Our redesign team finally gets to the X-Men’s stalwart leader: Cyclops. Scott Summers is the team’s boy scout, the brains and planner, and instantly recognizable with that glowing red visor. He’s had many looks through more than 60 years of publication, from the original training uniform in 1963 to the classic Jim Lee look from the ’90s to his brand-new From the Ashes fit. Thanks to X-Men ’97, he’s even enjoying a renaissance as a sex icon. How did our team choose to reinterpret his signature optic blast powers and give Cyclops a fresh look? Check them out in the article, and give all our talented artists a follow on social media to see more!
Léa Dupic
@kimodraw on Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter
I wanted to go in a slightly cyberpunk direction while keeping things real simple. I also like his all-dark-and-red era, so I went with that color scheme. He’s got some leather, he’s shaped like a bean pole, he’s everything I like in my Cyclops!
Joshua Bruckner
@Joshington_bear on Instagram and all other socials
I thought a lot about how to give Cyclops a new iconic look. His visor is the most distinct part of his costume, so I decided to maximize that impact by having the ruby-quartz lens extend into his hood and down his chest. I wanted to avoid the blue-and-yellow looks he often gets, so I dipped into his navy blue color scheme from Krakoa. Finally, I wanted to make sure he looked like the seasoned, weary leader he is now. Hopefully, this is a Cyclops you’d be afraid to see approaching you in battle.
Rake
@Pastelrake on Instagram and all other socials
If X-Men were a contemporary dating sim, then THOT Summers is the retrowave, textual bisexual with the ruby quartz skin that your heart desires.
Seye Sanyaolu
@seye_art on Instagram and Twitter
I was looking to match a redesign I did recently for Jean Grey with a bit of a modern look and The Matrix inspo as well.
Haydn
@ThatsSoHaydn on Instagram
I knew I wanted to make a design that wasn’t inspired by his Jim Lee costume, so taking inspiration from the cyberpunk aesthetic of black leathers and neon, I leaned into a futuristic look.
Joshua Bruckner
Joshua Bruckner is a lifelong artist, X-Men fan and scientist, in that order. He lives in Massachusetts and spends his free time reading comics, redesigning X-Men, drawing comics and arguing about X-Men. Follow him at @joshington_bear on most social media.
