I AM The X-Men - Cyclops Appreciation 2023

[Arthas]

Let's try and get back to it here.....

Emma shifted to her diamond form and prepared for the onslaught of the Hand, but before her shift was complete the other woman had rushed into combat, sword flashing in and out, every stroke a lethal one. "No you fool! He'll mimic..." Her words trailed off as she saw Taskmaster's hands reach up to his head as he convulsed and fell to the ground. She ran over, not bothering to check on her temporary companion.

She removed Taskmaster's skull mask only to see his eyes were rolled back into his head and his mouth was foaming. She crushed his telepathic dampener with her enhanced strength before shifting back to her normal form and tried to probe his mind, pulling back almost immediately. Somehow, trying to duplicate the style of his adversary was too much, and it had overloaded him. There wasn't anymore she could determine before being at risk of ending up like him. She looked up at the dark haired woman "Who, or what, are you?"

"More than he could handle, Queen of the Knitting Circle." The mocking had returned. "I have what I need. I leave the rest to you and your needles."

For Emma, the mocking over the Hellfire Club being so little had finally made her lose composure, and she shouted into the darkness the other woman was fading into "And what about you? What are you the Queen of?"

The reply came in a whisper. "Shadows...."

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

Meanwhile, in New Orleans, a metallic egg streaks down at near supersonic speed only to halt suddenly before crashing into the vestibule of a nondescript building in the French Quarter. It appears to melt rather than open, revealing three women who step out. Jean Grey, Lorna Dane, and Meghan Gwynn look around, and approach the front door, which opens before they can knock.

A dark skinned man with graying hair is in the doorway. "I suppose I should thank you for not crashing into the sidewalk. What is it you wish of Brother Voodoo?"

Polaris answers while the other two are still processing what was said before she launched the cocoon from Krakoa. "I need you to verify what this one saw, if possible." She gestured towards Pixie.

"I presume this is urgent?" He was already moving out of the doorway and motioning them to enter.

"I thought we would be seeing someone else." Jean said, still processing Pixie's last words.

"They'd be watching for us to go there. Mr. Drumm is easily as accomplished as anyone other than Strange, and I don't think the difference is all that much. Plus, no one seems to remember that fact." Polaris turned from Jean to Voodoo. "If we link you to a memory, can you use any mystic senses on what she saw? Or at least verify it?"

"I won't be able to see anything she didn't, I'm afraid." He continued "But I will be able to interpret better. A matter of experience and training you don't have yet, young one."

"I don't want to believe it." Jean said.

Meghan immediately blurted out in response "I can prove it!"

"Enough!" Chided the older man. "Link us so I can see her memories."

Jean concentrated and nodded that the link was done.

Pixie didn't start with the memory they were expecting. "This is Rachel. This is Bishop. This is Rasputin. They all have an aura that is slightly off, like anyone not from here and now has. Cable's is a strange blend, that doesn't seem to match..."

"Nathan was born in this timeline, but was sent to the future because we didn't have the ability to deal with his infection here." Jean filled in the blanks

"Which explains the oddity, but that isn't why you are here, is it?" Voodoo asked

"No, when Lorna was talking to some weird version of Mr. Summers...well....I scanned with mystical senses and got some weird stuff" Pixie continued.

Voodoo's voice picked up in interest as the proper memory came into view "I see...you saw more than you understand, child. He does belong to this world, but the really interesting thing is the additional auras you picked up on his head and back. It shouldn't be possible."

"What shouldn't be possible?" Lorna wanted to get all of the information possible now that more seemed to have been gathered.

He continued "These are from runic tattoos. It takes a decade or more to prepare just one, yet here are two in place on a mortal, and advanced ones at that. I can only identify the first, the second is....it will take some research, but it likely took a lifetime to prepare, so I can't figure out how he even has it."

Jean interjected "So he must have been altered by someone very old. This isn't him....not really."

"You don't understand, Miss Grey. Creating runic magic involves very complicated formulas that involve the subject being marked - that lifetime of research couldn't start until your Scott was present. When it will be done, where, what season, who, what intention...Runic magic is only truly understood by immortals, and...I'm so stunned by the second rune I forget to explain the first. The first protects the mind of the person it is on. I doubt even your considerable power could force this man to act contrary to his own will, no matter how you boost it. Maybe not even the manifestation of Eternity could do so now....THAT is the power of runic magic, and that is the LESSER of the runes on him."

