I AM The X-Men - Cyclops Appreciation 2023

[Gray Lensman]

Not much time to work tonight, but tomorrow I should put up the next little bit, including the inciting event that led to Cyclops becoming Balor. Stay tuned!

[Sutekh]

Not much time to work tonight, but tomorrow I should put up the next little bit, including the inciting event that led to Cyclops becoming Balor. Stay tuned!

Just that sentence makes me want to read a fic where some X-folk get flung back in time, Cyclops and some of the less human-presenting mutants like Nightcrawler, and become the genesis of the legends of the 'freakish' Fomori, with their 'king' Balor with his deadly eye... Some pretty boy mutant (this story *has* to include Banshee!!) can even take on the role of Breas the Beautiful (but be remembered as 'a traitor' because his loyalty remained to his mutant people), etc.

[Gray Lensman]

once more into the breach.................


Lorna was pushing through the atmosphere are hypersonic speeds, hoping to catch up to Jean before she did too much damage in her anger. Meghan was left behind, as most teleporters hadn't fully recovered from the Orchis attack that had nearly cost the mutants their existence and Scott his life. Lorna corrected herself - Jean wasn't angry, she was near enraged. Not that this was a time to act normal, after the Council had locked up Meghan for learning too much, and she herself had ripped up a huge section of their home getting her out from it. Which worried her, everyone acting a little bit....off, even herself. As she came to the doors of the Limbo Embassy, she saw that one was hanging off to the side, barely clinging to position by a single hinge. The other was in the front yard of the building, some 20 meters from where it was supposed to be. Lorna quickly weaved her powers through the mystical metal of the door that was still at the entryway, pulling a small amount of the metal into a replica of her father's helmet and charging it with her own power. "Thoughts are electrical impulses, and those are under my control, not anyone else's." she spoke out loud as she put the energized helmet over her own head. She stumbled for a moment as her perspective shifted, the sensation of a fog she didn't realize was there being lifted away. "It has to be in the Council" she realized "And Jean spends more time with them than I do." Steeling herself, she flew in, with another chunk of the door following after her.

The scene that greeted her was about what she was expecting - most everyone and every...thing inside (this place was much bigger on the inside, such magic always made her queasy, with Lorna preferring science to sorcery) was already unconscious, and at the back was Jean, locked in battle with Madelyn. She didn't stop to try and hear what was being said, knowing that she had only an instant to make her play, slamming a nearly formed helmet onto Jean before she could turn around, and the shielding her from Madelyn striking while Jean was disoriented.

Madelyn was quick to realize that there was a second X-Man in her sanctum, but not as quick to realize the truth of the situation. "Unshield her! She needs to pay for her insolence!"

"Can't you tell she was being manipulated?" Lorna demanded "Or do you intend to be manipulated into doing someone else's dirty work for them yet again?"

The reaction was immediate "HOW DARE YOU! You can't possibly know what it is like to..."

"I'm the only one who can."

That response struck Madelyn with the force of a physical blow, as she recoiled for a moment, then turned back, with her rage subsided. "I suppose you are. What set the two of you after me?" Reinforcements had arrived, with more residents of Limbo coming in to aid their queen. "Help the others, no violence unless it is offered first."

"oh, my head..." Jean was stirring.

"We've been manipulated, for one." Lorna turned back to Madelyn "Although we do have some questions for you."

"About why Scott has a lingering aura of magic from Limbo." Jean continued "and is calling himself Balor."

"Balor.." The demons hissed as they drew back a step. It was obviously fear.

"That wasn't what I was expecting..." Lorna wasn't sure what she was going to learn here, but that Scott's new name could be used to frighten demons was certainly not one of her expectations. Things just got a whole lot weirder.

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

That's what I get for taking a nap, not enough time to do everything I wanted.

[AJpyro]

Neat. You got another hero vs "hero" misunderstanding fight out of tte way.

[Eskana]

Question for the Cyke experts...
Has there ever been a "what if" or something like it about what if Cyclops never joined up with the X-men? I know that his backstory has been written and rewritten... but I know it usually ties to Mr. Sinister, Jack O'Diamonds, and his time at the orphanage. What would have happened if, instead of being found by Xavier, Scott did become some kind of misguided mutant? I can see his younger "good soldier" attitude being manipulated to the wrong. I could see Sinister doing that, manipulating Scott into being his own little soldier while still using him for his DNA.

Was there anything like that, or some What If where Cyclops didn't ever join X-men?

