5 Things Cyclops Does Better Than Professor X, Proving He Outgrew His Teacher

Cyclops has become more popular than ever, which is a good thing for the upcoming MCU reboot of the X-Men. Scott Summers was introduced in the first issue of the team’s book and was presented as their no-nonsense, straight-laced leader. He has a rich legacy in the Marvel Universe; to begin with, he’s had some of the best costumes ever to the point it’s pretty hard to find a bad one. He’s played a massive role in the team’s history, the trials and his tribulations of the Summers family molding the mutant race into what they are today in a variety of ways. For decades, he was kind of boring, but he’s since grown into a more exciting character and has become the de facto leader of the mutant race, taking the place of his mentor Professor X.

In a lot of ways, you can completely thank Professor X for Cyclops’s success over the years. He saved the young man from Sinister’s orphanage and after taking a look in the terminally depressed teen’s mind, decided to build him into the leader of the X-Men, giving him a reason to live. Over the years, the two characters have been rather close, working together to achieve their shared dream of mutant and human co-existence, but that has changed a lot in the 21st century. It’s gotten to the point where their relationship is basically a powder keg waiting for a spark. In a lot of ways, Cyclops has grown beyond his mentor, becoming a better leader than he was before. Cyclops is better than Xavier in these fives areas, showing that he’s become better than his old mentor.

5) He’s a Better Fighter Than Xavier in Every Way

This one might seem like a no-brainer, but Cyclops is a way better fighter in every way than Xavier. The professor was paralyzed by the alien Lucifer before bringing together the team and spent years in a wheelchair. Cyclops was never paralyzed and spent years mastering hand to hand combat, constantly training himself and the X-Men in the Danger Room. While Cyke doesn’t have the martial arts knowledge of someone like Wolverine, he’s a master of judo and in amazing shape. On top of that, he’s mastered the use of his optic blasts. Cyclops’s optic blasts are ridiculously powerful, and he’s learned to bounce them off objects and hit multiple targets with one concussive blast. Mutant powers is the one place where Xavier can match his student, but even then, I’d say that Summers is better with his powers. Charles is ridiculously skilled his mental powers, but he’s so powerful that he almost doesn’t have to be. Scott’s powers are much harder to handle and have taken way more training over the years. Cyclops isn’t the best fighter on the X-Men, but he’s definitely better than Xavier.

4) He’s Become a Better Trainer than Xavier

Professor Xavier recruited five young mutants and did his best to forge them into a superhero team. Using the Danger Room and various classes, he was able to prepare the team for combat, making them into one of the most formidable groups ever. For years, Xavier was the main trainer of the X-Men, coming up with the training programs and putting his students through their paces, while teaching them about his powers. However, as time went on, Cyclops took over being the head trainer of the team. He helped forge them into a potent field team, teaching them teamwork and pushing them to always be just a little bit better than they were before. I think the best way to show that Cyke is a better trainer than Charles is by looking at how the team has grown since Scott took over training them. His experience in the field also plays a big role in this; Xavier was rarely out in the field, so he didn’t understand what it was like in any real way. The original five were well-trained, but they can’t hold a candle to the teams that Cyclops has trained.

3) As a Field Leader

This one is another no-brainer, but it counts. Charles Xavier was the X-Men’s “man in the chair” for years, helping make sure the team was ready for everything, acting in a lot of ways as their spiritual leader. However, he’s rarely led the team in the field, even after he regained the use of his legs. Xavier is powerful, but he’s also a glass cannon, so he usually stays behind the scenes. That’s the exact opposite of Cyclops in every way. He was the team’s first field leader and his time in battle have forged him into the best of the best. He’s become a master of tactics on the level of Captain America, coming up with numerous plans for every single contingency. Tactics is one of the main reasons why Cyke is better in the field. The X-Men respect and will follow Xavier’s orders, but he doesn’t have the same tactical wherewithal that Scott has. He’s spent years mastering the art of combat in every way and it’s paid off for the team. Cyclops has constantly proved himself as leader in a way that Xavier hasn’t.

2) Leading the Mutant Race When Things Get Tough

For years, Xavier was considered the leader of the mutant race, his dream driving them forward. Sure, there were villains, but Xavier was the one that most looked up to. All of this would change in the ’00s, with Xavier leaving the team after the events of New X-Men #150. Cyclops took over as headmaster of the Xavier Institute… just in time for House of M to end the vast majority of the mutant race. Suddenly, he was the leader of the pitiful remnants of the mutants, surrounded on all sides by people that wanted them dead. He had to keep his people safe at a time when it would have been child’s play to end mutantkind and did it with a zeal that most never expected from him. He didn’t compromise with his enemies and wasn’t concerned with making humanity happy; he was fighting for his people’s very existence. Xavier is a good leader when things are better for mutants, but he’s terrible at leading his people when they’re in the tightest spots, as proven by his leadership of Krakoa. Cyclops is a soldier and that makes him so much better at being in charge during the worst situations than his mentor.

1) He Actually Sticks to His Ideals

Once upon a time, everyone looked up to Charles Xavier. He was an intelligent, trustworthy leader, willing to do anything to keep his people safe and sound. However, that was just the public face of Xavier; there were foul things in the depths of the man. Professor X isn’t a good person; he does good things, but he’s more than willing to do any terrible thing you can think of to make sure his dream comes true. He’s long presented himself as one thing to everyone, but when it comes right down to it, he doesn’t actually have any ideals; as long as the dream becomes reality, he’ll do anything and hide it from everyone. Cyclops, on the other hand, is constant as the North Star. While there have been some ideals that he’s abandoned over the years – for example, allowing X-Men to kill – everyone knows how far he’ll go to save the day. Xavier allowed his dream to push him to some terrible places, doing things that would torpedo his relationship with his students. What you see is what you get with Cyclops, a man who has holds tightly to his beliefs.

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