Alternative versions of Cyclops

Alternate versions of Cyclops
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance X-Men #1 (September 1963)
Created by Stan Lee
Jack Kirby
See also Cyclops in other media

This page consists of alternate versions of the Marvel Comics character Cyclops.

Contents

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In the continuity of the miniseries Marvel 1602, Scott is known as "Scotius Sumerisle." He is the leader of the original five X-Men, who are united under Carlos Javier (Professor X) and are known as "witchbreed" instead of mutants. His powers in Marvel 1602 are identical to his powers in normal Marvel continuity, though he wears a ruby visor instead of a ruby-quartz visor to block his optic blasts. Possessively in love with Jean Grey (who is disguised as a man under the name "John Grey"), he becomes jealous of her friendship with Werner (Angel).

Age of Apocalypse

In the Age of Apocalypse, Scott is a villain who fights against the X-Men. Just like in the normal timeline, Scott and his brother Alex were separated from their parents when their plane was attacked by a Shi'ar spaceship. The two would end up in an orphanage run by Sinister, though in this time line, both brothers were kept by him and raised as his foster children. Unbeknownst to them, their father Christopher Summers eventually makes his way back to earth, only to be found by Sinister and given over to the Beast (also a villain) for medical experimentation.

Both Alpha mutants, and both holding the rank of Prelate, Scott and Alex Summers dominate the new mutant aristocracy in Apocalypse's America. Sinister employs the brothers to operate his breeding pens, act as security, and sometimes perform as special ops unit. Scott's ability to show emotional restraint in battle earns him Sinister's favor over Alex, fueling a dangerous rivalry between the brothers. This rivalry worsens when the brothers reunite with their real father—Christopher Summers—but are forced to kill him.

Sinister's preference for Scott over Alex also spills over into his genetic experimentation, as with Scott's DNA Sinister plans to create a super-mutant strong enough to destroy Apocalypse. After capturing the X-Man Jean Grey, Sinister believes that he has found Scott's genetic match, and uses their combined DNA to produce a child, Nate Grey.

Despite an initial belief in the doctrine of mutant superiority and even being considered by Apocalypse as a candidate for Horseman, Scott has reservations about the ethics surrounding his work, primarily in terms of excess. These concerns grow substantially once he meets and becomes enthralled with Jean Grey, a prisoner and "race traitor." Though Scott plans to release her on his own time, Grey's lover, Weapon X, breaks in and liberates her himself. Scott fights back against Weapon X, severing Weapon X's hand, but losing an eye in the process. Jean escapes with Weapon X, who remains an enemy of Scott.

In the meantime, Scott increasingly finds himself questioning the treatment of prisoners, and secretly starts releasing them. This does not go unnoticed by his brother Alex, who still harbors hostility against him. Alex re-captures Jean in order to use her against Scott, successfully exposing his brother as a traitor. Although Jean has no love for either brother, she decides to trust Scott and they attempt to escape together. Along the way the two meet Nate Grey, their genetically engineered son, though they remain oblivious to the truth of their connection to him. Eventually, Alex tracks down Jean and Scott, he kills Jean and defeats his brother. In retribution for Jean's death, Weapon X kills Alex by revealing that while Scott blew off Logan's hand, his claws were retracted at the time. Scott was later revealed to have been incarcerated by the X-Men following the fall of Apocalypse.

Age of X

In the Age of X timeline, where mutants were hunted and prosecuted, Scott was known as Basilisk; having been captured by the government and his eyelids removed to prevent him controlling his optic blasts, he was used as a mutant executioner on Alcatraz until he managed to escape, subsequently providing other mutant prisoners with the opportunity for freedom, although he is constantly forced to deal with his guilt over his role in the deaths of his fellow mutants.

Cyclops of Bishop's Future Timeline

The Cyclops from the same dystopic future timeline as Lucas Bishop has become dependent on cyborg attachments to stay alive.[1] This Cyclops has raised a daughter, Ruby Summers. Ruby demonstrates both her father's optic blasts (black and red) and an organic-ruby form similar to Emma Frost's diamond form, that sustains her without food or aging, suggesting that Emma Frost may be Ruby's mother. Initially, Cyclops attacks and blames Layla for causing this dystopic future, claiming that she could have used her powers to help mutant-kind. However, Layla explains that despite knowing the bad things that would happen to mutants and herself, she still had to allow them to happen and Cyclops relents. He provides her with new clothes and supports Ruby's decision to lead a riot against Sentinels and forced genetic testing, which eventually becomes known as the Summers Rebellion. And they leave.

