For most of the 21st century, Cyclops has had one love and that's Emma Frost. After Jean Grey's death in New X-Men #150, Scott and Emma gave into the attraction that had been brewing between them and took their relationship to the next level. Both of them grew a lot as a result of this, in ways that wouldn't have been possible if they had never got together.
However, does Scott really belong with Emma? Now that Jean is back in the land of the living, should she and Cyclops pick up where they left off? Or should Scott and Emma give it another try? This list is going to outline why Emma is the best for the Scott, while also taking a look at why he should go back to Jean.
10 Jean Grey: The First Couple Of Mutantkind
Jean and Scott together have always been the pinnacle for X-Men. The two of them are among the very first of Xavier's students and hold a lot of sway in the mutant world. In them, the hopes and dreams of generations of mutants have been fulfilled.
They're one of the most important couples in X-Men history and more importantly, they're the first one couple to be heavily focused on within the X-Men comics. Their relationship is an exemplar for all the other mutant relationships. They're the ideal.
9 Emma Frost: The One Cyclops Chose
With Scott and Jean, it was inevitable they would get together. There were only so many women around in the beginning and Scott and Jean were going through the same things. The fact that they found solace in each other is a no brainer.
Scott and Emma's relationship was very different. They weren't forced together. Scott chose to be around her more and more, even though he was married to Jean. His role in their infatuation was a choice he made because of how his relationship with Jean was going at the time. After Jean's death, he chose to be with Emma. That says a lot.
8 Jean Grey: All Those Years
Scott and Jean have known each other for much of their lives. They've been together through a lot of tough times. They're the type of couple that can just about complete each other sentences and that nothing to do with the fact that Jean is a telepath who can read Scott's mind. It's because they know each other so very well. That means a lot in love. They know each other in ways no one else can and fit well together.
7 Emma Frost: All Of The Love, None Of The Baggage
While Scott and Jean have known each other a lot longer and gone through a lot of the same things, they also have a lot of baggage. It's one of the things that drove Scott towards Emma in the first place. She was exciting and new and there wasn't all the pain and heartbreak that Cyclops and Jean had over the years between Scott and Emma.
Even without knowing each other for years, Scott and Emma fell in love rather quickly. Without all the baggage that Scott and Jean had, they were able to forge a happy and healthy relationship that no one would have predicted the two of them developing.
6 Jean Grey: Madelyne Pryor Proves They Belong Together
After Jean Grey "died" as Dark Phoenix, Scott was set adrift emotionally. He still had the X-Men, but without Jean, his life didn't have the same meaning. Until he met Madelyne Pryor. Madelyne was a clone of Jean Grey created by Mister Sinister and like most men, Cyclops couldn't resist a beautiful redhead.
The two were married and had a child. When Jean returned, though, Scott basically dropped his family like a bad habit to be around her again, rekindling their relationship. The fact that Scott would drop his family for Jean goes a long towards cementing her status as his one true love. But it doesn't win him any father or husband of the year awards.
5 Emma Frost: She Was There For Him Through The Toughest Times For Mutants
The tenure of Scott and Emma's relationship wasn't an easy time for mutantdom. The Decimation took mutants from the next evolution of humanity to an endangered species. With only a 198 mutants left on the Earth, the Xavier Institute became a haven for an entire species.
The reins of leadership fell on Cyclops and it was a very hard time for him. However, Emma was with him the whole time, supporting him, helping him, and giving him advice. Without Emma, Scott probably would have cracked, but her love and support kept him going.
4 Jean Grey: She's A Better Person
Emma Frost changed a lot over her years in the X-Men and with Cyclops, but deep down, she's still a manipulative person. It's hard to know how much of Emma is genuine and how much is her just being out for herself, first and foremost.
With Jean, there's none of that. Jean has proven herself to be a selfless, loving person no matter what the situation. She does have a temper, but so do most people. When it comes right down to it, Jean would help anyone, regardless of personal gain. Emma Frost can't say the same.
3 Emma Frost: As Bad As She's Been, She's Never Been Bad To Him
Sure, Emma can be a very selfish, manipulative person. However, looking at her early life and all the things she went through with her family, being selfish makes sense. Rising through the Hellfire Club ranks took a lot of shady dealing and backstabbing. Basically, for the majority of her life, she had to be selfish and manipulative to survive.
However, she was never selfish with Scott. She was never manipulative. Everyone expected it of her, but she proved them all wrong.
2 Jean Grey: First Love
Jean and Scott have been together since they were teenagers. Their love is the kind of love that could endure anything (well, except death. Twice.). Their love was built of a lot of the best and worst times of both of their lives.
They were each other's first loves and that means a lot. This bonds them in a way that can never be replicated. A person only gets one first love and if they break up for any reason, it's rare that a first love stays in one's life the way Scott and Jean have. Having another chance with one's first love is a chance nearly anyone would take.
1 Emma Frost: A More Mature Relationship
Emma and Scott are not each other's first loves. Far from it. However, both of them grew in ways that wouldn't have been possible if they hadn't gotten together. Sure, some bad things wouldn't have happened if Jean was around, but Scott never would have had to grow. Jean would have just done the work for him. Scott taught Emma about duty and love, showing her that life wasn't just about callously looking out for one's self, that's there is more to life than she had experienced.
Their relationship was much more mature than the one Scott and Jean had, built by two adults, not two children. Scott and Jean are good together, but they don't grow. They just stay the same old Scott and Jean. Scott and Emma made each other better. Their relationship was more mature and adult than Scott and Jean's ever was.