NYCC has dropped a lot on X-Men fans, revealing the shape of the X-Men side of the Marvel Universe after “The Age of Revelation”. Titled “Shadows of Tomorrow”, X-Men group editor Tom Brevoort announced a slate of new titles, including several solo titles. X-Men solo titles have a mixed legacy; the only one that ever actually succeeds for any long period of time is Wolverine. However, that doesn’t stop fans from wanting them for other characters, and there’s one character that fans have wanted one from for ten years now, since the last time he had one: Cyclops. Cyclops has gotten more and more popular over the years, and his fan base has been vocal about wanting him in his own series.
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“From the Ashes” has been remarkably uneven, but Cyclops has gotten to shine. In fact, Cyclops has been one of the MVPs of the X-Men books for about twenty years now. Cyclops fans have gotten a few solo series over the decades, with the last one about ten years ago, when the younger version of Cyclops, brought to the present by Beast in 2012, got a series. “Cyclops is right” has become a rallying cry for X-Men fans, and most of us all agree — Cyclops has deserved a series for years.
Cyclops Has Become One of the Most Compelling X-Men
Once upon a time, Cyclops was the X-Men’s straight-laced leader, and fans didn’t exactly love him. The ’90s were the days of Wolverine and Gambit, the bad boy mystery men, and Cyclops couldn’t really compete with them. However, all of that would change when writer Grant Morrison took over as the writer of New X-Men. Morrison built their entire run around Cyclops, and would hand a much more well-rounded version of the character off to the writers that came after them. Cyclops took Xavier’s place as the guiding light of the X-Men. Ironically, the worst thing to ever happen to mutantkind was the best thing to happen to Cyclops.
I’m speaking of House of M. The de-powering of the mutant race made Cyclops the leader of a people nearly dead, and he had to change. Cyclops became more militant, and his strategic abilities became even more important than ever. Cyclops was once a boring character, but the years after House of M saw him get less boring, as he grew into his place as one of the greatest superheroes in the history of the Marvel Universe. Cyclops became the perfect leader, doing everything he could to keep mutants alive, eventually becoming Dark Phoenix, and then getting even more militant, dying in the opening days of the Inhumans push in 2015, with only the younger version of the character around.
Cyclops would return to life and has kept growing as a character since. Cyclops was always formidable, but what has really made him interesting is his sense of responsibility, the fact that he’ll do anything to keep his people going. Cyclops is willing to make any sacrifice, and this has made him so much better than he used to be. He’s not worried about being a role model, he’s worried about survival. The way he effortlessly takes command is a joy to behold and he’s grown into a leader that many believe is greater than Captain America. Cyclops’s character growth has even convinced people who once hated the character that he’s the real deal.
“From the Ashes” has seen Cyclops get even better. He’s taken responsibility for the mutant race after the end of Krakoa, doing everything he can to make sure his people will survive another day. As great as the Krakoa era was for Cyclops — he was basically the main character of X-Men (Vols. 5 and 6) — “From the Ashes” has been even better for him. The latest volume of X-Men has revolved around him, and he’s one of the main characters of “The Age of Revelation”. The X-Men books have positioned him as the focus of the line, and it’s about time that he was given the solo spotlight he’s deserved for years now.
Cyclops May Be the Next Big X-Men Star
I never liked Cyclops. He was the wet blanket for the “cool” characters. However, as the years have gone on, Cyclops has gotten better and better. His struggles feel real; he’s a broken person, in more ways than one, leading a team full of gods and monsters. They depend on him for their survival, and he always gets them through, all while dealing with his own demons and shortcomings. There’s something about Cyclops nowadays, and there are few characters who deserve a solo series like he does.
Cyclops is only a limited series, written by Alex Paknadel with art by Roge Antonio, but that’s a great beginning. Cyclops has had a few miniseries over the years, and an ongoing would be nice. However, this is exactly what the character needs; a nice short series that will prove Cyclops is great to everyone. An ongoing will surely come if this one is successful. Cyclops has grown into something special and this honestly feels like the perfect time for him to get a series. Cyclops deserves his chance in the spotlight.
Cyclops is on sale in February 2026.
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