Betsy Braddock: The Focused Totality of Appreciation 2024

[HOXOR]

Obviously it's not as creative as some people want it to be. But acting like there weren't some unique moments is kinda weird since Betsy created psychic flames, fired psychic daggers numerous times, her destroying the amulet of right and firing teke blasts. Mind you "Dissembled" which is a fan favourite time for Betsy fans weren't all that when it came to creativity. So i personally think people are way to hard on Howard especially if you consider that majority of Excalibur and Knights of X happen in otherworld which restricted her role to being a Knight.

I think that the real problem was Betsy's "lack of personality"

One of the things that I didn't like was Betsy trying to be the "good girl". She's fierce, respected, people know that she should not be underestimated (Like when Colossus asks if Betsy powers has shifted again, telepathy rather than telekinesis, because the timing was unfortunate if they needed a heavy hitter. Then she knocks him down and says "heavy enough for you?"). But in the hands of TH that personality was completely erased. She was always needing help, always lowering herself to please others, always trying to prove to others that she was capable of. She's not like that, she's the type who gets there and does it!

Having her in the hands of the Steves was a wonderful thing, her personality finally back! To see Betsy like: - "punch yourself in the face!" or "Danielle, I intend to do something rash and violent." or "Oh, I wasn't asking for backup -- or permission." it was something incredible!

I think the only times (that I remember) where she acted like that, at the hands of TH, was against Arthur and when she killed Merlyn.

[Knightpryde]

I think that the real problem was Betsy's "lack of personality"

One of the things that I didn't like was Betsy trying to be the "good girl". She's fierce, respected, people know that she should not be underestimated (Like when Colossus asks if Betsy powers has shifted again, telepathy rather than telekinesis, because the timing was unfortunate if they needed a heavy hitter. Then she knocks him down and says "heavy enough for you?"). But in the hands of TH that personality was completely erased. She was always needing help, always lowering herself to please others, always trying to prove to others that she was capable of. She's not like that, she's the type who gets there and does it!

Having her in the hands of the Steves was a wonderful thing, her personality finally back! To see Betsy like: - "punch yourself in the face!" or "Danielle, I intend to do something rash and violent." or "Oh, I wasn't asking for backup -- or permission." it was something incredible!

I think the only times (that I remember) where she acted like that, at the hands of TH, was against Arthur and when she killed Merlyn.

I definitely agree , my main problem with the Mantle is that people are always going to see Brian as Captain Britain- that's it. I don't actually mind it.

Steve's portrayal of Betsy is good and I hope Geoff takes notes ! This is the Betsy I know. Not a good girl or a messy girl who hates herself. There's a difference between being Messy and being a Messy girl. Yes Betsy is Messy in the way she sometimes likes to stir up the drama pot ( like her and Emma aruging) but she isn't a Mess of a girl. There's a difference.

[Psycwave]

I agree that the ability of a TP to acquire fighting styles should be mitigated by the skills and training of their body. As fighting requires a lot of training of muscles and tendons and else, I can't see (say) Jean Grey become a (say) Elektra just because she reads Elektra's mind.
So yes, Betsy (even in her Caucasian body) should be able to master fighting techniques because of her previous training, but Rachel shouldn't. IMHO. Not to say Rachel can't defend herself, she can still do some [insert specific martial art], but on a novice level, because while her mind can "steal" the technique from Elektra, her body isn't shaped and trained to do those specific movements and with the quickness and perfection of Elektra.

Anyway. Still looking forward to what will this mean on paper, Redjack.

Agreed and also looking forward to it. I'm very intrigued.

I won't lie I've missed Betsy fighting so the action components of this run are really speaking to me right now.

[Selene]

Yet we're forgetting that Howard made the effort to acknowledge that Merlin specifically made charms to block out her telepathy. Also you're completely ignoring the psychic battle between Betsy and Malice, Rachel and Morgan Le fay. Also like i said above she literally put the Furies under psychic illusions which is considerably hard to do. Not to mention Betsy literally linked Morgan minds to excalibur and cleansed Gambit's mind from the effects of the death seed. So psychic power was very much present in these books

Those stories just weren't compelling enough to make the feats you listed as anything remarkable. Betsy needs to be part of something big again and to be stripped of those Captain Britain-related superfluities.

Like, when was the last time she plugged her mind into Cerebro? Bunn's Uncanny?

[whitecrown]

Psychic construct shenanigans are no indicator of creative use of powers, they, instead, further suggest that Tini wasn't interested in using powerful psychics in her stories (see, also, Rachel's Phoenix fire).

