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After hanging around the edges of the X-Men’s world for decades, one influential New X-Men player just went on his very first combat mission.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Marauders #23, on sale now from Marvel.
The Marvel Universe is filled with many mutants, like the X-Men, who use their powers in a more offensive, combative manner. There are some mutants, however, who choose to live differently, away from the excitement and danger of superhero teams like the X-Men. But in Marauders #23, by Gerry Duggan, Ivan Fiorelli, Rain Beredo and VC’s Cory Petit, one of these mutants, Jumbo Carnation, just went on his first official field mission.
Jumbo Carnation was introduced back in 2003’s New X-Men #134, by Grant Morrison, Keron Grant, Norm Rapmund, Chris Chuckry, Richard Starking and Saida Temofonte. Jumbo was much different from most of Marvel’s mutants, using his gifts as a fashion designer and entrepreneur rather than as a superhero or villain. Given his particular area of expertise, Jumbo went on to have a great influence on the growing mutant community and its culture, becoming a minor celebrity within the Marvel Universe. As a resident of Mutant Town in New York, Jumbo symbolized the lives of many mutants who lived outside of the X-Men’s circle. When he died, Jumbo became a martyr for the mutant community, remembered more for his contributions to mutant culture than any spectacular battles he fought.
However, Marauders #23 makes it abundantly clear that Jumbo never stayed away from the field for lack of skill, as he trounces his opponents who undermine him.
When Jumbo returned on Krakoa in 2020’s Marauders #7, by Gerry Duggan, Stefano Caselli, Edgar Delgado and VC’s Cory Petit, he continued to pursue fashion. Emma Frost personally chose Jumbo as the Hellfire Trading Company’s fashion designer. Jumbo’s greatest achievement was recently designing many of the outfits for the Hellfire Gala.
Marauders #23 changes things, by sending Jumbo out into the field rather successfully. Jumbo accompanies the rest of the Marauders to the UK, so they can save a warehouse full of Krakoan medicine from a few local gangs and the Reavers. The Marauders’ opponents initially laugh at the idea of fighting Jumbo, considering his occupation as a fashion designer. Of course, underestimating Jumbo proves to be a grave mistake on the Reavers’ part. Jumbo uses his great strength to lift one of his enemies over his head, before slamming him into the ground and stomping on him.
With multiple arms, hardened Teflon skin and immense strength, Jumbo Carnation is a bigger threat than he’s perceived to be. When the Reavers try to burn Jumbo alive, his skin allows him to easily survive the experience. This only gets Jumbo angrier, allowing him to demolish his opponents before his embers are extinguished.
Even though Jumbo Carnation has never been a big fighter before, this one issue shows just how formidable an opponent he can be. It seems as if Jumbo could even officially become one of the Marauders, in some capacity or another.
Jumbo is certainly an important figure for using his powers and abilities off the battlefield. Jumbo’s skills demonstrate how vast and diverse the mutant experience can be. Even so, there’s no reason why he couldn’t occasionally go out into the field with the Marauders while continuing his fashion work.
Jumbo has been working closely with the Hellfire Trading Company anyways, which gives him a close connection to the team. By going out into the field, Jumbo could explore his mutant gifts more and give the Marauders a few helping hands.
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