I AM The X-Men - Cyclops Appreciation 2023

[TheDeadSpace]

Annnd back to the story.

It had taken almost an hour for the team to get fully into position without tripping any alarms or being seen by any sentries. Nothing had happened yet, which was making Logan somewhat nervous. Things typically didn't go so well for the X-Men lately, especially not on covert missions, and especially not where Orchis was concerned. The current mission was keeping them from getting possession of a centuries old cache of...something that once belonged to Apocalypse. No one wanted Orchis to add celestial technology to the new breed of sentinels they were building. Except maybe the public. Business as usual for the X-Men, he supposed.

He cut his train of thought short as the psychic awareness of his teammates vanished. Tapping the earpiece radio carried as a backup, he spoke to the rest, hoping that they were still alive, preferably conscious. "Psylocke just dropped out. Everyone hold position except Wade. Cover me"

Wade Wilson came over the radio, as annoying as ever. "I'll have to catch up. Maximum Effort."

Running towards Psylocke's position Logan spoke into the radio in a half-whisper, half-shout. "Wade, I'm gonna kill you myself if you blow this. Until I lose count." He could see a male form standing over Psylocke as he closed in, but the scent threw him off and he stepped on a branch. "Summers? Haw are you not still dead, Scott?"

The figure was holding a flower he had likely taken from Psylocke. "You're the second person to refer to me as this Scott. The first tried to kill me."

"If you don't step away from the lady right now I'll be trying to kill you myself, except I'll be doing more than trying, bub."

The man who was not Scott Summers took a half step away from Psylocke's unconscious form. Logan could tell she was still breathing, then looked up into the face of the man, whose lips didn't seem to be mouthing the words he heard. "Death, but not. As are you, of that I am certain. I have many questions, but I will ask only one." The voice changed to ice. "Where...is En Sabah Nur?"

Logan answered with a SNIKT. "I think I'll ask you some questions after a bit of surgery. Our healers are pretty good, just as long as you're still breathin when I get you there." He charged, thinking to overwhelm his opponent before he could react.

"It seems I will have to ask elsewhere." The man blocked Logan's attacks for a short back and forth, then quickly sliced inside of his leg. An attack meant to slow pursuit rather than kill, but it was enough to enable a withdrawal.

Logan had smelled the two approaching, and guessed that the man who wore Summer's face must have heard them too and chosen to retreat.

"Want me to pursue, boss?" Deadpool had actually arrived on scene rather than messing things up. Maybe today wasn't a total wash. "I think I know what ol' one-eye is capable of."

"No, you don't." From the other direction, Laura Kinney came into view. "The stance, the moves. All entirely different from what I have ever seen him even attempt. We know only a few seconds of him at best."

Logan was already healing from from his wound, but before he could consider pursuit himself, the scent seemed to vanish. Not entirely, but what lingered was merely the remains. "Gone." He and Laura spoke in unison.

"I thought YOU had jumped the gun for a moment there. That place looks like the set of a Tarantino film. Until I saw what was left of the Sentinel." Wade was no longer joking, a rarity for him.

"What sentinel?" This was turning out to be a very bad day after all, Logan realized.

"One of those new Omega/Nimrod jobs. Some racist dweeb agrees to cyborg themselves...and well, it's not gonna get back up. The meat parts look like they have been dead for weeks, and the metal bits are actually rusting. Like, under the ocean for years rusting. Creepy as all hell if you ask me."

Logan turned to Laura. He hated being a leader of anything. And he certainly didn't like the new task of matching wits with one of the best.

Laura gave a grim assessment. "We have a version of Scott that isn't held back by fear of his powers, is much better at hand to hand, retrained by someone completely unknown to any of us." Logan gave her a look as she continued "I didn't recognize anything in his fighting style, and I doubt you did either. He seems to be able to pick up on who used to be a horsemen of Apocalypse if what I heard is any indication, so we should warn anyone else who had that particular...honor."

"And lastly.." Logan finished "he has the capability to single-handedly defeat a regenerating, adapting sentinel past the point of recovery, and do it quickly. See what we can salvage from there and call for pickup."

I'm liking the slow buildup and mystery so far. Wonder what's going on with that Scott?

"Sentinel, Welcome to Die!"

