Cyclops (Scott Summers) debuted in 1963's X-Men vol 1 #1, by which point he had already become a superhero and joined the X-Men.  He was finally given an origin story in the "Origins of the X-Men" back-up strip in X-Men vol 1 #36-42.  On top of that, Chris Claremont later added two other chunks of history - a story about Scott and Alex parachuting from a burning plane, and a bizarre childhood in an orphanage with Mr Sinister.

UNCANNY X-MEN #156, p10pn4 to p11pn1 (flashback)
Young Scott Summers is with his family (father Christopher, mother Katherine Ann and younger brother Alex) aboard their Dehaviland Mosquito aircraft, returning home from a camping trip in Alaska.  They are "following the coast, south of Cape Yatakaga."  According to issue #144, Scott is 10 at this point, and Alex is 6.  A Shi'ar spacecraft approaches and opens fire.  A near-miss sets light to the wooden aircraft.  [Essentially the same sequence of events has been covered in three flashbacks.  Uncanny X-Men #156 has Corsair's point of view.  Uncanny X-Men #144 has Cyclops's.  X-Factor vol 1 #115 has Havok's.]

UNCANNY X-MEN #144, p11pn6 to p12pn1 (flashback)
While Christopher wrestles with the controls, Katherine Ann struggles to get Scott and Alex into the only available parachute.  The Mosquito takes another hit and the cabin fills with smoke.  Katherine Anne gets Scott and Alex ready to jump...

UNCANNY X-MEN #156, p11pn2 (flashback)
...and they jump from the plane.

X-MEN vol 1 #114, page 13 panel 1 (flashback)
A hallucinatory flashback by Scott, showing Scott and Alex falling without the parachute inflated, and the Mosquito burning in the background.  This was the first mention of the aircraft sequence, although for all practical purposes, it's since been swallowed up by later stories.

UNCANNY X-MEN #144, page 12 panels 2-5 (flashback)
The Mosquito "blows up" (or at least has some sort of explosion, since this doesn't quite match the sequence of events in issue #156's flashback).  Scott and Alex's parachute inflates, but promptly catches fire.

X-MEN vol 2 #18, page 16 panel 3 (flashback)
As the parachute falls, Scott tells Alex to hang on.

X-FACTOR vol 1 #115, page 3 (flashback)
Alex clings on to Scott as they fall towards the ground.

It's been said on many occasions that Scott used his optic beam for the first time to slow their fall.  Oddly enough, that never seems to have been shown on panel.  Scott suffers brain damage in the fall which leaves him unable to control his optic beam without his ruby quartz visor.

X-FACTOR vol 1 #39, page 6 panels 5-8 (flashback)
Scott wakes in hospital, only to be immediately subdued by robotic arms controlled by Mr Sinister.  He falls unconscious. 

According to Scott, he doesn't wake again for another year, at which point he was told that he had been in a coma since the accident.  It seems that Sinister spent the intervening time experimenting on him.  On waking from his coma, Scott is sent to the orphanage in Nebraska which is secretly run by Sinister.

X-FACTOR vol 1 #35, page 6 panels 1-3 (flashback)
At the orphanage, Scott gets into a fight with his roommate Nathan.  Nathan steals Scott's glasses and dares Scott to look at him.  [The original idea was that Nathan was Mr Sinister.  Sinister was going to be a child who could never grow up, and Nathan would be his true form.  That idea for Sinister's origin has since been comprehensively invalidated, but presumably Nathan remains a disguised Mr Sinister in current continuity.]

CLASSIC X-MEN #41, second story
A Scott Summers story.  Scott is now 12 years old.  His only friend in the orphanage is Nate, and Scott doesn't even like him all that much.  Both Scott and Nate are bullied by another child, Toby Rails.  Mr Sinister appears and makes Rails commit suicide by jumping from the orphanage roof.  Scott fails to save him.  Meanwhile, new doctor Robyn Hanover arrives at the orphanage and starts trying to investigate Scott's mysterious past, despite being warned off by the chief administrator.

CLASSIC X-MEN #42, second story
Robyn befriends Scott and introduces him to possible adoptive parents, the Bogarts.  Seeing this as a threat to his plans, Sinister has the Bogarts killed, and abducts and brainwashes Robyn.  Robyn stops paying any attention to Scott.  Scott resolves to flee the orphanage when he gets the chance.  That night, he has a dream in which he briefly makes mental contact with Professor X and Jean Grey (who are testing the new Cerebro machine at the time).

X-MEN vol 1 #38, second story (flashback)
While on a field trip in Omaha, Scott uses his optic beam to save bystanders from a falling air conditioning unit.

X-MEN vol 1 #39, second story
A mob attacks Scott, and he flees.  He gets on a train to New Jersey.  There, Scott meets supervillain Jack O'Diamonds.

X-MEN vol 1 #40, second story
Jack O'Diamonds enlists Scott as his reluctant sidekick.  Jack takes Scott back to the nuclear power plant where he originally got his powers from a radioactive isotope.  He hopes that further exposure will make him even more powerful.  Professor X arrives to confront Jack.

X-MEN vol 1 #41, second story
Scott is present as Professor X fights Jack O'Diamonds.

X-MEN vol 1 #42, second story [pages unknown]
Scott and Professor X defeat Jack O'Diamonds.  Professor X takes Scott back to the X-Men Mansion.

UNCANNY X-MEN #309 (flashback, behind the scenes)
On the night Scott is brought back to the Mansion, Charles Xavier argues with Amelia Voght, who walks out.  Scott is not seen on panel.

X-MEN vol 1 #42, second story [pages unknown]
Scott is given his costume and visor, and becomes Cyclops, the first X-Man.

X-MEN vol 1 #44, second story
Cyclops is sent to rescue Bobby Drake from protective custody.

X-MEN vol 1 #45, second story
Cyclops fights Bobby, who doesn't want to come with him.

X-MEN vol 1 #46, second story
Professor X rescues Cyclops and Bobby from a mob.  Bobby joins the X-Men as Iceman.

X-MEN vol 1 #55, second story, pages 1-4
The X-Men detect the Angel...

UNCANNY ORIGINS #3, page 12 panel 1
...Professor X despatches Cyclops and Iceman to get him...

X-MEN vol 1 #55, second story page 5
...and Cyclops and Iceman confront Angel at his apartment.

X-MEN vol 1 #56, second story
Cyclops and Iceman subdue the Angel (who has been drugged), and recruit him into the X-Men.

X-MEN vol 1 #51, second story
The X-Men learn that the Beast has been kidnapped...

X-MEN vol 1 #52, second story
...they track him down...

X-MEN vol 1 #53, second story, page 1 to page 5 panel 3
...and rescue him and his parents.

UNCANNY ORIGINS #6, page 16 panels 2-3
Back at Hank's house, Professor X delivers some exposition tying up some loose ends, while the X-Men watch...

X-MEN vol 1 #53, second story, page 5 panels 4-5
...and the Beast joins the X-Men.

MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #85, third story (flashback)
Cyclops, Angel and Iceman subdue the Beast when he flies into a rage.

X-MEN vol 1 #1
The X-Men make their public debut against Magneto.  First published appearance of Cyclops.

Last revised: 7 September 2004