I Can Be So Much More
Spinning off of the discussion of the previous post, I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to explain why Cyclops (along with Storm) is not only my favorite X-Man but my favorite comic book character.
Usually when I tell people this, the reaction I often get is along the lines of:
“You like Cyclops? Really? What the hell is wrong with you man?”
And it’s understandable because he hasn’t always been portrayed in the most positive light. Let’s keep it real, he was a douchebag. And for years he got on my nerves being Xavier’s apple polisher/personal jockstrap.
But over the years, he’s evolved as a character. And before I knew he became my other favorite X-Man alongside Storm.
I think I like Scott Summers because I can relate to him, just as I can relate to Storm.
Being the first son and the alpha overachieving golden boy perfectionist, I see a lot of myself in Scott. He’s the guy that never questioned his (surrogate) father Xavier and on the cusp of manhood he woke up one day and realized he needed to forge his own path which doesn’t always gel with what your parents have in mind. I think that’s something most firstborns can relate to. You’re often pressured to be perfect to lead the other (siblings/teammates) and set an example but along the way you realize you have to become your own person.
Maybe it's because I always thought he had a really cool power. Maybe it's because of the glasses. Guys in glasses are hot. TRU FAX! TRU FAX!!!!
On a personal note, I’ve always been a sucker for the cleancut vanilla slice of whitebread. Because let’s be real, Scott is fine as hell. Those frequent shirtless panels. GOOD GAWD ALMIGHTY!!!! The things I would do to that man. And when James Marsden (future hubby #2) was cast as Cyclops, I had a nerdgasm and an orgasm all in one. ROFLMAO!!!
They fascinate me. I guess there’s a level of innocence and idealism there that speaks to me. To quote Alanis Morrissette, “And I am fascinated by the spiritual man, I’m humbled by his humble nature.”
People gripe about Superman being boring or bland but personally I think there’s so much more dimension to him than most people give him credit for. Granted he’s not always written in the most complex manner (for that matter neither is Scott) but I’m always intrigued by someone who has the powers of a god and his only weakness, moreso than kryptonite, is also his greatest power. His strong sense of self, moral ethics and doing the right thing even though said godlike powers would corrupt almost anyone else.
Scott is still the boy scout and still the straight arrow. But now he’s got an edge to him. All the life experiences and trials (such as losing Jean) have made him evolve in unexpected manners. He’s the good boy that’s gotten a taste of being bad and he’s trying so hard to walk the fine line of handling it.
Hell you know you’ve become a certifiable badass when you’ve got a worried Wolverine worried telling you that you’re getting too extreme and too hardcore.
Cyclops has become a master strategist and has pulled some plays that would impress Batman. For instance, during Dark Reign, he and the X-Men clashed with Norman Osborn and his crew of Dark X-Men. Even though though Norman beat the living hell out of Scott, Scott played him and outwitted him by inviting the media to witness the fight and thus tying Norman’s hands. And during the recent vampire storyline (which shockingly was a hell of a lot better than I would’ve dared guess), Scott pulled a fast one and outwitted everyone including the other X-Men by outwitting Xarius and Dracula. Even Emma, his telepathic girlfriend, never found out whether or not Scott was bluffing.
I strongly think that Cyclops is going to be the best leader for X-Men and mutants (as well as Storm) because he’s the best of both worlds as far as Xavier and Magneto goes. He has Xavier’s idealism and still continues to fight for a peaceful co-existence. However with only a few hundred mutants left, he knows he don’t have time to fuck around and as such he also has Magneto’s pragmatism and isn’t above handling business by any means necessary such as forming the black ops team: X-Force.
Which I think it’s cool seeing the boy soldier come into his own.
A brilliant strategist, still a boy scout, but now a straight arrow with an edge, he could be considered a hybrid of Superman and Batman which is something I definitely enjoy.
But yeah, that’s why I like him. And I look forward to seeing how he evolves next.