[Gray Lensman]

Question for the Cyke experts...
Has there ever been a "what if" or something like it about what if Cyclops never joined up with the X-men? I know that his backstory has been written and rewritten... but I know it usually ties to Mr. Sinister, Jack O'Diamonds, and his time at the orphanage. What would have happened if, instead of being found by Xavier, Scott did become some kind of misguided mutant? I can see his younger "good soldier" attitude being manipulated to the wrong. I could see Sinister doing that, manipulating Scott into being his own little soldier while still using him for his DNA.

Was there anything like that, or some What If where Cyclops didn't ever join X-men?

There is a "What if Mr Sinister formed the X-Men?" story where he has Cyclops on the team, plus a version of Madelyn that is basically just a host body for Malice.

[Kurus]

IMG_1532.jpg
This might be one of the great takes on Cyclops.

[Ultimate Captain America]

I wrote a fanfic, "Thanksgiving With The X-Men", a sitcom with Cyclops trying to have a family party... but without taking into account that he has a really, really big family.

[nx01a]

I haven't made any offerings in this temple to Cyclops in far too long. Accept this gift.
cyclops banshee.jpg

[Kal-El Summers]

So, finally got around to looking at the preview thread for FotHoX and I was greeted to Scott in his 80's gear for some bizarre reason. Now, since X-office has already basically said that the present-day X-Men fail horribly(AGAIN), I'm expecting everyone in this cast to die by the end except for Logan. So now I'm just amusing myself imagining how Duggan's gonna have Scott bite it, lol.

Man, it's been a long time since I've been *this* checked out when it comes to the X-books.

[Havok83]

So, finally got around to looking at the preview thread for FotHoX and I was greeted to Scott in his 80's gear for some bizarre reason. Now, since X-office has already basically said that the present-day X-Men fail horribly(AGAIN), I'm expecting everyone in this cast to die by the end except for Logan. So now I'm just amusing myself imagining how Duggan's gonna have Scott bite it, lol.

Man, it's been a long time since I've been *this* checked out when it comes to the X-books.

Im sure his 90s costume must stink really bad by now. Gotta get him in some clean clothes when he makes a public appearance

[maxi_miceli]

So, finally got around to looking at the preview thread for FotHoX and I was greeted to Scott in his 80's gear for some bizarre reason. Now, since X-office has already basically said that the present-day X-Men fail horribly(AGAIN), I'm expecting everyone in this cast to die by the end except for Logan. So now I'm just amusing myself imagining how Duggan's gonna have Scott bite it, lol.

Man, it's been a long time since I've been *this* checked out when it comes to the X-books.

It is a show trial, so I guess they are dressing him up for the show, plus if the 90's suit was damaged (as it appears half of the time, the other half it appears perfect which doesn't really make much sense) making him show up for the trial in torn clothes would be bad PR.
95% chance that if he dies he is executed in that trial, and saving him is the key to undoing the bad future, sorta like preventing Senator Kelly's murder in DoFP

[Gray Lensman]

Right, back to it....A few more clues, and Lorna (finally) puts the pieces together. She's the one who used to be part of a detective agency, after all.


Lorna extended Jean a hand "Welcome back to the world of those in control of their faculties."

Jean reached out and slowly got up "Did I just imagine..."

"Let's check." Lorna looked at the closest remaining demon with a dark smile "...Balor" The demon hissed and took another step back as Lorna turned back towards Jean "Nope, I don't think that you did."

"Stop that." Madelyn growled "They are hard enough to keep under control as it is, without you invoking some kind of boogeyman at them."

"That boogeyman used to be Scott!" Jean was still a bundle of fury, the only difference is that she was contained fury.

"Is that what he is under it all, then?" Maddie had an interested expression "You'll have to tell me what this 'Balor' has been doing to get you two all worked up like this."

"You know something, don't you?" Jean half asked, half demanded "I think you know a lot more about this than you should."

Lorna decided to sate Maddie's curiosity "He's apparently killed Vulcan and a Nimrod-class sentinel single handedly, and I personally saw him kill Cu Chulainn in hand to hand combat in what I can only describe as a curbstomp. That enough for you?"

Madelyn didn't seem phased "Scott always had chronic hero syndrome when he wasn't down on himself, I shouldn't be surprised. You know he came here to see me before he died that last time?"

Lorna nodded no while asking Madelyn to continue.

"Seems some form of psychic backlash, trauma, or maybe just another bump on the head set some suppressed memories loose. Maybe all of them." She looked at Jean with a knowing expression.

"Now isn't the time to discuss that." Jean blurted out while seeming to withdraw into herself, she obviously knew exactly what Madelyn had brought up and it hurt to be reminded.

"We aren't here to talk about any of us, Madelyn. Please stick to the matter at hand." Lorna wasn't about to let things go off topic if she could help it.