Lorna spoke up while Jean and Meghan were still stunned by what Brother Voodoo had just said "So it would have to be some form of amnesia if he doesn't remember friends and family then?"

"Perhaps. No outside force could do anything....well, no outside force could cause him mental harm after the rune was in place. Perhaps something drastic was done previous, but that couldn't cause a change in Who. He. Is. The rune would prevent it, and it is beyond my power, even when I was Sorcerer Supreme." His voice broke for a moment as something else Meghan had picked up yet not understood "This man has been through the fires of Limbo..."

"Limbo...." Jean's voice trailed off as her face twisted into a mask of rage. "Limbo." She said again, in a voice colder than ice. Mental contact was broken and she burst out the front door and flew into the sky.

"Where's she going, Miss Dane?"

"I think I know where...just....stay here and try to learn something. I hate dealing with exes, especially when they have new loves and I don't." Polaris then flew out after Jean, hoping she could catch her before she started a fight.

Man, I was missing this.

Really glad to see another chapter.

The "Queen of the Knitting Circle" bit was funny but I would change this line :-

For Emma, the mocking over the Hellfire Club being so little had finally made her lose composure,

to

For Emma, the mocking of the Hellfire Club finally made her lose composure,

It flows better IMO.

Nice to see some mention of Voodoo's abilities & history here.

Looking forward to the Maddy/Jean+Lorna Showdown.

Also did they really ditch Pixie just like that? :P

[Gray Lensman]

Meanwhile, underneath the streets of Brooklyn...

Miles was staring in disbelief at what should have been a scene of carnage, but was surprisingly bloodless. The man he was sure was Cyclops had walked into the front door of a hidden SHIELD facility, and fought his way through dozens of armed agents with a pair of swords. None of the agents were dead, he had checked himself, but they were out cold and weren't waking up when he shook them. The man who did it was dodging machine gun fire better than he could himself, despite displaying no enhanced speed or agility. He did block a bullet with one of the blades a couple of times, but mostly he just walked through the hail of bullets like he was in an old, low budget action movie. Miles had been in one of these facilities before, it was where SHIELD held prisoners off the books, typically because they would have to turn them over to a different agency if they were known.

"Are you going to ask me whatever it is you have been following me to ask?" the man who looked like Cyclops asked in a moment of brief calm.

Miles tried to answer but the voice that came out wasn't his own. "What makes you think I have need to ask any questions, Balor? After all the strings I have pulled to get you and this boy to meet?"

"Let him go, Anansi. I don't remember you needing to take bodies in order to talk before." This...Balor, he was getting angry, and at someone he apparently knew.

"I foolishly did something that ended up elevating me. Now I'm bound outside of direct interference with the mortal world. I almost wish I hadn't done it. Almost." The tone was mocking. Miles only wished he could get control of his body.

"Don't force me to find where you are...and..." Balor's voice trailed off into an unvoiced threat.

"You don't even know this boy, Balor. Would you really fight me, in all my newfound....well, new to you anyways....my newfound power, over some stranger?" When was this going to be over?

"I've fought gods before. Now. Let. Him. Go." The anger was rising.

"I think the required message has been delivered." With that, Miles' head slumped slightly before he regained control over his own body, and started to speak for himself again. "Would you really have done that? Fought a god over some dumb kid?"

The familiar man thought for a moment and answered "He has his life and you have your own. He has no right to take it. That's part of what we fought against, last we saw each other."

"You ARE him. I don't know how much you've forgotten, but you ARE him." Miles knew THIS was the message he was meant to discover, why he had been possessed for those few moments. The West African trickster deity had wanted to provoke this reaction, so that someone would realize that no matter what else was lost, the man underneath the different name and memories was the Scott Summers he has once fought alongside, as a Champion. The only question was what to do with this knowledge.

"Well, it's good to see that the years haven't dampened your integrity." A voice called out from behind them, coming from a young bearded man.

