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Off My Mind: Has Cyclops Saved Mutants or Doomed Them All?

He may have restored the mutant population but what will be the price?

There's been a lot of discussion and arguments over Cyclops' actions in AVENGERS VS. X-MEN. Cyclops has made it his goal to protect mutants since their number had been reduced during Decimation and House of M. He knew his species was endangered and was determined to protect them at any and all cost.

Hope Summers was meant to be the mutant messiah and when the Phoenix Force was headed towards Earth, it appeared Hope was the target. Due to other circumstances, the Phoenix Force was split five ways (and equal portions were shared by what we call The Phoenix Five). Driven by the power of the Phoenix Force, Cyclops continued to do what he felt was necessary to make the planet a better place and to safeguard the future of mutants.

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There were lots of casualties and destruction but it appeared that as a result of everything, Cyclops had helped bring the return of mutants on Earth. The x-factor in many kicked in and new mutants started popping up all over the place. Cyclops may have been right in doing all he set out to do but now it appears there is a price to pay for his actions. Has Cyclops really doomed all the mutants?

== TEASER ==
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In the first issue of ALL-NEW X-MEN, we discover that Beast is having some hard times. He is the first to go through a third mutation (secondary mutations became the norm for many and added a second ability). Unfortunately this third mutation is killing him. His body cannot cope with the change. It's his decision to try to right things that result in bringing the original X-Men from the past to talk to the present day Cyclops.

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In the third issue, Magneto tries using his powers to stop a truck and discovers he's having difficulty. When Cyclops steps in to use his powers, his optic blasts become so intense, he can barely control them. When talking to Emma, she mentioned her powers not being the same as they used to be. She can no longer use her telepathy.

What we're seeing is two different results. Emma mentions having a portion of the Phoenix Force changed them and "broke" their mutations. That explains why she, Cyclops and Magneto are having difficulty with their powers. We could expect Magik to have some problems (she mentions feeling more powerful) and Colossus (perhaps in the pages of CABLE AND X-FORCE). We'll have to see if Namor is affected. When the question was raised why Magneto's power would be affected since he wasn't in possession of a portion of the Phoenix Force. He was hit by a blast of it when he stood against Cyclops in the end.

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What about Beast? What about other mutants? We don't know the full details about why Beast is going through a third mutation which his body can't handle. It could simply be another natural evolution such as when mutants started getting secondary mutations. It seems too much of a coincidence that he happens to be mutating further just after new mutants started popping up. If this mutation is potentially killing him, could the same happen to other mutants? Is it only those in close proximity to Cyclops when he had the Phoenix Force or is he still causing mutant powers to go haywire? Will this carry over to new mutants he tries to recruit as well?

Is this what Beast meant when he told Cyclops' younger self that he needed him to stop the older Cyclops from committing mutant genocide?

It might appear that the mutant population is back on its way to becoming a thriving population. Now we can see that there may be a catch. Mutants may have returned but it looks as if that return could be short lived. Cyclops may have helped bring mutants back from extinction but the results could end up with more than the previous few remaining dying out. Now it appears that each new mutant and existing mutant could be a ticking time bomb sentenced to death.

Cyclops may have been right in the Phoenix Force being able to bring back mutants but how long will they be back before they all permanently go away?