Cyclops has long faced the stigma of being the most boring member of the X-Men due to how straightforward both his character and superpowers are. As the leader of the X-Men, Cyclops has often been forced to play the straight man to the more entertaining characters in order to keep the plot moving forward.

The misconceptions regarding Cyclops have often stemmed from his appearances in the various adaptations of the X-Men comic books, where he is usually pushed into the background in order to make way for the likes of Wolverine.

The version of Cyclops that has appeared in the comic books is the true version of the character, as he is regarded as one of the most important members of the X-Men, due to his long history with every iteration of the team.

Cyclops is the heart and soul of the X-Men, even though some writers are determined to try and turn him into a heartless villain. These poorly thought out heel-turns are usually undone over time, and he is always given a chance to return to the team and reclaim his rightful place as leader of the X-Men.

We are here today to learn the secrets of the first member of the X-Men - from his original fate in the X-Men movies to the time when he fired all of humanity's positive thoughts out of his eyes.

Here are the 20 Strange Things About Cyclops’ Body!

 He Almost Survived The Events Of X-Men: The Last Stand

Cyclops became less relevant to the story of the X-Men movies over time, as Wolverine became the star of the franchise.

This resulted in Cyclops receiving an off-screen demise at the hands of the Phoenix, which was partly inspired by the fact that James Marsden was already committed to Superman Returns and had a limited schedule.

Bryan Singer left the X-Men franchise in order to work on Superman Returns, but he had a story idea planned out for the third installment that has since been revealed by one of the writers of the second X-Men movie.

If Bryan Singer had stayed with the franchise, then the Dark Phoenix saga would still have been adapted, but Cyclops would have survived the events of the movie.

He would have had to endure the heartache of being left behind by Jean Grey, though, as she would have ascended to godhood with the help of the Phoenix Force.

 He Once Replaced Most Of His Body With Cybernetic Implants

When Bishop was first introduced to the X-Men, he brought a lot of mysteries about the future of the team.

Bishop came from a timeline where the X-Men were betrayed by one of their own, who was responsible for wiping out the team and leaving mutantkind defenseless against oppression.

This traitor was eventually revealed to be none other than Charles Xavier.

It was revealed in X-Factor Special: Layla Miller that Cyclops was still alive in Bishop's timeline, as he had used cybernetic implants to artificially extend his lifespan.

This version of Cyclops was responsible for starting the "Summers Rebellion," which would lead to the mutants rising up against their oppressors and trying to reclaim their freedom.

He Is Incredibly Skilled In Telepathic Defense

Cyclops is known for having only one superpower, which he backs up with a lot of learned abilities that help set him apart from his teammates.

This includes his incredible tactical knowledge and his uncanny spatial awareness that allows him to accurately judge the way in which his optic blasts will work when used at certain angles.

One of Cyclops' most underrated qualities is his amazing defense against psychic attacks.

This ability came about from decades of training at the hands of Charles Xavier, who is one of the most powerful telepaths in the world, as well as possessing a psychic connection with Jean Grey for many years.

Cyclops has demonstrated an ability to block attacks made by telepaths at a greater level than even superheroes and supervillains who possess psychic powers.

Dr. Doom Might Have Made An Evil Clone Of Him

Cyclops X-Men Apocalypse

In Marvel Ultimate Alliance, the player is given a choice of a wide range of Marvel heroes from which they can create their own four-person team. These superheroes include several members of the X-Men, although Cyclops is not part of that group.

Cyclops is encountered during the story of the game, as he is captured by Dr. Doom and corrupted by some unknown force, turning him into Dark Cyclops.

The Xbox 360 version of Marvel Ultimate Alliance added Cyclops as a DLC character, which created problems with the story.

The developers added new dialogue for the scenes with Dark Cyclops which could only be seen if you had Cyclops in your party, which suggested that Dark Cyclops was actually a clone created by Dr. Doom.

He Had His Eyelids Removed In The Age Of X Reality

One of the questions that was commonly asked about Cyclops' powers is why they didn't blow his eyelids off whenever he shut his eyes.

This is likely one of the reasons why the source of his power was shifted from sunlight to being portals to another dimension, as it was explained that closing his eyes would also close the portals.

In the Age of X reality, Cyclops had no choice in how his powers were used, as his eyelids were surgically removed by the government.

He was then forced into a mask that could be remotely controlled in order for his captors to regulate how his powers were used.

Cyclops would later be freed from his imprisonment and was given control over the functions of his mask.

The Only Color That He Can See Inside Of His Visor Is Yellow

The fact that Cyclops wears either a red pair of glasses or a red visor would make you think that he sees everything in shades of red. This raises the question of how he flies the Blackbird jet, as it uses different colored buttons on its console.

It was revealed during Grant Morrison's New X-Men series that the light of the visor is somehow changed when it comes into contact with his optic blasts, turning it into a shade of yellow.

Emma Frost sees this when she uses her powers to look through his eyes.

