Warning: Contains SPOILERS for X-Men: Red #17When it comes to X-Men family trees, few have as many branches as that of the mutant leader, Cyclops. From his iconic son, Cable, to his space-pirate father, Corsair, Scott Summers has some pretty noteworthy relatives. His infamous brother, Vulcan, is usually considered one of the bad seeds of the family – and his latest promise reaffirms why.
X-Men: Red #17 by Al Ewing, Yildray Çinar, Federico Blee, and VC’s Ariana Maher finds the former emperor of the Shi’ar Empire freed from his Arakki prison and forced into servitude by Apocalypse himself. Never one to serve willingly, Gabriel Summers rages against both his newfound master and the Arakki leader, Storm, who notes the billions dead at his hands.
In response to Ororo’s admonishment, Vulcan says to the pair, “Once I’m free of this blue freak, I’ll make those billions seem like fractions! That’s my mercy! Everything that lives will die–.” While Vulcan is well-known for his massive ego and its accompanying bravado, he usually does try and back up his threats – and he has the overwhelming power levels to actually make them happen.
Cyclops’ Brother Is His Own Worst Enemy
As an Omega-level mutant, Vulcan is capable of absorbing, channeling, and redirecting vast quantities of practically every sort of energy. From more traditional energies like heat and light, to exotic mutant energies and even the forces of magic wielded by beings such as Adam Warlock, there’s very little that Gabriel can’t control – apart from himself. After all, in the past, Vulcan has used his abilities to destabilize the Shi’ar Empire and plunge the galaxy into civil war, causing the deaths of billions before his own hubris leads to his eventually downfall as it always does.
It’s this innate hubris that has allowed Cyclops’ sibling to be bested by so many other mutants in the past – most recently by fellow Omega-level mutant Storm – despite being one of the strongest mutants around. As Ororo herself noted recently, Omega-level powers mean nothing without the versatility to match. Unfortunately for Gabriel, he puts too much stock in his own raw power and leaves himself vulnerable to being outmaneuvered by more creative opponents like Storm, Havok, or even the Arakki called Tarn the Uncaring.
Vulcan Could Be The X-Men’s Next Major Threat
Even if Vulcan never manages to make good on his terrifying new mission, he certainly is depraved enough to mean it. The only question is whether Gabriel Summers can get out of his own way enough to make it happen. Assuming the X-Men can survive the Fall of X, they just may have to deal with Cyclops’ wayward brother, Vulcan, all over again.
