Wow very opinionated article.

First drastic different circumstances, he was young when thunderbird died, and he was not fighting in a war. You try fighting in a war and not become like he is now. Plus have apocalypse in your head messing around with it does not hurt either.

i hated Cyclops growing up, now since new x-men he has become my favorite character in x-men if not in Marvel he is pretty damn close. He is the best Leader X-men have had and the only one who could have brought them out of the war they have endured by also bringing together all mutanats in unitiy. He is the F--ing man!

@JoseDRiveraTCR7 said:

 "When did Cyclops go from an emotional and caring team member, to a heartless team leader whose only concern is to get the job done?"When the mutant race was getting attacked from every f-ing direction and he needed to get the job then. Personally, as much as I liked the Cyclops of old, the caring, but somewhat repressed leader, the emotionless, prick general that he has become is a lot more interesting. He does what it takes. And I don't think Scott has sacrificed his compassion. I think he doesn't show it because he can't, because he has a job to do in leading the mutant race in a time when Xavier's dream is too far to reach. I think it was in a issue of X-Men during Dark Reign that Scott and Emma shared their dark secrets and their regrets and Cyclops felt guilty for what he has done, though he said it had to be done.I'm positive that his problem with Wolverine will probably be about how he's been acting, but I'm surprised it's going in that direction since I would expect Wolverine to somewhat understand.  Wolverine has always had that paternal instinct of defending his friends, but I would still think he knows that Scott is just doing the best with the situations they are given.

You go to battle with the army you have.

Being the leader is no easy task. After the betrayals of Xavier and years of shouldering the burden of leading not only the X-Men but all of Mutantdom, Cyclops carries an awful responsibility.

His infidelity with Jean Grey and Madelyn were poor choices on his part. But surviving the precarious situations of being a Mutant after M Day are sure to be taxing. Wolverine has always been nipping at the heels of Cyclops. Whether it was jealousy for Jean choosing Scott or his lone wolf tendencies, or any myriad of other rivalry reasons, the two of them have long been at odds. 

Scott makes the hard decisions and could probably use more support and less rebellion or criticism from the faithful. At the same time, I would love to see him find again that sensitive side that allows him to really connect with people.

To me Cyclops' character development has always come off natural in the context of the storyline of the last couple decades. He is the leader of a critically endangered species on the brink of destruction, with a responsibility to all remaining mutants, and not just the ones who volunteer to put their lives on the line. Cyclops no longer has the luxury of being idealistic, he needs to be pragmatic. The situation the X-Men faced called for a certain type of leadership, he needed to step up or move aside, and he choose to step up. Scott isn't a peace time leader or a war time leader, he is a leader. Period. He made the chooses that had to be made.

The last decade or so of character development have made Cyclops and interesting character with interesting motivations. Before M Day Scott wasn't a character. He was a bland cardboard cut out with no personality. If someone liked his "character" it was because he was such a nothing character that a reader could impose there own personality on him. That's no longer the case.

FINALLY, I always recognized him as such a jerk... He's never been a true leader in my eyes...

If you think that cyclops is hartless...you really didnt read x-men proprely. Hes doing what he most because its the only way to make sure mutant survive.He accepte the fact that he most be the one making the hard choices.  Hes the leader mutants need right now! i love the evolution of scott

He's one of the few characters that is a major player, and that Marvel has allowed to evolve.

cyclops is awesome now

Sorry if this point has been brought up, I didn't look through all of the posts.

One thing that could have affected Scott could have also been all the "changes" his mentor and father figure Charles Xavier seemed to go through.  Granted, with the exception of Whedon's run on Astonishing I haven't read any X-books since they went looking for Scott after Apocalypse and the Twelve storyline back in the early 2000s, but from what I've seen and read, Xavier is the one that really changed.

We went from having this supportive figure for Scott and the others to look up to, to someone who was willing to send the Missing X-Men team to their deaths and cover it up, basically enslave the sentient Danger, and become as manipulative as many of their foes.

I would think that, especially combined with coming back from his ordeal, finding his role model so flawed had to have also hardened Scott as well.  In the end, the truly ironic thing is it sounds like Cyclops is becoming more and more like Charles. 

Leave Cyclops Alone!!

Cyclops is one of my favorite characters. With o Without heart

I've been a big Scott Summers fan for years now. I have followed the growth of him as a character, and for someone who read his progression in chronological order (seeing his reaction to Thunderbird's death before seeing him reforming X-Force, and everything he experienced in between), I feel that Cyclops today has learned that sometimes death is unavoidable, that if you try to save all of the people then you will only end up killing all of the people, and that when ruthless tactics are well used (when they are used out of nececssity), they can be forgiven over time.

