10 Best Cyclops Variants, Ranked

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Cyclops led the original X-Men––the “First Class” team that started it all. Over the years, Cyclops has gained both love and hate from Marvel fans, showing both his resilience and stubbornness in mutant conflicts. Beyond Marvel’s primary comic universe, the best alternate versions of Cyclops exist across the comic multiverse and films and TV shows beyond.

Cyclops has led the X-Men in other universes, even battling against them in darker timelines such as the Age of Apocalypse. Cyclops is usually type-cast as the straight-laced leader of the X-Men. Still, plenty of appearances in Marvel’s multiverse show deeper sides to the character that are, in many cases, even more fascinating than the original Scott Summers.

10

The Live-Action Cyclops

Fox Films

Unfortunately for the character, the live-action Cyclops wasn’t the focus of the early 2000s X-Men movies. Wolverine was clearly the star of the show, with the first two films heavily focusing on his journey. However, the live-action, retconned Cyclops who first appeared in X-Men: Apocalypse received a bit more development.

Fans actually got to see Cyclops, played by Tye Sheridan, join Xavier’s School for the Gifted. The young mutant then learned how to use his abilities and developed a relationship with Jean Grey, and fans could finally see the progress of their love for each other in the Dark Phoenix sequel.

9

Basilisk: Mutant-Killer

Age of X

The entire Age of X timeline was a travesty for the X-Men. Mutants are hunted to near-extinction in the Age of X continuity, and Magneto fights to save what remains of his race. In this reality, Cyclops is far from the leader of the X-Men; instead, he was used to execute captured mutants.

Known as Basilisk, the Age of X Scott Summers was controlled by prison guards who removed his eyelids so they could use his optic blasts to eradicate captured mutants instantly. Eventually, Scott broke free of the prison and brought some mutants with him, but the memory of all the mutants he killed––all the truths of the Age of X reality––still haunt him.

8

Cyclops Betrayed Magneto’s Brotherhood

Ultimate Universe

Much of the original Ultimate Universe matches Marvel’s Earth-616, at least for the X-Men. Cyclops is the team leader, stuck in a love triangle with Jean Grey and Wolverine. However, when Jean chooses Wolverine over Scott, Cyclops leaves the X-Men and joins Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants.

The Ultimate Universe shares some similarities, but it is much darker than the prime Marvel Universe overall. Scott’s allegiance flopped back and forth quite a lot throughout Ultimate X-Men. Cyclops––and the whole team, really––were conflicted, faced with constant deaths and betrayals. He was eventually publicly killed in the final moments of the Ultimatum event, but he had already made his mark on fans.

7

Cyclops Was A Witchbreed

Marvel 1602

Marvel took their comics back to the 1600s in Marvel 1602. Here, nearly every Marvel hero and villain was repurposed for the times, and instead of mutants, the X-Men were thought to be “Witchbreed,” born of magics that the common folk didn’t understand. Scotius Sumerisle, the Cyclops of this world, possessed all the same powers as his Earth-616 counterpart.

Like most Cyclops variants in the multiverse, the 1602 Cyclops fell in love with Jean Grey and developed a heated rivalry with Werner, this universe’s Angel. Cyclops was recruited to Carlos Javier’s school for “Witchbreed,” where they were also trained to use their gifts.

6

Cyclops Joins The Starjammers

Mutant X

Many histories changed in the Mutant X reality, including Scott Summers’s origin. The Shi’ar abducted Scott along with his parents, leaving Alex Summers alone on Earth. Professor X then recruited Havok to lead the X-Men instead of Cyclops.

Cyclops missed out on being an X-Man but also dodged all the bullets that came with it. All the hardships he experienced in the main Marvel Universe never happened. Instead, the Mutant X Scott Summers became a space pirate like his father Corsair and joined the Starjammers with a smile on his face.

5

Cyclops & The X-Men As High School Students

X-Men: Evolution

Many members of the X-Men were teenagers in X-Men: Evolution despite their cinematic counterparts being adults at the time. Storm, Professor X and Wolverine were team leaders, though X-Men: Evolution mostly focused on developing younger X-Men like Shadowcat and Nightcrawler, with Cyclops as their team leader.

This Cyclops was less authoritative than his adult comic book counterparts and more confident and cocky; he wasn’t afraid to use his powers. Evolution‘s Cyclops even eventually became a professor at Xavier’s school once he graduated high school, becoming a mentor to the next generation of mutants.

4

Cyclops and The Ray Fused to Become Apollo

Amalgam Universe

The Amalgam Universe is definitely one of the strangest, most creative fictional spaces in comic books. After the DC vs. Marvel crossover event, Marvel and DC heroes and villains merged. Cyclops and The Ray merged to become a new character called Apollo, who could absorb sunlight and convert it into energy shot from his eyes.

Just like the Cyclops of Marvel’s main comic universe, Apollo fell in love with Firebird, a fusion of Fire and the Phoenix, and Red Queen, a fusion of Madelyn Pryor and DC’s Fiero. With the recent news that Marvel and DC are releasing a new crossover, many fans would love to see Apollo and the rest of the Amalgam cast return at some point.

3

Cyclops & Havok Fought For Apocalypse

Age of Apocalypse

Cyclops was one of the primary antagonists of the Age of Apocalypse era, serving the tyrant alongside his brother, Alex Summers/Havok. Cyclops and Havok worked under Mister Sinister and were his mutant subjects. This version of Cyclops had a bloody feud with Wolverine––Cyclops took one of Weapon X’s hands while Wolverine took one of Scott’s eyes.

Despite his villainous roots and allegiance to Apocalypse, the Age of Apocalypse Cyclops slowly peeled back the curtain and witnessed the evil of their actions. Cyclops ultimately helped Jean Grey escape custody and continued to release mutants that Beast and Sinister had abducted.

2

Cyclops Leads The Best Animated X-Men

X-Men ’97

In the original X-Men: The Animated Series, Cyclops was the boy scout, the one who always followed orders and stuck to the plan, while many fans gravitated more towards Wolverine’s edginess and rebellious attitude. However, Cyclops became a fan-favorite in the X-Men ’97 revival.

Returning and new fans alike instantly fell in love with the Cyclops of X-Men ’97. Cyclops was more confident than fans had ever seen him, accepting the role of team leader in Professor X’s absence and using his optic blasts in unique ways, such as surviving a skydive without a parachute and using them to push and maneuver himself around a battlefield.

1

Cyclops Is The Sword & Shield Of Xavier’s X-Men

Krakoa Era

There was something so freeing about the Cyclops of the Dawn of X era––about the entire X-Men, really. Gone was the stress of yesterday, all the conflict between mutants or relationship drama shared between Scott, Emma Frost, Jean Grey and Wolverine. Cyclops was the operations leader of this new, united X-Men.

This Cyclops was almost menacing in his confidence, facing down the Fantastic Four for the custody of the fugitive Sabretooth. Later, in House of X, Cyclops accepted the task Xavier and Magneto had laid before him, with no questionsasked. The Krakoa era Cyclops was willing to do whatever it took to preserve their mutant freedom and superiority.

“}]] Scott Summers was one of the original X-Men, though fans have seen a few cooler versions of Cyclops across the multiverse— in the comics and beyond.  Read More