Cyclops may be considered the X-Men’s greatest leader, but nobody could have anticipated his beating Juggernaut and Black Tom Cassidy solo. When the time traveler Bishop joined the X-Men, he was thrilled to see Cyclops – the man he described as “the X-Men’s greatest leader.” Cyclops has gone down in history as a master tactician, often known as the First – the first X-Man, and the first to take command. He’s well known for his tendency to overthink, creating sophisticated plans and strategies for almost every eventuality.
Most of Cyclops’ strategies involve finding creative ways to synergize mutant powers. That naturally means his greatest tests have come on occasions where he only has limited resources to draw upon, when some of the other powerful X-Men aren’t around. One such occasion can be seen in Brian K. Vaughan and Mark Texeira’s Cyclops miniseries, in which Scott Summers takes a break from the X-Men – and finds himself hunted by Juggernaut and Black Tom Cassidy, mercenaries who have been hired to take him down. Cyclops is intercepted en route to his grandparents’ house in Alaska, and he finds himself face-to-face with a mutant team who are a real threat. Juggernaut in particular has traded blows with the Hulk, and even Cyclops’ optic blasts can’t hurt him.
Scott’s first strategy is to use the environment to his advantage. With a precise shot Cyclops is able to ignite the gas tank of a car, triggering an explosion. He knows this won’t win the fight; rather, it is intended as a way of separating his opponents, because the blast stuns Black Tom and enrages Juggernaut. Scott then tricks Juggernaut out onto a frozen lake before blasting the ice beneath his feet. He knows it will take Juggernaut time to get back out of the lake – time he uses to take Black Tom hostage. The key to defeating an enemy lies in understanding them, and he knows Juggernaut cares too much about Black Tom to risk his being injured. Juggernaut and Black Tom agree to end the fight.
Cyclops’ Defeat Of Juggernaut Shows His Tactical Genius
Cyclops’ battle against Juggernaut and Black Tom demonstrates his tactical skill. Scott Summers has always exhibited superior degrees of environmental awareness – he routinely launches ricochet shots that rebound around an area – and here he’s forced to be far more creative. This is complemented by tremendous marksmanship; as Cyclops notes in an internal monologue, it’s actually very difficult to nick a car’s tank in just the right way to trigger a spark and an explosion (especially given his optic blasts are force, not heat-based – meaning he has to depend on friction). But he pulls it off nonetheless. These tactics gave him the breathing space he needed to out-think his enemies.
The Juggernaut may be unstoppable, but he can still be beaten by a smart opponent. Cyclops demonstrates this truth by using his friendship with Black Tom Cassidy against him, turning Juggernaut’s partnership into a weakness that can be exploited. This defeat of the Juggernaut shows yet again that Cyclops really isn’t one to be underestimated.