The idea of Cyclops seeing in yellow is something that has often been ignored by other writers, as it has also been stated that Cyclops' visor turns everything red, like the red half of the old 3D glasses.

The Source Of His Powers Have Been Retconned Several Times

Cyclops vs Wolverine

The original explanation for Cyclop's powers was that his body absorbed energy from the sun that was then fired out of his eyes, which could only be suppressed by ruby quartz.

As time went on, the explanation for the source of Cyclops' powers changed, so that his eyes now acted as portals to a dimension that was filled with an energy source that ignored the rules of physics.

The reason for this change was likely to end the endless questions about how Cyclops' powers work, or rather, should work.

The idea of the optic blasts being made from an energy that ignored the physical rules of our dimension meant that the writers could change how Cyclops' powers influence the outside world at any time, while still leaving the door open for other writers to use them in a different fashion in a later story.

His Optic Blasts Have Always Made Him A Top-Tier Fighting Game Character

Cyclops in X-Men VS Street Fighter

Cyclops was once a mainstay of the Marvel fighting games that were developed by Capcom. The X-Men were left out of Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite due to behind-the-scenes drama, but the recent Disney/Fox merger will likely see them return in the future.

The difficult part of adding a character like Cyclops in a regular fighting game is the fact that his entire power set is based around long-range attacks, as the ability to spam beams is a cheap way to assure victory.

Cyclops has always been an amazing fighting game character for this very reason, as he can easily fill the screen with damaging beams that can quickly chip away at the opponent's life bar.

He is similar to characters like Cable and Iron Man, who also rely heavily on ranged weapons with a wide area of effect in order to win battles.

There Is An Inconsistency With His Appearance In X-Men: First Class

Cyclops is usually portrayed as being the first member of the X-Men whenever the series is adapted into another medium, as this is true to the events of the comics.

When X-Men: First Class gave us a glimpse into the history of Charles Xavier, we saw a different team that was assembled during the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis, which happened in 1962.

In X-Men: First Class, Charles Xavier uses the newly assembled Cerebro to look for mutants.

We see a young boy with glasses during this sequence who looks like a young version of Cyclops.

The problem with introducing Cyclops as a boy during this sequence is that he appeared as a teenager in X-Men: Apocalypse, which was set in 1983.

It's Possible For His Powers To Be Reawakened In His Descendants

One of the inconsistent rules regarding mutants in the Marvel universe is whether their powers are hereditary or not.

We have seen examples of children directly inheriting the powers of their parents, such as Daken with Wolverine, while other mutants have developed totally different powers from their parents, such as Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch with Magneto.

It seems that there is some information regarding the powers of their ancestors hidden within the DNA of mutants, which can be restored by powerful beings.

In The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix miniseries, Rachel Summers brings the consciousness of Cyclops and Jean Grey into the future and places them within clone bodies made from the remains of their descendants.

She then uses a small part of the Phoenix Force to give them their old powers back by restoring them from within their DNA.

This means that Cyclops' optic blasts and Phoenix's telepathy/telekinesis stayed in a dormant state within the genetics of their children.

His Powers Could Harm Mister Sinister (But Only In The X-Men Cartoon)

Mr Sinister energy smile

Mister Sinister is one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel universe. He has one of the most robust selections of powers available to any person on Earth, including the ability to regenerate from any wound and reshape his body at will.

Sinister can also grant himself new powers by stealing them from mutants, so long as he can experiment on them.

In the X-Men cartoon from the '90s, Mister Sinister had a significant weakness to Cyclops' optic blasts, to the point where they left some wounds that he couldn't heal from straight away.

Mister Sinister's weakness to optic blasts was an invention of the X-Men cartoon, as he has survived hits from Cyclops on many occasions, while only taking minimal damage.

The Love Of Jean Grey Is The Only Thing Stopping Him From Becoming Evil

Cyclops' characterization has changed drastically since the '90s. Since Jean Grey perished, he would end up in a relationship with Emma Frost and would abandon Charles Xavier's dream.

Cyclops would then take a more Magneto-like approach to the cause of mutantkind.

It depends on the writer at the time, but Cyclops has acted like a villain on many occasions.

It seems that Cyclops' morality is tied to Jean Grey, as one of the issues of "What If..." dealt with a reality where Jean fell in love with Angel. This version of Cyclops grew incredibly bitter, to the point that he abandoned the X-Men and joined the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

 He Clenches His Fists To Activate Hidden Switches In His Gloves

Cyclops unleashing an energy blast

Those who are new to the X-Men may wonder how Cyclops is opening and closing his visor in order to use his powers.

There are times when he is seen manually pressing a button on the visor and there are other times when it seems to be opening of its own accord.

Cyclop's is able to activate his visor by pressing tiny buttons inside of his gloves.

This is why he is often seen clenching his fists when firing optic blasts at his opponents.

The button is pressure sensitive, so that he can determine how wide it opens, which then determines how powerful the beam will be.

The presence of these buttons also allows Cyclops to use his powers when his hands are bound.

