Cyclops Just Showed Why He’s The Batman of the X-Men

Warning: Spoilers for X-Men #15

In both Marvel and DC Comics, the characters of Cyclops and Batman are reliable leaders in any situation that calls for a steady and calculating hand in helping to bring their respective teams to the finish line in one piece. With Cyclops heading the ever-revolving roster of the X-Men and Batman championing his ever-growing Bat-Family, these characters are more similar than many might think.

And while both heroes have stood the test of time as shining beacons for their respective comic lines and have gone on to become ingrained in nerd and pop culture alike, their personal drives in their war against evil know no bounds. The similarities these two characters exhibit might not be readily apparent outside of their leadership roles, but as recently seen in X-Men #15 by Jonathan Hickman and Mahmud Asrar, Cyclops just showed why he’s the X-Men’s version of Batman for one extremely important reason.

Occurring during one of the final chapters in the X of Swords crossover event kicked off by current X-Men scribe Jonathan Hickman, Cyclops has finally had enough of a situation that, to him, has spiraled out of control. Happening at the tail end of the cross-dimensional tournament that has pitted members of the X-Men against the evil forces that want to see them and their home island of Krakoa fall, Cyclops catches wind that his son, Cable, might not be doing as well in the tournament as previously believed, and may need a helping hand in surviving the ordeal with his life intact.

Gathering in front of the Quiet Council that rules over the mutants of Krakoa that consists of X-Men greats such as Professor X, Nightcrawler and Magneto, Cyclops and Jean Grey confront the Council in order to hopefully broker a deal to enter the Otherworld where the tournament is taking place and bring their son – as well as the rest of the remaining X-Men – home safely. After the Council shoots down Cyclops’ plan to authorize an official breach of tournament rules, Cyclops makes a statement that immediately brings the comparison to Batman to the forefront of the scene.

Arguing that the Council is the government of Krakoa and the X-Men are its heroes, Cyclops makes a case that, due to the way he was raised by Xavier and what the X-Men’s mission stands for, i.e. protecting those that can’t protect themselves, he cannot and will not stand by and let politics decide the fate of his fellow X-Men, his son included. And it’s in this small defiant moment that Cyclops shows why he’s the Batman of the X-Men: simply put, the drive that Scott has to see Xavier and the X-Men’s mission through – the mission that sees them sacrifice everything to help those that need it – will always trump the machinations of those that try to stop him. Just like the Bat, whose obsession with his own personal mission to wage his war on the criminals of Gotham City will always come first even before his own happiness, Cyclops puts it all on the line for an obsession that has always defined his character from the get-go.

So with Cyclops always choosing to fight for what the X-Men stand for against all odds, it’s this constant mindset that makes it clear as to why he just became the Batman of the X-Men. And although Batman might go a little overboard from time to time in his drive to see his own mission come to fruition, Cyclops is right behind him when it comes to standing for what’s right and what needs to be done to do the same.

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