Take for instance Scott Summers, aka Cyclops — the original field leader of the X-Men. Despite being a crucial member of the team in the comics with plenty of story focus, he’s always been overshadowed by his teammates on the big screen. So once the X-Men inevitably arrive in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, here are a few things Marvel Studios needs to get right in order to avoid the mistakes of Cyclops’ past live action portrayals.
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In the original X-Men film trilogy, Cyclops is a core member of the team — at least until his untimely death in The Last Stand — but he’s never given the same level of prominence as Wolverine or Professor X. Throughout the first film and its sequel, Cyclops’ backstory is never alluded to, let alone explored. But in the comics, understanding Scott’s history is crucial to understanding him as a character.
Cyclops was only a child when he lost his parents in a mysterious plane crash. In the wake of the crash, Scott and his brother Alex, aka fellow X-Man Havok, were taken in by a Nebraska orphanage seemingly run by the kindly Mr. Pearson. But in truth, Pearson was really the mad scientist Mister Sinister, who used the orphanage as a front for his cruel experiments on mutant children like Scott. And though it was these experiments that first supplied Scott with his signature Ruby-Quartz glasses after his destructive optic blasts first manifested, Scott was haunted by his repressed memories of Sinister for years to come.
After awakening his powers, Scott became terrified of hurting anyone by accident, and it was this fear that shaped his personality as he grew up. He became withdrawn and emotionally repressed, never getting too close to anyone. A single mistake from him could cause harm or even death to someone else, so Scott became increasingly cautious and paranoid over time. And these tendencies would stay with him after he was discovered and taken in by Professor Charles Xavier.
By the time he joined the X-Men as a teenager, Scott had nothing left to live for. With his parents gone and his brother Alex separated from him by Mister Sinister, Xavier’s dream of peace for all mutants was the only purpose in life he had. And so, Cyclops devoted himself wholeheartedly to being the best leader he could. But while this responsibility served as a grand ideal for Scott to live up to, it was also a heavy burden.
Cyclops’ fear of failure made him a strict perfectionist, expecting nothing less than the absolute best from his team. As such, his high expectations can often cause friction between him and his comrades, especially Wolverine. However, Scott’s harshest criticism is reserved for himself. He holds himself to the highest possible standard, and shoulders all the blame whenever anything goes wrong for the X-Men. And should he ever lose a teammate in battle, Scott becomes consumed with guilt, always wondering if he could have done more.
On the other hand, Scott’s constant paranoia has the side effect of making him an incredibly effective strategist, always crafting detailed plans for every possible contingency. But though his all-consuming dedication to the X-Men makes him a capable leader, it also means he has no real life outside the team. Scott’s emotionally distant personality makes it difficult for him to form close bonds with his teammates, no matter how much he cares about them.
Of course, there’s one very notable exception to this rule. Though Cyclops may put up walls between himself and the world, it’s all too easy for a telepath to break through those barriers and get through to the real Scott underneath. As such, it’s no surprise that Scott’s two closest bonds in the early days of the X-Men were with his surrogate father Professor X and the love of his life, Jean Grey. Like Scott, Jean has spent her whole life trying to repress her emotions and hold back her powers, in order to protect the people around her. She understands him and his trauma better than anyone else in his life, and sees how selfless and courageous he truly is beneath his cold facade.
Likewise, Scott is drawn to Jean’s warmth and compassion. For the first time, he has someone in his life who truly knows how he feels. Because of that, Jean is the only person who Scott is willing to be fully open and vulnerable to. The romance between Scott and Jean isn’t just a token love story, it’s a fundamental aspect of both characters. Any adaptation that downplays the importance of their relationship will end up diminishing the inevitable tragedy of the Dark Phoenix Saga, in which Scott’s love for Jean and faith in her kindness end up saving her from being consumed by the darkest parts of herself.
In the early stages of the X-Men’s story, Scott was depicted as Professor X’s natural successor, a loyal follower of his ideals. Despite Magneto’s attempts to sway Cyclops to his side, he remained dedicated to Xavier’s dream. But over the decades, the comics have stopped portraying this conflict as so black and white. Magneto has gone from a ruthless would-be conqueror to an ally on the path to redemption. Meanwhile, Xavier has been depicted in a far less saintly light, with a greater focus on his willingness to employ morally dubious methods. Over time, Cyclops has come to recognize Xavier’s faults — so rather than continue to fight for his flawed cause, he’s chosen to carve his own path.
The past decade has painted Cyclops as a more radical figure, combining the idealism of Xavier’s dream with Magneto’s anti-establishment beliefs, while leaving behind the flaws of both leaders. For a while, Cyclops became a notorious revolutionary leader, branded as an outlaw as he rescued innocent mutants from government oppression. Scott is willing to oppose Xavier’s wishes, earn the ire of his fellow heroes, or even become an enemy of the state if it means protecting those in need.
In the end, that’s the most important thing about Cyclops. He may be a flawed, messy, and complicated person, but he’s still a fundamentally heroic person. He’s brave, compassionate, and is determined to save everyone he can, even if he pushes himself too hard in the process. Though he struggles to connect to his teammates, he still loves them like family. And though he’s often dour and guilt-ridden, he still has hope for a brighter future, and has devoted his life to fighting for that dream.
Despite what the movies might tell you, Scott Summers is much more than a straitlaced boy scout who exists only as a foil to Wolverine. He’s tragic and nuanced, a lover and a fighter, a revolutionary and a superhero. Hopefully when Cyclops returns to the big screen, he’ll finally live up to his full potential.
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