Juggernaut #4

The Juggernaut and D-Cel take on Arnim Zola in Juggernaut #4, by writer Fabian Nicieza, artist Ron Garney, colorist Matt Milla, and letterer Joe Sabino. With one issue to go, Nicieza and company throw another little twist at readers.

Damage Control drops Juggernaut into Zola’s lab, where he’s attacked by Primus, a being created by Arnim Zola and made of malleable plastic. Primus restrains Juggernaut and takes him to Zola. In flashback, Juggernaut breaks into an O.N.E. facility and finds the crushed gem of Cyttorak. He snorts it, and his connection with Cyttorak is re-established, with Cyttorak exhorting Juggernaut to begin destroying things again. In the present, D-Cel goes in for the save as Zola explains to Juggernaut why he wants D-Cel- mutants to experiment on have become scarce since Krakoa was established. D-Cel comes in, but Primus takes her down, and Zola prepares to experiment on her. In flashback, Cyttorak tries to get Juggernaut to serve him, but Juggernaut tells Cyttorak that he’s done being the pawn of others. Juggernaut breaks free and takes down Primus, stopping Zola. Zola reveals that he’s not in charge and that the people he’s working for want D-Cel. Juggernaut decides it’s time to end things and gets their location from Zola.

Nicieza is doing a fabulous job in this mini-series. He moves the plot forward expertly while still giving Juggernaut and D-Cel a lot of very good character moments. For as long as Juggernaut’s been around, he’s always been working for someone else. However, after everything that has happened to him over the years, he’s grown tired of that. Juggernaut has long been one of the most powerful people on the planet- why should he bow to anyone. This issue really drives that home, as he even tells the being who has long been the source of his power, Cyttorak, that he’s done with him and anyone who tells him what to do. It’s a big step for the character.

With that in mind, it’s time for a bit of a theory- Damage Control has been helping D-Cel and Juggernaut throughout the book, but that doesn’t really make sense. Damage Control isn’t exactly an altruistic organization, so for them to be helping D-Cel and Juggernaut out of the kindness of their heart is a little suspect. What if Damage Control uses the two of them to destroy the people who control the Dungeon, the for-profit supervillain prison, so they can take control of it? This seems much more like something Damage Control would do.

Again, Garney knocks it out of the park with the issue. The opening double-page splash of Juggernaut jumping out of the Damage Control helicopter looks great. Garney also tweaks the classic design of Arnim Zola, making it much more robotic and actually more sinister than he used to look.

Juggernaut #4 sets things up for this series’ last issue. Nicieza has been doing a lot with Juggernaut through this book, showing his need to become more independent and become his own man. Garney’s art delivers the good as well. Juggernaut has been a wonderful book so far, and this book continues that quality.

Grade: B+