[Super-Cyke]

I am under the impression Marvel is bringing back the Ultimate universe. I know Cyclops died in that universe but I think they are re-booting the universe?

Any hopes for how they handle Ultimate Cyclops? I was never that into Ultimate X-men but I thought Ultimate Cyclops was pretty similar to his 616 counterpart. I'm not saying make him evil but would you like to see them do something pretty different with Ultimate Cyclops similar to The Maker being considerably different from 616-Reed?

[Kal-El Summers]

He should be allowed to do to Ultimate Pietro what he did to Mags at the end of Ultimatum. No fake outs or any other funny business.

[xiyon]

Procrastinating my report due a few hours from now, and randomly decided to try ChatGPT to answer an age-old question: Why do fans hate Scott Summers from the X-Men?

Fans' opinions can vary, and it's important to note that not all fans hate Scott Summers, also known as Cyclops, from the X-Men. However, there are certain factors that have contributed to a portion of the fanbase expressing dislike towards the character. Here are some reasons often cited by fans who may harbor negative feelings towards Cyclops:

Leadership Style: Cyclops is often portrayed as a serious and stoic leader, which some fans perceive as overly rigid or lacking in personality compared to other X-Men characters. Some fans prefer more charismatic or relatable leaders, and Cyclops' approach can come across as aloof or distant.

Moral Ambiguity: Throughout the comics, Cyclops has been depicted as a character who is willing to make tough decisions for the survival of mutantkind. This includes controversial actions and choices that some fans find morally questionable. For example, his decision to execute Professor X during the "Avengers vs. X-Men" storyline or his authoritarian stance during the "Schism" event.

Love Triangle: Cyclops has been involved in a long-standing love triangle with Jean Grey and Wolverine. This romantic entanglement has garnered mixed reactions from fans, with some feeling that Cyclops' behavior and choices within this dynamic have negatively impacted their perception of him.

Character Development: Cyclops has undergone significant character development over the years, with storylines that have portrayed him in both positive and negative lights. However, some fans feel that his characterization has been inconsistent or that certain story arcs have not done justice to his character.

Comparison to Other X-Men: Cyclops is often compared to other popular X-Men characters, such as Wolverine or Deadpool, who have garnered significant fan followings. Some fans may prefer these other characters' personalities or find them more relatable, leading to a comparative dislike of Cyclops.

It's important to remember that these reasons represent the perspectives of a subset of fans, and opinions on characters can vary greatly. Cyclops also has a significant fanbase who appreciate his leadership qualities, strategic mind, and dedication to the mutant cause.

For its next trick, write all my wildest fanfiction wishes, ChatGPT XD

[Omega Alpha]

I am under the impression Marvel is bringing back the Ultimate universe. I know Cyclops died in that universe but I think they are re-booting the universe?

Any hopes for how they handle Ultimate Cyclops? I was never that into Ultimate X-men but I thought Ultimate Cyclops was pretty similar to his 616 counterpart. I'm not saying make him evil but would you like to see them do something pretty different with Ultimate Cyclops similar to The Maker being considerably different from 616-Reed?

Frankly, very few of the Ultimate X-Men had any other personality other than jerk. You can do pretty much anything with him.

[AJpyro]

Frankly, very few of the Ultimate X-Men had any other personality other than jerk. You can do pretty much anything with him.

He finds out Professor X being a jerk and him being in a spat with Wolverine over Jean is Universal so he resolves to change all that, starting with cutting ties with the xmen.

[Kal-El Summers]

He finds out Professor X being a jerk and him being in a spat with Wolverine over Jean is Universal so he resolves to change all that, starting with cutting ties with the xmen.

Always thought this should've happened either before or after Rosencanny.

[Havok83]

Always thought this should've happened either before or after Rosencanny.

I kinda feel like thats what happened post AvX. He cut ties with the X-men, went on the run and proceeded to create his own branch of X-men, whom were not recognized as such by the main team

[Gray Lensman]

----We continue our story at a coffee shop in Belfast----

"When did I cease to matter?" Lorna Dane muttered to herself. She had just gotten a warning sent telepathically that she might be targeted by some bizzaro version of her ex's brother, and she was sure she was the very last person to be sent the message. Telepaths often forget that contact can work in both directions if they are unguarded, and Emma was certainly distracted nowadays.

