Summary
- Cyclops does not fire laser beams from his eyes, but concussive blasts. A difference that has caused confusion from his first comics.
- Even Marvel creators like Stan Lee have made mistakes, depicting Cyclops' powers incorrectly in just his second appearance.
- While Marvel doesn't like to publicize it, the origin of Cyclops' eye blasts are confirmed to come from 'The Punch Dimension,' through portals in his eyeballs.
Despite Scott Summers being one of the founding five of the first Cyclops does not fire laser beams from his eyes as many believe. This point has been a source of confusion to many comics readers, artists, and professional comic writers. Even Marvel's Stan Lee, who co-created the character with Jack Kirby in 1963, has occasionally depicted Cyclops' powers incorrectly.
Unfortunately, this frequent comic book error even found its way into the X-Men movie universe when in Superman's famous heat vision is easily explained as 'solar energy,' where and what Cyclops' energy consists of has been a bit more complicated.
The REAL Reason X-Men's Cyclops Can't Control His Power
Jonathan Hickman's House of X has brought Cyclops back from the dead - but why can't the NEW leader of the X-Men control his optic blasts?
Even Marvel Confused Cyclops' Power in The First X-Men Comics
As seen in Uncanny X-Men #1 & #2 (1963) by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Paul Reinman, and Sam Rosen
When Cyclops first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #1, his powers were described as an "energy ray," which he demonstrated by breaking up a fight between teammates Hank "Beast" McCoy and Bobby "Iceman" Drake. The concussive blasts were able to forcibly plant Beast several inches into the reinforced wall of the school gymnasium and made short work of the wall of ice which Iceman formed to protect himself.
This should have planted the clear idea that Cyclops' vision was definitively concussive, yet one issue later, in Uncanny X-Men #2, Cyclops was shown using his powers to melt the ice off of Angel's wings after he and Iceman got into an argument. Which would imply that his vision is heat-based, instead of concussive. This was a recurring mistake that both fans and writers would continually make over the years.
Apart from the issues of anything generating infinite energy, it's noted that Cyclops must have developed superhumanly strong neck muscles as a secondary mutation. Without that adaptation, Cyclops would have snapped his own neck with the recoil of his first optic blast and died instantly.
Cyclops' Eyes Are Portals To Marvel's 'Punch Dimension'
As seen in Ultimates 2 Vol. 2 #9 (2017) by Al Ewing, Travel Foreman, Dan Brown, and Joe Sabino
Over time, attempts were made within Marvel to concoct a new, science-fiction explanation for the origin of Scott Summer's eye blasts. Just as Nightcrawler's teleportation power was revealed to be travel through an unknown 'Brimstone Dimension,' it was eventually revealed (via The Official Handbook of The Marvel Universe encyclopedia) that Cyclops uses his eyes to open portals to a dimension of pure force, erupting into our world as concussive beams.
The mysterious realm powering Cyclops' eye blasts was given the official title of 'The Punch Dimension,' and glimpsed when weaponized by the dimension-hopping Avenger America Chavez in Ultimates #9.
The idea that Cyclops' eyes are portals to a dimension of infinite energy, which is continually released into our universe whenever he opens his eyes, is ittedly strange to fathom. In fact, it's the reason physics professor Jim Kakalios, author of The Physics of Superheroes, declared Cyclops 'the most impossible' of all the X-Men. Apart from the issues of anything generating infinite energy, it's noted that Cyclops must have developed superhumanly strong neck muscles as a secondary mutation. Without that adaptation, Cyclops would have snapped his own neck with the recoil of his first optic blast and died instantly.
Strangely enough, writer Al Ewing explained that at least part of the ongoing confusion is due to Marvel preventing creative teams from clarifying it. Speaking during the UK comic festival Thought Bubble (via BC), Ewing gave a casual reason why the canon has yet to concretize:
"The problem is we're not allowed to mention Cyclops' power has dimensional holes to the punch dimension."
According to Ewing, that lore explanation of Cyclops' beams is one the editors do not like to reference (likening it to Hulk deriving his additional mass from an aptly-named "meat dimension"). Fortunately, the Marvel characters aren't as limited in the actual comics.
Marvel Heroes Now Understand Cyclops' Non-Heat Vision, Too
As seen in Fantastic Four #250 by John Byrne, Christie Scheele, and Joe Rosen.
During the events of Fantastic Four #250, the Fantastic Four came under assault by the X-Men. But not everything is as it seems. The Fantastic Four are quickly able to figure out that it's not the real X-Men attacking them, but Skrull impostors using the X-Men's identities. The biggest hint to this reveal? When the Skrull Cyclops blasts the Thing, Ben Grimm specifically notes that his back is burning, which he knows is not a typical trait of Scott's eye blasts.
Despite it being noted continually by long-running X-Men writers like Chris Claremont that Cyclops' beams were made up of pure concussive force, and did not generate any form of heat (even as a byproduct of friction), the confusion persists to this day. For every scene that depicts Cyclops demonstrating fine control of his visual superpowers by using them as a knife to precisely cut a slice of birthday cake, there is another instance of Cyclops using those same powers to light the candles.
Source: Al Ewing (via BC)