His Powers Might Be Uncontrollable Due To Trauma

Cyclops Marvel Comic Death of X

Cyclops originally had no natural way to control his powers. The only way he can see is due to the fact that his powers are suppressed by ruby quartz, which allows him to function without constantly firing destructive beams from his eyes.

The writers of the X-Men comic books have flip-flopped over the cause of Cyclops' lack of control over his powers.

There are times when his lack of control is due to an injury he suffered as a child, while other times it is a result of all of the trauma that he has endured over the years.

The writers also cannot decide whether Cyclops can learn to control his powers by overcoming his trauma. There are times when he can suppress and control his optic blasts, before losing this control and being forced to rely on the ruby quartz glasses again.

His Powers Were Once Fuelled By Sunlight

When Cyclops was first introduced, it was said that his powers were the result of sunlight. This was eventually changed into his eyes being portals to another dimension.

In the early issues of Uncanny X-Men, it was established that Cyclops' body absorbed solar energy, as well as other ambient energies from different sources.

This meant that there was a limit to how often he could use his powers, as it was possible to deplete the energy that he used for his optic blasts, though it didn't take long for this energy to be restored.

Cyclops could also regain energy from moonlight, though this was considered a lesser energy source and it took longer for his full power to be restored when operating at night.

 He Was Once The Host Of Apocalypse

Cyclops merged with Apocalypse

Cyclops' superpower may not be as impressive as those of the other members of the X-Men, but there are a lot of people who believe that his genetics hold the key to creating the most powerful mutants in existence.

The existence of Cyclops was especially important in the Apocalypse: The Twelve series, as he was one of the titular twelve characters who was said to be the cause behind the destruction of the world.

Apocalypse wanted to possess the body of Nate Grey, who came from the Age of Apocalypse reality.

Cyclops managed to save Nate's life by taking his place and become the new host for Apocalypse. The X-Men believed that Cyclops was lost until Cable and Jean Grey managed to track down Apocalypse in Egypt, where they managed to separate the two.

 He Has Used A Special Outfit To Fire His Optic Blasts From His Hands

There are three characters named Eric/Erik the Red in the Marvel universe, with the first being an alias used by Cyclops to infiltrate a group of supervillains.

The second was an agent of Emperor D'Ken of the Shi'ar Empire, who was sent to Earth to capture Lilandra, while the third was an alias used by Magneto.

When Cyclops took on the Eric the Red identity, he needed a way to hide his powers.

The Eric the Red suit acted in such a way that it rerouted Cyclops' powers into beams that he could fire him his hands.

It was never explained why the Erik the Red from the Shi'ar Empire had the same outfit and identity as the one used by Cyclops in the past. The truth is likely that one of the writers at Marvel just liked the design and wanted to use it again.

He Once Fired All Of Humanity's Compassion Out Of His Eyes

Cyclops X-Men

The goal of the X-Men is to fulfill the dream of Charles Xavier and win acceptance for the mutant race, but this doesn't mean that they won't be called up to protect the world from alien invaders from time to time.

The Earth was once under threat by a race called the Z'Nox, who could pilot their homeworld and use its gravity to destroy other worlds so that they could plunder the remains.

In order to stop the Z'Nox, Charles Xavier created a device that could channel all of the positive emotions on Earth into Jean Grey, which she could then funnel into Cyclops.

This allowed Cyclops to fire a massive optic blast that contained the happy thoughts of everyone on Earth straight at the Z'Nox homeworld.

The Z'Nox were so afraid of the positive emotions that were being channeled by Cyclops' Spirit Bomb attack that they fled from the solar system.

His True Love In X-Men: Evolution Was Almost Rogue

Cyclops fell in love with Jean Grey from the moment that he first saw her. This is something that has made it into almost every adaptation of the X-Men, with Cyclops and Jean Grey either being in a romantic relationship or ending up in one at the end of the story.

The creators of X-Men: Evolution teased a different direction for Cyclops' love life, as it was hinted throughout the show that romance could blossom between Cyclops and Rogue.

The reason for this attraction was due to their shared experience of their mutant powers being harmful to others.

If X-Men: Evolution had been allowed to continue, then Jean Grey would have eventually succumbed to the Phoenix and Cyclops would have ended up in a romantic relationship with Rogue.

He Has Been Injured By Havok, Which He Should Be Immune To

One of the rules of mutant powers in the Marvel universe is that siblings are immune to each other's powers.

It has long been established that Cyclops and Havok cannot harm each other using their powers, due to the fact that they are brothers. The same is also true of Banshee and Black Tom Cassidy.

It seems that the writers of the classic Age of Apocalypse series forgot this rule during the final issue, which created one of the biggest inconsistencies in the history of the X-Men. 

In the final issue of the original Age of Apocalypse series, Havok strikes down Jean Grey with his powers, even though she is the only thing holding back bombs from falling on North America.

Cyclops is about to attack Havok, which results in him being injured by Havok's powers, even though it has long been established that he should be immune to them.

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Can you think of any other crazy facts about Cyclops' body from the X-Men? Let us know in the comments!