Can Cyclops Not Control His Powers Because of a Head Injury?

[CBR News]

In CSBG's latest spotlight on notable retcons, learn the tale of Cyclops' head injury as a child and its effect on his mutant powers!


Full article here.

[kevlon]

You would have thought that someone of Emma's ability should have been able to permanently remove any mental blocks.

So cyclops tries to help other mutants control their abilities but can't even control his own? Ridiculous.

[nightw1ng]

It never really made much sense what Whedon did, and no one else has referenced it since. I suppose it could be explained that Emma/Cassandra Nova rewired Scott's brain to bypass the brain damaged area so he could control his power, but it was only temporary and his mind eventually reverted to its natural state. The part about Scott remembering that he chose to give up control could just be explained away as a mental illusion.

[just another user]

So cyclops tries to help other mutants control their abilities but can't even control his own? Ridiculous.

Yes, Cyclops is ridiculous.

[ciscostudent561]

he should have full control of abilities
its dum

[MarvelMaster616]

As much as I love Joss Whedon's run on Astonishing, I don't like how he handled this issue. The head injury story worked nicely for years. I'm not saying it shouldn't have been retconned, but I wish he would've given more reasons to why Cyclops could suddenly control his blasts and why that control went away. He could've just said that Cyclops was putting those mental blocks back up, but he left it too vague and ambiguous. For most of his run, Whedon avoided that sort of thing and did it pretty well. That's what made the ending so unsatisfying. It felt rushed and crass. And the fact that nobody has really explored it again is pretty disappointing, not to mention a missed opportunity.

[ExodusCloak]

As much as I love Joss Whedon's run on Astonishing, I don't like how he handled this issue. The head injury story worked nicely for years.

It wasn't Whedons idea he's had a mental block since the Inferno. This was revealed in the final fight against Sinister. The article even posts the image but doesn't comment on the dialogue. Bizzare.

[Darth Phoenix]

he should have full control of abilities
its dum

Then they will remove one of his eyes to keep his codename.

[ZNOP]

It wasn't Whedons idea he's had a mental block since the Inferno. This was revealed in the final fight against Sinister. The article even posts the image but doesn't comment on the dialogue. Bizzare.

Actually, while Essex stated that he placed blocks on Scott's powers -- he also stated (in so many words) that he couldn't repair the damage to Scott's brain and resorted to other methods... The "Ruby Quartz" glasses.

[Rochedalaix]

Him not being able to control his powers because of a head injury is stupid, when he met Elixir or Triage healing his head injury should have been the first thing he asked for. During Childrens Crusade when he was being all butt hurt Scarlet Witch could have healed his head injury to stop him from whining. It being a head injury when there are so many ways to heal it nowadays is dumb.

[Kuwagaton]

Him not being able to control his powers because of a head injury is stupid, when he met Elixir or Triage healing his head injury should have been the first thing he asked for. During Childrens Crusade when he was being all butt hurt Scarlet Witch could have healed his head injury to stop him from whining. It being a head injury when there are so many ways to heal it nowadays is dumb.

I blame Wolverine writers for perpetuating this idea. Healing is not the same as regenerating. Not that there aren't ways to regenerate, but it doesn't have to be any more simple than the writers make it for such injuries to remain.

[AcesX1X]

and why exactly are we posting articles that make fun of the handicapped?

[ZNOP]

Him not being able to control his powers because of a head injury is stupid, when he met Elixir or Triage healing his head injury should have been the first thing he asked for. During Childrens Crusade when he was being all butt hurt Scarlet Witch could have healed his head injury to stop him from whining. It being a head injury when there are so many ways to heal it nowadays is dumb.

I blame Wolverine writers for perpetuating this idea. Healing is not the same as regenerating. Not that there aren't ways to regenerate, but it doesn't have to be any more simple than the writers make it for such injuries to remain.

If that were the case then, Scott could have asked the Morlock "Healer" to cure him decades before Elixir or Triage ever made the pages... Still, we're talking about brain damage here -- If healing Scott were just a matter of laying hands on him then Essex could have done so with the Celestial technology he had at his disposal -- So obviously, healing Scott's brain damage isn't as easy as some make it seem...

[Kuwagaton]

My post doesn't seem elaborate but yeah, that was my point. Healing shouldn't do anything for destroyed or missing tissue. Then came the '90s, way after Claremont had the trauma idea, where characters started regrowing intestines and what have you.

Really not sure why Whedon doubled back on his idea.

[Celestialbodies]

It never really made much sense what Whedon did, and no one else has referenced it since. I suppose it could be explained that Emma/Cassandra Nova rewired Scott's brain to bypass the brain damaged area so he could control his power, but it was only temporary and his mind eventually reverted to its natural state. The part about Scott remembering that he chose to give up control could just be explained away as a mental illusion.

But even this didn't make much sense, Scott had spent YEARS around both Xavier and Jean one his mentor the other his wife he shared a mental rapport with, there is no way NEITHER one of them noticed something like this!!!