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There’s no shame in exclusively enjoying Marvel via its film and television output.
That being said, if that’s you, I’d urge you to explore the rich world of Marvel Comics, but I understand that we all have our preferences.
This is why it’s so exciting for us comic book fans when a beloved character is introduced to the masses through a screen adaptation.
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That’s exactly what happened earlier this year when Cyclops captured the attention of viewers in the brilliant X-Men ‘97.
Rather unusually for Marvel, X-Men ‘97 is not a part of the MCU but I’d still encourage you to watch what is a fantastic show.
It’s entertaining but it also makes for good adjacent viewing, if you want to familiarise yourself with the workings of the X-Men before the group makes its official MCU debut.
But it’s not X-Men ‘97’s Cyclops that I ultimately want to highlight today.
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It’s time to shift back over to the world of Marvel Comics as a brand new iteration of Cyclops has been introduced in Ultimate X-Men, and it’s unlike any version of the character we’ve seen before.
Take a look at X-Men ‘97 in action below. It would make for excellent Christmas break viewing.
As reported by ComicBook, this latest take on Cyclops is easily the most tragic.
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Ultimate X-Men’s Cyclops is a young Japanese girl by the name of Natsu Tsukishima.
The series essentially sees a young group of female X-Men go up against a Japanese mutant cult known as The Children of the Atom who believe that mutants are superior.
What makes this Cyclops different, outside of her identity, is the fact that she only shoots an optic blast from the one eye.
In Ultimate X-Men Issue #10, and I’ll warn you that spoilers lie ahead, Natsu loses control of her power during a conversation with her mother, killing her.
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It’s a stark reminder of the burden that comes with having a power as deadly as Natsu’s.
We all fall victim to letting our emotions get the better of us on occasion, but for Natsu, that’s something that can come with much starker consequences.
Of course, it’s going to be interesting to see how this changes her going forwards - and this event is certainly not going to help the already tense relations between the humans and mutants.
The story continues in Ultimate X-Men #11 which releases on 29 January 2025. Issue #10 is available now.