X-Men Teases Tragic Future for Cyclops

Cyclops' dark secret could spell doom for the X-Men.

While the future for the X-Men appears murky at the moment, one of their leaders has a considerably dark future ahead of themselves. The X-Men are readjusting to life outside of their sovereign island of Krakoa, where they are back to being outcasts and persecuted for being different. But that doesn't mean the X-Men are going to stop fighting against prejudice and evil, with Cyclops leading a new team in the X-Men: From the Ashes era. While the team is investigating adults who are having their X-gene activated, Cyclops is keeping a secret that could become deadly.

*WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for X-Men #3. Continue reading at your own risk!

X-Men #3 comes from the creative team of Jed MacKay, Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer & Livesay, Marte Gracia, and VC's Clayton Cowles. The main focus of the story is on the X-Men dealing with the fallout of a new mutant's powers activating and causing a citywide panic, the government sending troops to the X-Men's new headquarters, the Factory, in Alaska, and Cyclops' meeting with a government agent named Lundqvist. It's this meeting between Cyclops and Agent Lundqvist that brings the real drama to the issue, with the two having a tense conversation inside an Alaskan diner.

"Scott Summers vs. The United States of America" is an appropriate title for X-Men #3, as Cyclops verbally threatens Agent Lundqvist that his X-Men will continue doing their job, with Agent Lundqvist and the O*N*E task force allowing them to. Cyclops says the government doesn't want Scott Summers vs. The United States to kick off for real, and then excuses himself to the diner restroom. It's here that we see something is very wrong with Cyclops.

Cyclops is hiding a dark secret from the X-Men

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(Photo:

Something is wrong with Cyclops in X-Men #3 (2024)

- Marvel Comics)

Cyclops enters the restroom and takes off his jacket, appearing to have trouble controlling his breathing. It's almost as if Cyclops is suffering from some sort of ailment. While lurched over the sink, we can see Cyclops sweating and telling himself, "Breathe. Breathe. BREATH."  Is this another case of a Legacy Virus that only affects mutants, or has something else happened to Cyclops between the ending of the Krakoa era and X-Men: From the Ashes?

We should get some answers to these many questions as X-Men continues, but hopefully Cyclops' team won't suffer any dire consequences as these answers come to the forefront.