Though neither is known for being one of the biggest geniuses in Marvel Comics, Captain America and Cyclops both rank among their universe's greatest strategists. It only makes sense that the Star Spangled Man with a Plan would prepare for a fight against the X-Men's best leader.
Captain America puts his plan into action when he clashes with Cyclops in What If? Avengers Disassembled #1. The story takes place in the aftermath of the Avengers Disassembled storyline, wherein a series of attacks by the Scarlet Witch leaves a number of Avengers dead and cause the team to disband. This What If?, entitled "What if Scarlet Witch Hadn't Acted Alone?" sees Beast investigate the events of Scarlet Witch's attacks to attain a thorough understanding of how she broke the Avengers apart. During the investigation, Beast discovers that, in this universe, Wanda didn't act alone and had a partner assisting her throughout the multiple killings: Captain America. Looking for someone whose strategic acumen rivals Cap's own, Beast brings Cyclops in to lead a strike team against the rogue Avenger.
What If? Avengers Disassembled #1 by Jeff Parker and Aaron Lopresti shows that Cyclops may be in over his head. As Cyclops and his team attempt to take Captain America out, Steve Rogers tells Scarlet Witch - whom he was protecting in part due to their romantic relationship - to literally disassemble Iron Man's armor. Rogers then places Iron Man's helmet on Scott Summers' head, rendering his optic blasts useless and saying, "You should've known I'd anticipate this attack and would have a contingency you couldn't shoot through."
Captain America Is One of Marvel's Greatest Strategists
This conflict highlights one simple truth about Captain America: he is one of the greatest strategists in the Marvel Universe. Despite being heavily outnumbered against a team of the Avengers' and the X-Men's greatest, Steve pretty handily defeats Scott and his troops. The issue also shows Captain America as a driving force behind Scarlet Witch's plans in the original Avengers: Disassembled storyline, effectively dismantling his powerful team so that he could use Wanda's chaos magic to create what he saw as a better tomorrow. Even the removing of Cyclops' greatest power, despite being a brief and simple action, carries a sense of premeditation on par with Batman's best battle plans.
Despite being set in an alternate reality, this impressive showing underscores how powerful of a tactician Captain America can be when he fully lets loose. Though Steve Rogers is typically viewed as the bleeding heart of the Avengers, What If? Avengers Disassembled #1 makes it clear that Cap's sense of strategy and ingenuity land him among the most formidable of Earth's mightiest heroes. Even Cyclops, one of the brightest battle tacticians in Marvel's roster, barely stands a chance when leading a team against the strategic skill of Captain America.