Comic Scott VS Movie Scott

If you have read just a few X-men comics you’ll notice the great difference between the Scott Summers of the comics and the one you saw in the movie. Have you only seen the movie this will of cause not be an issue but maybe you’ll like to look into those differences…Warning: I’ll add my personal views into this. I mean no offence but if you fear you might be offended then please do not proceed. This section is for mature audiences only as I discuss and mention things that kids isn’t supposed to know or think about so underage, please don’t read this. Thank you.

Movie Scott

The first problem with the movie was that it was way too short, only 1½ hours and Scott first entered the movie after about 45 minutes, making it next to impossible to give any character save Logan and Rogue much of a personality. The next problem is that the movie focuses almost solemnly on Logan and Rogue, which gave Scott very few lines and scenes. However movie Scott isn’t all bad, in fact he has ton of potential. James Marsden saved Scott with his tone of voice, movements, looks (looking damn good in red shades) and great acting. Movie Scott has a dry sense of humor that goes great with his character. Now the shortness of the movie does so we have to guess next to everything save Scott’s name and codename. He looks very young which I think goes great with his character making him more complex and interesting. In the movie we got no info on Scott’s past whatsoever (here I’ll (as always) look aside from the horrible book some misguided fool called “ the official adaptation of the X-men movie”) and in Scott’s case (as with most people) his past is the key to his behavior today.
Scott has always been very emotionally controlled when acting leader and I was glad to see that Marsden succeeded in getting that across without making him look boring. I, for one, was left hungry for more on Scott when the movie ended. I sat with many questions (like who he really was, where he comes from, why the red shades?) and Scott’s silence only intrigued me more. I have high expectations and fears for the upcoming 2002 sequel to the X-men movie. My hopes are that Scot gets to play a bigger role in the movie, that he acts like the hero he is, that Jean either gets a personality change or he leaves her (I’m praying for the latter), that we get to see Scott’s childhood pains (the plane crash, the orphanage, living on the streets, with Jack etc). My fears are that Scott has almost no role at all, that he is portrayed as a fool so Logan (or someone else) can look better, that he and Jean keep their ice relationship up and (most dreadful of all) Scott is given a normal childhood with two loving parents and apple pie (God forbid!). A childhood like that just doesn’t go with Scott’s character.

Comic Scott

Comic Scot has the advantage over movie Scott that he has had over 40 years to grow. Now, I wouldn’t go into all of Scott’s life here ( for info on Scott in the comics, please visit the comics or Profile section in Scott Summers/Cyclops) but what a ride, often unplesent, it has been.
Scott started life normally enough; a loving family with mother, father and a little brother named Alex. But all that changed during a plane flight the Summers´ took when Scott was about 5. In one day Scott lost both his parents and he was to lose his brother as well. Scott developed brain damage from the plane crash and entered a coma after a few months for a year (much later Scott found out that it hasn’t been a coma at all but Sinister experimenting on him). Scott lost all his memories of his previous life after the `coma` so he couldn’t remember his parents, home or brother. Scott went to an orphanage and unknown to him at that time Alex was adopted into a loving family but no one wanted Scott because of his brain damage.

It is from here that Scott’s fear of abandonment and rejection comes from.

Scott didn’t know that Sinister owned the orphanage were he lived. Sinister has always been fascinated by Scott and his powers and Scott’s eye beams are the only thing, which can cause harm to Sinister. As Scott much later discovered Nathan, Scott’s only friend at the orphanage, was really Mr. Sinister. Sinister wanted Scott to control his emotions and show no ´weakness´ e.g. a. compassion, love etc. Sinister played a big and important part in making Scott the leader and man he is today.

This is among other, where Scott’s leadership abilities [control, seeming emotionally closed when in the field etc] comes from.

When Scott was about 14 years old he couldn’t take the coldness of the orphanage anymore and ran away. He lived on the streets. Now, it is at this point the comics get unclear but apparently Scott stole to survive and may have done other things as well. It has been speculated and hinted by fans that Scott may have been forced to prostitute himself to survive and it could explain his insecurity about love and life. Believe it if you want to but fact is that what Scott did while on the streets are very poorly described.

