But what if Cyclops had never had Xavier as a mentor? That's the question answered by his radical new design...
Cyclops Sports an Eyepatch in X-Men Redesign
As part of a new wave of What If...? titles, Marvel just released solicit information for What If...? X-Men, which will ask how the Marvel Universe would have changed if Cassandra Nova had killed Charles Xavier in the womb.
WHAT IF…? X-MEN #1
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Release Date:
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AUGUST 8, 2026
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Writer:
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ASHLEY ALLEN
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Artists:
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SUMIT KUMAR
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Cover Artist:
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LUCAS WERNECK
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WHAT IF…CASSANDRA NOVA KILLED PROFESSOR X?
In a world where Cassandra Nova killed Charles Xavier in the womb, telepaths are hunted and experimented on – and what she’s making from them is far worse than what she’s taking. But when telepaths Jean Grey and Emma Frost escape, Cassandra Nova will stop at nothing to bring them back! Bring on Cassandra’s X-Men!
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Alongside the summary and cover, Marvel has shared Sumit Kumar's concept art for the issue. The art shows Cyclops wearing black and grey armor with a militarized 'X' logo on his chest, and a ruby quartz eyepatch over one eye.
Lucas Werneck's cover shows Cyclops' eye glowing with power, forming a red 'X.' The design implies that this new timeline's version of Cyclops has greater control over his powers, since he's able to leave one eye unfettered without kinetic energy pouring out. Scott Summers' grim appearance implies that in this world, he's a disciple of Cassandra Nova, and will likely be leading the hunt for the rebellious Jean Grey and Emma Frost.
How X-Men Lore Is About to Change
In mainstream lore, Cassandra Nova is a Mummundrai - a psychic parasite which detects those with psionic potential in the womb, stealing their DNA to be born alongside them as a twisted 'twin.' In Earth-616 canon, Xavier detected and destroyed Nova in the womb, with it then taking decades for her to rebuild her body and attack the X-Men.
The new What If...? comic will reverse that outcome, making Nova the sole survivor. Not only does that mean she'll be able to target the X-Men far earlier, but she won't have Charles Xavier getting in her way.
The issue's summary suggests that Nova will be capturing and transforming psychics. So far, it's unclear what they'll become, but given her nature as a parasite, it's possible Nova is infecting them with Mummundrai of their own.
The issue's cover suggests that Cyclops, Wolverine and Rogue will be Nova's capture team, and that makes sense. Xavier saved Cyclops from being studied in a fake orphanage run by Mister Sinister, while offering Wolverine and Rogue a shot at redemption after villainous pasts.
These are the X-Men who most needed Charles Xavier to save them from a life of darkness, with Cassandra Nova seemingly taking advantage of that need.
How Does Cyclops' New Look Compare to Past Redesigns?
Cyclops' new look shows how radically differently life has treated him under Cassandra Nova's control, but where does it rank among his other redesigns? Sadly, rather low.
This isn't the first time that a Cyclops redesign has focused on the idea of him having a single eye - his Hellfire gala costume, rebel era costume and Age of Apocalypse and 2099 variants all utilize the same idea, but with a more imposing effect.
Arguably Cyclops' best redesign of all time came from the Age of X reality, where Scott took the name Basilisk. Evoking the mythological monster that could kill with its gaze, it was a far more descriptive codename than in Marvel's mainstream.
As Marvel's What If...? imprint rewrites X-Men canon, Cyclops is getting a brand new redesign - one which redefines his heroic legacy and turns him into Cassandra Nova's chief attack dog.
WHAT IF…? X-MEN #1 is coming August 8 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
English (US) ·