Balor/Cyclops turned around and sized the man up for a brief moment. "Diomedes! You look....young. I came as soon as I figured out you were being held."

"You didn't do anything permanent, I hope? They were just doing their duty. Pity I couldn't get their leaders to listen. They just kept asking the same questions and ignoring my answers." The man and Balor/Scott embraced for a moment, before he continued "So THIS is where, or rather, WHEN, you originally came from, Balor. I think they will be needing you again."

"Wait, you know he's from..." Miles was pointing at both of them, suddenly lost with the revelation.

"Oh, I know he literally fell out of the sky one day, not knowing where he came from or even his own name. But he could see weak points in unbreakable hides, the exact point to make an army crumble, or right where to topple a fortress wall. I recall wishing we had him at Troy." Diomedes seemed excited to recall old times. Very old times indeed.

Balor was having none of it, however. "It took me years to accept I wasn't going back to..."

Diomedes continued, speaking more to Miles than anyone else. "Eventually we all accepted that he was beyond the reach of where he came from. I think he and that princess were the last two to accept it." He turned, now speaking to his old friend "I'm sorry, Balor, but I don't think whatever brought us back also worked for her. The tale of what we did is entirely forgotten."

"I....know" Scott/Balor knew, but didn't seem at peace with the reality of the situation. "I saw Istar when I reappeared. I think the others are returned, somehow, as well. We'll have to do our deeds all over again, if this world is to have a chance." Just like the Cyclops Miles knew, once the talk turned from personal issues to the business at hand, it was like flipping a switch.

"You'll figure out a way." Diomedes turned once again to Miles "That's why we called him Balor. For his eyes see straight to the destruction of his enemies, like the giant of old from the land where he ended up after being exiled from this one. Are you coming along with us? We can certainly use the help, and you seem to have gifts similar to our old trickster friend who is no longer with us."

Miles shook his head to decline. "I know a couple others who he once knew, one of whom was already asking about his return. I think I had better get them on board before vanishing."

"Then I suppose we had better get out of this place before reinforcements come looking for us. Fare thee well, young warrior." With a small bow, Diomedes left, with Scott/Balor alongside him. All business, just like the Scott he once was.

After getting a safe distance, Miles pulled out his phone and made a call. "Kamala, it's me. I just bumped into our mystery Scott. Yes, it's really him, but he doesn't remember anything. Amadeus is with you? Where? I'll be there as fast as I can, there's a lot to tell and it's really weird. Of course I'm in. He pulled you back from the abyss, we owe it to try and do the same in return."



Next up, a trip to Limbo! And Pixie takes Brother Voodoo on a small side trip to Clea's vaults.

[FluffyCyclopsRLZ]

Alright, back from my "I still can't believe how stupid that RESIST thing was/Has everyone in the entertainment industry gone insane" break. Have literally not read a single page of X-books/Forum threads since then. Here's a few jaded predictions/requests for updates.

1. That Duggan book with the Cyke cover was released this month, right? Sooo... based on Duggan's track record and Disney's current agenda, Cyke was barely - if at all - in it and the whole thing was about Kitty, Kamala and their Uncanny Friends standing/sitting around and talking about their feelings. Bonus points if they were passive-aggressively bitching about Xavier's toxic masculinity ruining everything. Yay or Nay?

2. Laughable MCU synergy aside, I haven't the faintest idea what Contest of Chaos is supposed to achieve. I suppose Scott and Carol was an objective-driven match? I mean, there'd be no actual contest otherwise, right? Sooo... based on the overall industry's recent track record/agenda, Scott got the win by focusing on the actual objective, getting his ass beaten a whole lot, hurting Carol's feelings super hard and then telling her she's the greatest being that ever lived for basically getting over herself. Yay or nay?

[Braxxer]

Alright, back from my "I still can't believe how stupid that RESIST thing was/Has everyone in the entertainment industry gone insane" break. Have literally not read a single page of X-books/Forum threads since then. Here's a few jaded predictions/requests for updates.

