We all know what Cylops was like within the Fox movies: often a joke, a love interest, and ultimately killed off in the third movie. Now with James Marsden returning as Cyclops within Avengers: Doomsday, I want to speak about why they should not nerf his character and make him the leader and overpowered character that he is.
Within the leaked trailer, this looks to be happening. So if this is true and he is the overpowered character we know he is in the comics, then fans are in for a delight. Cyclops isn’t a boring character; he’s just been written incredibly boringly.
Within the comics, Cyclops is not just a laser guy. His optic blasts are catastrophic when unleashed. While many fans think his beams are heat, they’re not; they are actually a concussive force that is capable of leveling mountains and obliterating Sentinels, and they are constantly restrained by his own discipline.
In the comics, we see Cyclops blow apart a Sentinel Army solo, he’s cracked Apocalypse’s armour, he’s shattered adamantium restraints under extreme emotional pressure, and has punched through force fields designed to hold Hulks and Thors. Cyclops is literally dangerous because he’s always holding back.
When Cyclops received Phoenix powers, his highlights consisted of defeating Captain America, Emma Frost, and other Phoenix hosts, killing Professor X, although this was accidental, but still monumental, and he became a global-level threat that the Avengers can not stop.
What the movies often ignore is why Cyclops is an Avengers-level threat without throwing a punch. He was trained by Xavier from childhood for combat leadership. He routinely outmaneuvers Magneto, The Avengers, and Cosmic-level threats, and leads mutantkind through extinction-level events. Cyclops isn’t just powerful, he’s prepared. You can compare him with Captain America’s tactics and Iron Man’s battlefield planning, all while actively suppressing a weapon of mass destruction in his own head.
A few key moments I would like to mention are;
1. Destroying a Sentinel Army solo
Sentinels are designed specifically to kill mutants, and Cyclops has obliterated entire squadrons of them alone. His optic blasts tear through reinforced Sentinel armor; he often coordinates teammates while firing, and he does it all without going full power.
Sentinels routinely overpower Avengers-level heroes, and Cyclops treats them like tactical obstacles and not threats. This highlights how dangerous he is while restrained.
2. Beat Captain America in hand-to-hand combat
This moment shuts down the “Cyclops is a laser guy” myth. Cyclops predicts Cap’s movements, disarms him, and knocks him out without using optic blasts. This matters because Captain America is Marvel’s premier tactician and hand-to-hand fighter. Cyclops beats him through battlefield awareness and training. This also proves that Cyclops is dangerous even when his powers are taken off the table.
3. Cracking the Worldbreaker Hulk
Worldbreaker Hulk is one of the strongest versions of the Hulk. Cyclops’ optic blasts have staggered and visibly injured Hulk, forced him off-balance when other heroes failed, and held Hulk in place long enough for team extraction.
Hulk’s durability scales indefinitely, and even slowing him requires absurd force output. Very few non-cosmic characters can claim they’ve meaningfully affected Hulk with raw power alone.
Cyclops doesn’t live at Omega level, he touches it. This is what makes him dangerous. Omega mutants overwhelm the world by existing; Cyclops overwhelms it when he decides to stop holding back.
Cyclops in the Fox movies was reactive. Comic Cyclops is proactive, and lethal when pushed. This is the version we need in Avengers: Doomsday. Cyclops shouldn’t ask the Avengers for help; he should be planning on how to make them survive Doctor Doom.