"Come again? Your order is right here." The barista behind the counter must have overheard her and misunderstood things.

"Just complaining about work." she replied. The coffee itself here was only a little above average, but the cream used is the best she had ever tasted. Not the type of place Scott would have appreciated before being killed a year ago, and the resurrection protocols failed every time they attempted to return him. That man always took his coffee black, but at least he appreciated the right beans. It wasn't likely she had to worry about meeting him here, as he had been seen in Central America a few hours ago.

"We need to speak" A familiar voice spoke up from behind her.

Lorna reached out a little with her powers. Some metal objects that were ferrous, but seemed to slip out of her power's grasp despite merely attempting to size up what the man was wearing. And, something else..."The tattoos are new. But why under the hair?" She started towards a table with enough space on opposite sides to slow down any attacks, should they come.

"You'd have to ask her. You held his power once, but are now free of it. It's the only explanation." He sat down opposite her, sizing her up.

"Fast assessments already. You are the same in any version, Scott."

"Everyone who has called me that so far has tried to kill me. I don't know who your Scott is, but you may call me Balor."

"If you want my advice, take off the sunglasses. The you we know always wore the damn things, so it only makes you MORE recognizable." She avoided the subject, hoping to draw more out of him. As well as buy a little time. Pity Yana was off world doing something with the New Mutants, but Pixie would hopefully serve just as well for what she wanted.

"The fact that these people are doing well tells me you no longer bear the mantle of Pestilence." The way his mouth didn't match up with the words she was hearing was disconcerting. "How is it you were able to pass the mantle along without him killing you for failure?"

Lorna wished she could have had Pixie bring along Cypher as well, to get a guess as to what language he was really speaking, but the window was probably short and speed was important. The metals he was wearing that didn't react right, the odd translation effect, it all pointed to magic in her mind, and learning about that was the important part. She caught a glimpse of Pixie in the background. Good, extending the conversation might pay off after all. "Apocalypse doesn't ask, he takes. In my case, teammates were able to undo what he did and bring me back. How is it you can tell, so long after I was rid of it?"

"I just can. It's not anything I could do before my...return, I suppose I can say."

"You fought him." Lorna was making a statement, this was a surety now. If this was her universe's Scott, she'd guess that his previous possession might have resulted in the tracking ability he was displaying. But the fact that this version, this Balor, had battled Apocalypse from wherever he came from was a certainty in her mind.

-------And an early cut off for dinner, which has become ready faster than I anticipated.

[AJpyro]

----We continue our story at a coffee shop in Belfast----

"When did I cease to matter?" Lorna Dane muttered to herself. She had just gotten a warning sent telepathically that she might be targeted by some bizzaro version of her ex's brother, and she was sure she was the very last person to be sent the message. Telepaths often forget that contact can work in both directions if they are unguarded, and Emma was certainly distracted nowadays.

"Come again? Your order is right here." The barista behind the counter must have overheard her and misunderstood things.

"Just complaining about work." she replied. The coffee itself here was only a little above average, but the cream used is the best she had ever tasted. Not the type of place Scott would have appreciated before being killed a year ago, and the resurrection protocols failed every time they attempted to return him. That man always took his coffee black, but at least he appreciated the right beans. It wasn't likely she had to worry about meeting him here, as he had been seen in Central America a few hours ago.

"We need to speak" A familiar voice spoke up from behind her.

Lorna reached out a little with her powers. Some metal objects that were ferrous, but seemed to slip out of her power's grasp despite merely attempting to size up what the man was wearing. And, something else..."The tattoos are new. But why under the hair?" She started towards a table with enough space on opposite sides to slow down any attacks, should they come.

"You'd have to ask her. You held his power once, but are now free of it. It's the only explanation." He sat down opposite her, sizing her up.

"Fast assessments already. You are the same in any version, Scott."

"Everyone who has called me that so far has tried to kill me. I don't know who your Scott is, but you may call me Balor."

"If you want my advice, take off the sunglasses. The you we know always wore the damn things, so it only makes you MORE recognizable." She avoided the subject, hoping to draw more out of him. As well as buy a little time. Pity Yana was off world doing something with the New Mutants, but Pixie would hopefully serve just as well for what she wanted.

