Cyclops

Cyclops Cyclops is already taking responsibility in X-Men #1. He's the one who approaches the military at Cape Citadel and asks them to give the team a chance. He takes that on before anyone hands him a formal title. Scott Summers is called Slim in this debut. The visor, the controlled stance and the concern about other people getting hurt are already there. His optic blasts make accuracy essential. A teammate can turn toward someone casually; for Cyclops, controlling where he looks is a practical safety problem. That gives the school a very specific purpose for him. Training means learning how to live around other people as well as how to win a fight. Early Scott can take charge of a situation more easily than he can explain himself to someone he wants to know better. Xavier formally names him leader in #7, in 1964. By then, Scott has already been the person asking others to trust the team and taking responsibility for what they do. He's still a student himself, learning under the same teacher as everyone he's expected to lead. Issues: X-Men #1 (1963), with a look ahead to #7 (1964).