Cyclops (Marvel Comics)
Cyclops is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and is a founding member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the comic book The X-Men. Cyclops is a member of a subspecies of humans known as mutants, born with superhuman abilities. Cyclops emits powerful beams of energy from his eyes and can only control the beams with the aid of special eyewear, which he must always wear. He was the first member of the X-Men, a team of mutant heroes who fight for peace and equality between mutants and humans, and one of the team's primary leaders.
The first-born son of Corsair, Scott Summers is the older brother of Havok. His first and most enduring love interest is his wife, Jean Grey, with the two having a daughter, Rachel Summers, from an alternate future. Other significant love interests include his ex-wife Madelyne Pryor—a clone of Jean and mother of his son Cable—and fellow X-Man Emma Frost. Cyclops' archenemy is Mister Sinister, who is obsessed with the Summers and Grey bloodlines and has often manipulated events in Cyclops' life, resulting in various clashes with the X-Men.
While Cyclops was initially portrayed as a traditional heroic figure and counterposed to antiheroes who challenge authority, in later decades he becomes increasingly morally ambiguous.
James Marsden portrayed Cyclops in the first three entries in 20th Century Fox's X-Men films, and will reprise the role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Avengers: Doomsday. Younger versions of the character were portrayed by Tim Pocock in the prequel film X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Tye Sheridan in X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix, as well as a cameo in Deadpool 2.
Publication history
1960s
Cyclops first appeared in The X-Men #1. He was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and has been a mainstay character of the X-Men series. In the initial issue, Cyclops is introduced along with Beast, Iceman, Warren Worthington III, and Jean Grey as the students of Professor X, who battle Magneto. Lee said that Cyclops and Beast were his two favorite X-Men, elaborating that "I love tortured heroes—and he was tortured because he couldn't control his power." Originally dubbed "Slim Summers", by The X-Men #3 his name was changed to "Scott", with "Slim" becoming a nickname.Scott Summers is the first of the X-Men recruited by Professor X; Xavier hand-picks Scott to lead his X-Men, and to carry on the legacy of his mutant-human-harmony ideals. In X-Men #7, Professor X briefly leaves the X-Men and leaves Cyclops in command. Ben Saunders observes that "the direction of the X-Men will often pivot on the question of Xavier's absence or presence, and the emotional impact of his comings and goings on the team, particularly on Cyclops." Xavier views Scott as one of his most prized pupils; their relationship exhibits father/son qualities. From time to time, Scott's extreme loyalty to Xavier has cost him dearly in his relationships with others; but, over the course of the characters' publication history, he eventually emerges from Xavier's shadow as the X-Men's undisputed leader. Douglas Wolk describes Cyclops as the "closest thing early X-Men has to a central protagonist," characterizing him as a "subdued, repressed young man."
Later issues of X-Men of the mid-1960s written by Roy Thomas emphasize the subplot of the "melodramatic unrequited romance" between Scott Summers and Jean Grey. Cyclops appears in his first solo story in X-Men #45.
1970s
In the early 1970s, X-Men only reprinted earlier issues. It was revived in 1975 by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum, creating a new international group. Cyclops was the only character who remained from the original team. Chris Claremont became the primary writer of the series with issue #94 and continued for the next sixteen years.Cyclops and Jean Grey have a complex relationship, with Cyclops sometimes competing with Wolverine for her attention. In X-Men #98, Scott and Jean solidify their relationship when she initiates their first kiss. In this period, Clarement introduces a tension between the leadership responsibilities of Cyclops and the personal desires of Scott Summers. When Jean Grey becomes the Phoenix, Cyclops expresses fear and insecurity regarding her extraordinary power level.
Cockrum created the Starjammers, including Corsair, and collaborated with Claremont to develop the characters; they decided to make Corsair the father of Cyclops to tie them to the group. The Starjammers first appeared in X-Men #107.
1980s
During The Dark Phoenix Saga, Cyclops engages in competition with Mastermind for the affections and destiny of Grey, with Wyngarde attempting to corrupt her. Grey appears to die at the conclusion of the story.Cyclops remained a central member of the team up through The Uncanny X-Men #138. After departing the main cast, he was a recurring character in the series. The Uncanny X-Men #141 introduces Rachel Summers, the daughter of Cyclops and Jean Grey from the alternate timeline of the Days of Future Past. She joins the X-Men in a storyline concluding in issue #199. In the mid-1980s, Storm becomes increasingly powerful and respected among the X-Men, challenging Cyclops' leadership role. In Uncanny X-Men #201, Cyclops cedes his leadership to her.