This can have trickered a number of behavior from Scott but his instinct for survival come from his own fight for survival on the streets. Also some of his fighting skills might come from this time in his life

When Scott was about 16 his powers came back and he almost killed a bunch of people. The crowd turned on him but a man named Jack saved him and took him in. Because of his brain damage Scott can’t control his powers (they are stuck on `on`). Jack gave him the red shades. The red shades do so that Scott can only see in shades of red. Jack was a criminal and he abused Scott; beat him and called him worthless and a freak. What Scott’s years with Jack taught him can only be how to take a beating and come through and believe me…that is something not everyone can. Very few in fact for the mental scars are always deeper than the physical ones.
During a break-in Jack forced Scott to play a part in, Scott met Xavier for the first time. Scott was about 18 when he met Xavier. Xavier took him with him home to his mansion and Scott became the first X-man but his story and development doesn’t end here. Xavier quickly became Scott’s father figure and he tried hard to live up to Charles` expectations but somehow always seemed to come out short. Xavier always expected better and more from Scott than any other. He always pushed Scott forward and never asked if he wanted to take his place as leader. Nor has Xavier ever even once said that he love Scott. In the comics Scott is not Xavier’s beloved son though he tries to be.
So, as you can see, Scott’s past and the people around him have forged he man and leader he is. Saying this I’ll also say that with Scott it is often necessary to keep Cyclops and Scott Summers apart. Cyclops is the leader, the X-man, the hero etc. etc. while Scott Summers is a very complex human being and it is Scott Summers who are so interesting because he, like ´normal´ people, can get lost, fail and fall.

Scott and Jean

Let’s take the Scott/Jean relationship of the movie first:
Okay………..WHAT relationship? Only 3 things supports a Scott/Jean relationship in the movie:
1) Jean’s line “ My room is with Scott down the hall”
2) Scott’s line “ stay away from my girl”
3) Scott and Jean are married in the comics.
Ok, so reason 3 is really thin but so are the 2 others; they can easily and are often, explained away in fanfic.
There are a ton of reasons why movie Scott/Jean doesn’t work. Let’s see a few ( in no particular order):

1) The age difference.
Now I don’t mind a younger man with an older woman though it is unusual but this age difference is very clear. Scott looks extremely young, in his mid twenties max. Jean of the movie (contra to the comics of cause) is a doctor. Now for her to become a doctor and work privately as a doctor…it takes many years. She must be some 10 years older than Scott.

2) Lack of chemistry
Even if two characters in a movie never touch, not even kiss………if you feel the chemistry you believe in their love. But Scott and Jean had NO chemistry and NO touching, making them seem very cold and distant towards each other. Scott did seem to try and if there was any love, any attempt at reaching out it was Scott’s doing. I have seen strangers act warmer towards each other than these two `lovebirds` did. No matter what else I feel………I did sense chemistry between Logan and Rogue.

3) Lack of time
This wasn’t their fault but the lack of time they were together didn’t improve anything.

4) Lack of touching
Yes, I know I said that this could be pulled off without touching and it can but it demands much more than what a sci-fi/ action movie can be expected to give. So, touching is needed…I mean…just one…ONE bloody kiss would be nice. When they walked next to each other they didn’t hold hands nor did their eyes meet (this goes mostly for Jean of cause as Scott does turn his head in her direction).

5) Jean’s distance
Jean comes off as very distant. Just her body language is closed. In the gallery you’ll find several pics where Jean stands in front of Scott, her arms crossed over her chest. She doesn’t seek contact or touch (maybe save Logan’s)

6) Jean’s crush on Logan
Logan and Jean’s chemistry wasn’t working either though Hugh Jackman delivered a killer performance there as well. But Jean do have a crush on Logan and in the movie she touches him more, stands closer to him, talks more with him than with Scott.

Now, I could list several more but I think these will do.
If the Scott/Jean relationship in the movie isn’t broken up in X-men 2 it needs a Hell of a lot of work to become just a little bit believable. Jean either have to change personality completely so she shows just SOME warm feelings or Jean should be played by a new (and younger) actress to at least close the age gap if nothing else. Preferably Jean and Scott should split up.
Now, one can wonder why Scott and Jean stay together and why they got together in the first place. There can be a number of reasons for this:

a) Security

b) It is (somehow) expected.

c) It has become a habit

d) Fear of loneliness

e) Fear of opening up

Or is it that somehow, for some reason Scott means `hurt me´ when he says ´love me´? Does Scott love Jean but something makes him take the pain her distance and lust for Logan brings him within himself? Maybe….

