Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain Appreciation 2022

[Knightmare]

I will never give Howard a break for "One storybook-shaking battle later..." for the climax of this years-long story.
That's not writing. That shouldn't be rewarded with yet another version of the same title.

Strike Force was canceled in a hurry, and no one wants another volume of that. Rehashing the same Betsy take is just as welcome. Are there Captain Avalon fans? Do Brian Braddock fans feel well-served these days? Betsy fans don't.

No us Brian Braddock fans got shafted. Tini completely ripped up the Captain Britain/Otherworld mythos to tell a subpar stories. Leaving these characters in such a limbo state as to required massive retcons if any other writer wanted to work with them. I'd be surprised if there were many who were happy with the portrayal of their favourite characters under Tini's penmanship!

[Panic]

Yeah, we're not happy. Most of us have given up hope, I think.

[CGAR]

Im sorry Brian was barely being used before HoXPoX so I hope the narrative isnt that Betsy took everything from her brother.

He was like a cameo king but thats it.

[Psycwave]

Do you guys think this new book will be released as a tie-in to Secrets of Sinisters? Or after SoS is done? I'm still in disbelief Betsy will only have 5 appearances this entire year. I wonder what will it take for JDW to see that this direction is not working, Betsy hasn't been so absent from the publishing line since her death in 2001.

If SoS is indeed about Sinister using a Moira clone to reset reality and changing the timeline into an Age of XXX event, I feel like it would be smart and make sense to tie-in CB in her role as protector of the Multiverse while also securing a sales bump from the main event.

Ooooh that would be super dope and make a lot of sense given her new status. I'd also like her to give a little commentary on Magneto dying.
But seriously I would love that. I'm not really missing her in Judgement Day since it's mostly for the Eternals but being back involved in the x-events would be nice. Although I wouldn't mind an appearance if only so she could comment on Magneto dying. They have such a cool dynamic.

While I also appreciate the broadening of Otherworld that Howard has achieved idk if I'd say it was always just a generic fairyland. Gillen did interesting things with it during his Journey Into Mystery and you know Claremont always loves to push how it's the center of the Omniverse. I think all of the things that have happened with it is ample playing ground for the next writer to take to an even greater level.

I also won't lie and say that while I am ready for TH to move on I do think that her next book failing would reflect badly on Betsy. I always think about when PAD was doing X-Factor and the Serval team flopped, he tweeted about how Gambit was a big selling point and after having just come off another cancelled book we probably wouldn't see him for awhile. This little stint without Betsy is bad enough. I don't want go another year. Though the name of the book being "Knights of X" probably didn't help it be a hot seller. Hopefully whatever Tini is doing is just a one-shot or something and we can move on.

[Knightmare]

Im sorry Brian was barely being used before HoXPoX so I hope the narrative isnt that Betsy took everything from her brother.

He was like a cameo king but thats it.

But isn't that what happened? Betsy got loaned the Amulet of Right to save her life and when it came time to return it she didn't want to. So she took his name and his job both of which she did a disservice to play around in a parody Otherworld. Also just because a character is non mainstream doesn't mean they don't have fans that care about their characterisation. There were plenty of ways to tell Tini's story without sh*tting on what had come before.

While I also appreciate the broadening of Otherworld that Howard has achieved idk if I'd say it was always just a generic fairyland. Gillen did interesting things with it during his Journey Into Mystery and you know Claremont always loves to push how it's the center of the Omniverse. I think all of the things that have happened with it is ample playing ground for the next writer to take to an even greater level.

I also won't lie and say that while I am ready for TH to move on I do think that her next book failing would reflect badly on Betsy. I always think about when PAD was doing X-Factor and the Serval team flopped, he tweeted about how Gambit was a big selling point and after having just come off another cancelled book we probably wouldn't see him for awhile. This little stint without Betsy is bad enough. I don't want go another year. Though the name of the book being "Knights of X" probably didn't help it be a hot seller. Hopefully whatever Tini is doing is just a one-shot or something and we can move on.

What is Otherworld to you, I'm genuinely curious. I only ask because you've labelled it as a generic fairyland, only to then praise it's broadening with generic D&D tropes that few care about. First impressions are important and this Betsy is going to be a tough sell going forward. She'll eventually give up the Captain Britain moniker once the realise that it doesn't really make sense to include the character in ongoing X-matters. Betsy will now become as labelled above a cameo queen!

[Psycwave]

What writers are currently good at sword and sorcery genre? If people have ideas on what writers are good perhaps they should start petition on that.

Ooooh Jim Zub me please. He’s written some before and I kinda love Mystery in Madripoor idk.

