A Tribute to The Juggernaut!
Thunder and lightning
The breaking of glass
An earthquake of violence
A hurricane which lasts
A volcano of danger
A tornado of strength
The destructive force of nature
Wreaking havoc close at hand
There is nowhere to hide
And nowhere to run
Your fate is sealed
Your doom has come…
The sound of your fear
Is like a drum beaten hard
Now that you are certain
… The Juggernaut is near!
Hi guys,
I have had the Juggernaut Maquette for a couple of weeks in my collection now and I think it’s time to put up my honest thoughts and feelings about this statue.
This will not be an official StatueForum review and it will be a bit shorter and different than the reviews I have written in the past.
I hope you will enjoy this post nevertheless and am looking forward to your thoughts and comments.
Why do I like The Juggernaut?
Ever since I first read about The Juggernaut in a comic book I have been a big fan of the unstoppable force of nature.
His incredible strength, unique powers, background story, and bold and brash behaviour immediatel;y made me notice him. Add tot hat his personal ties with Professor Xavier and his iconic look, and you understand why Juggernaut quickly became my absolute favourite character in the MU.
The Juggernaut is not only a fearsome behemoth who can do more damage than a battalion of tanks but there is also plenty of depth tot he man behind the helmet. Cain Marko has been a ruthless bully and a merciless villain but he has also been a proud X-Man and Thunderbolt.
Cain knows what it’s like to joint he dark side of the Force but at the same time he has also fought on the side of the angels but with passion, dedication and belief.
We are talking about a man whose abusive father hurt him more as a kid than he could ever understand or admit.
This is however the same man who is an Exemplar, a demi-God with the strength and power to shake the world on its foundations.
A man who has been in prison for his wrongdoings but also a man who at the same time formed a strong friendship with a young mutant called Samuel Pare whom he desperately tried to protect from his abusive father.
The Juggernaut is so much more than just a dumb brute or the next villain in line; no, in many ways he is just as human as you and I.
He does some things right but also makes mistakes, when he errs and stumbles, he gets back up on his feet as quickly as he can.
Cain is by no means a saint but in my humble opinion a man with incredibly powers who is fighting his demons while finding his way through life.
In many ways Cain is very human and he sometimes struggles in life just like you and me.
That’s why I like the Juggernaut: the big man is superstrong and one of the heavy hitters in the MU but at the same time he is also vulnerable and knows what it’s like to be insecure and in pain.
The Juggernaut is a demi-God who is not afraid to speak to and confront ancient, powerful mystical entities like Cyttorak but at the same time he is in many ways very human and no better or worse than most of us.
The Juggernaut is fascinating no matter how you look at him: as an Examplar, as a villain, as a hero and as a man.
What you see of Juggernaut is often very spectacular but there is more to Mr Marko than meets the eye at first sight.
What are my thoughts about The Juggernaut Maquette?
If I would have to summon my thoughts in one sentence it would be something like this:
This Maquette is a groundbreaking and utterly impressive statue which will convince and impress you with its presence, looks and overall quality… get it while you can!
Sideshow has managed to bring The Juggernaut come to life and when you look at the statue it is very easy to imagine Juggernaut smashing his way through the School for Gifted Youngsters right before your eyes.
As a Juggernaut fan I feel this Maquette really brings the goods to the table and for me it has raised the bar to all new heights. From the moment you open the box until the moment you have completely assembled the statue in your display room, Juggernaut will astonish you and will make you realize what a true piece of art Sideshow has created here.
Let me try to explain by looking at various expects of this Maquette:
Sculpt:
9.5 – Outstanding
The Juggernaut is an unstoppable benehmoth with titanic strength, a one man demolition army, a master of disaster who can knock you off your feet and make you feel insignificant before you realize what hit you.
He has been one of the most feared foes of the X-Men for years and when looking at this statue and when looking at this statue it is easy to see why.
Walls, defensive weapons, opponents with impressive mutant powers, panic rooms… they all mean nothing when The Juggernaut comes looking for you.
The only thing which might help is to make sure you have good insurance to cover for the damage after Juggernaut has left the premises.
You piss of the big man you better apologize right away in a convincing way since there is nowhere you can hide for the wrath of Cain.
What I like about the sculpt is that it emphasizes Juggernaut’s unique strength: once Juggernaut starts to move in a certain direction he is virtually unstoppable and will continue to move on no matter what or who you put in his path.
The Juggernaut is shown smashing his way though the X-Mansion and I really like the dynamics and the feeling of clear and present danger which the sculpt has managed to capture.
Juggernaut’s impressive musculature and size, his awe-inspiring physique and huge body, the destroyed pieces of the mansion on his base and body, they all give this statue a more than impressive presence and make it a real eye-catcher no matter where you display it in your collection.
But there is plenty of detail which is worth mentioning as well: the details on Juggernaut’s boots and hands, the finely sculpted veins on his arms, the angry and determined look on Cain's face the settle the score with Charles the hard and unforgiving way, the incredibly detailed base showing Juggernaut’s path of destruction though the mansion and the small dents and scratches on his mystical helmets and bands, are all proof of the exceptional high level of this sculpt.
But the goodies do not stop with Juggernaut: Kitty Pryde is sculpted beautifully as well. Kitty’s face is beautiful and the expression of alarm and fear on her face shows that she realizes all too well the danger the X-Men are in.
Kitty is a true heroine for daring to confront The Juggernaut all by herself but sensing that she is unable to stop him she phases away in order to warn the others and get some help.
The sculpt convinces in each and every way and it is a worthy tribute to the unstoppable force of nature.
Paint & Mixed Media:
9.5 – Outstanding
Well, what can I say guys? I think the very high score more or less tells the whole story…
Juggernaut costume, helmet and boots are fully sculpted just like the magical bands around his arms and hands. I am not sure of which material the debris on Juggernaut’s body is made but if it’s different than the material used for Juggernaut himself, you could say that the statue in a way contains mixed media.
But mixed media or not, I feel Sideshow did an excellent job here.
The paint job is beautiful and there are no sloppy lines or oversprayed or undersprayed areas.
The paint is neat, tight and absolutely flawless.
The colours of Juggernaut’s costume are a tribute to Juggernaut’s classic costume and are as convincing as they are inspiring. Take a look for example at the vertical black lines on Juggernaut’s custume or the slight blue color of Juggernaut’s veins or the texture on Juggernaut’s skin and costume and you realize the eye for details the painters must have had.
From Cain’s blue eyes and natural skin color to Juggernaut’s red boots or the appealing red/brown color of Juggernaut’s helmet and mystical bands, it’s all excellent and truly impressive.
But the positive notes do not stop there: the metallic finish of the debris on Juggernaut’s legs and right arm is awesome just like the paintjob on the crushed wooden floor beneath Juggernaut’s feet or the black paint on the soles of Juggernaut’s boots giving you the impression of real rubber being used.
There were no corners cut here and this is simply as good as it gets: the colors used are true to the original and beautiful and they are combined with an almost perfect paintjob.
Truly outstanding in every way!
