Yes, Cyclops' Mutant Power Can Kill People (& He's Done It Before)
There has always been a bit of confusion among X-Men fans, and even some comic writers, as to the nature of Cyclops’ power, and whether or not it is deadly. Scott Summers’ optic blasts have long been shown to knock opponents aside with concussive force, but in New X-Men #115 it is conclusively proven that they can also kill. Unfortunately, this major canon revelation comes with some horrifying implications.
It's worth keeping in mind that Cyclops has had his powers retconned more than once over the years. In fact, in The X-Men #1 they were just vaguely described as “energy rays,” but in general Cyclops has the ability to fire a concussive blast from his eyes. These beams can be focused through a combination of Scott’s own eye control and a dial on his costume’s visor. It’s important to note that his blasts are not lasers or heat beams, like Superman. They are a focused wave of pure kinetic energy. They have no heat, but they have been shown to have enough destructive force to destroy a Sentinel or even punch a hole in a mountain. Iron Man once measured the full force of Cyclops’ optic blast to be equal to two gigawatts of energy. That makes Cyke one of the X-Men’s biggest cannons, even if he doesn’t always use his power to its fullest.
Related: What X-MEN's Cyclops Actually Shoots From His Eyes
Scott’s reluctance to use his power to kill has added to the confusion surrounding how deadly he actually can be. When his powers are portrayed they are mostly shown to knock people aside, even heavy hitters like the Blob, but that usually results in his target being stunned or rendered unconscious. This has led to questions about the true lethality of Scott Summers, but New X-Men #115 by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
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