Cyclops Just Became X-Men's New Magneto With 1 Sentence

Custom Image by Hannah Diffey Published Nov 4, 2026, 9:30 AM EST Ambrose Tardive is an editor on ScreenRant's Comics team. Over the past two years, he has developed into the internet's foremost authority on The Far Side. Outside of his work for ScreenRant, Ambrose works as an Adjunct English Instructor. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Big changes are coming for the X-Men franchise, and it all starts with Cyclops. The pressure of stepping into Charles Xavier's shoes as the steward of mutantkind has officially gotten to Scott Summers, putting him in a dark headspace that finds him making decisions that feel more and more like what Magneto would do, or would have done once upon a time. Now, Cyclops is about to reach a breaking point, and possibly a point of no return, as he embarks on a controversial solo mission, which seems like it will end up triggering a leadership crisis for his team. As the X-Men franchise's latest crossover with The Fantastic Four kicks into high gear, Cyclops has made it his personal responsibility to take out the leader of the enemy faction, 3K. That leader? It is a corrupted version of one of his oldest, closest friends, OG X-Men teammate Beast. This is a climactic moment for their ongoing rivalry, but for Cyclops especially, it is also the culmination of a long character arc that has played out over the last several years. Now, it looks like that arc is going to have a sheer drop-off, as Cyclops faces a fall from grace that could change his position in X-canon for a long time coming. Warning! Major spoilers ahead for Marvel's ongoing X-Men/Fantastic Four crossover! Cyclops' New Solo Kill Mission Pushes Him Into His Darkest Territory Yet Lately, Scott Summers has been exhibiting a lot more "ends justify the means" thinking in his position as the leader of Marvel's main X-Men team, and it is making him sound more and more like the old Magneto. After the fall of the mutant nationstate of Krakoa, mutantkind scattered to the four winds, and then some. Cyclops and his team, moved to Alaska and went back to doing what they did best: being an old-school superhero team. His roster actually includes Magneto, who is only now regaining the full use of his mutant abilities in the DNX crossover event. Magneto's character evolution, especially over the last decade or so, has taken him away from the "all means necessary" absolutism that was his trademark for so long. At the same time, Cyclops has been evolving into someone who is more like Magneto used to be. This was destined to put them at odds, and these are just two of the many threads currently converging in DNX. Another is Cyclops vs. the Chairman, the evil Beast, which is also coming to a head as of DNX #4. As the issue ends, Cyclops shocks the team by agreeing to a meeting with the Chairman, and then as he leaves, by plainly stating his intentions to kill him. Cyclops' Days As X-Men Leader Could Be Over, And That Could Send Him Down A Magneto-Like Path Fans will have to pick up DNX #5 when it drops in two weeks to get the full story on how Cyclops vs. the Chairman plays out. That said, there are some clues already out there which suggest it isn't going to go well for Cyclops. He might accomplish his mission, but after that, he is going to find out the hard way if the ends really do justify the means, and the cost of his actions. Marvel has announced the X-Men will be voting for a new leader in an upcoming issue, implying a vote of no confidence in Scott Summers after the events of DNX. It is a pivotal time for the X-Men, and for Cyclops, who could find himself with a very different role in the team hierarchy soon. At best. At worst, he could truly become the next Magneto by splitting from the team and becoming a thorn in their sides. DNX #4 is available now from Marvel Comics. Movie(s) X-Men (2000), X2, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Wolverine (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Deadpool (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Logan (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dark Phoenix (2019), The New Mutants, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) TV Show(s) X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, X-Men (1992), X-Men: Evolution (2000), Wolverine and the X-Men (2008), Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: X-Men, Legion (2017), The Gifted (2017), X-Men '97 (2024) Video Game(s) X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994), Marvel Super Heroes (1995), X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), Marvel vs. Capcom (1998), X-Men: Mutant Academy (2000), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000), X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001), X-Men: Next Dimension (2002), Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011), Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011), X-Men Legends (2005), X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse (2005), X2: Wolverine's Revenge (2003), X-Men (1993), X-Men 2: Clone Wars (1995), X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994) First Film X-Men (2000) Character(s) Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Phoenix, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, Morph, Nightcrawler, Havok, Banshee, Colossus, Magneto, Psylocke, Juggernaut, Cable, X-23 Comic Release Date 213035,212968