Comic Scott and Jean

In the comics Scott and Jean never had a perfect relationship.
I’ll list a few things which makes this relationship less than perfect:

Jean

1) She is a telekinetic and telepath and loves it. She loves her powers and gladly uses them.

2) She comes from a perfect (as far as we know) background; 2 loving parents and a sister; growing up in an upper middleclass home.

3) She is beautiful and knows it. She also loves to flirt (this is the trait that ultimate Jean takes to the extreme). She has kissed and/or flirted with:

a) Warren/Angel

b) Logan(Wolverine)

c) Forge ( he was Ororo´s boyfriend at the time no less!)

4) She likes to control and be in change. When Scott proposed to her, she turned him down only to propose to him a few months later.

5) When Scott married Maddie and they had baby Nathan she (as you probably know) came back from the dead. Both her and Maddie tore in Scott, demanding he choose between them. Their tearing (especially Jean’s as she at that time was also flirting with Warren and hinting that she may still be Phoenix who Scott had seen kill herself on the moon) almost drove Scott mad.

6) Jean can be really insensitive sometimes. For once she choose to wear her old Phoenix uniform knowing that the last time Scott had seen it was when Jean (Scott didn’t know it wasn’t really her) killed herself in front of him on the moon.

Scott

1) Scot worries constantly about his powers, fearing he’ll hurt someone, especially Jean, with his eye beams as he can’t control them.

2) As you must know by now, Scott had a very troubled childhood.

3) Scott keeps his pain inside, rarely speaks of it. Ororo is like that as well.

4) Scott is insecure in matters of the heart. He can easily come off as cold and emotionally controlled.

5) Scott’s first marriage was far from a success. Maddie abused him emotionally; always demanding things and keep mentioning Jean who Scott thought dead.

6) Perhaps Scott sometimes tries to put Jean in glass in his urge to keep her safe. She could see this as if he is trying to keep her down?!

7) Scott’s silence when Jean hurts him may mean that she doesn’t know it hurts him and then it is hard to make it better.

But despite all their differences Scott and Jean got married. Now though they seem to be braking up for no apparent reason during Marvel’s ´revamp`. I, personally, utterly hate the revamp. They have destroyed who Scott is and how he acts, the new costumes are terrible and of cause we have Jean and Logan going at it. It is rumored that Scott ad Jean will fall apart completely this August. I have no problem with that but I wish they would do it right; let Scott and Jean talk, admit they don’t work and part as friends. Now my only hope is that this doesn’t go on Scott’s head because he would never do that. The only thing I can accept (if I have to choose between pest and Cholera) is Jean betraying Scott with Logan. I know the `real` Jean and Logan (as in before the revamp) would never do that but that was before all this happened.
But back to Scott/Jean…. also in the comics it seems as if Scott almost seek the hurt of love by staying with Jean and not saying `stop`. Most likely he is afraid to push her away and be left alone.
Love really is one complex mess, don’t you agree?

Scott and Remy

This hasn’t much to do with comic Scott VS movie Scott but what the Hell…
If you have been around my page you´ll see that I often mention Scott and Remy as possible brothers in the comics. Why? This is why:

1) Sinister said in comic 23 that he was concerned for Scott and his brothers. Sinister is many things but he isn’t stupid. He wouldn’t have said this if it hadn’t any importance. Therefore Scott must have at least one more brother.

2) Sinister is fascinated with the Summers bloodline and Scott in particular. But he is also very interested in Remy.

3) Both Scott and Remy was orphans.

4) Both Scott and Remy stole to survive on the streets.

5) One of Scott’s powers are red energy from his eyes. In the early days so was Remy´s.

6) Scott and Remy are about the same height and built.

7) And then I love both Scott and Remy and I think it could be fun and very interesting to see a brotherly relationship grow between them.

That´s all folks!



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