I view Cyclops symbolically, as a person under extreme PRESSURE, and what makes him a hero is his commitment to functioning effectively even while bearing such weight.
(I'm not an expert in X-Men comics so this analysis is mainly based on brief cursory reading of Claremont X-Men, and osmotic knowledge.)
Pressure in Scott Summers' life takes several forms. Namely, it's an incredible pressure to lead a team of mutants into dangerous situations, in which one mistake can result in death or injury. This is compounded by the fact that a mistake can be highly damaging to the cause of human-mutant relations since many humans believe mutants are dangerous -- every mistake the X-Men makes is ammunition for bigots.
The resonance of Cyclops' character comes in his power, which is a metaphor for the pressure he faces as the leader of a team that stands for an entire minority group in the eye of the public: in his skull is an immense reservoir of energy that must be dammed by ruby-quartz lenses, like a pressurized container always ready to burst. He doesn't "produce optic blasts", he just lets the pressure out for a moment.
What makes Cyclops such an inspiring hero is his ability to still be an effective superhero, still be an intelligent leader, and still fight for Professor X's noble dream, even while he holds such heavy weight. In his position, any mistake with his powers or in his leadership can spell disaster for those around him or for human-mutant relations. Yet, because of his core beliefs and conviction and heroism, he keeps putting himself in that position.
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