Revanche: Kwannon/Psylocke II appreciation 2019

[Alexi]

It's been hinted for years that psi powers/psionic energy are the same. It's just they sometimes manifest the same (TK,TP, empathy) or unique ways (Pre-cog, pyrokinesis, Jeans molecular TK, sending minds through time/chrono skimming, psi-weapons) It's been hinted that most of if not all moderate to powerful psionics have the potential. Especially if there bodies been inhabited by a psy with other abilities.

Emma displayed TK abilities twice in the 90's. Once when Jean put her mind in her body & then in Gen-X for an issue on her own. Though the debate was that since Jean was in Emma's body, it was Jeans TK. However it kinda doesn't make too much since because a mutant in another body shouldn't have access to their own powers, just the powers of the current body.

Emma in Bobby's body did things that, even with Marvel & writers finally expanding him, he still hasn't done on his own

I'd buy the idea that Kwannon was a full empath mutant. Not powerful & not trained, unaware of her potential. Betsy, having years of training with her powers & being in her body was able to manifest & refine the psionic potential Kwannon possibly had.

Even Dani has wielded psi weapons(spear, arrows, even bullets in an issue) & Betsy taught teen Jean how to manifest weapons (morning star & shield)

[razzmatazz360]

fallena.jpg


so the girl appearing on Fallen Angels #3 cover, would possibly be Psylocke's daughter .

[Londo Bellian]

Or past Kwannon. It's a coin-toss for me right now.

Nice "Tsubame Gaeshi" initial stance on her, BTW.

[MechaJeanix]

She was empath before Betsy body so she was probably a mutant. The rest of the stuff is so convoluted, I get fans love continuity but they are some stuff but somethings need to be hard rebooted to be told more cleanly but since Marvel isn't going do that we have to settle for soft retcons. I will bet that Fallen Angels will soft retcon some more stuff between Betsy and Kwannon and ignore past stuff. They already done a soft retcon by making Kwannon aware inside of Betsy functionally making Kwannon apart of all Betsy history. Don't be surprised if Betsy more dark urges was Kwannon influence inside trying to break free at times.

I think you are right. Even back in the 90's they attributed some of Betsy's actions to Kwannon's influence (like the flirtation with Scott). They are definitely intimately connected now (again very similar to Jean and Phoenix). Betsy/Psylocke and Kwannon/nu-Psylocke shared more than just a body..

In a way they have to be careful not to "erase" Betsy's history of when she was in the Kwannon body since Kwannon is now called Psylocke and can claim Betsy's existence in the body as her own especially if she was "in there" too and has the memories, etc.

It is convoluted but I just re-read X-men 32 and the whole Betsy body/mind merger swap is enough to make someone's head hurt. In some ways they have made it better and other ways it is now worse. At least they have corrected the problematic social race/ethnicity swap.

[MechaJeanix]

It's been hinted for years that psi powers/psionic energy are the same. It's just they sometimes manifest the same (TK,TP, empathy) or unique ways (Pre-cog, pyrokinesis, Jeans molecular TK, sending minds through time/chrono skimming, psi-weapons) It's been hinted that most of if not all moderate to powerful psionics have the potential. Especially if there bodies been inhabited by a psy with other abilities.

Emma displayed TK abilities twice in the 90's. Once when Jean put her mind in her body & then in Gen-X for an issue on her own. Though the debate was that since Jean was in Emma's body, it was Jeans TK. However it kinda doesn't make too much since because a mutant in another body shouldn't have access to their own powers, just the powers of the current body.

Emma in Bobby's body did things that, even with Marvel & writers finally expanding him, he still hasn't done on his own

I'd buy the idea that Kwannon was a full empath mutant. Not powerful & not trained, unaware of her potential. Betsy, having years of training with her powers & being in her body was able to manifest & refine the psionic potential Kwannon possibly had.

Even Dani has wielded psi weapons(spear, arrows, even bullets in an issue) & Betsy taught teen Jean how to manifest weapons (morning star & shield)

I've always like specialized psychic powers and I feel that a lot of the psychics shouldn't have full range abilities. I think it is less interesting. For example I think Karma shouldn't have full telepathic abilities nor should Empath or even Sage. I don't know how they explain Betsy and Kwannon being tk, but it is a thing now.

I think Emma and Xavier should never display telekinetic abilities (same with the cuckoos, and should have been same for Quire). I think some writers just do not understand the difference between various psychic abilities.

[Londo Bellian]

Generally Marvel mutant psionics have become akin to DC's Speed Force, the universal seemingly all-purpose power set.

[Alexi]

I had a feeling even under a gifted writer, no matter how much they fix there would be some things they muck up for both characters. Both Claremont, & to more of an extent Nicieza, made a mess. Marvels just slowly came around & was like "Oh this is bad, let's try & fix it."