It is fair to say that he was using X-23 as a tool, but that is exactly what she was designed to be. It is the only life she knows, and after everything she has been through I don't think it is fair to call her a fragile little girl. She had the skills and powers necessary for the job that he needed to be done. What else could he do? Send one of the other students? Have someone who didn't have that experience kill enemies of the mutant race?

And Cable knew exactly what risks were associated with the mission. All of X-Force did. He wouldn't have accepted it if he wasn't fully aware of them.

Scott Summers has suffered through a lot of crap. More than most characters have. And he has grown accordingly.

he's definitely become more callous and withdrawn over the years, but I think that's only realistic given his life, the wars he's been through, and the position he currently
finds himself in.

Great Leadership Comes With Great Responsibility.

He is no longer worthy of being the guardian of Xavier's dream.

Cyclops has unquestionably lost his heart.  He is totally ruthless in team decisions.  He cheated on his wife with Emma Frost (who dispite a noble attempt to whitewash her past actions is someone who had less morals than anyone in the MU except maybe the Red Skull). 

i do feel a little sad for the cyclops i am familiar with... but i have to say that the new cyke' way more of a badass, something i always considered him to be but was overshadowed by wolverine.  i do believe that he has become a MUCH better leader now since the change though.  cyclops always has been the good lil soldier type.

Could any of you be a representative of 200 special people and try to run a school and figure out what their best interests are and keeping them alive? hell I couldn't do it

So from reading a few of these and glancing over most of these replies, it appears that the majority are defending Cyclops :)

He is - "Winning"

The evolution of Cyclops pretty much mirrors the evolution of the Marvel Universe and the comics industry in general.  Cyclops has for a LONG time been my second favorite comic character, (Nightcrawler being my favorite...his death was cheap, underplayed, and just stupid...not saying Nightcrawler or anyone should be inviolate...but it was just handled horribly).  Comics have, by and large, become less fun and more "grim and realistic".  Yeah...that last part is a little odd to attatch to stories about people who go to work in spandex...but Ithink most of you get the point.

Further, Cyclops has gone from leading a small super hero team of a dozen at MOST to a small ARMY for a race who's future is on the line in a very real way now.  In the past there was always the nebulous "oh humans hate us and will eventually one day wipe us out".  Well, through a serious of events...that day is pretty much happening.  Cyclops is doing what he's pretty much always done, screwing himself over for the sake of the "team".  As for the Xavier's Dream people (and I love the idea of Xavier's Dream btw)  there's also a saying a like to apply to ideological situations...."That grinding sound you're hearing is theory meeting reality".  Do I want to hang out with Scott Summers anymore (yes, assuming he was a real live person)...no probably not.  Would I want him making the tough calls  for my unit? (Yes, I was in a combat unit in the military for a LONG time ...no I wasn't special forces or anything).  Damn straight I would.  Because I know that every time he orders a 16 year old clone killing machine in to do dirty work, that could screw her up even worse, he'll lose sleep about it, second guess himself til the day he dies, but STILL make the call, and take the responsibility for it.. THere...said my piece.:)

I think the women in his life at the current time has a big influence on that...more likable when with Jean, pretty distasteful when with Emma.

When his universe kept dumping on him and his kind.
 
Also when comic fans kept dumping on him and doting on antiheroes, like Wolverine.  So many appearances in so many books . . .

I find it interesting people are saying he "makes the hard decisions" and cite the recent mutant genocide as reasoning for his behavior.

Well, can I just say that it Scott's brilliant idea to lead everyone into the House of M using a sentinel as a trojan horse to directly attack Wanda while she was essentially the nexus of reality?

So, in other words, rather than exploit the various trained field agents in the group to infiltrate the palace or use more complex tactics, Scott told everyone to just come toppling down on the House of Magnus....which caused Magneto to awaken....which caused Magneto to kill Pietro....which caused Wanda to panic and lose what was left of her mind....which caused M-day ultimately. Wanda could've been easily neutralized some other way but Scott chose the battle and the battle bit back.

There was a "hard decision" fail. He's good at assembling troops, he's good at being somewhat decisive but simply because he has to make hard choices that doesn't entitle him to make bad choices.

they should give him some white hair to make him more ditistigquised  and If someone your teaching doesn't call you jerk than you ain't doing your job right remember when Boom-Boom called Cable a Jerk.

These are character inconsistencies. Why would you make an entire article about that?

