Scott Summers aka Cyclops has been with the X-Men since the very beginning, but he didn’t unlock the full potential of his power until he took on his Venom form in Marvel Comics. When rampaging symbiotes were raining terror upon those who freely travel the cosmos, the X-Men and Venom joined forces to stop them. When they encountered the Klyntar villains, Cyclops became the very thing he was fighting against, unlocking his full potential in the process.
In Venom #162 within the X-Men & Venom: Poison-X storyline by Cullen Bunn, Edgar Salazar, and Ario Anindito, the X-Men have teamed up with Venom to go on a space mission to save Cyclops’ father from a group of symbiotes. After facing the symbiotes, Cyclops and some other X-Men are overtaken by symbiotes and become Venomized versions of their former selves. While each one has their powers merged with the usual abilities offered to those possessed by symbiotes, Cyclops’ upgrade is easily the most impressive.
While wearing the symbiote suit, the Venomized Cyclops is still able to use his signature power, but with a significant upgrade. While firing his optic blasts, the symbiote can absorb and redirect the blasts so they don’t always have to be shot from his eyes but from anywhere on his body. Not only can Cyclops, say, shoot his blasts from his hands, feet, or chest, he can do so simultaneously. Before merging with the symbiote, Cyclops could only aim at one target, but with the symbiote he can fire at multiple targets at once as his blast is able to be released from anywhere on his body through the Venomized suit.
This storyline marks the first time Cyclops merged with a symbiote, but it wouldn’t be his last. During the King In Black Marvel Comics crossover event, Knull infected Cyclops along with the majority of the other heroes around the world when he invaded Earth with his symbiote army. Cyclops was not shown with the same upgrade as he had when the first symbiote possessed him, however, because he was completely under the control of Knull and didn’t achieve the form of symbiosis he did originally.
Even though he would become Venomized once again many years later, Cyclops’ symbiote upgrade in X-Men & Venom: Poison-X was vastly superior to the form he took during King In Black. Not only that, but Venomized Cyclops is one of his coolest and most powerful forms of all time simply because he had much more control over his already incredibly powerful ability. Cyclops’ Venom form unlocked the true potential of his powers and marked one of the greatest upgrades the X-Men hero has ever received.
