Cyclops #12 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I...just don't know where to start.

First, I have serious doubts that anyone could possibly recreate a fingerprint so exactly that it could fool a fingerprint scanner.  Second, even if someone could manage to do it on paper (or some similar material), it seems impossible that a teenage boy could do it, particularly when it involved freestyling it under duress with his fairly new mutant power of shooting concussive beams from his eyes.  But, it seems particularly difficult to believe that the concussive beams would be readable to the scanner or that said beams wouldn't have actually broken the scanner.  As such, it makes me wonder WHEN CYCLOPS SUDDENLY GOT HEAT VISION.  Grrrr.

Then, I have no idea why we're supposed to think that the whole insane discussion that Scott has with Corsair in his head is a good thing.  First, Corsair's comments to him are almost verbatim what Emma told Jean in "All-New X-Men" #37.  Moreover, this entire sequence cheapens the story that I thought that Layman was telling.  I totally bought the idea that Scott, of everyone involved, understanding exactly what he says here, that absolute power corrupts absolutely.  He's already panicked about the fact that his older self murders Xavier under the influence of the Phoenix; he's also aware that future Jean fell under the sway of Dark Phoenix.  I figured that he'd prove to Bobby that they didn't need the Black Vortex to win.  (As a side note, does J'Son really just keep the Black Vortex lying around his fortress without a guard?  If so, it was really thoughtful of him to keep it near the prison cells so that Scott and company could swipe it so easily.)  But, instead, he creates some voice in his head to convince himself to ignore himself?  Really?  Again, I initially thought that it was the Black Vortex manipulating him, and I would've been totally OK with that.  But, no, he does it to rally courage?  Also, he chooses Corsair to do that?  I mean, I know that this Scott has a different relationship with his father than "our" Scott, but, after reading issues with Corsair for the last 30 years, I honestly didn't recognize this version of him.  We're talking about the guy that never bothered to check to see how his sons were doing on Earth because he was having so much fun being a space pirate, right?  Again, I get that it's an idealized version of Corsair, since it's from young Scott's perspective, but, come on now.  Also, doesn't this entire sequence show that Scott is maybe in need of some serious therapy?

But, nevermind, we just blast our way outta the Fortress, bro!  We stumble upon the Guardians and Cosmic Angel and Beast fighting the Slaughter Lords outside the fortress, and pitch the Vortex to Captain Marvel so that we can join the fun.  Woot!  Space pirates!  Adolescence!  Party time!  Excellent!

zero of five stars