"The fact that these people are doing well tells me you no longer bear the mantle of Pestilence." The way his mouth didn't match up with the words she was hearing was disconcerting. "How is it you were able to pass the mantle along without him killing you for failure?"

Lorna wished she could have had Pixie bring along Cypher as well, to get a guess as to what language he was really speaking, but the window was probably short and speed was important. The metals he was wearing that didn't react right, the odd translation effect, it all pointed to magic in her mind, and learning about that was the important part. She caught a glimpse of Pixie in the background. Good, extending the conversation might pay off after all. "Apocalypse doesn't ask, he takes. In my case, teammates were able to undo what he did and bring me back. How is it you can tell, so long after I was rid of it?"

"I just can. It's not anything I could do before my...return, I suppose I can say."

"You fought him." Lorna was making a statement, this was a surety now. If this was her universe's Scott, she'd guess that his previous possession might have resulted in the tracking ability he was displaying. But the fact that this version, this Balor, had battled Apocalypse from wherever he came from was a certainty in her mind.

-------And an early cut off for dinner, which has become ready faster than I anticipated.

This is a fun fic. Did someone pull a soul yoink on Scott.

[Gray Lensman]

---back from dinner, so I can continue this piece which tends to shift a little as I write it (I only had that there was a conversation in my head to start with)----

"Long ago, by your reckoning. From Carthage to Karnak, battling his generals and their Sea Peoples..." The man who called himself Balor cut himself off. "I am more concerned with where he is now, not a past I know all too well."

"He doesn't visit much. I don't think anyone I speak to has seen him in the last couple of years. I suppose..." Lorna was cut off by the sound of dozens of screams from outside the building. Both she and Balor rushed to the exit, only to be confronted with a sight she thought had been dealt with months ago.

There were about a dozen ancient looking warriors cutting down random civilians, many of whom would die from blood loss in seconds if she didn't react immediately. Reaching out with her power, she willed the blood from a hundred victims to stay in their bodies. "Pixie! Deal with these goons!" It was the one at the center which frightened her, an aura about the man whose form was twisting into something monstrous as he shouted with rage.

"Where is it? It belongs to me! Where has she hidden it?" His features twisted, his limbs twisted as his knees reversed direction, with one eye vanishing into his head as the flesh twisted and enlarged. This, Lorna realized from both her old mythology elective in college and time spent with Syren, was Cu Chullainn. One of the ancient heroes the Enchantress brought back months ago to distract from her attempts to corrupt Yggdrasil, currently in the throes of his warp spasm. She couldn't face that and keep everyone alive.

Pixie had noted a sign declaring that a new exhibit was coming soon at the city zoo, with a date far out enough that the enclosures were probably built but the animals not yet there. A few mystic words, and teleportation disks sent them all to their cages. The man who looked like Mr. Summers darted forwards to engage with the greatest warrior Ireland had ever produced, easily dodging his attacks in a manner she could only compare to the bullet time effect that has become so overused in action films. Shockingly, in seconds the rampage was over, the mass of flesh twisting back into a man, cut down by blades that Balor had produced from underneath the coat he was wearing.

"Damn it!" Lorna cursed herself for acting before thinking where she was. Belfast was in the U.K., the very first Western nation to sign on with Orchis. One of their sentinels was bound to show up, and the people here needed her to keep them alive long after the damned murder-bot arrived.

"You, mage!" Balor shouted at Pixie. "Can you use any magics to help?"

"This isn't some RPG! I don't have that kind of magic!" What was wrong with this guy?

"Can you use....this?" The man held out his hands and an orb appeared in them, seemingly some kind of localized teleport.

She reached out for it, and felt life bursting out of it. The runes on it echoed in her mind, and she created teleport disks under each of the wounded, who reappeared in the same location, just with their wounds closed.

Before she could react the man snatched the orb back up. "Excellent. But I think we all need to be leaving this place soon..." The lingering question in his voice made it obvious he was asking for a name.

"Polaris. At least you don't seem alarmed or disgusted by what I do." Against her better judgement, Lorna found herself liking this version of Scott.

"Disgusted? My wife was a witchborn. I've no quarrel with any other than ones an individual creates. Or I have, through ignorance it seems."

"I'll let them know. Meghan, take us home."