While cyclops was never a favorite of mine, I have read all the x men issues and most of their spin-offs and I think creative teams have truly captured the evolution of cyclops as a leader. Looking back its easy to see how he became how he is today. The events of M-day I think are what really pushed him over the edge, but there is a logical progression from being the compassionate, self conscious leader to ruthless tactician. Professor X saw scotts potential but I don't ever think he foresaw what a full on mutant struggle for survival would do to cyclops. While I personally dont like this new edgier cyclops, it makes complete sense for him to be the douchebag he is... : /

The article leaves out I think some other key examples of Cyke's mental and emotional instability and/or his poor character, two old ones and one relatively recent one:.
 
Example: In the aftermath of Dark Phoenix, Cyke goes all emo and quits the team after dueling with Storm over leadership.
 
Example: Cyke punks Maddie and little Nathan by running off after Jean upon her resurrection.
 
Example: in the whole run-up to Baby Hope, Cyke (true to form) obsesses about her to the point where he is too blind to catch Emma all bout taking out a full-page newspaper ad to the effect that she would like to have a baby of her OWN with him.
 
Cyke has a reputation as being a bit of a Boy Scout (or at least he USED to have one), and the exemplar of the New Mutant Man, but he's really never been much more than a whiny-a** punk and a self-righteous one to boot.

To the ADORABLE Sarah,
 
  what happened to Xavier's dream of mutants and humans living in co-existence? I know it seems like we're getting that in San Francisco, but the struggle for that dream and Xavier's role has diminished in lieu of Cyclop's militant leadership.
 
  As an X-men fan, I haven't been all that satisfied with Cyclops being the center of everything, having every mission planned out to the end and all because he takes the risks that we usually expect from Wolverine.
 
  I just started reading the X-titles this year, and some of the surprises I found included the School for Gifted Youngsters blown up, Jean dead (sigh, yet again), and the story lines spidering into space aliens, corporate PR and another bloody virus. Oh, and of course Scott Summers is the brooding mutant with world on his shoulders and a hot telepath for a girlfriend.
 
  I say, much like Xavier's school in Winchester and Jean Grey, lets blow Cyclops's iron fist wide open. Maybe with the return of Jean Grey, Cyclops losing it some way (turning villainously authoritarian or some experiencing some meltdown), have Xavier open the school again and make Scott Summers the least important part of mutant history for a while. 
 
  I know it's simplistic, but sometimes readers love to see things come back to a circle. Like Uncanny X-force visiting The Age of Apocalypse next month. :D

Leave Cyclops Alone!!

Where does someone who opens by admitting they've never been invested in a character, and hadn't previously read much with them in it get off evaluating the character's evolution?
 
You paint with some pretty broad freaking strokes there. Cyclops has always been a brilliant tactician. Issue one had him defeating his entire team in a training exercise, and then knocking out Magneto's force field. Up against the Sentinels, he defeated all of them by convincing them the only way to stop mutants from being born was to fly straight into the sun.  There are a multitude of other examples.
 
What happened was frankly, crappy writers responding to people who knew nothing about the character calling him a "boyscout".  "He's too goody-goody." The rest of the usual complaints are the kind that are hilarious when leveled as a criticism of any comic book character. "He's too handsome." "He's in perfect shape." "He's rich." Isn't that like, everybody?
 
Marvel responded by trying to darken his image. Immediately after the Apocalypse possession fiasco he switches to a black costume. However somewhat unevenly, in the first issue that new costume appears, he has a heart-to-heart with his father which concludes with them hugging. Not really the dark, heartless edge you're describing, eh?
 
As for the affair, I wouldn't describe it so much as "an affair" as "psychic manipulation bordering on male rape"? Emma entered his mind without his permission dressed up as his wife. It's a notch or so above sexting and certainly cheating, but let's not forget Emma's main application of her psychic powers is essentially mind control and manipulation.
 
The next gripe is typically that he started a relationship with Emma after Jean died. This criticism is usually not leveled at Emma for some reason, as if her history of being legitimately evil (murdering a girl's childhood pet in front of her, and making her think it's her fault just to give her a traumatic memory ring a bell?) somehow absolves her from blame. Cyclops however was specifically told by Jean in an... admittedly convoluted way from the future to get with her. Or else the world would end and stuff. Something something Grant Morrison something.
 
Is it really that heartless for him to put a trained killer on a team of trained killers? And blaming him for Cable's death? I thought that was just bad writing. I didn't think real people could be as infantile as Hope was. Cable's a grown ass man, makes his own decisions. Does what he wants.
 
