X-Men: All 6 Cyclops actors ranked from worst to best

1. Norm Spencer

Appeared in: X-Men: The Animated Series

When it comes to the definitive version of Cyclops, there is nobody more deserving of that title than the late, great Norm Spencer, who voiced the character on the legendary X-Men: The Animated Series. He portrayed the character for five seasons, so that obviously allowed him to get to know him in a way others could not, but that's only part of what made him so brilliant in the role.

Scott Summers is a leader through and through, and Spencer captured that with ease. He voiced Scott with intention, with courage, with passion; with almost every sentence sounded like a confident directive and command. You instantly understood why his fellow X-Men followed him without question, because Spencer's performance was so believable that you wanted to follow Cyclops into battle too.

But it wasn't one-note, either; there was passion in his performance, particularly whenever Scott was conversing with Professor Xavier or sharing a soft, tender moment with Jean. His performance in the third season, which sees Scott struggle with Jean's evolution into the Phoenix (and all the fallout that comes from it) is thoroughly compelling, and it might just be his best.

Scott is a confident leader who sometimes makes mistakes and can fall victim to his own hubris; Norm Spencer captured all of that and so much more, with a performance that felt so inherently Scott Summers that he has become the definitive voice of the character. And I defy anybody to read an X-Men comic and not hear his voice in your head when Cyclops enters the frames.

The veteran actor's untimely passing meant that he couldn't reprise his role in the X-Men '97 revival, but there is no doubt that his legacy as the greatest Cyclops of them all will live on forever.