Warning: Spoilers for X-Men #5!Cyclops has led the X-Men since the team's creation, and he's no slouch regarding logistical planning. I put full faith in Scott Summers' foresight, but even I thought pulling both Kid Omega and Psylocke onto his team made it a bit too psychic-heavy to make sense. Seeing Quentin and Kwannon navigate Cassandra Nova's mental torture chambers together brings a whole new meaning to "Cyclops Was Right" in the best way.
X-Men #5 by Jed MacKay and Ryan Stegman kicks off with Quentin Quire and Kwannon delving into Ben Liu's mind to attempt to wake him up from a coma and investigate his mutant powers for the X-Men - only to be sucked into their worst nightmares when they find Cassandra Nova lurking instead.
I can't say it was fun seeing QQ's deepest fears spouted off by Sabretooth or seeing Psylocke enduring Graycrow's death, but it did serve to illustrate exactly how the two psychics complement one another. Quentin Quire is an Omega-level telepath, and Psylocke is a highly trained assassin, but I can safely say that they're both more powerful as a psychic team.
Kid Omega and Psylocke Combine Forces as the X-Men’s Most Powerful Telepathic Duo
X-Men #5 by Jed MacKay, Ryan Stegman, Marte Gracia, and Clayton Cowles
As soon as Cyclops' new X-Men roster was revealed, I knew that Kid Omega and Psylocke would have conflict. Quentin has never been shy when it comes to announcing his own brilliance, and it was likely to rub Kwannon the wrong way given the overlap in their powersets. Until X-Men #5, my prediction seemed on point. They worked together because they agreed to be the new X-Men, and that's as far as it went. The encounter with Cassandra Nova and subsequent crisis wasn't a twist I expected, let alone how successfully Kid Omega and Psylocke navigated it together.
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Kid Omega's psychic resilience allowed him to escape by noticing the illusion’s "psychic bleed,” essentially shattering its power over him. Psylocke was incapable of doing the same, lost in the conjured trauma. Quentin's refusal to leave her behind laid the groundwork for what I expect to be one of the X-Men's most powerful partnerships, as he reminded her that while he had the power to get them out, he needed someone to be the professional - which is exactly what Psylocke offers. The weakness of one is the strength of the other, and I have to think Cyclops hoped for that exact balance.
Psylocke and Kid Omega Have Extraordinary Individual Strengths
It’s Not a Matter of Psychic Competition
In terms of raw psychic power, Kid Omega has no equal left on Earth. Some of QQ's greatest displays of strength haven't been kind, but they're undoubtedly impressive. He's able to mentally manhandle large groups of people, hold off much more experienced telepaths, and turn practically any mind into a playground. In terms of sheer psychic resilience, no one impresses me more than Kid Omega. Between pinning down Phoenix Fire in his mind (and casually revealing it to young Jean Grey) to piecing his mind back together after countless deaths and resurrections on Krakoa, he's put his brilliant mind through hell and keeps going.
Kid Omega is the psychic sledgehammer, but Psylocke is the knife's edge.
On the other hand, Kwannon readily admits that Quentin is a stronger psychic than her, but I think she has a precision and control that can only come with years of intense training. Psylocke brings focus, and her willpower is unmatched, given what she's had to personally overcome to even be herself again. In essence, I see her as the guiding force; Kid Omega is the psychic sledgehammer, but Psylocke is the knife's edge. She's the one relied upon to see the mission to completion. Her role on the X-Men is just as vital, both as a psychic and a physical combatant.
The X-Men Have Boundless Psychic Power
Mostly Thanks to These Two Recruits
Now that Cassandra Nova is back on the playing field, I expect the X-Men to need every ounce of psychic firepower they can get. It's the perfect time for Kid Omega and Psylocke to cement this newfound partnership and set ego aside. The fact that Quentin was already able to do it and humble himself for Kwannon's benefit (and rescue) is a good sign. Their particular skillsets put me in mind of Jean Grey and Emma Frost, in a way, since they offer a similar dynamic of telepathic powerhouse alongside deadly focus.
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Yet what they're technically capable of together wouldn't matter if they never realized it together. I didn't just see a narrow escape from Cassandra Nova - I saw a bond being formed. When it comes to the X-Men, and mutants and general, that could accomplish more than even the most impressive abilities. Kid Omega and Psylocke learned each other's greatest strengths and how to use them in tandem, and this was only the beginning. They still have plenty of room to grow. I fully believe that Cyclops made the right call in recruiting Kid Omega and Psylocke to his team, and now the X-Men have unmatched psychic power at their fingertips.
X-Men #5 is available now from Marvel Comics.
Cyclops
Cyclops, a.k.a. Scott Summers, is the X-Men's core team leader and one of the first characters to appear in the franchise. As a human/mutant hybrid, Cyclops has the power to launch massive bursts of energy from his eyes that are regulated through the use of a specially designed visor. Despite his calm and collected demeanor, he tends to lose it when in the presence of a fellow team member, Wolverine.
- Created By
- Stan Lee , Jack Kirby
- First Appearance
- The X-Men
- Alias
- Scott Summers
- Alliance
- X-Men, X-Force, X-Factor, Phoenix Five, X-Corporation, Hounds, Starjammers
- Race
- Human-Mutant
- Franchise
- X-Men , Marvel
X-Men
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
- Character(s)
- Professor X , Cyclops , Iceman , Beast , Angel , Phoenix , Wolverine , Gambit , Rogue , Storm , Jubilee , Morph , Nightcrawler , Havok , Banshee , Colossus , Magneto , Psylocke , Juggernaut , Cable , X-23