Originally Posted by
Gray Lensman
He had some really good development during the Second Coming buildup and aftermath, where he had to rise up to the occasion in the darkest of times, and do things he would have found horrific before - making the choice between possibly being seen as a villain or even monster to those who would survive, or a hero to those who would soon be extinct. I would like to have seen him come back from that to something more like his old self, but reconciled with what he had to be - not simply the stupid "Cyclops was the wrongiest wronger to have ever wronged" narrative Marvel wanted to push - but a realization that he was forced to do things that were necessary even if they were morally wrong, and dealing with the aftermath and road back closer to what he wants to be rather than merely what he had to be. There's a big difference between those two interpretations.
I'm drawn to characters who feel like outsiders even among other outcasts. Cyclops, Martian Manhunter, Nexus - although with Cyclops it was because I was a tall, skinny, brown eyed, glasses wearing guy who had trouble speaking his feelings (and was pining for a redhead whose name began with the letter J) - plus my middle name is actually Scott.
X-Men Evolution is probably the best alternate media Cyclops, but a few episodes of the 90's show flashed potential, the X-Men anime did a very good post-Phoenix saga Scott, and even Wolverine and the X-Men was able to show Scott as someone who could stand up to his rival in a fight - because pushovers make poor rivals and weigh both sides down.
His tendency to revert back to one of the sides in a love triangle - it's his least interesting trait, and the one all too often used as his primary characteristic.
See the love triangle stuff - but worse, since he is often supposed to stand (very weakly) in Wolverine's way. That rivalry is a huge part of the character, but since Logan is much more popular, they forget to make Scott someone who can reasonably stand with Logan in the story, and they tend to undercut him early - in the 90's series he gets suckerpunched and has his car destroyed in the first episode - and no consequences happen, making him come across as a major pushover. Or they forget to have him come up with plans that, you know, work.
No more blasting by standing around as a damned statue who can't hit the broad side of a barn while inside of it despite often being depicted as being able to make a dozen bounces to hit a moving target elsewhere. His marksmanship should be on the level of Bullseye - ALL THE TIME. And if he can account for angle and moving targets that well, he should be able to dodge A LOT better than what he does. Watch the film Shoot Em Up - he should be making trick shots on a regular basis. Additionally, having been mentored by Xavier, married to Jean for years, and then living with Emma for a few more, he should be one of, if not THE last non-telepath to succumb to such powers - not just among the X-Men, but the Marvel Universe. No one who doesn't have the power themselves has a fraction of his experience with it - make it matter.
Have him be THE LEADER of a big event while other lead characters are sidelined - not a big X-Event, but a company wide one - and it can't end in a crapshow like House of M.