DC Comics Metamilitia

In a pastiche of the Civil War aftermath One-Eye, an alternate version of Cyclops, appears in the DC Comics series Countdown to Final Crisis and its tie-in Lord Havok and the Extremists. A former student of Doctor Diehard (a pastiche of Magneto and Professor X) and leader of his Zen-Men (a pastiche of the X-Men themselves), he joined the forces of the Metamilitia when Americommando becomes president of the U.S.A. and approvates the Metahuman Act. Almost exactly how the events unfolded during the Marvel Civil War, the pro-registration heroes managed to subdue the anti-registration ones, but while in the Marvel Universe Cyclops and the X-Men kept themselves neutral and so avoided the conflict, the Zen-Men on the alternate Earth of Angor were laid siege by the Metamilitia, fearing their sheer power, and when Doctor Diehard assured Americommando of their neutrality, the Zen Men were simply detained in a concentration camp, with inhibitors chips embedded in their palms. There One-Eye switched side, joining the Metamilitia out of fear and to avoid detention, until he was forced to witness the raping of the Silver Sorceress (a pastiche of the Scarlet Witch) and the death of her brother Jack B.Quick (Quicksilver). One-Eye then damaged his chip and led a rebellion of the Zen-Men.

Amalgam Comics

In the Amalgam Comics community, Cyclops was combined with DC's Ray to create Apollo.

House of M

During the House of M, where the main involved heroes' fondest wishes were granted, Scott was married to Emma Frost, and was a pilot for Mutair Airlines.

Marvel Noir

Cyclops appears in X-Men Noir as the leader of the X-Men, a crew of talented criminals. He was involved with the late Jean Grey. He has no powers but wields a revolver, and he has one eye scratched out, ostensibly by Logan who was another lover of Jean.

Marvel Zombies

Cyclops appears in his original form as one of the characters in the Marvel Zombies universe, fighting against the zombified Alpha Flight alongside his fellow X-Men at the X-Mansion in Marvel Zombies: Dead Days. However, like many of his comrades, Cyclops succumbs to the zombie infection and becomes one himself. He also fights a zombie Mystique before reaching the SHIELD Helicarrier. He is also seen standing next to Wolverine, Magneto and Colossus on the SHIELD Helicarrier. The last time he is seen before he is turned into a zombie is when he and all the other uninfected heroes are fighting the zombies to get survivors to safety. At the beginning of Marvel Zombies #1 when Magneto fights the zombified superheroes by launching shards of steel at them, Cyclops is caught in the crossfire and is later seen being shoved away by Wolverine from the corpse of the Silver Surfer. He is then cooked and eaten by the cosmic zombies. On zombie variant covers, he is mostly seen headless and holding his decapitated head to defeat and eat victims.

Mutant X

Scott’s history diverged at a much earlier point in the Mutant X reality. In this time line, it was not only the Summers’ parents who were kidnapped by the Shi’Ar, but Scott as well. While back on Earth, it was Havok who would be discovered by Charles Xavier and eventually grow up to be the X-Men’s leader, Scott presumably worked as a slave in the Shi’Ar mines. Eventually, he escaped and joined the Starjammers. Among the group, he also found a lover in Carol Danvers. Unlike his brooding counterpart from the main universe, this version of Scott Summers was a happy-go-lucky space pirate. Eventually, one of their adventures led the Starjammers to Earth, where he was briefly reunited with his younger brother after nearly 20 years of not seeing each other.

New Exiles

Professor W’s X-Men

A rather tragic event turned Cyclops into a bitter person in this timeline. At one point, several years in the future, the Shadow King took control of Wolverine and made him kill Professor Xavier. Cyclops never forgave him for this and when, shortly afterwards, Jean Grey was killed, he angrily left the team. In secrecy, Scott assembled a new Brotherhood around himself and one day returned with a vengeance. During the Brotherhood’s attack on Xavier’s mansion, Cyclops almost killed Wolverine, who didn’t fight back at all. It was Nightcrawler’s daughter, Nocturne, who ended the battle by possessing her teammate, Armageddon, only to use his telekinetic power to pop Logan’s claws in Cyclops’ chest. To her dismay Scott was stopped but not killed.[4]

Shadow-X

New Excalibur battles an evil counterpart of Cyclops, who is a member of the Shadow-X, the X-Men of an alternate reality in which Professor X was possessed by the Shadow King. They are brought to Earth-616 as a result of M-Day. He was later beheaded by Sage.

Ultimate Cyclops

In the Ultimate Marvel continuity, Scott is introduced as the strait-laced field leader of the X-Men. Cyclops's age in the Ultimate Marvel continuity is 18 as of his first appearance. His parents died in a plane crash, and he is estranged from his older brother Alex, with whom he hasn't spoken since joining the X-Men. Before becoming part of Professor Xavier's dream, Scott dated a young woman named Lorna Dane. Scott is unable to ask his crush Jean Grey on a date, and when she sleeps with Wolverine, Scott leaves the X-Men and joins Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy. Magneto considers Scott a potential heir and urges him to pursue a relationship with his daughter. However after seeing the lengths to which Magneto will go to fulfill his dream, Scott betrays the Brotherhood.

