Just an idea I had while browsing the "Cyclops needs to evolve, etc." thread. He doesn't need his power set tampered with or sudden personality changes; just put him in an interesting position and let the character develop naturally from there. That said, I think they could have put the MU in a much more interesting position by asking Scott Summers to take over as director of S.H.I.E.L.D. 
 
Steve Rogers is a nice guy and a great tactical leader, but doesn't really have a lot of experience on the strategic level. Cyclops has that in spades along with the combat experience, as well as having the moral flexibility to make sacrifices for the greater good that would be way out of character for Cap. The latter would still be in charge of the Secret Avengers anyways. Cyclops' training in psionic secret retention could prove infinitely useful, and furthermore it would be a terrific way to integrate the mutant community more with the rest of the world. The Heroic Age is in full swing, and they're still as (literally) insular as ever. What better way to raise the profile and acceptance of the X-Men in post-Osborn America than to put one in charge of world security? Systematic contact with the Avengers and so forth would broaden the X-Men's field of influence and strengthen inter-series ties, and Charles Xavier's return would let him pick up any slack in leadership due to Scott's extra duties. Besides, wouldn't you enjoy the X-Men's base of operations being a souped-up helicarrier?
 
If anything could epitomize the idea of the Heroic Age more than Captain America in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D., it's Cyclops in the same. Thoughts?

I have never thought of this role for him before, but that would be a pretty cool shake-up of the status quo. God knows he would do a great job, and just think of how many people he could piss off by doing it. First there are all the Cyke haters who don't even like him leading the X-Men, then there are the fictional haters in the comics who would be pissed a mutant is now running the show. That makes me want it to happen, but mostly I think in order for Xavier's dream to be realized people like Scott Summers are going to need to work within the broader system, and not just be focused on mutant affairs. 

You lost a lot of credability when you said Cyclops has more strategic experience then Steve Rogers. Steve Rogers was "built" to be the perfect soldier in both body and mind. He's brain was also enchanced to deal with the stress of planning, executing, and evolving multiple battle plans from the tactical, to the strategic.

"You lost a lot of credability when you said Cyclops has more strategic experience then Steve Rogers. Steve Rogers was "built" to be the perfect soldier in both body and mind. He's brain was also enchanced to deal with the stress of planning, executing, and evolving multiple battle plans from the tactical, to the strategic. "

" @jayskee: Cyclops was trained to be a general, Captain America was trained to be ... A captain??? Steve might have more battle experience than cyclops, but  i gotta say slim seems more of the strategist IMHO. "

" @lennyoks said:

" @jayskee: Cyclops was trained to be a general, Captain America was trained to be ... A captain??? Steve might have more battle experience than cyclops, but  i gotta say slim seems more of the strategist IMHO. "

Steve was enchanced so that both his body and mine were ungraded to the peak on human conditoining.  He was a captain in world war 2 , which is higher than a general, an as a century of exprience. let me known when slim has done all that  "

I rank Scott as the #1 all round leader in comic books, so I could certainly see him leading SHIELD. Lord knows he'd do a better job than Fury or Stark ever did.
 
As it stands though, I'm fine with Rogers in the role.

Dang, I actually think this is a cool idea.

"@jayskee: 
He has something like nineteen years of experience (1941-1944, Marvel 0-14) to Cyclops' latter fifteen. That's not a huge difference, especially considering how much time the X-Men have spent gallivanting about the timestream, Hell and outer space. I'd argue that Cyclops has a wider range of experience than Steve does.
 
Steve Rogers was instantly turned into a "perfect soldier" at the age of 24, but Cyclops was trained to be a perfect leader since puberty. I don't know where you're getting the "century of experience" from; Cap spent 50-odd years in an ice floe... "

"Just an idea I had while browsing the "Cyclops needs to evolve, etc." thread. He doesn't need his power set tampered with or sudden personality changes; just put him in an interesting position and let the character develop naturally from there. That said, I think they could have put the MU in a much more interesting position by asking Scott Summers to take over as director of S.H.I.E.L.D. 
 
Steve Rogers is a nice guy and a great tactical leader, but doesn't really have a lot of experience on the strategic level. Cyclops has that in spades along with the combat experience, as well as having the moral flexibility to make sacrifices for the greater good that would be way out of character for Cap. The latter would still be in charge of the Secret Avengers anyways. Cyclops' training in psionic secret retention could prove infinitely useful, and furthermore it would be a terrific way to integrate the mutant community more with the rest of the world. The Heroic Age is in full swing, and they're still as (literally) insular as ever. What better way to raise the profile and acceptance of the X-Men in post-Osborn America than to put one in charge of world security? Systematic contact with the Avengers and so forth would broaden the X-Men's field of influence and strengthen inter-series ties, and Charles Xavier's return would let him pick up any slack in leadership due to Scott's extra duties. Besides, wouldn't you enjoy the X-Men's base of operations being a souped-up helicarrier? If anything could epitomize the idea of the Heroic Age more than Captain America in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D., it's Cyclops in the same. Thoughts? "

"I have never thought of this role for him before, but that would be a pretty cool shake-up of the status quo. God knows he would do a great job, and just think of how many people he could piss off by doing it. First there are all the Cyke haters who don't even like him leading the X-Men, then there are the fictional haters in the comics who would be pissed a mutant is now running the show. That makes me want it to happen, but mostly I think in order for Xavier's dream to be realized people like Scott Summers are going to need to work within the broader system, and not just be focused on mutant affairs.  "

I'm not sure Scott would be the best leader of SHIELD, but I think it would be very interesting to see. Making him director would have a lot of good plot development and implications-- and I think that's what really matters, not whether or not he's better than any of the previous directors.

