Cyclops saves the kids from Troll Hordes in Champions No. 5
By Alex Widen
Will the real “Slim” Summers please stand up in Champions No. 5?
When Mark Waid launched the last volume of Champions in 2016, one of the members he insisted be on the team was Cyclops. The veteran founding X-Man has been a longtime member and leader of the team, yet his appearances on other superhero teams had been nil. While Beast, Wolverine, Iceman, Archangel, Storm, and even Kid Omega had all made the leap outside the X-Men franchise, Scott Summers had never done so. The added wrinkle was that this wasn’t the “classic” Cyclops, but a teenage version flung forward from the past!
Image by Marvel Comics
It was part of the All-New X-Men launch by Brian M. Bendis in 2013, which was resolved five years later after he’d already left things a mess and split for other titles (as he often does). Teen Cyclops bonded well with the Champions, especially with Ms. Marvel and Amadeus Cho. While his tactical experience was always in play, he never dominated the team and was comfortable not being the leader for once. But he’s since gone home, and the adult version is back. Furthermore, other drama and crossovers have once again become priority within the book!
Image by Marvel Comics
The “crossover du jour” is War Of The Realms. The gist is that Thor’s old enemy Malekith has successfully conquered the world and spread magical Norse creatures in every continent. North America in particular is being overrun by Frost Giants, while Australia has a problem with Trolls. Ms. Marvel expanded the Champions to better combat these threats, but the team’s been scattered. Miles Morales in particular is still in Dubai, guilt ridden over allowing a civilian to die in exchange for allowing Mephisto to save his friends. He’s been running errands for the girl’s mom.
Image by Marvel Comics