During the Weapon X storyline, when agents of Weapon X are trying to take in members of the X-Men, Cyclops is one of the last X-Men standing, causing serious problems for the ground forces attempting to lay siege to Xavier's Institute. He is taken out only after Nightcrawler teleports behind him and attacks him.

When Jean dumps Wolverine and begins a relationship with Cyclops, the two men argue over whom Jean loves and fight. Xavier sends the two on a mission to the Savage Land to resolve the rivalry. Scott falls into a chasm and catches himself on a ledge. Wolverine catches him, but allows Scott to fall. Cyclops survives, but is severely injured and unable to stand. He survives by eating insects until he is found by a Brotherhood rescue group in search of mutant survivors of a previous Sentinel attack. Cyclops recovers just as the doctors recognize him and takes them out before they can report him. After recovering, Cyclops contacts the X-Men and proceeds to attack Magneto alone until the X-Men arrive. After Magneto is defeated, Cyclops and Wolverine seem poised for another fight and Cyclops blasts Wolverine with unrestrained optic blast and kicks him off the team. Later, Cyclops finds Wolverine and offers him to return to the X-Men, believing that the school was set up to help mutants and someone like Wolverine needed the help that the school had to offer.

While Cyclops tries to stop Alex from proceeding to the super-criminal prison, the Triskelion, to save Lorna, Alex hits him with a tire iron. Alex claims Cyclops allowed him to do it, because he wants Lorna saved as much as he does.

A few months later, the X-Men are challenged by a new and powerful foe: Cable, who comes from the future to kill Charles Xavier. After defeating the X-Men and seriously injuring Kitty Pryde, Cable escapes to Finland with a kidnapped Jean. Scott and the Professor stayed in the mansion while the rest of the team travel to Europe with help of Bishop, another time-traveler who wishes to stop Cable. The X-Men engage Cable's bodyguards, the Six-Pack. Frustrated by being left behind, Cyclops confronts Xavier, who confesses to his pupil that he is in love with Jean. After this confession, both Cyclops and the Professor rush to Finland. A battle between Cyclops and Cable then occurs with neither able to gain the upper hand, until the Professor distracts Cable so that Cyclops can hit Cable in the neck with an optic blast. Cable then detonates some form of hand grenade, while Charles uses his telekinesis to get Cyclops out of the range of the explosion. After the explosion, all that remains is a skeleton that is believed to be the Professor, while Cable is nowhere to be found.

Cyclops, Storm, and Jean are left with all of Xavier's possessions. Cyclops makes sure that the school will still exist, but since (according to him) Xavier's dream died with him, Cyclops has chosen to disband the X-Men and turn the mansion into just a school. When Bishop challenges Scott's decision, Cyclops tells him to form his own team of X-Men. After Bishop and Storm leave the Institute to start a new team of X-Men, Cyclops takes the role as Headmaster. Xavier later reveals himself to be alive, having been spirited to the future and trained by Cable to prepare for the rise of Apocalypse, and Xavier resumes his position of Headmaster. Jean manifests the Phoenix and disappears.[5]

Cyclops once again becomes a member of the X-Men. Cyclops acts as a mole for Jean and Xavier to find out who has been supplying the X-Men with the dangerous mutant-enhancing drug, "Banshee." Discovering that it is Colossus, who needs banshee in order to move his metal form, he joins their team in order to rescue Northstar. He fakes his first injection, but later takes in order to save his teammates as they fight against Alpha Flight. The injection frees Scott allows him to control his optic blasts without the use of his visor, as he remembers when they first manifested and he accidentally obliterated his foster parents. It also allows him to fly.[6] He later remains with the splinter group of X-Men, becoming addicted to banshee and engaging in raids to obtain it. He explains that by using Banshee, his entire body is charged with solar energy and channels it through his entire body, rather than just his eyes, granting him the ability to fly, survive the vacuum of space, and perceive, speak with, and attack Jean's astral form. He battles against Jean's team of X-Men who are attempting to stop the spread of Banshee, abandoning his original goal of protecting his friends from hurting others.[7] After a short and brutal fight, Jean revives Northstar, who ends the fighting, but Scott chooses not to return with the others, flying into space and landing on the moon. Jean follows him and tries to convince him to come back, but Cyclops refuses. As he Banshee wears off and he becomes vulnerable to the vacuum in space, he states that he would rather die than go back to his former self. Jean convinces him to rejoin the X-Men as their leader and encompasses him in her protective Phoenix fire, and puts his protective glasses back on.[8]