"Very well. He helped me pick up on some repressed memories I had, or rather some old 'programming' from Sinister I would rather have let stay buried, except for the fact that there could have been more if I hadn't looked." Madelyn continued on "Oh, don't look at me like that, Lorna, this is fully relevant to what you are asking to know."

Lorna nodded again for Madelyn to continue.

"It seems I was just as bad a wife as I thought he was a husband. All part of Sinister's plan, of course. He needed Scott to be pushed away, and I followed my programming perfectly. Saying things to hurt him, dropping trigger phrases that pale bastard had implanted in Scott years ago. Scott had finally realized everything, and let me know as well. I hated him for it, even as, for a brief moment, I think I loved him again. I think that was when I must have done it, casting a spell subconsciously."

"What did you DO, Madelyn?" Jean was seething, but Lorna wasn't sure if it was at Madelyn, or herself.

"I gave him what he couldn't ask for out loud. What he was begging to know, but couldn't bring himself to admit, even to himself, much less you. Could he, if he wasn't carrying all that baggage, have been a better husband and father? Free of Charles, free of Sinister, free of the weight of being THE X-Man, what would he have been? I don't know where, or when, he was sent, but I knew he would be brought back beyond the reach of any of us, and he could finally see who he really was without all the weight he had been forced to carry for so long."

Jean wasn't willing to hear it any more, she grabbed Madelyn's cape and shouted directly into her face "And he's become this Balor!"

The demons again recoiled but new words could be heard behind the hissing "The Captain of Skye.."

And suddenly things snapped into place for Lorna "My God..it makes too much sense - that's why Cu Chulainn went down so fast, Scott knew all of his moves BECAUSE THEY HAD THE SAME TEACHER!"

Both Madelyn and Jean turned towards her and spoke in unison "What?"

"Balor...it's the name of the giant from Irish myth. He had to have picked up the name from somewhere familiar with it. The name, the runic tattoos...She was a master of runecraft and artifice, that could explain both Vulkan rotting while alive, and a Nimrod rusting apart..."

"Don't keep us in suspense, Lorna. Get to the point and spit out whatever name you are working towards.." Lorna wasn't sure which one said it, but she was still lost in the logic she was working on.

"Scholars say the Ulster Cycle is placed at about the start of the Common Era, but Sean once told Theresa and I that it really happened at the very start of the Iron Age, which would put it at the end of the Bronze Age Collapse..." Lorna was still arranging the thoughts towards her conclusion.

Jean filled in the next part "Which we know was caused by Apocalypse, whose former minions Balor seems to be able to sense...."

"Scott reappeared in immediate post Ulster Cycle Scotland, and became an apprentice of Scathach of Dun Scaith. The greatest warrior the world has ever seen, a slayer of gods, who is likely the one who grafted those runic tattoos on him, and that means he also has access to her armory."

Madelyn barked out an order "Bring the Great Book!" She then turned towards the other two "I remember reading something about her, and maybe them, recently. The idea of a woman who can defy gods appealed to me...for what you can imagine are rather obvious reasons."

Jean shook her head "I never read up on my Irish mythology, you'll have to fill me in."

Madelyn continued "As Lorna mentioned, she was the greatest warrior the world has ever seen, only able to be defeated by her sister, whom she was under Geas to be unable to harm, and that dog, who put his sword to her throat as she was sleeping and then declared he won the duel. Taught by the giantess Skadi, gifted with some form of precognition, and a creator of mystic weapons, the two most notable are Gae Bolga, called the Spear of Mortaity, and some sword later called Excalibur, though Merlin later claimed credit for it. There was something about her daughter, Uathach, gathering several champions to face a peril against the world, but that may only be recorded in Limbo, or in some texts only available to people like Strange."

....................

And dinnertime here, but some more stuff to come.

[gambitxremy]

https://x.com/joshuachayne/status/17...KqTw6z-sgsrizw

Hope is a summers here is the thread

[inEden]

When was the last time Cyclops was a major player in the X verse? I loved the Utopia era in Sans Franciso. Schism was forced and ended that era too early. Then Cyclops went rogue and wore that new red costume after Avengers vs X-Men. But he was still a big part of the X universe. I was so hyped when he got the Phoenix powers to fight Dr Doom only for him to get jobbed straight away where Doom broke his neck and killed him.

Then we had the inhumans thing where he died and Emma did her thing. That was where I dropped off. I couldn't take it anymore. Has he done anything good since then? He doesn't have to be the star like Astonishing X-Men with Whedon but he's the recognisable leader of the X-Men!

I rationalise it by saying Jean was gone for like 15 years I think? So maybe we need to be patient