If Hills going the route that a part of Kwannon was in Betsy's head I can see that as the only way to explain how she ended up back in her body. According to Mystery in Madripor the Asian body was dead. I'm just wondering was an echo or something left after she had Matsuo kill her & it caused the other half of the power/imprint to go to Betsy?

If Hill's careful he'll say that Betsy was completely unaware of the presence. At the same time I could see some fans saying it was that echo that drove some more of Betsy's behavior/scripting they didn't like. Nicieza did that with the Betsy flirting with Scott thing.

[Alexi]

You just reminded me, even Xavier has displayed TK a few times over the years. I also like the idea of certain characters psionic powers specializing in areas or having a skill that others don't have. It keeps psionic characters from feeling redundant when there's more than one on the team. I was worried way back when Claremont resurrected Betsy in Uncanny that she'd be tossed aside after a while because you had Emma (who was the IT psychic of the moment) and the Cuckoos. Which kinda happened cause she got shipped off the Exiles then seemingly forgotten about until the Sisterhood arc. I

feel the writers also don't understand the abilities. I'd keep Kwannon as an empath & introduce telepathy. Have those powers grow but I'd leave the TP/TK to Betsy. I don't think the X-books have ever had an empath that wasn't a villain so it would be interesting.

I think I'd also change up her energy signature color. Since purples been Betsy's color scheme & she's apparently loosing the butterfly signature to Kwannon, I'd make all of Betsy tk/tp signatures purple/pink & make Kwannon's a shade of blue.

Hellion's got a different color signature but its like Marvel has every other psionic a shade of pink.

[AbnormallyNormal]

She came off cool so far in FA #1. I just hope they keep her "voice" and actions distinct from Betsy. Using Psylocke codename is BAD but as long as everything else about her is distinct it's not the end of the world for her.

So far she feels a lot more kind of ... aloof... less emotional... more kind of "raw" than Betsy did. Which is appropriate.

I also want her to use the mutation DIFFERENTLY at least create different psychic constructs. Like I think I saw her create more of a claw or ninja sword type looking thing with it, which is a good start

[PsionicHero]

She came off cool so far in FA #1. I just hope they keep her "voice" and actions distinct from Betsy. Using Psylocke codename is BAD but as long as everything else about her is distinct it's not the end of the world for her.

So far she feels a lot more kind of ... aloof... less emotional... more kind of "raw" than Betsy did. Which is appropriate.

I also want her to use the mutation DIFFERENTLY at least create different psychic constructs. Like I think I saw her create more of a claw or ninja sword type looking thing with it, which is a good start

What's wrong with her using a Katana?

I would love her to use Psychic Shurikens and such like they've given her in video games! That would be cool.

[Sutekh]

Generally Marvel mutant psionics have become akin to DC's Speed Force, the universal seemingly all-purpose power set.

Yeah, 'telepathy' alone, is crazy here. Technically, it is the power to send and receive thoughts, and there's literally no reason why it has to go beyond vocal range (let alone around the entire planet! Heck, Spock, one of the more famous non-X-Man telepaths, has *touch range*).

But many Marvel telepaths can also alter or delete memories, project sensory illusions / hallucinations (Mirage's entire power), directly control people's minds (Karma's entire power), translate languages (Cypher's entire power), instantly teach languages and skills to someone else, instantly learn various languages and skills from other people (Prodigy's entire power), astral project (Trance and Scanner's entire power), usurp control of your nerves to move your body around (Cerebra's entire power), create mental blasts, create mental shields, project mental shields over another, implant phobias, implant post-hypnotic suggestions, make themselves undetectable / imperceptible / everyone ignore them, sense and manipulate emotions (Empath's entire power), etc., etc.

I'd accept that *some* telepath, like Xavier, has managed to learn all these amazing stunts and off-shoots of the core ability to send and receive thoughts, but it seemed like anything he did, any telepath was soon able to do, and Emma is body-swapping with Iceman (even tho she had to use a machine to do it with Storm, previously), and Betsy is telepathically teaching people to speak Shiar, etc. (even if those specific stunts shouldn't necessarily be easy for anyone with the power, any more than I can shatter a wine glass with my voice or win a Grammy, just because I can talk, or I can compete in the Olympics because I am able-bodied).

And then it gets sillier when, as you point out, some writer conflates telepath with 'psychic' and starts tossing around telekinetic stunts or precognitive dreams, as if they were part of 'telepathy.' (I vaguely recall Betsy herself being considered precognitive, for a hot second, years ago. Shes's one psychic power (pyrokinesis) aways from being Legion...)

[CGAR]

"Kwannon"s addiction to killing jk

[WallStreeter]

I've always like specialized psychic powers and I feel that a lot of the psychics shouldn't have full range abilities. I think it is less interesting. For example I think Karma shouldn't have full telepathic abilities nor should Empath or even Sage. I don't know how they explain Betsy and Kwannon being tk, but it is a thing now.