During the events of the Ultimate Marvel crossover event Ultimatum, Magneto's Manhattan tidal wave kills Nightcrawler and Dazzler. Scott, Jean, and Logan go as the "original X-Men" to stop Magneto once and for all.[9] The remaining X-Men along with the Fantastic Four, Ultimates and SHIELD assault Magneto's base, during which they lose several more members including Wolverine, who has his adamantium ripped from his bones by Magneto. In the end Magneto is defeated when Jean Grey downloads Nick Fury's memories into Magneto, which reveals that mutants are not the next stage of human evolution, but rather a super-soldier experiment gone wrong. Horrified by the truth, Magneto surrenders, and Cyclops executes him with his optic blast.

Soon after, Cyclops is in Washington with the remaining X-Men, attempting to bring a peace to the anti-mutant hostilities and to ask that all mutants surrender to the government. He is then assassinated by Quicksilver, who lodges a bullet into his skull. Scott dies in the arms of Storm and Colossus, while Rogue rushes a distraught Jean to safety.

Ultimate Fantastic Four/Ultimate X-Men Annual #1

In an alternate future timeline of the Ultimate universe, Scott Summers uses the alias of Captain America to fight for mutant justice after losing his powers and Steve Rogers's death. He leads a group of X-Men consisting of Shadowcat, Rogue, Wolverine, and a male member using the codename Phoenix, back in time to try to assassinate Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four, in an attempt to prevent the events following Ultimatum from ever happening. They capture Reed, but are unable to kill him due to his ability to stretch.

It is revealed that their Wolverine was actually a Sentinel impostor, and leads an army of Wolverine Sentinels to kill the future X-Men. Rogue is killed quickly, but Shadowcat and the new Phoenix survive. Scott lives long enough to tell the present day Jean Grey (who united the X-Men and Fantastic Four to save Reed) of the grim future that awaits her, and dies in her arms.

What If?

In What If Mister Sinister formed the X-Men, Cyclops and Havok were raised both by Sinister who formed a team consisting of Cyclops, Havok, Sauron, Sabretooth and Madelyne Pryor (possessed by Malice). Believing the team to be heroes, Cyclops eventually came in conflict with the X-Men and Cyclops and the other team’s leader, Marvel Girl, instantly grew attracted to each other. Sensing that he was about to lose Scott, Sinister faked his death at the hands of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and asked Cyclops, with his “dying” words, to hold onto Sinister’s dream. Scott respected his surrogate father’s last wish and rejected Jean’s affection, but he and Havok joined the X-Men to secretly undermine them from within.

In What If Magneto and Professor X formed the X-Men Together, Cyclops alongside Sabretooth and Havok are seen as members of the Marauders and view a battle at the X-Mansion.

X-Men: Fairy Tales

Cyclops appears as the main character in the first and third short-story installations of a four-part X-Men: Fairy Tales limited series.

This issue is based around the Japanese fairy tale of Momotarō, only with Cyclops being the boy born out of the peach. He is named Hitome, which can mean "one eye" in Japanese. However, his optic blasts come from only one eye, and are stopped by the pit of the peach he was born from.

Until he is around the age when he joined the X-Men in the regular comics, he lives with the old couple who found the large peach, working as a woodcutter, using his blasts to cut down trees instead of an axe.

When an old monk (Professor X) comes running through the woods, chased by thieves, Hitome comes to his aid. The old monk tells a tale of how he is gathering a group of special people like Hitome in order to rescue the Emperor's daughter (Jean Grey), from a group of demons (The Brotherhood of Mutants: Magneto, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Toad).

Along the way, Hitome and the monk gather a team of comrades, some by Hitome's cunning, others by his offers of friendship.

This issue's story draws elements from Snow White and stories involving witches.

Scott is a poor blind tailor who discovers a beautiful red-haired woman (Jean Grey) sleeping in a glass coffin in the woods. He awakens her with a kiss and takes her back to the village. Logan, a local butcher, confronts Scott and warns him that the woman is more than she appears to be, and that she presents a threat now that she's awake.

Deadpool Corps

In Prelude to Deadpool Corps #2, Deadpool finds a universe where Prof. X runs a school for troubled kids. Cyclops is shown to be a little kid attending there who is constantly picked on by Kidpool.

References

  1. ^ X-Factor: Layla Miller #1.
  2. ^ New Exiles #9
  3. ^ New Exiles #15
  4. ^ Exiles #42
  5. ^ Ultimate X-Men #93
  6. ^ Ultimate X-Men #95
  7. ^ Ultimate X-Men #96
  8. ^ Ultimate X-Men #97
  9. ^ Ultimate X-Men #98