Warning: Contains spoilers for Avengers #18!Cyclops And Storm are these X-Men Greatest leaders, and together they led the team through the greatest atrocities to bring down Mutantkind. Although they don’t always see eye to eye, they always want the best for their people. Now, both acknowledge that they can’t go back to taking orders from each other, and the landscape of the X-Men will change forever as a result.
in The Avengers #18 by Jed MacKay and Valerio Schiti Storm is still considering whether to officially become an Avenger as Hyperion rockets to Earth at light speed. She reaches out to her fellow mutants and visits the X-Men’s new base in Alaska to see what help they can offer. Cyclops reminds her that she will always have a place with them, prompting Ororo to reveal what they both already know: They can’t go back to taking orders from one another after all the history between them.
Cyclops and Storm are both respected, capable leaders, and There will never be room for them on the same team again. This is a major loss for the X-Men, even though both mutants have the best interests of mutants at heart.
Storm and Cyclops agree that they will never be on the same X-Men team
The Avengers #18 By Jed MacKay, Valerio Schiti, Bryan Valenza and Cory Petit
While Cyclops has led the X-Men since Charles Xavier founded the team, Storm has more than proven himself to be his equal (and, at times, his better) in this regard. Before Krakoa, Ororo often stepped up to direct in Scott’s absence, with the two even dueling for leadership in Storm’s early days. In the years that followed, even in moments of extreme controversy, They often act as a balance or counterweight to one another. However, there was never any partnership, and they stopped responding to each other at least ten years ago, although without such a pointed declaration.
After everything that happened on Krakoa and during its fall, it is little wonder that none of them are ready to serve under the other’s direction in the future. Ororo led Arakko and threw herself into life alone to bring Magneto back, while Scott poured everything into Krakoa and suffered greatly at the hands of Orchis before the nation fell. They both made huge impacts and will undoubtedly continue to do so, however They’ve each become such a major force in the Marvel Universe that they can’t go back to being a “follower”. – least of all behind the others – when they can accomplish so much more than leaders.
Marvel’s mutants benefit from seeing multiple powerful leaders
Even as the X-Men may suffer
Ultimately, Cyclops and Storm want what’s best for their people. For Scott, that means his current X-Men team is operational and ready to deal with threats that directly impact mutants, whatever the scale. It is, as Ororo calls it, “A strike team with a combat leader,“While she is focused on a grander idea of ​​operating among equals. Their leadership styles have never been similarAnd seeing the strongest mutants choose their own path could act as inspiration for those still scattered and searching for hope after Krakoa. If nothing else, Mutantkind now has leaders looking out for them from all angles.
While they will continue to work as allies, just as they did to find Hyperion, they will never go into battle again.
But for all the possible benefits for their people as a whole, it is jarring to imagine a future where two of the most capable mutants in the world never grace the same team. While they will continue to work as allies, just as they did to find Hyperion, they will never go into battle again. It has been built in this direction for a while, but now the parting of ways is official. Cyclops And Storm Agree they will never be X-Men Together if everyone leads the team, marking the end of an era.
The Avengers #18 is available now from Marvel Comics.