After the disk returned them to a Krakoan portal, Lorna turned and spoke to her teen companion. "Good work with the goons back there. Whether or not it's great work depends on the other thing."

"I got a good look at him with a mystic eye, Ms Dane. And no one is gonna like what I saw."

---------------------------------

[TheDeadSpace]

Frankly, very few of the Ultimate X-Men had any other personality other than jerk. You can do pretty much anything with him.

I wouldn't mind if Ultimate Cyclops was rebuilt from the ground up.

---back from dinner, so I can continue this piece which tends to shift a little as I write it (I only had that there was a conversation in my head to start with)----

"Long ago, by your reckoning. From Carthage to Karnak, battling his generals and their Sea Peoples..." The man who called himself Balor cut himself off. "I am more concerned with where he is now, not a past I know all too well."

"He doesn't visit much. I don't think anyone I speak to has seen him in the last couple of years. I suppose..." Lorna was cut off by the sound of dozens of screams from outside the building. Both she and Balor rushed to the exit, only to be confronted with a sight she thought had been dealt with months ago.

There were about a dozen ancient looking warriors cutting down random civilians, many of whom would die from blood loss in seconds if she didn't react immediately. Reaching out with her power, she willed the blood from a hundred victims to stay in their bodies. "Pixie! Deal with these goons!" It was the one at the center which frightened her, an aura about the man whose form was twisting into something monstrous as he shouted with rage.

"Where is it? It belongs to me! Where has she hidden it?" His features twisted, his limbs twisted as his knees reversed direction, with one eye vanishing into his head as the flesh twisted and enlarged. This, Lorna realized from both her old mythology elective in college and time spent with Syren, was Cu Chullainn. One of the ancient heroes the Enchantress brought back months ago to distract from her attempts to corrupt Yggdrasil, currently in the throes of his warp spasm. She couldn't face that and keep everyone alive.

Pixie had noted a sign declaring that a new exhibit was coming soon at the city zoo, with a date far out enough that the enclosures were probably built but the animals not yet there. A few mystic words, and teleportation disks sent them all to their cages. The man who looked like Mr. Summers darted forwards to engage with the greatest warrior Ireland had ever produced, easily dodging his attacks in a manner she could only compare to the bullet time effect that has become so overused in action films. Shockingly, in seconds the rampage was over, the mass of flesh twisting back into a man, cut down by blades that Balor had produced from underneath the coat he was wearing.

"Damn it!" Lorna cursed herself for acting before thinking where she was. Belfast was in the U.K., the very first Western nation to sign on with Orchis. One of their sentinels was bound to show up, and the people here needed her to keep them alive long after the damned murder-bot arrived.

"You, mage!" Balor shouted at Pixie. "Can you use any magics to help?"

"This isn't some RPG! I don't have that kind of magic!" What was wrong with this guy?

"Can you use....this?" The man held out his hands and an orb appeared in them, seemingly some kind of localized teleport.

She reached out for it, and felt life bursting out of it. The runes on it echoed in her mind, and she created teleport disks under each of the wounded, who reappeared in the same location, just with their wounds closed.

Before she could react the man snatched the orb back up. "Excellent. But I think we all need to be leaving this place soon..." The lingering question in his voice made it obvious he was asking for a name.

"Polaris. At least you don't seem alarmed or disgusted by what I do." Against her better judgement, Lorna found herself liking this version of Scott.

"Disgusted? My wife was a witchborn. I've no quarrel with any other than ones an individual creates. Or I have, through ignorance it seems."

"I'll let them know. Meghan, take us home."

After the disk returned them to a Krakoan portal, Lorna turned and spoke to her teen companion. "Good work with the goons back there. Whether or not it's great work depends on the other thing."

"I got a good look at him with a mystic eye, Ms Dane. And no one is gonna like what I saw."

---------------------------------

You leave me continually stumped as to where this is going. That's a good thing, though.

[Gray Lensman]

I wouldn't mind if Ultimate Cyclops was rebuilt from the ground up.



You leave me continually stumped as to where this is going. That's a good thing, though.

I can only say that I already have figured out how, when, where, and who is responsible for it all. So it isn't some mystery box to be filled in later.

[TheDeadSpace]

I can only say that I already have figured out how, when, where, and who is responsible for it all. So it isn't some mystery box to be filled in later.

