With the first Krakoan Age drawing to a close, the X-Men are gearing up to enter the next chapter of mutant history, but they’ll do it without their founder. Charles Xavier may have betrayed his own dream, yet it lives on through Cyclops. Scott Summers is once again taking the helm and leading the team into their new era, and he’s trained his whole life to pick up the pieces.

X-Men: From the Ashes Infinity Comic #1 – a Marvel Unlimited exclusive comic written by Alex Pakndael with art from Diógenes Neves – acts as a bridge between Krakoa and mutantkind’s fresh start. One thing becomes abundantly clear as the X-Men pull together: Cyclops is the “inheritor of Xavier’s dream.”

Scott has spent the majority of his life leading some version of the team, and he’s no stranger to starting over. In the wake of Orchis, Krakoa, and the resurrection of so many Genoshan mutants, the X-Men need something – and someone – to believe in. Xavier seemingly abandoned the peace he once stood for, but Cyclops continues to fight for it.

Cyclops Will Uphold Xavier’s Dream Without His Mentor

X-Men: From the Ashes Infinity Comic #1 by Alex Paknadel, Diógense Neves, Arthur Hesli, and Clayton Cowles

When Charles Xavier helped usher the island nation of Krakoa into being, it was difficult to imagine that he would finish the era as a villain. Yet that is, arguably, how he positioned himself. He “broke” by abandoning his dream of peace between mutants and humans and choosing instead to sacrifice human lives in a deal that could save mutantkind. While his actions wouldn’t have been so shocking if perpetrated by certain other figures, they flew in the face of everything Xavier centered his life around building. Coexistence between mutants and humans was at the core of the X-Men.

For Scott Summers, it still is. Not only has he been a leader for his entire life, ready and willing to do the hard work to keep his people alive, but he’s repeatedly proven he’s willing to stand against those who lose their way. Before Krakoa’s fall, he pushed back against the Quiet Council, reminding them that the X-Men save everyone. He nearly gave his life as Orchis’ scapegoat, and his presence is so prominent that even Nimrod assumed Cyclops would be his final fight. Instead, he’ll guide his people forward, and he’s already scoping out their new home in Alaska in X-Men #35.

Scott Summers Knows How to Persevere Against All Odds

The X-Men Need Cyclops’ Experience and Resilience

The X-Men are, simply put, Scott Summers’ life. In many ways, he’s more connected to the team’s existence and purpose than Xavier himself, and he spent his childhood and adult life supporting it. Scott’s “radical” years, during AvX and Schism, put him in extreme conflict with his former mentor, and while the circumstances are quite different now, he is still proving that he’s willing to carry on when Charles is not. Professor X abandoned his dream for the sake of pragmatism, but its spirit will continue for the X-Men under Cyclops’ seasoned leadership.