The X-Men are one of Marvel’s most essential teams. They stand for equality in the face of prejudice, and will in the face of seemingly insurmountable darkness. The X-Men have been put through more tragedy than any other superhero team, regularly dealing with mutant-killing robots, genocides, and cosmic threats obsessed with their end. Still, through it all, they have fought for a world where mutants don’t have to go to war to prove they deserve to exist. Through every tragedy and outrage, ever since the beginning of that never-ending fight, Cyclops has stood at the forefront of everything with the X-Men.
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Cyclops is one of the greatest leaders and tacticians in the universe. He’s been the X-Men’s de facto leader since the very beginning, and every mutant turns to him when they need to find the path forward. If anyone could be called the X-Men’s main character, it would be him. Yet, despite how indispensable he is, Cyclops has been looked down on by fans and editorial alike. He was the Boy Scout, the wannabe bad boy, and the revolutionary, and now, in this new era for the X-Men, he’s finally getting the respect he deserves as the most important X-Man of all time.
What Sets Cyclops Apart
Every X-Man is an interesting character in their own right. They have the biggest roster in Marvel, but it still manages to be one of the most nuanced and best developed. Every member is somebody’s favorite hero, and the majority of the team have what it takes to lead a book of their very own. Wolverine and Storm are leading long-running ongoings right now, and even more X-heroes are spearheading books or joining all kinds of teams. In that sea of iconic heroes, it takes a lot to stand out, but Cyclops continuously rises to the top.
In fact, rising to the challenge is what Cyclops is best at. He’s a brick wall of determination. He’s a stoic hardcase who is constantly thinking about the mission and holds himself and those around him to a strict code. His detractors say these traits make him boring, but that ignores the depth that Cyclops tries his best not to show. He never wanted to be the face of mutankind or train teenagers to be soldiers, but he took those roles onto himself because nobody else could. Cyclops’s desire to live a normal life clashes with his duty to the mutant world in the best ways possible. He’s the great leader who doesn’t want to lead, and those aspects are finally back on full display.
Marvel Is Treating Cyclops Right
The From the Ashes banner for X-comics has been a true return to form for better and worse. While many fans cry that this is a devolution after the team’s growth during Krakoa, it can’t be denied that Cyclops has been running this new era. He stepped up to make his own X-Men team, focused on reintegrating mutants into human society by protecting everyone and proving that mutants and humans can coexist. He’s turning mutantkind’s greatest loss into a new opportunity for them to grow.
This banner and the new Shadow of Tomorrow banner have placed Cyclops squarely as the connective tissue for the X-Men. “Age of Revelation” was a mediocre event, but it was a fantastic showcase of what Cyclops is capable of. He spent his entire time in the future showing everyone why he’s in charge by decimating everything that got in his way with nothing but charisma and tactics. After returning to the past, he’s even leading his own solo series that emphasizes everything great about his character, but the real treat is how this return to form has fixed a major flaw that’s been present for years.
In the early 2010s, Cyclops was radicalized to an extreme degree. Sometimes, it was impossible to tell if he was a hero or a villain. He would kill and sacrifice anyone he needed to pull ahead, all for the greater good that he sold his soul to. Now, following Krakoa’s fall, he’s picked back up a bit more of that Boy Scout mentality. He’s still a military-style leader, but he’s proudly declaring that the X-Men are heroes for everyone again. It feels like Marvel has finally reached a middle-ground where Cyclops can be a revolutionary fighting for mutankind’s future without shutting his heart to humanity. This is Cyclops at his best, and when he’s there, nobody can hold a candle to him.
Cyclops is a treat to watch, and he’s finally getting the chance to prove that to everyone. What do you think about the red-eyed hero? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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