SPOILER WARNING for X-Men #4!
The island of Krakoa serves as a sanctuary for the X-Men, but this mutant paradise may come crumbling down thanks to a mysterious secret that Cyclops is keeping from Professor X. It has not been revealed just what Cyclops is hiding, but X-Men #4 shows readers that the consequences could be devastating.
Lately, Scott Summers and Charles Xavier haven’t been seeing eye-to-eye. Though they’ve often fought for the same causes, with Professor X acting as a mentor for Cyclops, their ideas for Krakoa’s place in the world differ. While Professor X is focused solely on building up the prosperity of the mutant nation, Cyclops still feels a duty to help the rest of the world, a mindset that pushed him to form a new team of X-Men. With a squad of Krakoan heroes out helping humans around the globe, it seems likely that public opinion regarding Krakoa will improve. Still, something’s got Cyclops second-guessing himself, and whatever it is could be disastrous.
X-Men #4 by Gerry Dugan, Javier Pina, Erick Arciniega, and Clayton Cowles sees a Doctor Strange foe, Nightmare, taking on Marvel’s mutants. As the demonic villain passes through the team’s new headquarters in Central Park, readers are shown some of the dreams going through the heroes’ minds. Among the X-Men affected by Nightmare’s influence is Cyclops, whose slumber is flooded by a host of bad memories. Brief glimpses of Scott’s nightmares show him getting killed by Sentinels; giving up his son, Cable; and having relationship issues with both Jean Grey and Emma Frost. While these nightmares are all based on real events, one of his dreams shifts gears by showing a scene that’s unfamiliar to fans. The vision sees Krakoa burn because of a lie that Cyclops told Professor X and Magneto. In a particularly shocking panel, the dream ends with the X-Men headquarters ablaze while Cyclops lays dead in a coffin out front wearing a sign around his neck that simply reads, “CYCLOPS WAS WRONG.” Afterwards, the story moves on to show a couple of other X-Men experiencing similar terrors before Jean Grey puts an end to Nightmare’s machinations. Nevertheless, fans are left to wonder about what secrets Scott may be keeping from Krakoa’s leaders.
The issue ends without giving any clear indication as to what’s on Cyclops’ mind, leaving fans to ponder the mystery. Plenty of other Krakoans, including Beast and Northstar, have been shown keeping secrets from the Quiet Council, but Cyclops hasn’t been shy about speaking his mind to Krakoa’s leaders, making it that much more difficult to identify his secret. Recently, the X-Men have been thwarting attempts to destroy Earth by Cordyceps Jones and the gambling patrons of Gameworld, and since Cyclops only just learned about the culprits, it’s likely that he hasn’t yet informed Professor X of the situation. Despite the dire state these attacks could leave the world in, however, it doesn’t seem like Cyclops is hiding this knowledge from Xavier, but rather that he just hasn’t had the opportunity to tell him. Instead, it’s more likely that this secret is something that Cyclops has been hiding for quite some time.
If Cyclops’ nightmare is truly a preview of events to come, it is probably best if he creates a more open line of communication between himself and Professor X. After all, Xavier is willing to do whatever it takes to see Krakoa flourish, so letting him in on a potentially catastrophic secret could only help things. It’s hard to say if and when the reveal will take place, but hopefully this plot point will evolve into a larger narrative as the series continues. Whenever that happens, Professor X and Cyclops will need to put their differences aside and work with the rest of the X-Men to prevent the downfall of Krakoa.