Appearing in "Eight is Enough"
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Synopsis for "Eight is Enough"
Stonecutter has managed to complete the Godmachine despite the heroes’ interference and now the four heroes are his captives. He teleports everyone to the North Pole, where the Exemplars ready themselves for the global battle that will follow once the machine is activated. Immobilized, Professor X uses his telepathy to communicate with the other heroes and then tries to contact Juggernaut, believing he does not truly wish to be the pawn of a mystical god.
Inside Juggernaut’s mind he pushes back against Cyttorak’s control, but is overpowered. Witnessing his struggle, the Avengers doubt he could ever act heroically. They wonder why the Octessence spell wasn’t activated years ago when Juggernaut first found the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak; Dr. Mann speculates it’s because the temple was shelled and damaged immediately after he recovered the gem, preventing the spell’s activation.
Professor X psychically enters Juggernaut’s mind, and finds himself as a child being bullied and abused by the young Cain Marko. He goads the young Cain into greater anger, hoping this will help free his mind, but Professor X is ejected from his mind by Ikonn, who discerned his plan. Nevertheless, Xavier’s prodding helps Marko rejoin his internal battle with Cyttorak, and he defeats the mystic entity before turning on his fellow Exemplars. He damages the machine enough to free Thor and the others, who join the battle, even as Stonecutter tries to repair the damage and activate the machine.
The heroes defeat the Exemplars and Thor is able to fling Mjolnir at the machine, disabling it once more. Inside its core, Juggernaut battles and defeats both Conquest and Carnivore, and his fury allows him to stave off a mental attack from Bedlam. Juggernaut and Stonecutter fight one on one, unleashing such energy that the machine and the landscape itself begin to collapse and disintegrate, leaving the heroes no choice but to flee.
Juggernaut manages to crash Stonecutter directly into the machine’s core, destroying it for good and unleashing spectacular mystical energy and scattering the eight beings’ essences around the globe. Though the fear the Exemplars will soon return, the heroes see the immediate danger is over and arrange for transportation home.