Cyclops meets Madelyne Pryor, a woman who is mysteriously identical to Jean Grey; she first appears in Uncanny X-Men #168. He eventually marries and fathers a child with her. Claremont intended Cyclops to retire from the superhero life and to settle into marriage and fatherhood. However, Marvel's editors decided that he should appear in a new series. This new series, X-Factor, launched in 1986 and starred the original X-Men team. Jean Grey is revealed to remain alive, while the Phoenix only assumed her form. Cyclops leaves his wife and child behind to lead the reunited original X-Men, under the X-Factor name. Claremont expressed dismay that Jean's resurrection ultimately resulted in Cyclops abandoning his wife and child, tarnishing his written persona as a hero and "decent human being". For X-Factor, writer Bob Layton was partly inspired by the film Ghostbusters; the X-Factor team advertised themselves as mutant hunters, but worked to rehabilitate and educate the mutants they discovered. Layton left the title after five issues and was replaced by Louise Simonson, who introduced the new villain Apocalypse, first appearing in X-Factor #6.
Mister Sinister, a geneticist who sometimes works with Apocalypse, first appears in Uncanny X-Men #221. Pryor is eventually revealed to be a clone of Jean Grey created by Mister Sinister, who has been meddling with the Summers family for decades. She displays mutant powers and becomes a villain named the Goblin Queen, seeking revenge for being jilted. Scott's son, Nathan, is infected with a techno-organic virus. Rachel Summers brings him to the future to be saved.
1990s
Scott stayed with the X-Factor title through X-Factor #70. In October 1991, Summers returns to the X-Men to appear in a central role in a new title, X-Men #1. This series was the second of two X-Men titles and featured Cyclops, Wolverine, Beast, Gambit, Psylocke, and Rogue, as the "Blue team". The issue was a best-seller, written by Claremont with art by Jim Lee. Claremont left the title after the third issue, and Lee left Marvel by the end of the year. Scott Lobdell became the new writer. In the X-Cutioner's Song story line, Scott and Jean are captured by Mister Sinister and traded to a new villain, Stryfe. After escaping, they eventually discover that Cable is Nathan, the son of Scott and Madelyne Pryor, having grown up in a future timeline, and that Stryfe is Cable's clone. Cyclops and Jean Grey then marry, in X-Men vol. 2 #30. In summer 1994, Cyclops appeared in the four-issue miniseries The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix, which recounts how he and Jean Grey traveled to the future to raise Nathan Summers, explaining the childhood of Cable. In 1995, the X-titles were all replaced in a crossover taking place in an alternate future called Age of Apocalypse. An alternate version of Cyclops starred in a new title written by John Francis Moore titled Factor X. The decade concluded with a storyline called Apocalypse: The Twelve in which Apocalypse takes control of Cyclops' body.2000s
In 2000, Joe Harris wrote the four-issue run titled X-Men: The Search for Cyclops that dealt with Cyclops's return after merging with Apocalypse in the events of the Twelve from The Uncanny X-Men #377.In February 2001, an alternate version of Cyclops began appearing in a new ongoing series by Mark Millar, Ultimate X-Men. This version of Cyclops was killed off in January 2009.
In July 2001, Cyclops appeared as a leading character in New X-Men. Written by Grant Morrison, the series pursued a more experimental approach to storytelling and characterization. In the course of the story, Cyclops begins a new relationship with Emma Frost. Jean Grey dies again in New X-Men #150.
Also in 2001, writer Brian K. Vaughan wrote the four-issue series titled Cyclops, the character's first solo miniseries.
Beginning in July 2004, Astonishing X-Men features Cyclops, Wolverine, Beast, Emma Frost, Shadowcat, and Colossus as a team. The series was initially written by Joss Whedon, well-known for creating the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series. During Whedon's run of Astonishing X-Men, Cyclops adopts a new attitude unfamiliar to most accustomed fans. After Emma Frost's psychic intervention at the mansion, he temporarily loses his powers after confronting his traumatic past. In an interview, Whedon explains:
In the House of M storyline, the Scarlet Witch magically alters reality so that almost all mutants are de-powered, with only 198 remaining. This event is referred to as "M-Day." As a consequence, the X-Men feel particularly besieged and Cyclops becomes desperate to protect the remaining mutants.
X-Men: Deadly Genesis #1 introduces Vulcan, the younger brother of Cyclops and Havok, who was enslaved by the Shi'ar and raised in secret by Moira MacTaggert. In April 2008, Cyclops forms a new X-Force team, a deadly clandestine strike force, appearing in its own title. Part of the X-Men: Messiah Complex crossover, X-Men #205 introduces Hope Summers, the first mutant born after M-Day. She is orphaned and adopted by Cable. In the Dark X-Men storyline of 2009, Scott Summers and Emma Frost enter into a complex dispute, with Frost aligned with Norman Osborn. Marvel writer Matt Fraction indicated that Emma's alliance with Osborn places Scott and Emma at odds with one another, creating "a profound schism". Throughout this time, Cyclops continued to make appearances in Uncanny X-Men.