The X-Men have long had one of the greatest leaders in comics, the man known as Cyclops. Cyclops sort of took a backseat in the Krakoa Era. While he led the X-Men in battle, he was no longer a leader of the mutant race, a post he held since before Scarlet Witch depowered them. “From the Ashes” has changed the X-Men, with Cyclops leading a more militant team whose goal is to protect mutants and give them someone to turn to for help. This has led them into battle against 3K, a group that can adults into mutants. 3K has created their own X-Men, and X-Men #17 is the second part of the battle between the two teams. In the battle between the groups, new mutant Schwarzchild questions why someone with Cyclops’s powers is the leader of the X-Men. The team’s next moves in the battle tell him exactly why.
The X-Men is a team full of Omega level mutants, the most powerful kind of mutant. Omegas have led X-Men teams before, mutants like Professor X, Storm, and Jean Grey all taking the top spot of X-Men teams. Cyclops’s powers are pretty good, but he can’t stand with some other X-Men leaders when it comes to power levels. However, powers don’t make the leader, and Cyclops reveals exactly why he’s been the X-Men’s most successful leader.
Cyclops Is a Master of Tactics and That’s Made All the Difference
Cyclops’s powers, and their level, has always been a famous bone of contention among X-Men fans. Cyclops was injured as a child, jumping out of a crashing airplane with his younger brother Havok, and that brain injury made his powers uncontrollable. It was discovered that ruby quartz was able to hold back his powers, and began wearing his trademark red visor and glasses. Cyclops’s powers are concussive, and not laser based, although kinetic energy can cause heat (although somehow, the energy doesn’t push against his eyewear). It was once theorized that Cyclops’s power came because his body was home to portals to a dimension of kinetic energy, which was called the “punch dimension” (this is all true, you can look it up). Cyclops’s powers are very formidable, especially when he cuts loose, but compared to someone like Storm, he’s ridiculously limited. The leader of 3K’s X-Men Schwarzchild, a gravity controlling mutant, questions Cyclops powers, which he can completely trump. Cyclops admits his powers aren’t the greatest, but that’s not the reason that he’s the leader of the team — he’s the leader because he’s the best tactician.
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The proof is in the pudding. The 3K X-Men has members whose powers that are able to counter those of Cyclops’s X-Men. The 3K-Men got an early advantage in the battle, but all of that changed as the fight when on because of Cyclops. Cyclops is an expert at reading his enemies, and then using that against him. Cyclops knows his team like the back of his hand and that allows him to counter basically everything the 3K-Men can do. Cyclops has been doing this for years. Xavier chose him to lead the X-Men for one reason — that he knew Cyclops would give it his all (well, also because he was afraid that Cyclops would commit suicide, but they’re related) in order to prove himself. Cyclops has been doing this sort of thing for ages; he’s mastered group tactics, and is able to think on the fly with the best of them. Some people think that Captain America is the best tactician in the Marvel Universe, and there is definitely a lot of evidence in that direction, but Cyclops is actually much better. The X-Men never had the sheer power level that the Avengers had, but were able to defeat foes that the Avengers couldn’t. Magneto was a perfect example of this; Magneto usually trounces the Avengers, but Cyclops is able to use his experience and tactical wherewithal to beat him. Cyclops isn’t the most powerful X-Man, but he’s definitely earned his place as leader.
Cyclops Is the Best Leader in Comics
Revealing that Cyclops is the best X-Men leader because of his tactical awareness isn’t exactly a shock; in fact, it’s been pretty common knowledge among X-Men fans for a very long time that Cyclops’s tactical mastery is why he’s usually in the big chair. Powers are pretty important to being a superhero obviously, and Cyclops’s have often been more of a detriment than anything else. His ability to overcome that detriment has played a large role in his success.
Cyclops is amazing at setting up his foes and knocking them all down. There’s a reason that even the mouthiest X-Men, like Wolverine and Gambit, trust Cyclops as leader. His powers aren’t the greatest, but he’s always been able to lead his team to victory.
X-Men #17 is on sale now.
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