Warning! Spoilers forX-Men#18 ahead!
X-MenleaderCyclopsjust called out the unifying trait behind all the team’s greatest defeats, but he did so with a smile on his face, as he watched another team tear themselves apart for a change. That’s right, in-fighting has always been thedownfall of the X-Men, but this time, it proved to be what allowed the mutant heroes to defeat their opponents without having to get their hands dirty.
X-Men#18, written by Jed MacKay, with art by Emilio Laiso, pits Cyclops' Alaskan-based X-Men team against the so-called “3K X-Men,” a team attempting to do more than just defeat Marvel’s premiere mutant team, but usurp their very identity.
While they might have amounted to pale imitations in the end,the team did embody one classic quality of prior X-Men teams: the capacity to self-destruct and become their own worst enemies.In a satisfying character moment, Cyclops slyly celebrates the same thing that has caused him so much pain in the past.
Cyclops And His X-Men Score An Easy Win By Letting Their Enemies Defeat Themselves
X-Men#18, Written By Jed MacKay; Art By Emilio Laiso; Color By Fernando Sifuentes; Lettering By Clayton Cowles
Cyclops has been at the heart of theX-Menfranchisesince the beginning, and as a result, as much as that means he has experienced the team’s greatest victories, it has also put him in position to take the brunt of their most devastating defeats. In the latest issue of Jed Mackay’sX-Menongoing series, it is their enemies' turn to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by succumbing to internal divisions, when they need most to present a united front in order to achieve their goals.
“Are we going to hit them or what?” the short-tempered mutant powerhouse Magik asks Cyclops in the issue, and his response is that “they’re in a moment of leadership crisis…a threat will unify them.” Instead, he advocates caution, andconsequently, him and his team sit back and watch the 3K X-Men defeat themselves.It is a unique way foranX-Menbattle sceneto climax, but one that nevertheless demonstrates the creative team’s keen insight into the familiar beats and storytelling rhythms of the franchise.
So Good He Won The X-Men’s Latest Battle By Doing Nothing
The current flagshipX-Menseries, by design, is intended to recapturethe feel of “classicX-Men,“and Cyclops' central role as the team’s leader is a big part of that. So, then, the onus is on the creative team to deliver the familiar tale of Scott Summers using his tactical genius to outwit and outmaneuver his enemies, but of course, Jed MacKay and his collaborators seek to do so in novel ways. In this regard,X-Men#18 wholeheartedly delivers,once more making Cyclops into the ultimate battlefield sage, one who recognizes his team’s own greatest flaws in their enemies' behavior.
InX-Men#18, as is often the case, Cyclops is multiple steps ahead of his adversaries, giving him a pivotal battlefield advantage.
“When your enemy is making a mistake,” Cyclops advises his team, “let them.” This coolly emphasizes the character’s chessmaster-like view of conflict, in which he is able to quickly analyze his opponents' strategy, or lack thereof, and respond accordingly. InX-Men#18, as is often the case, Cyclops is multiple steps ahead of his adversaries, giving him a pivotal battlefield advantage. In this case, it allows him to recognize the benefit of nonaction, and the result is a relatively effortless win for the team.
Cyclops Flexing His Battlefield Brilliance Is A Staple Of X-Men Storytelling
X-Men#18 Offers A Fun, Unique Take On It
After sixty-plus years as one of the most recognizable superheroes in comic book history, Cyclops has earned his reputation as a veteran battle commander. He has fought in many ofMarvel’s most brutal battles, yet he remains effortlessly innovative. His tactical acumen is often described as an ancillary mutant power, and it once more takes center stage in the character’s latestvictory,asCyclopsand his current roster ofX-Menmanage to take down a seemingly powerful threat by simply being patient and letting them take themselves down first.
