut would beat up Colossus in a bar while Wolverine and Nightcrawler watch helplessly.

Juggernaut's impenetrable armor and helmet prevent telepathic penetration. This allowed him to run afoul of Xavier and his pupils for years. He even seems to grow stronger on occasion. Like when the Cyttorak deities grant him unending strength from the power of the gem.

Pick A Side

One of the other reasons I believe people keep resonating with Juggernaut is he keeps drawing us into these moments where he seems redeemable and somewhat heroic. For a time, Juggernaut even joined the X-Men after battling the Cyttorak for full control over his own being.

In other X-stories, he tried to rejoin the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants as a type of double agent, so he could warn Charles and the X-Men of any incoming trouble. During the World War Hulk storyline, Juggernaut was one who worked to protect the X-Men from the rage of Hulk, battling him multiple times until finally defeating Hulk and causing him to flee.

With so many close encounters with the right side, we keep rooting for Cain Marko. We want him to once and for all cast off the shackles of the Cyttorak and fully embrace the good parts of himself. We get these glimpses from time to time, but the pull of immense power has proved to be a strong one.

Where Does Juggernaut Go From Here?

I selfishly want Juggernaut to be a very early part of the MCU's plan with the X-Men. His strength is unparalleled, his size is incomparable, his armor is impenetrable. As a villain, he is just really freakin' cool. Do we get there someday? Hopefully. Disney's Marvel plan seems to develop under-utilized characters from past attempts. Seeing as how Juggernaut received about 10 minutes of screen time in the X-Men saga should give us some hope that there is a plan afoot. The MCU could make him so much more menacing and vicious than we have seen to this point. Much truer to the character.

On the comic book side, the first appearance book shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Even in just the past 18 months, every CGC grade between 8.5 and 2.0 has seen a positive return on market value.

Where this places the book for me is one of the relatively few blue-chip pieces. No matter where you buy-in, it is a smart investment if you need to flip in the years following your purchase.

What do you think is the future for Juggernaut? Why does he remain so popular? Let me know in the comments.

 

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