Cain Marko is the son of Dr. Kurt Marko,
an atomic researcher. Cain's parents separated and Cain was eventually
sent to a boarding school. Kurt Marko's colleague, Dr. Brian Xavier,
another atomic researcher, died in an accident, and Kurt Marko eventually
married Xavier's widow Sharon for her great wealth. On marrying Sharon,
Kurt Marko moved into her large Westchester County mansion, where he
lived with her and her young son Charles. Cain, who had become a cruel
and spiteful boy, came to live at the mansion as well.
Cain immediately began bullying his new
stepbrother Charles. But Cain was often secretly beaten by his abusive
father. Charles' vast telepathic powers were beginning to develop, and
on one occasion he found himself experiencing the anguished thoughts
and emotions of Cain after Cain had been beaten by his father. The inexperienced
young Charles could not control or end his contact with Cain's mind
at this time. Somehow Cain sensed that Charles was reading his mind
and had discovered his secret shame. Cain believed that Charles had
invaded his thoughts deliberately, and from then on Cain regarded Charles
as his enemy. Cain was abusive to his stepbrother at every opportunity.
Getting into a disagreement with his father
over money, Cain accidentally upset some explosive chemicals and caused
a fire to engulf his father's home laboratory. Though Kurt Marko managed
to rescue both Cain and Charles from the fire, he himself died of smoke
inhalation. Sharon Xavier Marko had died sometime before, tormented
by the lovelessness of her marriage to Marko. Cain Marko continued to
live in the Xavier mansion, growing increasingly resentful of his stepbrother's
scholastic and athletic achievements as wall as of his telepathic powers,
which Xavier mastered as he grew older.
What happened to Marko after he left home
is unclear. However, it is known that he became a mercenary and was
eventually imprisoned in a Third World jail when the revolutionary forces
he was fighting for were defeated. In the jail he became friends with
a fellow mercenary, Black Tom Cassidy, who used his mutant powers to
help them escape.
Later, Marko and Xavier found themselves
serving together in the same U.S. military unit in Asia. Marko deserted
under fire and Xavier went after him to bring him back. Xavier followed
Marko into a cave that housed the lost secret temple of Cyttorak, a
powerful mystical entity. Marko impulsively grabbed a glowing ruby from
the lap of an idol and read the inscription (which mystically appeared
to his mind to be in English): "Whosoever touches this gem shall possess
the power of the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak. Henceforth, you who read
these words shall become forevermore a human juggernaut." As Xavier
watched, the gem's mystical power transformed Marko into a larger, superhuman
being. Just then enemy high explosive bombardment caused a cave-in,
and Marko was buried under several thousand tons of rock. Xavier survived
and returned to his unit.
Marko, now the Juggernaut, eventually dug
himself free with his newfound power and made his way to America to
use his power to kill Xavier. He was defeated by Xavier and his original
team of X-Men. Over the years the Juggernaut has clashed with Xavier
and both the original and new teams of X-Men repeatedly. He has also
formed a successful criminal partnership with his old friend Black Tom
Cassidy.
As Juggernaut, Cain has returned to menance
Charles and his X-men over the years. He also formed a successful partnership
with Black Tom Cassidy. Juggernaut has also clashed with many heroes,
including Spider-Man, X-force, Thor, The Avengers, The Hulk and the
New Warriors.
More recently the sentient psionic being
known as Onslaught, actually an amalgamation of the psyches of Xavier
and Magneto, would-be world conqueror and mutant Master of Magnetism,
ripped the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak from Juggernaut's body and imprisoned
him within. Inside the jewel, Cain learned he was an avatar for Cyttorak.
As such, the otherworldly entity sought to assume control of Juggernaut's
form. But Cain, through sheer force of will, destroyed the evil god
and returned to Earth, stronger than ever, but unable to fully control
his amplified abilities.
Cyttorak was merely one of a pantheon of
eight gods, all with earthbound avatars. These Exemplars enlisted the
Juggernaut's aid in constructing a machine that would enslave the human
race. As the Exemplars tended to in their final preparations, Cain withdrew
deep into himself, where he clashed with Cytorrak. Charles entered his
stepbrother's mind to aid him in the battle, but the Exemplar known
as Bedlam sensed his presence and expelled him. Still, Charles' short
stay in Juggernaut's head had helped Cain regain control of his psyche.
After defeating Cyttorak, Juggernaut destroyed the Exemplars' God Machine.
He then turned his attention to the avatars themselves, defeating each
in turn.
Juggernaut again was cast as a hero when
the sentient spaceship Prosh escaped the confines of a Celestial prison,
returned to Earth and dispatched a group of disparate beings on a journey
through time to uncover the keys to preserving human evolution. Besides
Cain, Prosh's task force included Phoenix and Iceman, members of the
X-Men; and Mystique and Toad, mutant terrorists. Their mission: Save
the human race from a threat that might not manifest itself for millions
of years. Juggernaut was shown that for all his physical strength, he
long has lacked strength of character. Despite all his yearning for
power, he has squandered his supernaturally enhanced abilities. When
Prosh reassembled the members of his team in the present, they fought
and defeated the enigmatic alien entity known as the Stranger, who sought
to control the natural evolution of humans and mutants. If not acquiring
a newfound respect for life and human dignity, at least Juggernaut gained
a better sense of understanding for the mutant plight.