X-Men: Even Cyclops’ DAD Doesn’t Know How His Eyes Work

Scott Summers hasn’t had an easy life leading the X-Men, and realizing his father, Corsair of the Starjammers, has no clue about how his mutant powers work was a substantial disappointment for Cyclops. But to be fair, the explanation behind Scott’s ability hasn’t always been a simple one.

The optic blasts Cyclops is most famous for are almost as complex as his life. That’s saying a lot for a man who’s got a time traveling son, has had his wife possessed by a cosmic god, has discovered a secret brother and reunited with a space-pirate father he thought was dead. The pirate formerly known as Major Christopher Summers spent decades in space unaware his sons were still alive on Earth and in the dark about their mutant abilities.

Scott Summers’ power manifests as an extremely powerful, ruby-colored, concussive blast that emits from his eyes. The iconic visor Cyclops sports is essential to controlling these blasts, after childhood brain damage affected his ability to do so. Originally, the source of Scott’s powers came from ambient energy Cyclops absorbed, often sunlight. That’s changed in the years since. The explanation of his inability to control the blasts has varied as well, and has included mental blocks, either placed by Mr. Sinister or subconsciously by Scott himself. All this could give some explanation why Corsair may not have been accurate in his comprehension of his son’s abilities.

In Uncanny X-Men #391, Corsair and Cyclops attempt to engage in some much-needed father/son bonding time, when Corsair accidentally reveals his ignorance about his Scott’s powers. The two embarked on a camping trip after Cyclops went through a rough patch, being possessed by Apocalypse and was subsequently presumed dead. As Corsair struggled with the campfire, he casually asked his son to “do that whole eye thing” and light the fire. Scott coldly corrects his father’s assumptions and declares his powers aren’t heat-related and storms off after an awkward moment. Besides being uptight, eye blasts are basically Cyclops’ total deal and Corsair’s comment illustrates how little he knows about his son. The two try to bury the hatchet and Scott admits his anger towards his father isn’t just about the “eye thing.”

Father and son have an earnest conversation and clear the air when Scott demands an explanation about why the patriarch of the Summers clan never returned for his children. Corsair breaks down emotionally and reveals he was ashamed of his inability to protect his wife and sons. After pushing his kids out of a crashing airplane to an unknown fate and watching his wife die in space, the guilt he felt became his motivation to protect an entire universe. He issues Scott a long overdue apology and the respective leaders of the X-Men and Starjammers reconcile over a campfire, finally lit through a method not any involving heat vision.

In the current Dawn of X status quo, the entire Summers family has achieved even more solidarity, with their own familial habitat on the moon. All three Summers brothers, Cyclops, Havok and Vulcan, and the Summers children, Rachel and Cable, live in the “Summer House”. Corsair receives a Krakoan gate flower to plant on his spaceship, enabling the family to traverse light years instantly to be together. Scott and Corsair’s relationship is now a vast improvement over the days when Corsair was oblivious to the workings of Cyclops’ powers or even the existence of his family at all. All it took to kick things off was a figurative optic blast to spark the flame.

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Dillon Stevenson
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Dillon Stevenson is a comedian and writer based out of NYC, and is the one “Dillon” anyone ever REALLY needs in their life. As the One Dillon, he’s landed writing jobs at Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas (HBO), and The Big Fib (Disney+) and co-created Super Video Bros, a comedy party dedicated to celebrating music videos as an art form. Much like his favorite superhero, the Silver Surfer, Dillon’s passion is finding the best places to eat.

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