I think Emma and Xavier should never display telekinetic abilities (same with the cuckoos, and should have been same for Quire). I think some writers just do not understand the difference between various psychic abilities.

We have to go by what’s written, not by personal preferences. Evil Beast told Nate Grey there’s an artificially thin line between telepathy and telekinesis. Cassandra Nova, a parasite who copies Xavier’s DNA, used his full genetic potential in a new body for herself and has powerful telepathic and telekinetic abilities. So any decently powered telepath is telekinetic and vice versa.

Sage is a telepath.

So Kwannon, originally just an empath saw her psionic powers become telepathy and eventually telepath/telekinetic.

Originally Jean was just a telekinetic. In the original explanation she developed telepathic powers after Xavier shared his telepathic powers with her(the Annie Richardson thing is a retcon).

I’m not saying you have to like it, but this is published continuity.

[WallStreeter]

Yeah, 'telepathy' alone, is crazy here. Technically, it is the power to send and receive thoughts, and there's literally no reason why it has to go beyond vocal range (let alone around the entire planet! Heck, Spock, one of the more famous non-X-Man telepaths, has *touch range*).

But many Marvel telepaths can also alter or delete memories, project sensory illusions / hallucinations (Mirage's entire power), directly control people's minds (Karma's entire power), translate languages (Cypher's entire power), instantly teach languages and skills to someone else, instantly learn various languages and skills from other people (Prodigy's entire power), astral project (Trance and Scanner's entire power), usurp control of your nerves to move your body around (Cerebra's entire power), create mental blasts, create mental shields, project mental shields over another, implant phobias, implant post-hypnotic suggestions, make themselves undetectable / imperceptible / everyone ignore them, sense and manipulate emotions (Empath's entire power), etc., etc.

I'd accept that *some* telepath, like Xavier, has managed to learn all these amazing stunts and off-shoots of the core ability to send and receive thoughts, but it seemed like anything he did, any telepath was soon able to do, and Emma is body-swapping with Iceman (even tho she had to use a machine to do it with Storm, previously), and Betsy is telepathically teaching people to speak Shiar, etc. (even if those specific stunts shouldn't necessarily be easy for anyone with the power, any more than I can shatter a wine glass with my voice or win a Grammy, just because I can talk, or I can compete in the Olympics because I am able-bodied).

And then it gets sillier when, as you point out, some writer conflates telepath with 'psychic' and starts tossing around telekinetic stunts or precognitive dreams, as if they were part of 'telepathy.' (I vaguely recall Betsy herself being considered precognitive, for a hot second, years ago. Shes's one psychic power (pyrokinesis) aways from being Legion...)

All major telepaths have some degree of precognition. Psylocke, Rachel, Jean Grey, Xavier, Emma, and the Cuckoos have all used precognition.

Destiny, a precog has used telepathy.

[Celestialbodies]

Yeah, 'telepathy' alone, is crazy here. Technically, it is the power to send and receive thoughts, and there's literally no reason why it has to go beyond vocal range (let alone around the entire planet! Heck, Spock, one of the more famous non-X-Man telepaths, has *touch range*).

But many Marvel telepaths can also alter or delete memories, project sensory illusions / hallucinations (Mirage's entire power), directly control people's minds (Karma's entire power), translate languages (Cypher's entire power), instantly teach languages and skills to someone else, instantly learn various languages and skills from other people (Prodigy's entire power), astral project (Trance and Scanner's entire power), usurp control of your nerves to move your body around (Cerebra's entire power), create mental blasts, create mental shields, project mental shields over another, implant phobias, implant post-hypnotic suggestions, make themselves undetectable / imperceptible / everyone ignore them, sense and manipulate emotions (Empath's entire power), etc., etc.

I'd accept that *some* telepath, like Xavier, has managed to learn all these amazing stunts and off-shoots of the core ability to send and receive thoughts, but it seemed like anything he did, any telepath was soon able to do, and Emma is body-swapping with Iceman (even tho she had to use a machine to do it with Storm, previously), and Betsy is telepathically teaching people to speak Shiar, etc. (even if those specific stunts shouldn't necessarily be easy for anyone with the power, any more than I can shatter a wine glass with my voice or win a Grammy, just because I can talk, or I can compete in the Olympics because I am able-bodied).

And then it gets sillier when, as you point out, some writer conflates telepath with 'psychic' and starts tossing around telekinetic stunts or precognitive dreams, as if they were part of 'telepathy.' (I vaguely recall Betsy herself being considered precognitive, for a hot second, years ago. Shes's one psychic power (pyrokinesis) aways from being Legion...)

All of this, psychic powers are my favorite but the list of abilities that are casually added onto telepaths are excessive. But unfortunately the cat is out of the bag, and I doubt it will be going back in anytime soon, most forms of media have accepted the above as telepathy. What bothers me more than ANYTHING is when writers like Bendis use telepath/psychic interchangeably it upsets me to no end.