Romance and drama are an essential part of the X-Men experience, and few of Marvel Comics’ Merry Mutants has been embroiled in as many romantic entanglements as Cyclops himself. And despite his standoffish nature, the former Captain Commander of Krakoa is quite the romantic.

While Scott Summers’ more famous romantic counterparts like Jean Grey and Emma Frost are frequently the topic of discussion, Slim’s dating history includes more than Marvel’s top psychics. But Cyclops has far more chemistry with some of his lovers others.

10 Lorna Dane/Polaris

Created by Arnold Drake & Dan Heck

Polaris and Cyclops have known each other since the early days of the X-Men, and while the Earth-616 iteration of the character may be more closely romantically linked to Scott’s younger brother, Havok, Lorna Dane a.k.a. Polaris has had a magnetic attraction to Cyclops in at least one continuity. Diverting from their mainstream incarnation, Marvel’s original Ultimate Universe, Earth-1610, remixed the Summers’ love lives as Polaris initially dated Scott before becoming romantically linked with his brother Alex.

In keeping with Scott’s type-A personality, Slim Summers was too devoted to mastering his powers to truly give Lorna what she needed, while the future Havok couldn’t have been more different. In the end, Polaris chose Havok over Cyclops, instigating a more intense rivalry between the variant Summers brothers than anything fans have seen between the two on Earth-616.

9 Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel

Created by Roy Thomas & Gene Colan

In the prime continuity, Cyclops and Carol Danvers are nothing more than good friends and occasional rivals. But on Earth-1298 from the fan-favorite Mutant X series by Howard Mackie, Cary Nord, Ron Lim, and more, these Avengers and X-Men icons forge a new, romantic bond, as of their new team, the Starjammers.

Having been abducted by the Shi’ar along with his parents in this Earth’s timeline, this iteration of Scott ends up as much of a swashbuckling space pirate as his father Corsair on Earth-616. As leader of the Starjammers, he develops a seemingly happy relationship with fellow Earther expat, Carol Danvers a.k.a. Binary – the former Ms. Marvel whose powers have been permanently stolen by Rogue. Ultimately, fans don’t get to see too much of this couple’s dynamic. But considering the friendly chemistry of their Earth-616 counterparts, it’s safe to say that sparks probably fly.

8 Betsy Braddock/Captain Britain

Created by Chris Claremont & Herb Trimpe

Scott Summers and Betsy Braddock have known each other for years, and while they’ve most frequently been depicted as teammates, there’s an established spark between the two that’s been explored both in-continuity and in other timelines. Following Betsy’s transplant into the body of the Hand assassin, Kwannon, and the formation of the classic X-Men Blue and Gold teams, Psylocke made more than a few es at her team leader, Cyclops.

While nothing more than a kiss ever really came of it, this chemistry clearly not something forgotten by the House of Ideas, having been revisited as recently as Dead X-Men #3 by Steve Foxe, Bernard Chang, and David Baldeón. When the titular team are shunted to an alternate timeline, they meet this world’s version of the X-Men led by a married Betsy Braddock and Scott Summers.

7 Colleen Wing

Created by Doug Menche, Larry Hama, & Neal Adams​​​

Usually associated with street-level heroes like the Iron Fist or Luke Cage, the Daughter of the Dragon known as Colleen Wing once shared an all-too-brief romantic fling with the X-Men’s resident field commander. Having crossed paths in Japan after one of the X-Men’s misadventures left Scott with the notion that his paramour, Jean, was dead the unlikely pair began to grow quite close.

Seeing more and more of each other as Summers’ began to heal from his apparent loss, Wing even gave Cyclops a key to her apartment in case he wanted to take things to the next level. Inevitably, Scott learned that Jean was really alive – not too long before another supposed death during “The Dark Phoenix Saga” – so the exploration of this dynamic didn’t get much mileage compared to Cyclops’ other love interests.

6 Joana Cargill/Frenzy

Created by Bob Layton & Keith Pollard

One of the more underrated powerhouses of the X-Men, Joanna Cargill, the formidable Frenzy, actually began her costumed career working against Cyclops under the likes of Apocalypse and Magneto. While developing a respect and attraction for Summers as one of the Acolytes, Frenzy never actually acted upon it until the mutants of Utopia found themselves in an alternate timeline during the “Age of X” storyline by Mike Carrey, Clay Mann, and more – a timeline in which she and Scott Summers, a.k.a. Basilisk, were husband and wife.

