Scott Summers, a.k.a. Cyclops, has received a very big honor: he's our latest Character of the Month! While in the spotlight, we'll test his abilities as a combatant each and every week (click here to see why he just beat Wolverine), but we'll also dedicate several articles to the tactical leader. We'll suggest some of his must read stories and take a look at some of his best battles, but first and foremost, we want to take a stroll down memory lane and gaze at some of his best covers! Now, the dude has been around for decades and appeared in several titles, so it's possible your favorite cover of Slim may not be on our list. If that happens to be the case, we recommend visiting the comments section and posting it in there so the world can appreciate your top Cyclops cover. Okay, now let's go stare at some covers.
THE X-MEN #1
Ladies and gentlemen, you're looking at the very first appearance of Scott Summers. Back in 1963, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced the world to the X-Men. It's an iconic cover for obvious enough reasons, but it's a great one for Cyclops, too. His vibrant optic blast is a focal point and he's the only X-Man putting a dent in Magneto's shield. Needless to say, this dose of classic goodness seemed like a fitting way to kick off our list.
X-MEN #1
Several decades later (1991 to be exact), writer Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee began an all-new volume of X-Men. Lee's cover paid respect to the first appearance of the X-Men -- you know, the cover you just looked at -- by having the team face-off against a shielded Magneto. The awesome piece of artwork can be broken up so four sections can grace the front cover and, obviously, we've selected the one which has Cyclops' standing and blasting away. Cyclops has worn many outfits over the years, but it's tough not to love the blue and yellow look, especially when Lee's bringing it to life.
THE UNCANNY X-MEN #136, 137, 138
Ah, The Dark Phoenix Saga! The story arc is easily one of the most popular chapters in the X-Men's history and John Byrne provided some truly memorable covers that capture some very powerful and even gripping scenes involving Cyclops. However, if you grew up with X-Men: The Animated Series, the first cover may bring back memories of the multiple times Cyclops exclaimed Jean's name. Still, each of these covers leaves quite an impression and thrive for totally different reasons.
X-MEN ORIGINS: CYCLOPS #1
Sometimes simplicity works the best. In this case, we have something incredibly basic: Scott Summer's looking up and firing an optic blast. Doesn't sound thrilling on paper, does it? But in Adi Granov's talented hands, this turns into an amazing and even energetic cover. Having the dark background allows us to really appreciate the mutant's power and the lighting on his body is handled so well. All in all, it's another terrific example of why Granov's artwork is admired by so many.
ASTONISHING X-MEN #24
Joss Whedon's time with ASTONISHING X-MEN gave Cyclops an excellent arc. John Cassaday's cover for the twenty fourth chapter is a very, very nice reminder of that. Not only does Scott learn to control his abilities in this tale, but Whedon also gave the leader of the X-Men some moments to shine and they're seriously badass. Who can forget the incident on the lawn or "to me, my X-Men"? Cassaday's close-up of Scott unleashing directly at the reader is an engaging way of showing us just how much Cyclops dished out in this series and how he most certainly isn't a pushover.
X-MEN #30
So many covers want to pull you into an action-packed or dire scene. They're often stern, foreboding, or thrilling. However, Andy Kubert's cover for X-MEN #30 simply embraces happiness. We're not wondering about a threat that's looming on the horizon, drama between teammates, or the possible demise of a character. We're instead celebrating the love two people share. Unfortunately, we know the relationship doesn't last forever, but it does successfully capture a pleasant moment.
NEW X-MEN #118
Speaking of Scott and Jean's relationship not lasting forever, Grant Morrison'sNEW X-MEN brought some big drama to the couple's world. However, Frank Quitely's cover shows us a more carefree looking Scott and it's making the list simply because, well, he looks quite cool on it. As stated above, sometimes simplicity works best and this is good example of the X-Man just appearing rather confident and slick.
CABLE AND X-FORCE #7
Cyclops has a, well, let's just say "unique" relationship with his son, Cable. Salvador Larroca's fantastic handling of the mutant for the seventh cover of CABLE AND X-FORCE just oozes a more serious tone and delivers the clear message that this father is aiming to give his son a lecture. Frank D'Armata's various shades of red then bring the tone to a whole new level. Cyclops is a man you don't want to disappoint and this cover does an effective job proving that.
X-MEN #6
Adi Granov strikes again! As one of the leaders of the X-Men, Cyclops has proudly led the team against a huge variety of threats. With X-MEN #6, Granov has the opportunity to tease a conflict between Summers and Dracula. We've seen so many covers of characters facing off and they're just moments away from duking it out, and this is something Granov does exceptionally well. The artist's character work is phenomenal and he really sells the intensity.
ALL-NEW X-MEN #3
After the events of Avengers vs. X-Men, Cyclops' mutant power was fluctuating quite a bit. While that spelled bad news for anything in the way of his optic blasts, Stuart Immonen sure did one heck of a job making it look thrilling and made sure it's overflowing with energy. Okay, maybe this cover makes some of us think about "Cool Guys Don't Look at Explosions" but it's still wonderfully cinematic and shows Cyclops isn't someone you'd want to upset.
What's YOUR favorite Cyclops cover? Don't be shy, share it with the world in the comments below.
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