1. That Duggan book with the Cyke cover was released this month, right? Sooo... based on Duggan's track record and Disney's current agenda, Cyke was barely - if at all - in it and the whole thing was about Kitty, Kamala and their Uncanny Friends standing/sitting around and talking about their feelings. Bonus points if they were passive-aggressively bitching about Xavier's toxic masculinity ruining everything. Yay or Nay?

2. Laughable MCU synergy aside, I haven't the faintest idea what Contest of Chaos is supposed to achieve. I suppose Scott and Carol was an objective-driven match? I mean, there'd be no actual contest otherwise, right? Sooo... based on the overall industry's recent track record/agenda, Scott got the win by focusing on the actual objective, getting his ass beaten a whole lot, hurting Carol's feelings super hard and then telling her she's the greatest being that ever lived for basically getting over herself. Yay or nay?

There is a hope Scott is going to have a big role in 2024. In promo art he takes Xavier’s place while Jena takes Moira’s place

[Cap808]

I saw the discussion about Scott fanfiction, and I know of a fanfiction version of Scott that is pretty damned cool. If you ever get the chance, check out a story called X-Men - The Beautiful People on fanfiction.

[Ra-El]

There is a hope Scott is going to have a big role in 2024. In promo art he takes Xavier’s place while Jena takes Moira’s place

First he will admit to every accusation made by Orchis, probably because they have Kid Cable, then go to trial until Kitty can rescue him.

Then he will continue cameoing during Brevoort's tenure.


But seriously, in the last x-men monday, White basically confirmed what we knew. Some characters are just too big to not have a place in some regular book, so as long as they are available they find some place to keep them. He named Cyclops as an example.

And is what we have seen during the Krakoa era, Cyclops is alive so they find some book for him, even if his only role in it is background/damsel in distress.

[RadarBlackout]

I was just thinking, what if present day Scott dies in this death penalty and cleans mutants image for humans and the O5 coming to present from Original X-Men is another teen version of Scott?

[GoingGreen]

Thanks to some great suggestions in here when I asked for some iconic Cyclops reads, I've really fallen in love with Scott in recent months. I just want to come in and say, as a Polaris fan, y'all are SEEN and FELT and I totally understand why you feel this era hasn't been killer for one of the most important mutant figures of all time. It's like in a show about politics... you know there is a president, but the show isn't about the president. That's what the Krakoan era has felt like for Scott, in my eyes.

But I'm REALLY excited for this next step for him. Writers don't know what to do with him when mutants are thriving, but he's so imperative when mutants are at their worst. I'm really hopeful what he's going through right now will lead to a defining era for him.

[Gray Lensman]

Thanks to some great suggestions in here when I asked for some iconic Cyclops reads, I've really fallen in love with Scott in recent months. I just want to come in and say, as a Polaris fan, y'all are SEEN and FELT and I totally understand why you feel this era hasn't been killer for one of the most important mutant figures of all time. It's like in a show about politics... you know there is a president, but the show isn't about the president. That's what the Krakoan era has felt like for Scott, in my eyes.

But I'm REALLY excited for this next step for him. Writers don't know what to do with him when mutants are thriving, but he's so imperative when mutants are at their worst. I'm really hopeful what he's going through right now will lead to a defining era for him.

Thanks for the sentiment. And while it's only posted here, I am trying to use Polaris as one of the important characters for my little ficlet posts. Hopefully I do well by her.

[gambitxremy]

https://x.com/richieterrones/status/...KqTw6z-sgsrizw


I’m going to throw this here

[Digifiend]

A new Edge of Spider-Verse mini has been announced. And the first issue has a Spider-Cyclops!
https://www.gamesradar.com/spider-cl...-spider-verse/

[SpiderClops]

A new Edge of Spider-Verse mini has been announced. And the first issue has a Spider-Cyclops!
https://www.gamesradar.com/spider-cl...-spider-verse/

I am official now. Yay!!!

[Ra-El]

I am official now. Yay!!!

Hopefully Kal-El Summers will be next one.

[Super-Cyke]

Hopefully Kal-El Summers will be next one.

This was an underutilized idea in the Ultimate universe.

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[xiyon]

I am official now. Yay!!!

Congrats. A Cyke whose mantra is with great power comes great responsibility? How DO you manage with the crippling anxiety? XD