Cyclops Could Fix His Eyes, But There's Good Reason Not To

The leader of the X-Men is brain damaged, but Cyclops refuses to fix his eyes - and why that makes him a better leader than Professor X.

Warning: SPOILERS for X-Men Annual #1

Marvel's Cyclops may have a serious weakness in mutant abilities, but the leader of the X-Men actually prefers that weakness - and his reasoning proves why he would make a better team leader than Professor Xavier . Scott Summers is known for his ability to keep his cool in combat, but he's mostly known for concussions; while powerful, he needs a special visor to focus the beam...and he can't Control your own abilities. Still, X-Men Annual #1 shows that Cyclops himself doesn't even consider this a weakness, but a strength.

Cyclops was one of the first X-Men to be introduced, but was notoriously weak even in X-Men Extraordinary #1. Scott Summers was forced to wear his special visor in combat and a pair of red sunglasses with ruby ​​quartz lenses when off duty; all other eye protection would be shattered by the concussive blast in his eyes. The explosion can only be stopped by closing your eyes, but that's not an option in combat. While all of the original X-Men have weaknesses, Cyclops is the only mutant who can't "turn off" his powers, much like the Fantastic Four.

In X-Men Annual #1, by Artwork by Steve Foxe and Andrea Di Vito, X-Men member Cyclops and new mutant Mars are hot on the trail of the terrorist mutant Whirlwind who threatens to detonate a bomb in the city. Cyclops and Firestar search for the device, and Firestar uses her powers to detect traces of radiation. The conversation turned to powers with associated weaknesses, and Firestar asked Scott if he ever asked the Five to fix his brain damage after being resurrected. "Not once," Cyclops asserts, "and I've had more chances than I'd like to admit."

Cyclops Refuses To Fix His Eyes - But Professor X Fixes His Spine

Five can selectively edit parts of the mutant's new body, removing weaknesses. This is what allowed Professor Xavier to walk after the Dawn of X reboot: He wanted to regain full control of his body and remove any obstacles in his path to Krakoa as his new home. But Cyclops knows the true power of his weakness: it forces him to think twice before acting. Cyclops, perhaps because of this, has always been a cautious and level-headed character, free from the moral issues of Xavier's behavior in the post-reboot.

The miracle of mutant resurrection is one of the most powerful technologies the X-Men possess Once deployed, it enables them to rise from the dead with incredible speed. It also allows them to selectively edit their bodies, strengths and abilities - but while Professor Xavier is more than happy to do so, Cyclops refuses. Cyclops considers all aspects of every situation, which is what makes him one of the X-Men's best leaders.