Betsy doesn't need any weapon other than her psychic knife. I'm more interested in her using her telepathy tactically, but in traditional ways, like predicting her opponent's move before they execute it or dismantling other telepathic juggernauts.

This is my take on it too. Psychic weapons feel so stale at this point. X-Men: Apocalypse relied solely on psychic weapons and that was one of her worst renditions. It doesn't showcase her strength or finesse as a telepath or her creative mind just because she can create a whip or a sword.

The psychic knife is plenty. Never been a fan of Betsy as a tk either. Always felt that was a mistake (especially since it's primarily used to create psychic weapons) and it takes away from her telepathy. They should have just given Kwannon the tk and let Betsy be the sole telepath. That way, they could even be on the same team and there isn't much overlap since they have different functional abilities.

[whitecrown]

Those stories just weren't compelling enough to make the feats you listed as anything remarkable. Betsy needs to be part of something big again and to be stripped of those Captain Britain-related superfluities.

Like, when was the last time she plugged her mind into Cerebro? Bunn's Uncanny?

The Captain Britain stuff would work for me if it got her treated like an A-Lister in the superhero community. If she was on a Captain America level of popularity and we saw her as an Avenger or given that same amount of respect, interacting with all the heavy hitters of the MU. Instead, she's not even considered one of the core X-Men anymore and relegated to Otherworld stuff.

[CGAR]

I gotta re read Excalibur and KoX I really do feel like she had maybe 4 good moments where Im like thats the Betsy I want.

One was her moment with Arthur and the other was when she handle Merlyn.

Like most of the time TH just had her charge with a pink TK sword.

The CB mini was too little too late.

I should have just been an arc of Betsy finding herself instead of the whole Excalibur run. She even says it herself in a podcast that her first 3 arcs arent great.

But anyways really intrigued where her new direction will be headed.

[Knightpryde]

Yea honestly , I'm glad Betsy isn't being written by Tini or in a excalibur team and I think Geoff is going to do great with character.


Betsy being on the avengers also would've been cool I think Jed could've written a good Betsy. I also think her intrections with Steve would be so fun. And Tony obviously.

If Betsy was on Avengers I would've liked to see a friendship between her and Photon.

[HOXOR]

Betsy with the Avengers!

[Rnap22]

I wouldn’t care if Betsy just went back to telepathy/tk and her fighting skills. I don’t think the CB powers really showed us any difference. She could already fly because of her tk. Did she have strength? Because again that could have just been enhanced strength because of tk.

I’ve been re-reading her joining the team in 217 and on. I’ve always appreciated her ability to lead or kind of formulate a plan of attack, she would always telepathically tell Alison to attack with a strobe or light attack a target. The telepathic illusions were always a highlight and I always felt she was third in teams of leaders in that era (Storm, Wolverine and then Psylocke). So I think reading her in Excalibur by TH was definitely not the Betsy most of us knew or fell for.

I hope this new era we will start seeing more of that type of teamwork and direction from Betsy,

[Knightpryde]

Betsy with the Avengers!
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This is probably the most in character scene from Betsy what a cute scene

[MentalManipulator]

And now that the X-Men are getting closer and closer to coming to the MCU, what actress would you cast as Betsy?

Have three actresses I could see in the role.

Ella Purnell (27)
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Kaya Scodelario (32)
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Imogen Poots (34)
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They all would look great with purple hair and be convincing as warrior ladies.

[Knightpryde]

I'd love any of the above . Especially Ella Purnell since she's a good actress but Kaya would play Betsys personality perfectly.

Personally I think the MCU will go the wasian route and if that's so I think Natasha Liu Bordizzo can play Betsy very well her acting skills are perfect.

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If they didn't go that route I'd love for Kaya eae3b04b361abff9f62f78f067839d0d.jpg

[Hakka84]

Katie McGrath is my face for Betsy. Sadly, nearing 40, she has no chance like. at. all.
Still, she showed she can play a strong woman character.
And, see:

already wearing purple!
Unless it's a myth, she's a natural blonde who dyes her hair black, like our butterfly.

I did a colorize of her last year, and she looks good with light purple/violet hair too.

[whitecrown]

Daisy Ridley. She's played a telepath/telekinetic as Rey and can do the combat scenes with a sword. She's British and has a good working relationship with Disney. I've never seen her play a posh character though.

If Keira Knightley were a bit younger, I'd pick her. Actually her age more or less corresponds with the FoX-Men cast so I'd group her with them as the real Psylocke and not the ones we saw in X-Men: The Last Stand or X-Men: Apocalypse.