Scott Summers aka Cyclops has been the leader of the X-Men since the very first issue as he exudes everything the team stands for, but there is one version of Cyclops who is the exact opposite and would undoubtedly be the original’s arch enemy. After Professor X’s son, Legion, went back in time to kill Magneto but accidentally killed his father instead, he created a skewed timeline that became the X-Men’s darkest, one that would become known as the Age of Apocalypse. Within that dark timeline exists a version of Cyclops who would make the original disgusted to even look at.
Cyclops made his first Earth-616 appearance in X-Men #1 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby as the leader of the X-Men and has maintained that title virtually throughout his Marvel Comics history. Cyclops’ evil variant, however, was born at the start of the Age of Apocalypse whose main job is to watch over the mutant experimentation pens and hunt down escaped mutants who dared to fight for freedom against the mighty Apocalypse. While the fact that Age of Apocalypse Cyclops is villainous enough to make a solid arch enemy for Earth-616 Cyclops, it’s the evil variant’s immediate superior that would really seal the deal.
The Cyclops of the Age of Apocalypse, otherwise known as Earth-295, worked directly under Mister Sinister in the hierarchy of Apocalypse’s government. X-Men fans know that there are few people who Earth-616 Cyclops hates more than Mister Sinister as the villain spent years trying to kidnap and experiment on him and Jean Grey to create their perfect mutant offspring. Not only is Earth-295 Cyclops villainous of his own accord, but he is Mister Sinister’s lackey. If the two Cyclops were to meet, the fact that the evil variant works for Mister Sinister would be enough for Cyclops to hate him with his entire being.
Earth-295 Cyclops’ villainy began with an off-panel fight against Wolverine at the dawn of the Age of Apocalypse. During the fight, Cyclops blasted off Wolverine’s hand, leaving him with a metal stump for the remainder of the series, and Wolverine in return gouged out one of Cyclops’ eyes. The fight was seemingly over the affection of Jean Grey, who on Earth-295 was in love with Logan over Scott. After the fallout, Cyclops joined forces with Apocalypse and began working under Mister Sinister, completely losing sight of the man he could have been and becoming a shadow of his Earth-616 self.
Cyclops was more susceptible to Apocalypse since Professor X wasn’t around to guide him as he had been on Earth-616. Legion not only stole the life of his father but also that of Cyclops as Professor X was his greatest source of inspiration and as indeed like a father to him. Without Charles Xavier, and losing the woman he loved, Cyclops fell into a darkness that his Earth-616 counterpart couldn’t begin to fathom. However, just because the Cyclops variant suffered, it doesn’t give him the right to make others suffer, and it absolutely does not excuse him assisting one of the worst X-Men villains, Mister Sinister. From his own villainous actions to his allegiance to his Earth-616 arch enemy, Cyclops’ evil variant would be the original’s arch enemy.
