Marvel’s Cyclops is one of the first and most memorable X-Men in the franchise’s history – but the character has unfortunately never worked on film. 21st Century Fox’s X-Men film franchise spans nearly 20 years, but the Cyclops seen in the films is a far cry from his comic book counterpart. X-Men #14 finally pins down precisely why Cyclops works in the comics – and what the character was sorely missing in film.
Portrayed by three actors and appearing in seven films, Cyclops never achieved the fan following that other mutants managed, such as Rogue, Wolverine, Mystique, Magneto and Professor X. He was rarely a focus of the narrative and was always on the periphery of the storyline, usually functioning as Wolverine’s romantic rival for Jean Grey. His untimely death in X-Men: The Last Stand was rather anticlimactic in the grand scheme of things, and while Scott Summers is usually an important team member in the comics, his role as leader was usually taken by Storm or – more often – Wolverine.
But Cyclops is far from a bit player, and the events of X-Men #14, written by Gerry Duggan with art by C.F. Villa proves it in spades – or rather, in the aftermath. After Iceman saves the world from an impending disaster, Cyclops decides to seek out the Progenitor Celestial, the focal point of the A.X.E: Judgment Day crossover event. The war between the X-Men and the Eternals has provoked the Celestial into judging all inhabitants of Earth – but Cyclops doesn’t recognize the Celestial’s authority. “The only person alive who can judge me is my wife, Jean Grey,” he answers. “Maybe I’d also take a scolding from my teammates, the X-Men.” The Celestial eventually judges Cyclops positively, and Scott confidentially walks away, saying “And if you keep that thump up, we won’t have to meet again.”
Cyclops is a leader before anything else; he believes he is defined by his team and he constantly makes the difficult choice so he team won’t have to. Scott is also frequently forced to make difficult decisions between the well-being of his team and the future of mutantkind, and he wrestles with every one. Cyclops has also suffered immense personal trauma – between his brother Havok, his daughter Hope and the death and resurrection of his wife Jean Grey, Scott Summers constantly experiences one personal tragedy after another – and he is still expected to lead the team and be the public face of the X-Men in the Krakoa era.
Scott’s critics claim he is too stoic and lacks a memorable personality, but the battle-hardened leader hides a great deal of pain and worry behind his visor. The events of AvX, Fear Itself, and the current Judgment Day arc prove that Scott Summers has the ability to make the difficult decisions and live with them after. Cyclops in comics is a born leader – he knows his decisions for the X-Men will not always be celebrated, but they will always be necessary.