What is Otherworld to you, I'm genuinely curious. I only ask because you've labelled it as a generic fairyland, only to then praise it's broadening with generic D&D tropes that few care about. First impressions are important and this Betsy is going to be a tough sell going forward. She'll eventually give up the Captain Britain moniker once the realise that it doesn't really make sense to include the character in ongoing X-matters. Betsy will now become as labelled above a cameo queen!

Avalon can look like a generic fairyland but Otherworld isn’t. Captain Britain has been around mutant stuff plenty so I doubt the rest.

[Psycwave]

Knightmare, who do you want to be Betsy in the MCU? You seen the Lily James manip?

Edit: this one https://twitter.com/km1990b1/status/...TRObGCeR7EghHg

[Knightmare]

Ooooh Jim Zub me please. He’s written some before and I kinda love Mystery in Madripoor idk.


Avalon can look like a generic fairyland but Otherworld isn’t. Captain Britain has been around mutant stuff plenty so I doubt the rest.

Marvel's Celtic/Arthurian Otherworld is the very definition of a generic fairyland, always has been. But i think you only see it that way because nobody bothered to explore the myths and legends that were already there. Take this from a Captain Britain fan... Captain Britain is not a mutant character! What I mean by this is that the role has absolutely nothing to do with the mutantdom. The best you can hope for is a cameo appearance now and then. Betsy will never have a meaningful part to play in the ongoing x-narrative as evidenced by judgement day.

Knightmare, who do you want to be Betsy in the MCU? You seen the Lily James manip?

Edit: this one https://twitter.com/km1990b1/status/...TRObGCeR7EghHg

I don't really mind to be honest. Olivia Munn/Lily James both look good in the role. I think they'll go down the Olivia Munn route though, as Psylocke is more popular than Betsy Braddock. I'd have gone with Gemma Chan, but she got tied down to the Eternals.

[Panic]

There is a new Scanners TV series in development. If it is successful, it might well lead to Marvel jumping on the bandwagon in terms of psychic-centric battles and power structures.
HBO planning Scanners series

[Psycwave]

Marvel's Celtic/Arthurian Otherworld is the very definition of a generic fairyland, always has been. But i think you only see it that way because nobody bothered to explore the myths and legends that were already there. Take this from a Captain Britain fan... Captain Britain is not a mutant character! What I mean by this is that the role has absolutely nothing to do with the mutantdom. The best you can hope for is a cameo appearance now and then. Betsy will never have a meaningful part to play in the ongoing x-narrative as evidenced by judgement day.



I don't really mind to be honest. Olivia Munn/Lily James both look good in the role. I think they'll go down the Olivia Munn route though, as Psylocke is more popular than Betsy Braddock. I'd have gone with Gemma Chan, but she got tied down to the Eternals.

I guess i just don’t think it’s generic then lol. When I would go back and read that old CB stuff with the destroying realities and all that…it always felt more like a fairyland. That was apart of it but not all it was. Captain Britain back then wasn’t but Brian has always been around mutants enough that it’s familiar and with Betsy it’s assuredly a mutant thing now and probably will for the foreseeable future. If not then she’d go to a greater MU character…maybe join the Avengers…get in right in time for the Multiverse Saga. She’s got so many options!

You think they’d bring Munn back again full time? I feel like we might get some cute cameos but then they’re gonna wipe the FoX-Men slate clean.

[Knightmare]

I guess i just don’t think it’s generic then lol. When I would go back and read that old CB stuff with the destroying realities and all that…it always felt more like a fairyland. That was apart of it but not all it was. Captain Britain back then wasn’t but Brian has always been around mutants enough that it’s familiar and with Betsy it’s assuredly a mutant thing now and probably will for the foreseeable future. If not then she’d go to a greater MU character…maybe join the Avengers…get in right in time for the Multiverse Saga. She’s got so many options!

You think they’d bring Munn back again full time? I feel like we might get some cute cameos but then they’re gonna wipe the FoX-Men slate clean.

Yeah I apoligies for how I come across. I don't mean or what to tell you what to like, what good or bad etc etc. Just passionate about the current situation I find some of my favourite characters/locations in. I'm not trying to deny that through the retcon of Jamie and Betsy that Brian hasn't had brushes with the x-verse. I'm just saying that this is not what the character of Captain Britain is about. The same as it would be for some like Captain Marvel. Don't mind me, just an old man complaining that the world's changing.

On Olivia Munn, I could see here coming back. But knowing Feige, they'll probably reboot the entire franchise so that it better integrates with the current MCU. Maybe they'll use House of M to bring mutants into the MCU via a resurrected Scarlet Witch. That'd be cool.

