Even Captain Marvel Thinks One X-Man Deserves No Mercy

Warning! Spoilers for Avengers Annual 2023 ahead!When Agatha Harkness sets Marvel’s heroes against each other as part of her plan to create a new Darkhold, Captain Marvel leads a rescue to save their friends and teammates from the heart of the Bermuda Triangle. Before heading into battle, she asks her allies to not hurt their mind-controlled foes. However, there’s one X-Man who makes it difficult for Carol to follow her own orders.

Agatha’s “Contest of Choas” event has been a tournament of heroes being compelled to fight one another. It’s led to the formation of a new squadron of the tournament’s winners, featuring such heavy hitters as Wolverine, Venom, and Storm. When Agatha initially pit Captain Marvel against Cyclops, looking to add the fight’s winner to her team, no one could have expected Scott to walk away with the honor. Now in Avengers Annual 2023, by Stefanie Phillips, Alberto Foche, and Alvaro Lopez, it looks like Carol Danvers has taken the loss personally.

Even though she means to keep her fellow heroes safe, Carol has to admit that it feels good to let loose on Cyclops.

Captain Marvel Thinks Cyclops Had It Coming

Despite bringing Avengers and X-Men heavyweights like Thor, Captain America, and Scarlet Witch, Carol tries to reason with the controlled heroes, pleading with them to shake off Agatha’s power. However, when Cyclops goes after Scarlet Witch, Captain Marvel doesn’t hesitate to blast him away. When last they met, Captain Marvel called Cyclops, “The Astonishingly Useless X-Man,” expecting an easy win. She wasn’t prepared for Scott Summers to remove his ruby quartz visor and unleash his full power at her. An argument could be made that Captain Marvel, aware of what Cyclops is capable of, knows she needs to save Scarlet Witch, the only way she knows how. However, when Carol turns to Wanda, she admits blasting him into the ocean “definitely felt cathartic.”

Though Carol and Scott’s first fight was powered by the dark magic of the Darkhold, its influence only made them more aggressive; the insults they swapped revealed how they really felt about each other. Two leaders of heroic teams going head-to-head is not uncommon in Marvel Comics, and the more even-tempered Cyclops told Captain Marvel that she was arrogant and insecure. However, Carol’s insults were downright below the belt: not just content with calling him useless, she also suggested that Wolverine was better suited for Jean Grey.

Scott unleashing his full power could be attributed to Carol’s massive amounts of disrespect for him. Taking him on in this latest fight, she adds, “I’m not saying Cyclops had it coming, but…” Even though Captain Marvel appears to have let bygones be bygones by the end of the issue, she probably wouldn’t hate another excuse to Cyclops a taste of what she thinks he deserves.

Avengers Annual 2023 by Marvel Comics is available now.