The Marvel Handbook classified it as concussive energy; i.e., though they look like (and were inspired by) laser beams, they actually convey concussive force, not heat energy. In effect, his beams punch or bludgeon things with force, as if they were battering rams or bullets. When his beams go through an object--say, putting a hole in the side of a building--they're therefore *punching* through the building, not burning through it. The Handbook in the '80s theorized he somehow tapped into energy that consisted of gravitons forced into orbit around photons, hence, a light beam that generates force, not heat.
Indeed, there was a book in which the Fantastic Four was fighting what they thought were the X-Men. Cyclops hit the Thing in the back, and the Thing says "Hey, that burns!", then he thinks "Waitaminute. I've been on the receiving end of Cyclops' eyebeams before, and they don't burn". Turns out it was a Skrull masquerading as Cyclops, who used an energy beam, not realizing that Cyclops' eyebeams functioned differently. As I said, they were obviously inspired by the classic ruby laser that had just come out in the '60s. Note that his beams can be blocked by ruby quartz crystal. This is similar to how laser beams can be bounced/blocked by mirrors. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mr. Worf" <hellomahog...@gmail.com> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, February 1, 2010 10:37:08 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] Xmen question What kind of light beam comes out of Cyclop's eyes? If it is plasma couldn't Magneto control the beam? -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