That's good to know. That being said, I'm lost when it comes to my own theories at the moment.

[Gray Lensman]

-----Back Again, Tell A Friend-----

Lorna leaned against a wall outside the Quiet Council in hopes of meeting them. When she and Pixie had returned, they had ushered the younger girl in and hadn't allowed her to speak with anyone else. It was looking as if Lorna was going to have to burst into the chambers herself if she was to get any answers when the weird alternate future member Rasputin stuck her head outside.

"Do not bother. Nothing she said was of use."

"Let me ask her..." Lorna was cut off by the doors closing again. "They've gotten worse than ever."

Her train of thought was cut off by loud footsteps coming down the corridor, or maybe the uncontained aura of anger surrounding the person those footsteps belonged to, a very angry Jean Grey.

"Have those bastards opened the door to their ivory tower yet?" Jean must be truly beside herself to be using such language to open a conversation.

"They opened the door long enough to tell me to go away, and that they decided Pixie told them nothing of value." Lorna continued "What do you know that I don't? It must be something big to have you this upset."

Jean stopped and took a couple of deep breaths. "Vulcan crashed here about an hour ago. Wounded by something powerful. The wound was putrefied to the point where I think he must have been using all of his power to stay alive, he looked like a zombie. Not that he lasted long."

"What could have done that?" Lorna was sure she already knew the answer.

"Balor." Jean shuddered for a moment. "Turns out Gabriel was amusing himself by summoning and killing alternate versions of Scott and Alex until he got..."

"More than he bargained for? Forgive me for not mourning for him Jean, but I got to see just what that man really was up close. We're better off."

"You weren't the one who got to dive into his head to see what happened. His body was so far gone he couldn't speak. I saw the moment it happened. Some version of Scott who moved like...I've copied hand to hand prowess from some very good fighters, Lorna, but what I saw looked leagues beyond anything I've had access to, with some kind of mystic arsenal on top of it. I didn't see what caused the wound, but he summoned a shield that bore Vulcan's full power. And that isn't our only problem. It turns out Apocalypse snuck some people through the protocols somehow."

Lorna thought of her conversation with him just hours earlier. "Four of them?" Jean nodded. "From the Bronze Age Collapse?"

"The one I saw had a bronze axe......you spoke with him?" Jean seemed surprised.

"He apparently sought me out." Noting the questioning look on Jean's face Lorna continued "Seems he can sense Poccy's former minions, and the active ones too I'll bet."

Jean suddenly winced. "Nico's in a panic...They've thrown Meghan into the pit!"

Lorna had had enough, with a motion from one arm, she ripped all the metal from the floors, the walls, anything nearby and slammed them into the door leading into the Council Chamber, weaving the metal into a lattice that incorporated the earth and rock that was ripped out with it into a stronger structure than either one alone, the softness of the earth absorbing any impacts that might connect with the metal. Simultaneously she was ripping the ground open to reach the underbelly of the island to reach the cells. With a scornful look, and a voice colder than even Bobby could have envisioned, Lorna spoke. "Do you want to stay here and continue to be lied to Jean, or do you want some actual answers. They wouldn't have done this is Meghan hadn't hit close to the truth."

Jean recovered from her surprise at just how quick Lorna had acted and lent her power to the excavation. "Xavier and Destiny are both calling him a servant of darkness. I don't want to believe it."

In mere moments, they found Pixie in the pit. She looked like she had been crying. Small wonder, Jean thought. She went into the chamber thinking she had helped solve a pressing issue at near record speed, and instead was given the harshest punishment Krakoa had. Even before she had pulled Meghan between them Lorna had started wrapping them all in a metal cocoon. Jean understood without any words that Lorna meant to exit on a suborbital arc, and prepared to use her telekinesis to act as additional shock absorption upon reentry, while acting to shield the pod now.

Pixie choked out a few hoarse words. "They'll be watching for you to visit Clea."

Lorna actually managed a sly grin "That's why we're going to see Jericho Drumm."

The cocoon shot into the sky at supersonic speed, and Jean caught one last thought from Pixie that was sure she wasn't meant to catch, that she would have given nearly anything not to have heard.."No. It...can't be..."

"Jean, what's wrong?" Lorna asked.

"He's...he's not a copy. He's our Scott!"