For those who dislike him; does Cyclops' growing popularity bother you?

[Tonamelt]

I'm not the one who thinks everyone is wrong but Cyclops.

[dragonmp93]

I'm not the one who thinks everyone is wrong but Cyclops.

Well..........is more like that cyclops is never right and the avengers are ALWAYS right.

[Neowing]

Cyclops answer to all of you!

[jollygoldfish]

So according to you Marvel just let their writers fanboy-writing Cyclops even though it hurt their business because reasons...? Sorry I believe you're in the know but you have to come up with a better reason than "Marvel'd rather keep their writers happy than making a bigger profit"...

Yes, Marvel does just let their editors and writers fanboy-write Cyclops even with declining sales precisely because it doesn't really hurt their business.

1) Marvel makes most of its money from licensing and films not publishing. Before it started producing its own films, Marvel's top line was already around 67% licensing, 28% comics sales, 5% advertising. Once they started producing their own films, comics sales dipped to 17% of revenues. At the operating income line, the contribution from comics sales is even smaller (around 17% pre-film production, 11% post-film production).
2) The X-Men are only a small part of Marvel's publishing line-up. Sales of UXM make up around 2%-3% of total publishing sales. Even if sales halved, total publishing revenues would only be down 1-1.5% and it would be a blip on Marvel's top line. They can do what they want with the X-Men creatively without a meaningful impact on revenue.
3) As I've mentioned before, the new Marvel business model looks at publishing first as an incubator of ideas and then as a profit center. Quesada said it himself when asked how do comics fit with making movies: "We're the R&D for the company."

And 1) and 2) are before considering the Disney acquisition of Marvel where comics publishing revenues have an even more miniscule impact on overall revenues.

I don't think Cyclops is gaining any more popularity but to say he's the reason X-books have been selling less is ridiculous. Currently he's been featured prominently in just ONE book and that book only have b-list supporting characters plus new kids. Books like WATXM, AXM & X-Men are mostly filled up with A-list X-men, they should've sold better than the book with Cyclops in it, right?

Cyclops is the lead character of the flagship book and has been the focus of the X-narrative for years at the same time that the flagship has been bleeding its audience despite creative team changes. There was an uptick with AvX and Bendis' first year but sales for the last few issues haven't been great. On UXM sales vis-a-vis other X-books, it's expected that the flagship will sell better than other books in the lineup because readers want to read the stories that matter from a franchise perspective.

Here are the numbers. They speak for themselves.

[antiochene]

Cyclops is the lead character of the flagship book and has been the focus of the X-narrative for years at the same time that the flagship has been bleeding its audience despite creative team changes. There was an uptick with AvX and Bendis' first year but sales for the last few issues haven't been great. On UXM sales vis-a-vis other X-books, it's expected that the flagship will sell better than other books in the lineup because readers want to read the stories that matter from a franchise perspective.

Here are the numbers. They speak for themselves.

Correlation does not equal causation. All the numbers 'say' is that sales have been dropping. Why that's happening is a matter of interpretation. I'm not even saying that you're wrong; it's entirely possible that at least some readers have dropped off because they don't care for a character who has admittedly been given a lot of focus. But the numbers don't "prove" that.

ETA: Take Bendis's Uncanny. What's the drop really about? Too much Cyclops, or too many (dull) new characters? Decompressed storytelling, dislike of Bachalo's art? I would hazard a guess that 'all of the above' is a safe guess.

[From The Shadows]

This thread sort of brought home one of the reasons why I dont like Scott as much as I used to. Some of his fans. Not all but some. So much so I was resistant to express my opinion. Already we are asked a question - respond and get insults hurled at other characters or personal insults to posters. Are you not satisfied? Your character has been getting major pull for years and even now he has two books and is a major character, if not thee major character. Show some humility. Besides, this isnt really Cyclops anyway, he's basically Cyclops playing Wolverine. I will always prefer ole Dorkclops to Dudebroclops.

I really miss old Cyclops fans.

[Pharozonk]

I really miss old Cyclops fans.

I'm one. I prefer pre-Morrison Cyclops over the current Cyclops in name only Doucheclops we have right now.

[dragonmp93]

Yes, Marvel does just let their editors and writers fanboy-write Cyclops even with declining sales precisely because it doesn't really hurt their business.

1) Marvel makes most of its money from licensing and films not publishing. Before it started producing its own films, Marvel's top line was already around 67% licensing, 28% comics sales, 5% advertising. Once they started producing their own films, comics sales dipped to 17% of revenues. At the operating income line, the contribution from comics sales is even smaller (around 17% pre-film production, 11% post-film production).
2) The X-Men are only a small part of Marvel's publishing line-up. Sales of UXM make up around 2%-3% of total publishing sales. Even if sales halved, total publishing revenues would only be down 1-1.5% and it would be a blip on Marvel's top line. They can do what they want with the X-Men creatively without a meaningful impact on revenue.
3) As I've mentioned before, the new Marvel business model looks at publishing first as an incubator of ideas and then as a profit center. Quesada said it himself when asked how do comics fit with making movies: "We're the R&D for the company."

