This is "How Can I Explain?", which is a feature spotlighting inexplicable comic book plots.

Yesterday, I wrote about when Cyclops and Cable officially learned that Cable was the grown son that Cyclops had given up when the boy was an infant so that the people of the future could cure the techno-organic virus that had infected the young child.

Reader Paul G. was inspired by the article to ask, "Why didn't Cyclops go into the future WITH the kid?"

I was prepared to do this as a Comic Book Questions Answered, as there was little doubt in my mind that between While Portacio, Jim Lee and Chris Claremont, at least one of the writers of X-Factor #68 (art by Portacio and Scott Williams) would have thought to throw in as bit where the lady from the future who showed up to save the baby and who told Cyclops that she could only do the jump once (so he likely will never see his son again) would have thrown in something like, "I can only take the baby."

And yet, in the issue, there's nothing about that...

There's really nothing to say that he couldn't have gone with her and his kid. Soooo....yeah, that's kind of weird. I would agree with Paul that naturally, a parent will at least express a desire to WANT to go and be with their child while they are sick and not just leave them with a stranger when you could go with them. And yet that certainly does appear to be what Cyclops thought in this instance.

Well, I mean, I guess he HAD already abandoned the kid to get with Jean Grey after she turned out to be alive, so I suppose it makes some sense that he would prefer to stay in the present and be with Jean.

Seriously, though, it is definitely strange that they didn't throw in a bit to explain why Cyclops couldn't go.

Sorry, Paul, but thanks for inspiring a DIFFERENT column other than Comic Book Questions Answered!

Anyhow, thanks for the stumper, Paul. Maybe we'll get some No-Prize winners out there that can explain it! Anyone else has a stumper like this, just send it in to brianc@cbr.com!