WARNING: The following contains spoilers for X-Men Legends #2 by Fabian Nicieza, Brett Booth, Adelso Corona, Guru-eFX & VC's Joe Caramagna, on sale now
There have been plenty of mysteries that have haunted the X-Men over years, with one of the most curious being the possibility -- once famously raised by Mister Sinister -- that there might actually be more Summers brothers out there. X-Men Legends has been delving into those possibilities and even confirmed one such secret sibling, but with a twist.
In X-Men Legends #2, Adam-X has been confirmed to be a half-brother to Cyclops and Havok and could be seen as an heir to the Shi'Ar throne, but everyone quickly loses their memories of this revelation, courtesy of the Imperial Guard member Oracle.
Since shortly after his debut in Fabian Nicieza and Greg Capullo's X-Force Annual #2 in 1993, the man known as Adam-X has long teased as a potential member of the Summers family. Adam was a Shi'Ar genetic experiment that combined the DNA of the deposed Emperor D'Ken and a human woman as part of a long-running program wherein the Shi'Ar tried to combine their DNA with that of other species to force further evolution into a species that had otherwise biologically plateaued. After taking Adam and his two brothers onto his ship, Corsair confirmed that this woman used as a DNA donor for Adam was Katherine Summers, the kidnapped mother of Scott and Alex Summers. This technically makes Adam into Scott and Alex's half-brother -- an idea that the two mutant heroes quickly embrace -- although Corsair doesn't feel the same way, seeing far more of D'Ken in the young man.
He's also not technically wrong, as Adam-X isn't strictly a Summers -- but rather a direct descendant of Katherine instead of Corsair. But it's enough of a connection for Corsair to relent on his original mission to capture Adam for Erik the Red. Instead, the heroes quickly band together and bring down Erik before coming to Majestrix Lilandra willingly. There, Adam is able to present a pitch to Lilandra that ensures he no longer has a claim to the throne, while allowing him to survive. Thanks to the impressive psychic powers of the Imperial Guard's Oracle, everyone will have their exact memories of their connection hidden away within their minds. Oracle is effectively able to erase the memory of Adam-X's true heritage from the minds of the X-Men and the Shi'Ar.
Since Adam himself had his memories erased and never pursued a claim to the throne, the Empire allows Adam to return to Earth and carve out a simple life with a family of farmers he had met previously on his travels. While this confirms the connection between Adam and heroes like Cyclops, it also offers a good explanation as to why Adam hasn't had a place with the Summers family, even when they've tried to come closer together. None of them are wholly aware that he even should be considered a potential member.
On top of being captured by Mojo and held away from Krakoa, Adam is seemingly left with only the faintest idea of any connection to Cyclops and the rest of the Summers family. This also explains why Adam's eventual return during the Utopia period saw him acting in an entirely new way, suggesting his later personality may have been shaped by his extended time on Earth with little knowledge of his truly alien origins.
X-Men Legends quietly confirmed the truth behind Adam X's history, while also finding a good explanation as for why he's never become more important than he has been. With the X-Men even having strong relations with the Shi'Ar Empire in the present-day, there's always the chance that Adam's true potential could be revealed at the risk of setting off a new conflict in the heart of that empire.
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