It’s already a universal sentiment how Fox did a disservice to many X-Men characters, particularly Scott Summers, aka Cyclops. He is one of the major heroes in the story and a founding member of the X-Men, and yet he was constantly pushed to the sideline.
With the arrival of X-Men ’97, fans were greeted with the improvement in the treatment of Cyclops and his signature power, the optic blast.
Cyclops’ Optic Blast Finally Used Appropriately In X-Men ‘97
MW Johnson/ReelSchool from Twitter shared a short video clip of X-Men ’97 with Cyclops fighting a bunch of guys. In the caption, he wrote:
“This part in #xmen97 had me gasping out loud. Every time you read about Cyclops’ power, it always describes it as a ‘concussive force’ – why it took animators/filmmakers THIS LONG to use it so he can literally push things is crazy. Everyone always treats it like a laser beam.”
This part in #xmen97 had me gasping out loud.
Every time you read about Cyclops’ power, it always describes it as a ‘concussive force’ – why it took animators/filmmakers THIS LONG to use it so he can literally push things is crazy. Everyone always treats it like a laser beam. pic.twitter.com/2S9qMbmPCc
— M W Johnson (@ReelSchool) March 21, 2024
For the longest time, many viewers believed that Cyclops’ eyes wield laser beams. The appearance only made it look like one, but Aureilius2112 from Reddit gave an in-depth explanation of this:
“Inside the eyes of Cyclops are portals to an alternate dimension filled with infinite concussive energy. This energy looks very similar to a laser since it fires a red beam at the speed of light and can be reflected off surfaces. However, they are not lasers, they are instead comprised of pure concussive force.”
Cyclops can easily control the intensity and size of the energy beams through mind control, also with the help of fine-tuning from his specialized visor. Interestingly, the mutant’s eyes are portals to an inter-dimensional realm filled with infinite energy, which is released into our universe whenever he opens his eyes.
The above-mentioned clip showed how Cyclops uses his powers in a way that fits the comic book description. His optic blast acts like a strong punch, not something that could cut through things with heat like a laser.
Still, Cyclops is not to be underestimated because he is just as deadly as any powerful mutant. Now that he has been given justice in the newly-released X-Men ’97 series, fans expect to see more of what he can do in the upcoming episodes.
Who Is The New Voice Of Cyclops In X-Men ’97?
Norm Spencer portrayed Scott Summers/Cyclops in X-Men: The Animated Series; unfortunately, the actor passed away in August 2020. The X-Men ’97 had not yet begun production during that year, and he had no chance to lend his voice again to the beloved character.
Ray Chase filled in the shoes and voiced the mutant superhero in X-Men ’97. The voice actor’s body of works includes movies, TV shows, and video games, though he is particularly a popular figure when it comes to English dubs of anime productions. Moreover, his impressive portfolio also includes Grand Theft Auto, Borderlands, Final Fantasy, and Diablo.
X-Men ’97 is now streaming on Disney+.
