X-Men Confirms New Cyclops Debut as Radically Different Redesign Officially Unleashes Their Powers

After keeping readers in suspense, Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe has finally confirmed the debut of a brand new version of Cyclops, as Natsu Tsukishima officially unleashes her powers for the very first time.The historic moment is delivered in Ultimate X-Men #8 by Peach Momoko, featuring a pivotal scene with Natsu, allowing her to finally use her powers and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt who she’s supposed to represent.

In this brief but essential scene, Natsu and Mori are accosted by a group of their peers, making fun of the pair for their involvement in the Children Of The Atom cult. The bullying quickly takes a dark turn, as they begin to imply that Natsu is a murderer before one of them prepares to throw a can at her. However, a red beam of energy shoots out of Natsu’s left eye, destroying the can while the teens call her a freak and a murderer.

This scene confirms with certainty that Natsu is Ultimate X-Men’s equivalent of Scott Summers, the famous leader of the X-Men known as Cyclops in the main continuity.

Natsu is Officially Marvel’s New Twist on Ultimate Cyclops

How Natsu’s Cyclops Powers Compare To Scott Summers

At this point the world is more than familiar with the iconic optic blast mutations wielded by Cyclops, AKA Scott Summers. Famously not the X-Men version of heat vision, Cyclops has the ability to shoot concussive optic blasts from both of his eyes, due to their nature as portals into a ‘Punch Dimension’ of pure kinetic force. These blasts are extremely powerful, capable of even punching holes through mountains and tanks.

While the upper limits of Natsu’s own optic blasts remain unknown, it’s entirely possible that her optic blasts function very similarly, if not identically, to Scott’s. Although the presence of blood coming from her left eye hints at additional drawbacks Scott doesn’t have. (The jury is still out on whether or not Natsu has Scott Summers’ superhuman neck muscles, too.)

Natsu & Cyclops Are Similar, But It’s The Differences We’re Excited For

Fans had already speculated Natsu would be this book’s equivalent of Scott Summers: both characters are the older siblings of their respective families, and both characters wear blue with yellow accents (Natsu’s name can also be translated as “Born in Summer” in Japanese, and she was always wearing an eyepatch over her left eye). Now Peach Momoko has firmly casts her as Ultimate X-Men’s equivalent of Scott Summers. However, both of these characters also share notable differences.

Natsu’s childhood within the Children Of The Atom cult already differentiates her from Scott, though the genetic experimentation within the cult certainly calls back to Scott’s time in the State Home for Foundlings, where he and his brother Alex were experimented on by Mister Sinister. And while Natsu was effectively a child soldier during her teenage years like Scott was in the X-Men, the notion that she may have killed someone in her past hints at a similarly dark origin story, albeit pulled in a different direction.

Ultimate X-Men #8 is available now from Marvel Comics.