OK. After owning up to and rectifying my mistake of not reviewing WizKids’ biggest mistake of 2011, it’s time for me to begin in earnest my final 2011-related countdown: my FAVORITE pieces of the year,  stating:

• Why it’s a favorite that I want to play
• Why I don’t play it all the time
• When and how I’m planning to play it next

#10

Cyclops (Giant-Size X-Men 008)

WHY I WANT TO PLAY HIM EVERY WEEK:

Cyclops is an old favorite, ever since I first saw him on that episode of “Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends” guest-starring the X-Men. But he didn’t really catch my eye until I actually started reading Uncanny X-Men in the issues leading up to issue 200. That was the first time I saw the patented Cyclops bank shot. I don’t have a scan of it, but following a practice session in the danger room, he casually deactivates the session with a no-look optic blast bouncing bounced off the walls four or six times, drawing applause and rare praise from Wolverine in the control room: “Remind me never to face you across a pool table.”

Anyway, this Cyke is the first Sharpshooter version, the first with the Leadership that he so richly deserves, and the first with good stats and powers all around. Quite simply, it’s the first time the character’s truly been done well (although the “First Class” rookie in Mutations & Monsters wasn’t bad for the green, not-yet-field-leader Scott Summers).

Simply put, he’s a Cyke I’m not ashamed to play. And it’s about time.

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WHY I DON’T:

Although he’s great for X-Men teams, I’m not such a huge fan of playing X-Men teams. He’s also a lot of points to be so very soft, armor-wise, so I’m a bit leery of running him in general.

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I’M PLAYING HIM NEXT:

Still, I just won’t play an X-Men team without him. I’ve also had this hankering to play an all-Cyclops team, featuring all the past versions of Cyke in ‘clix. So far, though, I’ve resisted the urge, as the older Cyclopses are so mediocre that I’d just be handing the win to my opponents. I also lack some key representations of Scott — namely, his Hulked-out version, Hulklops, and the Cyclops / Phoenix duo. From there, then, I’ll want to run all the versions of Jean Grey, too, which causes that little theme idea to spiral right out of control.

So, yeah. Probably just sticking to X-Men.

Next on my list of favorites: More folks in black.