And 1) and 2) are before considering the Disney acquisition of Marvel where comics publishing revenues have an even more miniscule impact on overall revenues.



Cyclops is the lead character of the flagship book and has been the focus of the X-narrative for years at the same time that the flagship has been bleeding its audience despite creative team changes. There was an uptick with AvX and Bendis' first year but sales for the last few issues haven't been great. On UXM sales vis-a-vis other X-books, it's expected that the flagship will sell better than other books in the lineup because readers want to read the stories that matter from a franchise perspective.

Here are the numbers. They speak for themselves.

So you agree that cyclops is still the most important x-men, huh ?

[From The Shadows]

I'm one. I prefer pre-Morrison Cyclops over the current Cyclops in name only Doucheclops we have right now.

Me too. :-D

[Tonamelt]

cyclops is never right and the avengers are ALWAYS right.

Wait, what was that?

cyclops is never right and the avengers are ALWAYS right.

Come again?

cyclops is never right and the avengers are ALWAYS right.

Love it.

[dragonmp93]

This thread sort of brought home one of the reasons why I dont like Scott as much as I used to. Some of his fans. Or should I say Nuclops fans. Already we are asked a question - respond and get insults hurled at other characters or personal insults to posters. Are you not satisfied? Your character has been getting major pull for years and even now he has two books and is a major character, if not thee major character. Show some humility. Besides, this isnt really Cyclops anyway, he's basically Cyclops playing Wolverine. I will always prefer ole Dorkclops to Dudebroclops.

I really miss old Cyclops fans.

Well given that most questions (and arguments) are like: why people even like this "#$%&/(#$% ?, why cyclops' fans cant admited that _(character of your preference)_ was right ?, why cyclops is not in jail, after all he has _(anything that is suddenly and only wrong/illegal when cyclops does it)_ ? or why cyclops is being such irrational #$%&/% ?; so is more like of a case of ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer.

And is not like other character's fans are less defensive, otherwise they wouldnt be so aggressive when they are reminded that their favorite characters also had done bad things or almost as often, they did the same thing that cyclops did.

[dragonmp93]

cyclops is never right and the avengers are ALWAYS right.

Wait, what was that?

cyclops is never right and the avengers are ALWAYS right.

Come again?

cyclops is never right and the avengers are ALWAYS right.

Love it.

cyclops is never right and the avengers are ALWAYS right.

[From The Shadows]

It may be hard for you to believe that there was a point when I used to be a huge Cyclops fan. Up until Morrison's run, he was definitely one of my favorite X-Men. However, after he cheated on Jean with Emma, it started a downward spiral for the character that he hasn't recovered from since. The current version of Cyclops is nothing like the character who once led the team triumphantly in the Claremont or even Simonson days. At least when Simonson wrote him X-Factor, she put him through an arc of redeeming him after he left Madelyne for Jean and became a better character for it, since he was genuinely apologetic for it and accepted that he was partly to blame for Maddy's descent into evil. THAT'S the Cyclops I like: a leader who can accept responsibility for his actions and move past them to make the right decisions, not act like a militant, douche as he has been for the past decade almost.

This is pretty much it for me.

Also, I really dont hate Cyclops perse but annoyed with his portrayal and his constant hogging of all things X at the expense of others. I'm quite fatigued much like with Wolverine.

[Dupe1979]

I'm not sure his popularity is increasing... I sort of assumed he was being pushed to the forefront not because of a surge of popularity or even because the editors particularly like him, but simply because he was a property that the competition (FOX), for the most part had marginalized and abandoned.

With the reboot of the FOX movie-verse and the reappearance of Scott Summers, if after their next planned release they turn around and decide to focus on the "Summers Rebellion" as a core plot, what will happen to the 616 version of Scott then? Probably something pretty similar to the treatment Xavier has been getting for the last ten years.

[keeper444]

Cyclops is the lead character of the flagship book and has been the focus of the X-narrative for years at the same time that the flagship has been bleeding its audience despite creative team changes. There was an uptick with AvX and Bendis' first year but sales for the last few issues haven't been great. On UXM sales vis-a-vis other X-books, it's expected that the flagship will sell better than other books in the lineup because readers want to read the stories that matter from a franchise perspective.

Here are the numbers. They speak for themselves.

again, all comics not just uncanny sales has gone into decline, you have to take that into account. I don't see any mayor variations of the sales since 2009 (518), if sales doesn't drop marvel editors will be renuent to make mayor changes given that any other supposed flagship book has sunk, if they produce any other comic that rivals uncanny sales constantly (without scott leading it) I will expect things to change, but it will be dumb for them to axe his most stable selling book just to take a chance.