. The X-Men #12 



 
 Uncanny X-Men #12

It begins with an earsplitting screech eminating from the study of Professor Charles Xavier. His X-Men rush in concerned and fearing he may be in danger. They see the screech is coming from some device built into his desk and Cyclops tells them to stay out. That none of them is supposed to know about the Cerebro machine. Xavier tells Cyclops it's OK and that they cannot afford secrets from each other because they are about to face their greatest threat. Xavier explains that Cerebro gives him warning of any mutant menace but it has never reacted this violently before. Xavier says only one person could be so indescribably powerful as to cause such a reaction. Without further explanation Xavier commands his students to begin setting up defenses around the mansion immediately.

The X-Men rush to follow their orders. Beast says their very lives must be at stake judging by Xavier's demeanor and Jean Grey says whatever the Professor's afraid of must be terrifying because he's never been that worried before against their other enemies. Iceman erects a thick ice shield around the premises,Cyclops blasts a trench which Beast then runs cable in while Jean Grey telekinetically blankets foliage over it to conceal the trap. Angel flies logs over to Cyclops who then hollows them out with his optic beam to be staked into the ground and grenades dropped in them. Having completed their task the X-Men return to Xavier's study. Xavier says it's time for them to learn of the coming danger. Cyclops asks if it was someone they'd fought in the past but Xavier says he could only wish it were. He informs them that the approaching menace is...his own brother! He had hoped he would never have need to mention his brother but now he had to. He begins telling them his tale...


Years ago,an atomic explosion in Alamagordo,New Mexico took the life of Xavier's father,Brian Xavier,while Charles was still just a boy. At the funeral Xavier's mother,wealthy widow Sharon Xavier,is consoled by Brian's fellow scientist,Kurt Marko. Despite Kurt's outward facade of caring Xavier has never trusted Kurt and can somehow see through Kurt's lies. His mother however cannot and sees Kurt Marko as her fortitude in a trying time. Months later Kurt would persuade Sharon to marry him so that Charles would have a father figure. Kurt moved in and Charles could sense that money and power was his new stepfather's only true desire. Sharon would slowly come to realize this too when Kurt showed no interest in wanting to spend any time with her and instead only works. Kurt says why shouldn't he just want her money? That Brian Xavier garnered all the prestige while he was a nobody. But now he'd changed things. Sharon says to stop because he's frightening Charles but Kurt Marko says he doesn't care about Charles and that his son,Cain,would be arriving the next day.


Upon first sight of Cain Xavier's burgeoning psychic powers picked up on a pure aura of cruelty and evil from his stepbrother. Cain had just gotten himself expelled from school and began to belttle the house staff as soon as he stepped foot inside. Xavier was definately not in line to recieve a better reception as Cain Marko pops him in the face as his idea of a joke. The X-Men interrupt Xavier here and ask how a petty human bully with no powers can be so dangerous. Xavier turns Cerebro back on to monitor his stepbrother's progress but has to quickly turn it back off because the screech was becoming unendurable. Xavier says he must be even more powerful than he feared because Cerebro was tearing itself apart. Iceman asks what could this power of his stepbrother's possibly be. Xavier says there is no time to explain as his stepbrother has just reached the first defense. The X-Men rush to the window and hear the ice barrier being shattered. Iceman is awed that anything could have smashed his ice barrier that quickly and the X-Men stand ready to attack. Xavier tells them not yet,that they could not begin to imagine what they'd be facing. Suddenly the entire mansion begins shaking and crumbling. Amidst the panic Xavier informs the X-Men that as terrifying a display that quaking the entire mansion from all the way at the front perimeter is,that his stepbrother is only using a mere fraction of his awesome power to do it. The X-Men again ask if they should meet him in battle but Xavier says no and elects to continue his tale.


