In a lot of ways, Scott Summers/Cyclops is to the X-Men what Captain America is to the Avengers. Cyclops is a strong leader, caring teacher, and a genuinely kind soul who represents an old-fashioned sense of right and wrong. Even his younger brother Alex Summers/Havok is often quite the hero, despite his nickname.

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However, it’s the third Summers brother who is the real black sheep of one of Marvel’s most virtuous families. Gabriel Summers, more commonly known as Vulcan, is an Omega-level mutant with the ability to telepathically control almost any form of energy. Yes, even Cyclops’ optic beam. Here are 10 times Vulcan earned his Omega-level status:

10 Beat Up His Brothers

When you put three brothers in a room together, there’s bound to be some roughhousing. It’s a little different when two of those brothers are incredibly powerful mutants. It’s even more different when the third brother could very well be the most powerful mutant alive. Their shared parentage means Vulcan, Cyclops, and Havok have similar energy powers. Just the fact that Vulcan can easily defeat both of his powerful brothers in combat with the utmost ease is a juxtaposition that clearly shows off Vulcan’s Omega-level abilities. No brother wants to get a noogie from a Godlike superhuman.

9 Killed Banshee

Although a sonic scream sounds like a bit of a one-note superpower, Banshee was one of the most formidable mutants in the Marvel universe. From propelling flight to melting objects with extremes vibrations, Banshee’s sonic scream was so powerful the X-Men assumed it could be the key to taking down Vulcan.

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Sadly, the X-Men got a very unpleasant surprise when they found out Vulcan could manipulate sound waves, too. It probably didn’t make a great first impression with the X-Men, but easily killing Banshee proved Vulcan is one of the most dangerous villains around.

8 Toppled An Empire

After killing Banshee, Vulcan fled Earth just in case the X-Men decided to recruit another Omega-level mutant just to take him down. Traveling across the galaxy, Vulcan encountered the Shi’ar Empire and was enraged to find out his personal ally was no longer their ruler. Vulcan destroyed the Shi’ar’s supposedly “indestructible” stargates so the X-Men couldn’t intervene, and quickly eradicated the Shi’ar empire’s power structure. Despite Vulcan’s unfathomable power, the former Shi’ar leaders didn’t go down without a fight. Of course, the Marvel universe is no stranger to civil war.

7 Then Ruled An Empire

Vulcan liked the remaining Shi’ar empire so much that he actually decided to go ahead and keep it. His seemingly unlimited power helped Vulcan personally rule over his entire cosmic empire with an iron fist. He didn’t have to worry when his military ranks were plagued by defections and traitors because his individual power was enough to keep most of the empire in line.

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Naturally, the X-Men weren’t too keen on letting the mutant who murdered their friend have his own kingdom. They went through tremendous heartache to travel across the universe to take the fight to Vulcan.

6 Ripped A Hole In Space-Time

Simply ruling over one empire wasn’t enough. Shortly after taking power, Vulcan fancied himself as the Alexander the Great of the cosmos. Obsessed with ruling the universe, the first step in Vulcan’s plan was conquering the neighboring Kree empire. Unfortunately for Vulcan, he didn’t realize Black Bolt and the Inhumans were running things on the Kree side. On the verge of defeat at the hands of Black Bolt, Vulcan unleashed more energy than ever before in a massive explosion. The immense energy tore a hole in space-time that Black Bolt barely survived.

5 Absorbed The Most Powerful Bomb In The Universe

Toward the end of his cosmic conquest, Vulcan realized he created retaliating factions that were even more ruthless than him. Deciding he didn’t want to go down in intergalactic history as the guy who started a war that wiped out the universe, Vulcan absorbed the Finality.

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Originally just a space station, the Finality’s core could be turned into the most powerful bomb in the universe. The Finality’s explosion created a star in the middle of enemy fleets that Vulcan absorbed before it destroyed his empire. Absorbing the Finality is definitely Omega-level, but it still isn’t quite as impressive as absorbing power from one Marvel superhero in particular.

4 Defeated Adam Warlock

Before Captain Marvel came along, Adam Warlock was the single most powerful superhero in Marvel comics. He even famously defeated the “Mad Titan” Thanos and became the only near-supreme lifeform in the universe. Unfortunately for Warlock, that all ended the moment he met Vulcan. The Omega mutant easily drained Warlock’s power, immediately transforming the Godlike superhero into a mere mortal man. Could a fully powered Warlock theoretically defeat Vulcan in a one-on-one fight? Absolutely. Still, that doesn’t matter much when Vulcan can stop a fight with Warlock before it even starts.

3 Beyond Omega

“Omega” sounds intense. In reality, the term is simply a convenient label that characters in the Marvel universe use to describe mutants whose powers appear to be limitless. Iceman can make ice all day long, Storm can manipulate the weather all season long, and so on.

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The extraordinary abilities displayed by Vulcan actually prompted Professor X and Cyclops to speculate whether there are levels higher than Omega. It’s hard to picture what exactly beyond limitless power actually looks like, but maybe ripping a massive hole in space-time is a pretty good start.

2 Overcame His Anger

Look, no one is denying that Vulcan has done many terrible things. There’s more to being an Omega level mutant than just being really powerful, though. To even harness abilities that powerful takes a remarkably complex individual. The scope of Vulcan’s powers is almost impossible to fathom. However, his ability to occasionally make peace with his brothers and the X-Men are his true measure. Vulcan’s power levels are so dangerous that even his very existence is a threat to the universe. The Marvel universe is just lucky those powers are in the hands of an Omega-level mutant with a soft side.

1 Hidden Potential

X-Men writer and Vulcan creator Ed Brubaker has suggested that Vulcan’s power to absorb and manipulate energy extends far beyond the electromagnetic spectrum. According to Brubaker, Vulcan and the X-Men don’t realize the full scope of his powers yet. Vulcan doesn’t realize he has the ability to control magical or extradimensional energy. Brubaker even suggests Vulcan could have the ability to manipulate natural elements, too. Fire, wind, water, darkness, and light are just a few of the materials that Vulcan has the potential to convert into energy he can then manipulate. If that doesn’t sound like an Omega level mutant, it’s hard to say what does.

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