Warning: Spoilers for X-Men Annual 2023!Agatha Harkness’ Contest of Chaos has brought to the foreground many disparities between the heroes of the Marvel Universe – and with her latest manipulations having brought the leaders of the Avengers and the X-Men, Captain Marvel and Cyclops, into conflict with one another, one of the key differences between the two has been exposed.
X-Men Annual (2023) #1 – by Paul Allor, Alessandro Miracolo, Annalisa Leoni, and VC’s Clayton Cowles – pits Cyclops vs. Captain Marvel, with their showdown highlighting a significant divide between their approaches to heroism, and their leadership styles.
Beyond Agatha Harkness’ scheming, with mutantkind in need of allies more than ever, a fresh rift between the X-Men and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes may have lasting fallout.
Cyclops And Captain Marvel’s Differences Highlight How Similar They Are
In X-Men Annual (2023) #1, Agatha Harkness’ chaos magic floods Carol and Scott’s brains, causing them to act unreasonably, with the narration noting how similar the two leaders are. It is pointed out that both Captain Marvel and Cyclops hold immense power, which borders on being destructive in ways they try to keep under control at all costs. However, as similar as they are, “they were also worlds apart” in that they take different very approaches to problem-solving. Cyclops maps out every possible solution in his head, planning for the worst and the best outcome each scenario offers. Meanwhile, Carol tries to solve most of her problems with her fists.
Cyclops And Captain Marvel’s Differences Could Have Major Consequences
Recent Captain Marvel stories have worked to reverse this character trait, with her recent tenure as Avengers team-leader has at times tested Carol Danvers’ own problem-solving abilities. However, the character has frequently been portrayed as having a “fight first, sort it out later” mentality; while her actions in this year’s X-Men Annual come under the influence of chaos magic, the issue doesn’t offer a glimpse at a wildly out-of-character Captain Marvel, but rather a regression to behavior that she has been working to grow away from. Cyclops, in contrast, has long been portrayed as a master tactician, from his days with the original X-Men through the presently ending Krakoan era.
X-Men Annual (2023) #1 brings together Captain Marvel and Cyclops in a way that provides a compare/contrast of their values, as heroes and leaders, at a particularly interesting time. When the Contest of Chaos is over, mutantkind will still have the Fall of X to reckon with. Having Earth’s non-mutant heroes on their side will be vital to the survival of the X-Men and all mutants – now would be the worst possible time for the differences in the team’s leadership to open a rift between them. It seems likely Earth will need all of its heroes united to defeat Orchis, and so it is imperative that X-Men and Captain Marvel’s Avengers work together.
X-Men Annual (2023) #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.
