With Juggernaut recently joining, here are five other superpowered heroes who would make great employees of Damage Control.
WARNING: The following contains mild spoilers for Juggernaut #1 by Fabian Nicieza, Ron Garney, Matt Milla, and Joe Sabino, on sale now.
In the aftermath of the Empyre event, one-time X-Men supervillain Juggernaut is on the road to redemption as he searches to find his place in the world where mutants now have a safe haven and the rest of the superpowered community seems to be on their own. In Juggernaut #1, it is revealed that the unstoppable man is working with Damage Control, a construction company that specializes in repairing property damage caused by battles between superheroes and supervillains.
Damage Control was introduced in 1989 by Dwayne McDuffie and Ernie Colon in Marvel Comics Presents #19. Despite the company’s relatively low profile, Damage Control has been involved in some of Marvel’s biggest storylines, cleaning up in the wake of events like Civil War and World War Hulk. Damage Control also helped to reclaim alien technology in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming.
In addition to cleaning up after superhero battles, Damage Control also houses metahuman technology previously owned by missing or dead individuals. After establishing the settlement of Krakoa in the recent House of X series by Jonathan Hickman, Pepe Larraz, Marte Gracia, and Clayton Cowles, it is disclosed that Damage Control is in possession of one of the largest arsenals in the Marvel Universe. Here’s a list of individuals who have powers that would make them perfect employees of Damage Control.
Magneto
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Magneto is The X-Men‘s oldest and more formidable villains who first appeared in The X-Men #1. Putting aside his penchant for often being on the wrong side of the law, Magneto’s superpowers would be a huge advantage for Damage Control. Dubbed the “Master of Magnetism,” Magneto’s powers include being able to manipulate the magnetic field and all iron and non-iron metals. Magneto is so powerful that he can even manipulate the small amount of iron found in human blood.
The upper limits of his powers are unknown as he’s levitated a 30,000-ton nuclear submarine as well as move enormous asteroids. Magneto’s powers also extend to the subatomic level where he can manipulate chemical structures and rearrange matter. Magneto would be perfect for Damage Control as he could take down a high rise building one steel girder at a time.
Gambit
If small, controlled explosions are what’s needed, look no further than X-Men regular, Gambit. Created by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee and first appearing in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14, Gambit can convert the potential energy stored in an object into pure kinetic energy by “charging” an item thereby making it explosive. Gambit is known for keeping a deck of playing cards handy that he can charge and throw at the bad guys.
Gambit can also cause objects to pull themselves apart on the molecular level making them harmlessly melt down to nothing. He can dissolve the falling debris from crumbling buildings making him perfect for a demolition/clean-up crew.
Blink
Blink was created by Scott Lobdell and Joe Madureira and first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #317. Blink has the power of teleportation and can teleport herself and others at will. Not only can she teleport large objects and groups of people, but also parts of objects. So if a building has been irreparably damaged and half of it is crumbling, Blink can instantly teleport the damaged side to a safe location. There is often a “blink” sound accompanying her portals.
Apocalypse
Louise Simonson and Jackson Guice created what is perhaps the most powerful mutant to ever grace the pages of comic books. Having a laundry list of superpowers, what makes Apocalypse perfect for Damage Control is his power of teleportation and his total control over the molecules of his body allowing Apocalypse to alter his form as it suits him. Apocalypse, who made his first full appearance in X-Factor #6, can make his body extremely malleable and flexible or hard and impenetrable. He can also change the size of his body at will and can increase or decrease the size of his body. Add to this the power of telekinesis, and Apocalypse could be a one-man Damage Control crew.
Colossus
Created by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum and making his first appearance in Giant-Size X-Men #1, Colossus is like a human wrecking ball. He has the ability to transform his entire body into a form of organic steel, thereby gaining superhuman levels of strength, stamina, and durability. When in his armored state, Colossus is close to invulnerable and could tear down unsafe buildings from the inside without having to fear personal injury.
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