" @jayskee: Cyclops was trained to be a general, Captain America was trained to be ... A captain??? Steve might have more battle experience than cyclops, but  i gotta say slim seems more of the strategist IMHO. "

" @karrob: Funny what happened in Civil War then. What other multi-team operations has he commanded? "

" @karrob: Funny what happened in Civil War then. What other multi-team operations has he commanded? "

i agree with a lot of things said here, love the idea of Cyclops director of shield. Captain America is a great leader on the battle field he fill people with confidence, he knows what hes doing and shows that he knows what hes doing, but i dont think at any point has he shown that hes a better leader than Cyclops. Cyclops lead the X-Men through a slaughter in Second Coming, he also won the race to get his hands on the first mutant born in like 5 years beating of Sinister and his Marauders and the Purifiers.    

I see steve as a great commander, inspiring  and so on, but not as a strategist. I'll even go so far as to say both tony stark and nick fury are better strategists than rogers. Stark, fury and Scott will play dirty if needed they are generals, rogers is a captain he is the best guy to have leading in the field. Rogers might be the best at  battle strategy, but i think stark fury and  scott are way better at war strategy. And if you say rogers is the best because of experience,  remember nick fury has more of that. 

" @jayskee:  
I meant operations that would have qualified him for the position in the first place.  
 
@karrob: Even if he'd knocked off Tony's head  they would have lost the war. Rebelling was a stupid decision in the first place, and he only made it worse for everyone involved. In all fairness, he should be in jail right now. "

Considering Cap spent the majority of his time as Captain America on ice his "experience" is not a factor as you can't exactly gain a "century" of experience in stasis. Cyclops was the leader of both Avengers, F4 and X-men during the Onslaught crossover, he's also been leading the x-men longer than Cap has been leading any iteration of Avengers. 
 
Professor X never developed the battle plans for the X-men, most of their battles take place at a moments notice and Cyclops has always had to come up with the strategy to win during those battles. Cyclops has always been the one to bring the X-men victory with his strategic mind.
 
The fact that Cyclops didn't need a syrum to enhance himself and still be practically even with Cap in strategic brilliance easily makes Cyclops that much more impressive. Caps "experience" is a none issue since he was under ice for a long time and by that time Cyclops had easily matched whatever Cap had done by the time Cap had been thawed out.

" @PumpkinBomb said:

"Just an idea I had while browsing the "Cyclops needs to evolve, etc." thread. He doesn't need his power set tampered with or sudden personality changes; just put him in an interesting position and let the character develop naturally from there. That said, I think they could have put the MU in a much more interesting position by asking Scott Summers to take over as director of S.H.I.E.L.D. 
 
Steve Rogers is a nice guy and a great tactical leader, but doesn't really have a lot of experience on the strategic level. Cyclops has that in spades along with the combat experience, as well as having the moral flexibility to make sacrifices for the greater good that would be way out of character for Cap. The latter would still be in charge of the Secret Avengers anyways. Cyclops' training in psionic secret retention could prove infinitely useful, and furthermore it would be a terrific way to integrate the mutant community more with the rest of the world. The Heroic Age is in full swing, and they're still as (literally) insular as ever. What better way to raise the profile and acceptance of the X-Men in post-Osborn America than to put one in charge of world security? Systematic contact with the Avengers and so forth would broaden the X-Men's field of influence and strengthen inter-series ties, and Charles Xavier's return would let him pick up any slack in leadership due to Scott's extra duties. Besides, wouldn't you enjoy the X-Men's base of operations being a souped-up helicarrier? If anything could epitomize the idea of the Heroic Age more than Captain America in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D., it's Cyclops in the same. Thoughts? "

@Icon said:

"I have never thought of this role for him before, but that would be a pretty cool shake-up of the status quo. God knows he would do a great job, and just think of how many people he could piss off by doing it. First there are all the Cyke haters who don't even like him leading the X-Men, then there are the fictional haters in the comics who would be pissed a mutant is now running the show. That makes me want it to happen, but mostly I think in order for Xavier's dream to be realized people like Scott Summers are going to need to work within the broader system, and not just be focused on mutant affairs.  "

first off you both made really good arguements and i admit when i first came into this board i sort of wrote it offi like cyclops but i just really cant see him leading Shield of all organizations.  Scotts just a bit too emotional, hes to used too a family type setting   and besides the x-men usually try to stay away from the spotlight "

Maybe in an AU,I want that.But in the main marvel continuity??Not a good idea.