Shortly after the revelation of Kurt Marko's true sentiment toward her and her son Sharon Marko died heart-broken. Charles was now alone with the Markos and one day happened across them having an argument in Kurt Marko's lab. Cain had asked his father for some money but Kurt says he is not to be disturbed while he's working. Cain obstinately says he'll leave when he gives him the money. Kurt Marko told Cain that if he wanted money he needs to go out and earn it as he had. Cain says he knows all about how Kurt "earned" his money,saying the death of Brian Xavier was no accident. Outraged at being accused Kurt grabs Cain angrily by the collar and tells him never to say that again. At this point Charles makes his presence known and says it's too late and asks what really happened in New Mexico. Kurt tells Charles nothing happened and that Cain was just joking,but Cain is in no mood to abate his wimpy step-brother and refuses to play along,instead grabbing a chemical vial. Kurt tries to warn Cain of the dangers should the chemicals present touch each other but it's too late. The lab explodes. Fatally wounded,Kurt Marko drags Charles and Cain from the wreckage before collapsing himself. He tells Charles that his father's death was indeed an accident,but one he could have prevented if he tried. And with his dying breath he tells Charles "Beware of...Cain! When he finds out...about your power...". The young Charles does not know of this power his stepfather speaks of.


Again the advancement of his stepbrother interrupts Xavier's story. A dazzling light shines through the window as he reaches the second barrier,an electro-magnetic forcefield. The X-Men note that the light is growing ever brighter meaning Cain must be overcoming it. They peer through the brightness to catch a glimpse of the oncommer. They can only make out a figure. Unhurt and enormous. He snaps the previously laid cable which releases an even greater wave of energy designed to stop him. Xavier says this is the time to complete his tale. The Professor's demeanor causes Beast to ask if there is anyway Xavier's stepbrother can be beaten. If they have any chance. Xavier says he'll finish the story and they can decide for themselves.

Shortly after Kurt Marko's death Charles began to realize he had superhuman mental powers. He surmises that this was probably due to the radiation his father was exposed to before he was born. The only outward sign was his loss of hair but he began to privately notice he could see what people were thinking. He could answer any question his teacher asked because he could read his mind. As he grew older he learned his mental powers made him excel at everything,even athletics. He was a star quarterback because he could read the minds of the defense. He was a track star because he could read when his rivals were tired and when they were going for their final push. Charles built up a collection of ill-gotten awards,and at the same time a fountain of hatred and envy in Cain. Finally Cain could take no more. He began destroying Charles' trophies. When Charles hit Cain to stop him he began attacking Charles next. But with his thoughts and thusly actions an open book to Charles Cain stood little chance and was beaten. The X-Men applaud Xavier and his power for being too much for Cain and again wonder why he's such a danger to them now. Again Charles says they'll know when he finishes. He then goes on to tell of a tragic event between he and Cain. Cain offered to drive Charles to college after vacation. Thinking this a good opportunity to mend their relationship Charles agreed. But when they reached the hillside road Cain began driving dangerously fast. Charles begins to panic and Cain tells him that he now has the upperhand. He was going to drive like that until Charles cried out in fear. In his vengeful haze Cain missed the approaching detour sign and tells Charles to jump as he was. Unbeknownst to Cain it was Charles who telepathically gave Cain the notion to jump. Unfortunately Charles was too late himself and the car went tumbling down the hill. Charles would survive due to summoning all of his mental power to it's fullest extent and creating some sort of shield around himself(odd...). This maneuver saved his life but left him still badly injured. Suddenly the building is being quaked again and Xavier is tossed from his wheelchair.


After helping Xavier back up the X-Men again look out of the window. Xavier's stepbrother has broken through the forcefield and is completely unharmed by the discharge. Through the currents the X-Men again are haunted by the figure of an inhumanly large creature coming ever forward. He then trips the third line of defense,the gas grenades. Cain is shrouded in sleep gas and the X-Men wonder why he doesn't fall. He smashes the rest of the makeshift grenade cannons which releases even more gas which seems to stagger Cain but he can no longer be seen through the gas. The X-Men are desparately wondering how Cain Marko came to such power and Xavier says he will explain as it may be the one power to finally defeat them.

