I have been an X-Men fan for as long as I can remember (I think originally TMNT held my attention, but from adolescence on it has been X-Men). And throughout this time I have never been a huge Cyclops fan, generally for lack of good writing and Scott just generally being a jerk. Let me support this:

-Consider the 90's X-Men cartoon show. (a gateway drug for many X-fans) Cyclops came across as confident but distant, relational yet lacking genuine character, and was more than often not redeemed by Jean's soft demeanor.

-Or throughout the 80's and 90's of comics (this is a gross generalization and solely my opinion here) Scott was a leader, but seldom a fan-favorite. It seemed that Scott's genes, relationship, extended family, or any other extension of Scott was more important or noble than his character.

-This was most embodied for me in the X-movies. In the first X-Men movie, Scott comes off solely as a dick. His casting reflects poorly (or given my argument accurately of my and many other misconceptions) of the genuine character of Scott Summers. The second movie has Scott incapacitated, mind-controlled, or monotonous for the majority of the film, and he doesn't even get the dignity of filming his demise in the third X-film. Perhaps my biggest frustration with the Last Stand was Scott's death at Jean's hand off screen. It seemed to me that the Silver Screen hated Cyclops.

Even for an X-Man who has sacrificed so much, he was still hard to connect to for me. Then Apocalype's The Twelve arc happened and Scott was possessed by Apocalypse (or something to that affect, I wasn't consistently collecting at this point. Regardless, Morrison took over the line with New X-Men and radically directed these characters, Cyclops included, in ways that finally added depth and character.

In my opinion, this was Cyclops turning point: Morrison's New X-Men, Whedon's Astonishing, and then Cyclops stepping into the helm after House of M. We see Scott Summers take his mutant birthright as leader. I loved those arcs. Manifest Destiny, the X-Men in San Fran, the Dark Avengers, and the Rise of Utopia, Second Coming. All throughout we see Scott lead. But we see Scott in a character of leadership. Scott becomes a bad-ass.

It doesn't surprise me that within the last year, Scott has held his own against Wolverine and Captain America. He's been the leader, the tactician, the mutant who has carried the weight of survival, who has counted on Hope's presence for a change and new manifestation of mutants. This has lead us to a new, fulfilled Cyclops and has lead us to AvX and the Phoenix Five...errr two.

Cyclops has gone from dating various Phoenix hosts to sharing the Phoenix Force with Emma Frost (I've written this blog after AvX 10). (Side note-- I wonder how the Void in Scott's head would effect the Phoenix Force, but doubt Marvel will touch anything reminiscent of the Sentry...) We see him acting out with the Phoenix force (although based off the script, he is the only one out of the 5 who has not acted remotely 'evil')

Apparently based off previews, Scott makes it out of AvX alive. I am thankful to finally enjoy the character. To root for him throughout this conflict, and to wait expectantly to see how this war of A v X (more like Cyclops or Phoenix verse everyone soon...) turns out.