[WallStreeter]

But isn't that what happened? Betsy got loaned the Amulet of Right to save her life and when it came time to return it she didn't want to. So she took his name and his job both of which she did a disservice to play around in a parody Otherworld. Also just because a character is non mainstream doesn't mean they don't have fans that care about their characterisation. There were plenty of ways to tell Tini's story without sh*tting on what had come before.



What is Otherworld to you, I'm genuinely curious. I only ask because you've labelled it as a generic fairyland, only to then praise it's broadening with generic D&D tropes that few care about. First impressions are important and this Betsy is going to be a tough sell going forward. She'll eventually give up the Captain Britain moniker once the realise that it doesn't really make sense to include the character in ongoing X-matters. Betsy will now become as labelled above a cameo queen!

The problem with fans is no one lives forever and companies and franchises have to either change with the times or die.

Captain Britain/Brian has not been featured on a regular basis since well the 80s or 90s. Even Excalibur, the last regular book he was in sold only because pretty much everyone on the team was a mutant and had XMen ties. Brian is the only non mutant in his family and that includes his wife and daughter.

So basically, being there are god knows how many Arthurian/Merlín stories out there, Marcel could only work OtherWorld if they made their own unique version.

That’s what Tini did.

In a Marvel where the MCU deals a lot with the multiverse, having the Captain Britain corps deal with the multiverse makes perfect sense. Especially since by phase 7 the MCU will be all about the mutants.

[Psycwave]

Yeah I apoligies for how I come across. I don't mean or what to tell you what to like, what good or bad etc etc. Just passionate about the current situation I find some of my favourite characters/locations in. I'm not trying to deny that through the retcon of Jamie and Betsy that Brian hasn't had brushes with the x-verse. I'm just saying that this is not what the character of Captain Britain is about. The same as it would be for some like Captain Marvel. Don't mind me, just an old man complaining that the world's changing.

On Olivia Munn, I could see here coming back. But knowing Feige, they'll probably reboot the entire franchise so that it better integrates with the current MCU. Maybe they'll use House of M to bring mutants into the MCU via a resurrected Scarlet Witch. That'd be cool.

Oh no you're fine. I love the passion and these are some of my faves too so I welcome the convo. I totally get what you're saying about it not being what CB was originally about though. Making it so attuned to mutants is strictly for Betsy's benefit and Brian falls a bit to the wayside. I think it would be interesting to see his reactions to how mutants are being perceived in the UK due to all of his family and how he deals with the backlash from it. Maybe even causing some tension between the siblings. He's still got a ton of story still to be told.

[WallStreeter]

Oh no you're fine. I love the passion and these are some of my faves too so I welcome the convo. I totally get what you're saying about it not being what CB was originally about though. Making it so attuned to mutants is strictly for Betsy's benefit and Brian falls a bit to the wayside. I think it would be interesting to see his reactions to how mutants are being perceived in the UK due to all of his family and how he deals with the backlash from it. Maybe even causing some tension between the siblings. He's still got a ton of story still to be told.

I think Captain Britain on its own just wasn’t too popular and Brian’s powers were perhaps a bit too generic. He flies, has superhuman strength, and is invulnerable. So many people have that power set.

I do like Brian, but if I’m honest not much has been some with him in recent decades. So it’s good Tini revamped OtherWorld and Captain Britain.

[Panic]

I think Captain Britain on its own just wasn’t too popular and Brian’s powers were perhaps a bit too generic. He flies, has superhuman strength, and is invulnerable. So many people have that power set.

I do like Brian, but if I’m honest not much has been some with him in recent decades. So it’s good Tini revamped OtherWorld and Captain Britain.

No Brian Braddock fan would argue with you that Brian hasn't been used much in the last decade, this is part of our issue. The thing is that American writers aren't particularly comfortable writing powerful male heroes from other cultures, they tend to get written negatively to avoid being the wish-fulfilment figures that super-heroes are supposed to be, and therefore end up being unpopular - heroes need to win fights and do cool stuff. In American hands Brian doesn't. And his power-set isn't a problem, it's a popular power-set because it's flexible and easy to use; the Moore/Davis Captain Britain strip was excellent with Brian having that same power-set. Things like rogue's gallery and supporting cast are equally important, if not more so, and that's been taken from him with this move. And that's because, despite all her time as a major member of the X-Men, no writer has bothered to give her a proper rogue's gallery of her own.

We've got a Captain Britain who doesn't live or operate in Britain, mainly because they're being written by an American. It's a way of saying that they're giving us Captain Britain whilst avoiding giving us original CB fans what we want. Which is not to say that I feel Betsy's fan-base is getting a particularly good deal either, I'm well aware of the unhappiness surrounding Tini's writing.