Writer: Christos Gage
Artist: Mark Buckingham
Colorist: Mattia Iacono
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Cover Artists: Mark Buckingham & Richard Isanove; Federico Vicentini & Richard Isanove
Editors: Kaitlyn Lindtvedt, Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & C B Cebulski
Publisher: Marvel
Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 26, 2025
In their Alaskan base, Juggernaut senses the world is in danger. Shocked that he would initiate a mission, his teammates accompany him to New York. When Peter Parker changes the nature of the championship by refusing to fight Cradios, Juggernaut takes up the cosmic challenge. Juggernaut's substitution for Spider-Man may not nullify Doctor Strange’s covenant with Cyttorak. But what is unquestionable is that Cradios yields to Juggernaut.
Sadly, Callix uses the Blight to kill Cradios. The corrupted scion also infects the X-Men before detonating his rot dogs and boogieing back to the Crimson Cosmos. Now, the Blight incinerates Cyclops, Psylocke, Magik, Kid Omega, and Temper’s inhibitions. Can Juggernaut repel the X-Men's attack without killing his teammates? Let's strap on our Crimson Bands Of Cyttorak, charge into Amazing Spider-Man #68 Deaths, and find out!
Story
Cyclops realizes Juggernaut is immune to the Blight. So, the X-Men team leader orders Juggernaut to join them or die. Perhaps once Juggernaut would have accepted the offer. But now he fights to protect others. Christos Gage’s story pits Juggernaut against his friends. It ties one hand behind Juggernaut’s back because he doesn’t want to kill them.
Callix believes his father fears losing his power. He states the Blight empowers him. Instead of supporting his family, Callix kills his siblings. There is power in burning your bridges behind you, and Callix embraces it. But Juggernaut knows what it means to be alone. Callix might have swatted him like a fly. Still, Juggernaut is not about to kill his friends to increase his power. He has learned the secret of life in Amazing Spider-Man #68 Deaths. People can accomplish more together than apart.
Cyttorak empowered Juggernaut to invoke fear. Yet Juggernaut has found exceptional rewards in inducing love. Like Callix, his colleagues embrace the Blight. Temper even blames the Blight for her actions. Yet, Juggernaut knows that people are not slaves to their instincts. To paraphrase a wise man, the Blight partially controls their actions. Yet, it also obeys their commands. In Amazing Spider-Man #68 Deaths, Juggernaut risks the assault of his formidable friends because he doesn’t seek power. Instead, Juggernaut fights for something infinitely more valuable.
Art
Temper surrounds Juggernaut with yellow-orange fire while Cyclops attacks with a beam of red energy. Yet purple proves the most potent as Kid Omega and Psylocke attack. An X rises to the forefront, first red and then blue, symbolizing his journey and identity. Yet purple, blue, and red also represent Juggernaut's insistence that unity equals strength.
Mark Buckingham reveals Juggernaut's iron spirit as Mattia Iacono bathes Amazing Spider-Man #68 Deaths in bold, eye-pleasing colors. Flashbacks form backdrops as Juggernaut appeals to his god. Whether he sits alone or with his family, Cyttorak rarely moves or changes his expression. Yet the god smiled when he watched Juggernaut battle Cradios. After his avatar’s aggressive address, the god responds in not-so-mysterious ways.
Joe Caramagna pounds uppercase black lettering into dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. The dialogue grows bold for inflection and never shrinks. Juggernaut's thoughts appear in pink boxes bordered with red as he battles his friends. Sound effects enhance clobbering, clapping, crashing, stomping, and psychic blasting. Lowercase black letters in yellow boxes link The 8 Deaths Of Spider-Man with Blood Hunt, while the enlarged and colored dialogue reminds us that our bravest choices can be the most painful. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.
Final Thoughts
Cradios claimed that Juggernaut didn’t possess as much power as a scion of Cyttorak. Yet the X-Men helped Juggernaut defeat the scion. Perhaps Cyttorak also aided him. Whether on Earth or in the Crimson Cosmos, Juggernaut stands in Cyttorak’s presence. Unlike Cyttorak’s children, Juggernaut talks with his god as he battles his friends in Amazing Spider-Man #68 Deaths. Theirs is an unshakable bond forged by mutual needs and a reminder of why dedication to our careers often threatens and injures our family.
Rating 9.8/10
To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
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