Remember me
As superheroes go, it’s hard to beat Batman, both in the literal sense but in the broader, more figurative sense as well. The massively popular DC Comics hero is an impressive figure, one made even more impressive when you consider that he doesn’t actually have any superpowers. Sure, there’s the running joke that his superpower is that he’s rich and seemingly endless resources certainly are a huge assist, but there have been plenty of times in comics history where Bats has been down and out in terms of access to money and he’s still a nearly unstoppable force. That’s what happens when you’re always prepared and that might actually be his real superpower. If you stay ready, you don’t need to get ready and for Batman that not only works but makes him one of comics’ most formidable heroes. But he’s not exactly one of one. Marvel has their own version of Batman—something they confirmed 17 years ago if you happened to be paying attention because it’s probably not the character you’re expecting.
When it comes to Marvel’s version of Batman, that distinction doesn’t belong to a billionaire genius like Tony Stark/Iron Man like some people think it would. Instead, it belongs to Scott Summers/Cyclops. Cyclops might not have limitless resources or a wealth of cool gadgets, but what he does have is that same very specific set of skills that sees him being not only relentlessly driven and exceptionally well-trained, but also a master tactician, a genuine master of the “be ready so you don’t have to get ready” philosophy and if you need proof, look no further than Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Exodus #1 from 2009.
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
So, I hadn’t really ever given the idea of Cyclops being Marvel’s Batman much thought until I saw a relatively recent post on social media. Over on X, a comics fan shared a cool piece of art from Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Exodus #1. They shared it because of how cool the art style and indeed, it is very cool. But what really got my attention is what is going on in the moment. Cyclops is leading the X-Men and calling the shots for how they’re going to be dealing with the situation, as he does, but when he spots “Hawkeye”, he clocks instantly that it’s not actually Hawkeye and it is instead actually Bullseye.
This isn’t just a situation of recognizing someone. Keep in mind, in this panel Bullseye’s Hawkeye costume does a solid job of obscuring his physical appearance so just on visuals you’d likely see him and think oh yeah, that’s Hawkeye. What Cyclops is clocking—and what almost every other hero is going to miss—is how Bullseye moves. Cyclops sees what amounts to one flip and bam! He knows that’s not Clint Barton. He knows based on the way the man moves his body and functions his muscles that it’s Bullseye. That is a level of knowledge and understanding that doesn’t come from some weird superpower (though I’m sure there’s a mutant out there somewhere with said ability). For Scott Summers, that comes from experience, observation, and preparation. He knows his opponents and his allies. He can tell them by the way they move as much as he can any other metric. And because he knows them—and in this case identifies Bullseye—that means he knows exactly what they are capable of.
This lets Cyclops have a whole range of ways he can anticipate and deal with Bullseye rather than being caught off guard by “Hawkeye”. Much in the way it’s hard to get one past Batman, you can’t get past Cyclops that easily. It’s not only brilliant, but it’s pure tactical genius and it trumps every gadget, all the money, and even brute strength every time.
Now, this isn’t the first time in comics we’ve seen Cyclops be super prepared. His preparation is actually a big part of the character over his own history so the idea that we got “confirmation” that he’s Marvel’s Batman 17 years ago is honestly a little cheeky of me to say but honestly, it’s this panel from this issue that really drives it home. You look at this moment and there is really no doubt that he is a force to be reckoned with. Yes, Batman and Cyclops are very different in a lot of ways, but when it comes to sheer preparedness—that thing that might be the greatest super power of all—they’re evenly matched. Of course that leaves me with just one question: if we put the two of them head-to-head, who would be the most prepared? Food for thought.
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