Xavier recounts that the last time he saw Cain Marko was in the Korean War. They had been stationed together. One day they were under fire and Cain felt the shelling was getting too close for comfort and retreated to a cave in a nearby mountainside. Xavier followed after him to convince him not to commit desertion which is a court martial offense. In their rush they wander into the lost temple of Cyttorak which legends had warned about for centuries. Cain sees a large ruby on the alter and is irresistibly drawn to it. Xavier screams for Cain not to touch it but to no avail. Cain touches it and reads the inscription. "Whosoever touches this gem shall possess the power of the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak. Henceforth,you who read these words,shall become forever more a human juggernaut.". Upon voicing the inscription the gem begins to infuse energies into Cain and at that moment the shelling that brought them there hits even closer and begins collapsing the cave. Xavier managed to escape,but Cain was buried under a trillion tons of rock and rubble. Xavier doesn't know if the cave in killed his stepbrother but says it would take years to dig free even if it hadn't. And that if he did survive,no power on Earth would be able to stop him. And Xavier knows that if Cain survives he would come after him. And,thanks to the Cytorrak bands,would be able to find him wherever he hid.


Xavier having finished his tale Beast asks what is this temple of Cyttorak and what exactly is The Juggernaut's power. Xavier explains that Cyttorak is the most powerful of black magic deities. When he was driven from Earth he left the curse of The Juggernaut. Beast sees that Cain is rising again to which Xavier says he knew he would. The X-Men ask how does Xavier know that's Cain and Xavier says only The Juggernaut could have proved invulnerable to each and every one of their defenses. The X-Men say their next defense should stop him. A gas that causes loss of balance. Iceman says he has a feeling that won't stop him either. Xavier remembers yet another possible defense,a metal inner wall to the mansion. The X-Men literally race to the controls to raise the wall and crash into one another but manage it. Beast decides to test the fortitude of the wall by leaping a kick into it. After caromming hard off he's confident nothing will be able to get through it. Xavier then instructs them to head to the front because that's where Cain will strike. When asked how he could know that Xavier says because it's in the path Cain is making,and that a juggernaut never changes it's course for anything. Chilled,Jean Grey says Xavier is speaking of The Juggernaut like a machine and not a human being. Xavier says once he became The Juggernaut Cain Marko was no longer human.


Beast asks the Professor if he would be able to stop The Juggernaut by assaulting his brain. Xavier says that he's been trying since Cain first showed up but he seems to have some sort of defense against which his mental powers are helpless. Suddenly the inner wall begins to buldge and buckle. Xavier asks if that helps them grasp the level of power at play here. The X-Men marvel as The Juggernaut tears through a wall 50 times the tensile strength of battleship steel almost effortlessly. Iceman erects a shield to protect them from the flying pieces of what was formerly their last line of defense. The X-Men know the ice will provide little safety and that is confirmed when Cain shatters the wall of ice with one punch. The moment has come. They now finally are confronted by The Juggernaut face-to-face.


Cyclops tells them to hold back while he takes The Juggernaut's measure with an optic beam. It has no effect and Jean Grey tells him to use his full intensity. Cyclops says he already is. The X-Men then decide they must all rush him(pure tactical genius that is) but they all only get casually brushed aside with concussive results. While the X-Men reel Xavier strikes out against The Juggernaut with all of his mental power,but it doesn't work. Still The Juggernaut comes. Cain tells Xavier they meet again. ...For the last time.


Favorite Issue Exchange:
Angel-"But,what was the temple of Cyttorak? And,what is the power of...The Juggernaut?!"


Xavier-"Cyttorak is the most mysterious of all the deities of black magic! When he was finally driven from our own world,he left behind him the curse of The Juggernaut!"


Beast-"I can see him! He's rising again!"


Xavier-"Just as I feared he would! As for the power of The Juggernaut,I simply quote the dictionary... 'a gigantic,inexorable force that moves onward irresistibly,crushing anything it finds in it's path'."


(continued in Uncanny X-Men #13)


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