Once the proper timeline is restored, Cargill is one of the X-Men who choose to retain her memories of this elseworld, using it as motivation to change her ways and become a true X-Man. And though Scott may have chosen to forget the love they shared, it’s been established as a driving factor in Frenzy turning over a new leaf.

5 Logan/Wolverine

Created by Len Wein, John Romita, Roy Thomas, & Herb Trimpe

While Logan’s inclusion as a love interest for Cyclops may be surprising to some, this interpretation of the duo’s dynamic is well-founded in X-Men lore. For years, a sizable section of fans has interpreted Scott and Logan’s relationship as more than just friends. And these interpretations were only strengthened by their unique romantic dynamic with Jean Grey during the First Krakoan Age.

Even if the iconic rivalry for Jean’s affections is a genuine rivalry – and not simply Scott and Logan sublimating their attraction for each other by fighting over Jean Grey – then their love story can at least be framed as being brotherly in nature and retain its status as one of Cyclops’ strongest. After all, Cyclops and Wolverine’s overall chemistry is foundational to the X-Men franchise, and their journey from fierce rivals to the closest of allies has been one of the mutant’s most satisfying narratives.

4 Lee Forester

Created by Chris Claremont & John Byrne

Probably the least known entry on this list, Aleytys “Lee” Forrester is arguably the most “normal” girlfriend that Cyclops ever had. Following Jean's death at the end of “The Dark Phoenix Saga,” Scott took a leave of absence from the X-Men, eventually ing the crew of a fishing trawler captained by Forrester, who helped Slim work through his grief. Eventually, after a few misadventures involving the Man-Thing and Magneto, the two would form a relationship. But it was Lee’s normalcy that doomed it from the start.

In the end, Cyclops’ hectic life with the X-Men became too much for her to deal with, and when Scott was forced to choose between Lee and his team, he chose the X-Men. Fortunately, Cyclops and Forrester parted on good , and both have clearly moved on.

3 Goblin Queen/Madelyne Pryor

Created by Chris Claremont & Paul Smith

Literally created to be Scott Summers’ love interest, Madelyn Pryor’s relationship with Cyclops is one of the X-Men’s most tragic sagas and the inciting incident for why she’s become the fan-favorite character she has remained to this day. A clone of Jean Grey created by Mister Sinister as part of his plots to manipulate the Summers and Grey bloodlines, Pryor is the biological mother of Cable and arguably the greatest victim of Scott’s many romantic failings.

Married after the death of Jean Grey, their chemistry, along with their relationship, was short-lived after Marvel Girl’s inevitable resurrection, setting Pryor on a path that ended with her becoming the Goblin Queen. After many years of death, resurrection, and multiple Hellish invasions, the two seem to have brokered a tentative peace. But it’s understandable why Maddie will never again be Scott’s biggest fan.

2 White Queen/Emma Frost

Created by Chris Claremont & John Byrne

One of Cyclops’ longest-running love interests, Emma Frost’s journey from X-Men archfoe to figurehead was directly influenced by her romantic entanglement to Scott. ing the New X-Men, Frost soon found herself embroiled in a psychic affair with Summers under the nose of his wife, Jean Grey. Following yet another Jean Grey death, the pair cemented their relationship, standing by one another through the Decimation Era until their Phoenix possession in Avengers vs. X-Men tore them apart.

While there have been instances of flirtation between the two in the time since – proving that their chemistry hasn’t died off – Scott and Emma haven’t officially been together in years. And while Emma Frost’s relationship with Scott Summers arguably benefitted Slim far more than it benefitted her, there are still plenty of fans who believe that the White Queen and Cyclops are destined to be together.

1 Phoenix/Jean Grey

Created by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby

Paired with one another for the vast majority of their publication history, Scott Summers and Jean Grey are the de facto romantic pairing of the X-Men franchise, for better or worse. Having first met in their early days at the Xavier Institute, the two quickly became inseparable with a strong psychic rapport that keeps them eternally linked to this very day.

On more than one occasion, Cyclops and Phoenix’s love for each other has been both heroes’ primary motivation, establishing Scott as one of Marvel Comics’ most consistent “wife guys,” despite the many, many mistakes he’s made throughout his relationship with Jean. And even though some fans may prefer Scott with someone like Emma Frost or even Frenzy, the sheer volume of romantic history between Cyclops and Jean Grey elevates their chemistry to the highest degree and cements them as one of the greatest couples in Marvel Comics’ history.