Anyway, I find it as hard to blame Cyclops for his actions these days as I do to blame Bishop, Forge, Spider-Man or Speedball for their actions. At least until Quesada retires, and takes Bendis with him.

Scott was never a fav of mine by any means but his trip down the road to a-hole status pretty much came when he completely abandoned MADELYNE PRYOR and his son, NATHAN. Thats was the cause of her mental breakdown and descent into evil.
The APOCALYPSE possession was a big turning point but then when JEAN was killed by XORN, that seemed to be the final straw.
Its been downhill from there.

FINALLY, I always recognized him as such a jerk... He's never been a true leader in my eyes...

Wolverine happened, so Marvel made him a bigger asshole to either be a foil to him, or compete on equal terms 

Can't get enough of this character damn. Hes not a jerk thou he just cant be sensitive anymore, he can't please everyone and decided to have his people survive and look like a bad guy and a jerk then see innocents die because he couldn't make the hard choices.

I like Cyke.  The whole boy scout routine was getting old.  And with all of the horrible things that he has had to endure it makes sense that his personality would change.  He's seen death, prejudice, betrayal, etc.  He's been manipulated, lied to, and made to make some really messed up decisions. Why would anyone think he'd stay the same.  After all....he's not Superman or anything.

It's because he's now responsible for the survival of the entire mutant race. He can't afford to be idealistic anymore. Everything is on his shoulders.

I think Scott was "raised right" by Xavier, but he is actually not like him. I think everything has sculpted and shaped him into who he was always could have been... in this dark, harsh world. I think the presence of and the relationship with Emma Frost did bring this out more. Is Cyclops a jerk? I'm sure a lot think so. I might even say he is... but I sometimes hold jerks in high regard. :P With a race on your shoulders, it comes more naturally to think holistically rather than about individuals. It may seem cold and harsh, but the world becomes a chess board. And sometimes pawns get used. It's terribly Utilitarian admittedly. But he is trying. And I think Scott has given up some of himself in the process. I wonder if he ever lies awake at night examining how far he's "fallen."

Someone hates Cyclops....

Sadly I am very torn on this subject for Cyclops...Let me start by first saying the Scott has ALWAYS been one of my favorite characters in comics...that said...
 
What has sucked for Cyclops is that for many years most writers didn't know what to do with him (in Marvel's mini-statues book for Cyclops even Chris Claremont admits he didn't really know what to do with him, and that since he found Wolverine more interesting that's why he developed Logan's character more).  Scott for years was defined by his fear (of hurting someone with his beams), his compassion (the leader who looks out for everyone - but at the same time that made him seem like a wuss, which helped create the "love triangle" between Jean - Scott - Logan), and his relationship with Jean...in many ways Scott did not have much of a personality outside of his relationship with Jean.  Sadly it gave him very little depth and no strength of character (making it seem weird that the 
wimp who couldn't make a decision was the "field leader" of the X-men...hell his angst lost him the field leader role to a powerless Storm! How else does he look except as an incompetent wimp!)
 
Then along comes the "new" love mess of Jean - Scott - Emma - Logan...and all of a sudden Cyclops is no longer a wuss.  Logan actually starts to demonstrate some respect for Scott (I remember during Joss' run when Cyke takes out 3 sentinels in one shot Logan looks at him and says something like "every now and then I remember why you are the boss"...Logan should've ALWAYS had that kind of respect since Cyke really is that powerful, but until Emma came along Scott was to wimpy to be respected.
 
I do like that also during the "Emma" era of Cyclops...that his tactical abilities have come out...it's almost like he's developed another "secondary" mutant power of just a natural AWESOME tactician who can exploit his opponents weaknesses automatically (like in "Utopia" when he tells Archangel to remove Bullseye from the board). (Side note, I consider Cyclops instinctive understanding of spacial geometry - like when he saved Nightcrawler from Arcade's bladed bumper cars in just one shot that bounced between all the cars - to be a secondary mutant power for him as well).
 
Jean taught Scott how to love, Emma gave him strength...Scott needs to learn how to balance both and he could become one of the greatest team leaders in all of Marvel Comics!

they should give him some white hair to make him more ditistigquised  and If someone your teaching doesn't call you jerk than you ain't doing your job right remember when Boom-Boom called Cable a Jerk.

I am sorry to say this but they should make Storm the leader

I think Cyclops became this person when he became the leader of the X-men and then the defacto leader of the mutant world.  He needed to make the tough calls in order for his species to survive.  But yea, he is a jerk.