The unstoppable force versus the immovable object. It’s a popular paradox for physics students to discuss. It has also given rise to a similar debate among X-Men fans regarding the characters of Juggernaut and Blob. Uncanny X-Men #7 sets up a scenario to test this classic conflict. However, the end results are inconclusive.
Written by Gail Simone, David Marquez, and Edgar Salazar, Uncanny X-Men #7 is Part 2 of the Raid on Greymalkin event. The first part found Cyclops leading a raid on the titular prison, to rescue a captive Beast. Unfortunately, his team ran into the group organized by Rogue, who were seeking to rescue Jubilee and Calico.
A fight broke out between the two X-Men teams, even as they tried to fight the human soldiers and Mutant trustees in the prison. It was during this fight that Rogue touched the trustee Blob and copied his powers. She dared Cyclops to take his best shot, thinking Blob’s power to be unmovable would protect her.
However, she hadn’t counted on Cyclops calling in Juggernaut, who stampeded onto the scene at that moment. The artwork makes it unclear if Rogue moved out of the way or was physically thrown back by Juggernaut’s entrance. In either case, Juggernaut’s power was greater or Rogue was unwilling to bet that she could stop him.
The Blob vs. Juggernaut X-Men conflict explained
While throwing The Blob against Juggernaut seems to match the physics paradox, it is far from a fair fight. Fred “The Blob” Dukes is a powerful Mutant, but ultimately just a Mutant. By contrast, Juggernaut is an avatar of Cyttorak, one of the most powerful cosmic beings in the Marvel Universe. Strictly speaking, Juggernaut is a threat requiring multiple X-Men to fight. The Blob is a minor inconvenience by comparison.
Earlier comics also make it clear that sufficiently strong characters can move The Blob. The Incredible Hulk, for instance, was able to lift the Blob and throw him. He also had to throw the part of the Earth that Blob had bonded to, but the not-so-jolly green giant managed it with ease. Hulk managed this feat on at least two other occasions.
Cyclops was also able to cut The Blob with a focused eye blast. While that is not the same as moving him, it does prove that his eye beams can affect The Blob. Given that, it would seem that Rogue copying The Blob’s powers in Uncanny X-Men #7 wasn’t as smart a move as it seemed.
Uncanny X-Men #7 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
