Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain Appreciation 2023

[JB]

I think the cultural distance and the myth of the arthurian legends make me overlook her patriotic approach.

I’m from Brazil and superhero wearing the brazilian flag nowadays would make me die from cringe.

I'd like to see them lean into the lore of the mantle more and make it less about Betsy and the country. Like when Brian became CB and it was magic/Merlin related, he just happened to do hero stuff in England.

I'd like to see Kwannon and Betsy working together as well and I think it would be interesting to see Kwannon opening up to her about her past. Maybe even reveal her real name to Betsy. It'll give the readers a chance to learn more about Kwannon while strengthening their relationship.

[LoganAlpha30X33]

I'm not sure if Marvel really wants Betsy and Kwannon to have much if anything to do with each other anytime soon.

[Wiccan]

I thought the arc with Malice in Excalibur (and the little hints before it) already did all that needed to be done to address their relationship, the baggage from the past and where they are in the present. Would it be fun to have them team up again? Sure, but I don't want them to keep rehashing this theme like with Carol and Rogue who have fought, made up, and been passive-aggressive about their original encounter a thousand times.

[CGAR]

The Malice arc was basically them getting to the point where they know "it is what it is", they can move forward, and that theyll always be tied to eachother in some way because of what they experienced.

So that is something to explore BUT also like me and others have stated its more about getting an arc of actual introspection and setting the similarities and differences betweeen the two characters.

Having them go on a very cool adventure that doesnt revolve around another character that had a similar situation as them.

I dont think anyone wants to see them constantly dwell on the body swap/switch/fusion.

And the one thing that TH was not great at IMO was the introspection and inner dialogue and having OTHER characters say stuff about Betsy and for Betsy.

Or things were just off panel.

[Rnap22]

I don’t want a rehash of this love/hate stuff. I would like to see some Kwannon’s past while she was in Betsy’s body. I think that’s fair and, for me, having them have an adventure of old foes after them that are not necessarily “their enemy” be interesting and exploring what kind of trouble did they get into in each other’s body. We know Betsy’s story, but we don’t know Kwannon (especially since she believed she was the REAL Betsy)

[CGAR]

I just reread the Malice Excalibur arc. I do think its a good arc. The only one I can tolerate.

I think the one thing I want to see between Betsy and Kwannon now is just the more confident secure Betsy we are familiar with because in this arc its Kwannon basically saying and doing everything.

I want Betsy to finally be bold and confident and articulate her feelings and thoughts.

Instead of Kwannon doing it for them.

I guess thats my one nitpick.

[Grunty]

Or.. two psylockes.

We have two captain americas, two wolverines, two spider men… why not 2 psylockes

Arguably, because none of those work regardless of how much the people in charge try to "make it happen".

Turning super hero identities into a title which can be swapped to other or held concurrently by multiple characters, especially at the same time, has always been a difficult thing to pull off successfully.

While it's possible under the right circumstances, if a single character predominantly holds and carries the name for several decades, while being widely known even outside of comics, it's unlikely to ever get a different character established in that identity and have it stick.

However admittedly Psylocke is a unique and somewhat weird subject because how the name has become associated with a particular appearance much more than the person behind it.

Because just like how the wider fanbase will associate the super hero name Wolverine with a 40 something years old looking (but actualy 200+ year old) gruff hairy guy named Logan, as established over 50 years of publishing history and 30 years of on screen adaptations, those who know the character Psylocke will associate her with an asian female "hollywood/anime style" ninja in revealing purple outfit with or without the name Betsy Braddock attached.

In this regard it makes sense that the name Psylocke would therefor be applied to the character who fullfills the "visual qualitites" associated with the name over the past 3 decades, regardless of personal identity.

But it also highlights a fundamental problem that now exist with both Kwanon and Betsy Braddock as Psylocke. Kwanon is barely established as stand alone character, but also the "owner" of the psychic ninja appearance associated with the name Psylocke, but the publishing history of Psylocke belongs to Betsy Braddock, who is now without a widely known and strong stand alone identity anymore.

(...) I get that being Captain Britain was supposed to elevate Betsy but I don't think Hickman, editorial, and the writer executed it all that well. (...)

It seems to me, that because the character Betsy Braddock had been established for nearly 47 years and has been a prominent part of the X-men for nearly 37, she is expected to carry a story and even title regardless of how she looks.

But most of these prominent years were while she was the psychic ninja version with related personality, which is a role and appearance now given to the character Kwanon, leaving Betsy herself without these parts of her identity.

Furthermore Excalibur and by extension Captain Britain never regained the success the series and character had in the late 80's and 90's, with new series hardly surviving longer than two years, making it valid to speculate that there is a general lack of pre-emptive prestige and enthusiasm by the general buyership of the comics for such titles.

So a character who recently got stripped of the primary qualities which had made her a star, was expected to carry a series which has for a long time struggled to regain relevancy among the X-men buyership.

As harsh as this might sound, it might have been better for Betsy to spend a decade as second fiddle on a team to gain a new successfull identity, rather than be expected to carry a team while a writer tries to give her a new identity (with a mantle swap no less) and without the help of a veteran writer.

[MentalManipulator]

But it also highlights a fundamental problem that now exist with both Kwanon and Betsy Braddock as Psylocke. Kwanon is barely established as stand alone character, but also the "owner" of the psychic ninja appearance associated with the name Psylocke, but the publishing history of Psylocke belongs to Betsy Braddock, who is now without a widely known and strong stand alone identity anymore.



It seems to me, that because the character Betsy Braddock had been established for nearly 47 years and has been a prominent part of the X-men for nearly 37, she is expected to carry a story and even title regardless of how she looks.

But most of these prominent years were while she was the psychic ninja version with related personality, which is a role and appearance now given to the character Kwanon, leaving Betsy herself without these parts of her identity.

Furthermore Excalibur and by extension Captain Britain never regained the success the series and character had in the late 80's and 90's, with new series hardly surviving longer than two years, making it valid to speculate that there is a general lack of pre-emptive prestige and enthusiasm by the general buyership of the comics for such titles.

So a character who recently got stripped of the primary qualities which had made her a star, was expected to carry a series which has for a long time struggled to regain relevancy among the X-men buyership.

As harsh as this might sound, it might have been better for Betsy to spend a decade as second fiddle on a team to gain a new successfull identity, rather than be expected to carry a team while a writer tries to give her a new identity (with a mantle swap no less) and without the help of a veteran writer.

Very good and lucid summary of the big dilemma we Betsy fans are facing. I'm also a fan of the Psylocke identity but since I fell in love with the role when it was Betsy's, I now feel very orphan of parts of the character that I loved and grew up reading. I love that Kwannon is here but I cannot love her 100% as Psylocke so now I feel always divides and kind of empty in my love for the charatcer since neither Betsy nor Psylocke are 100% what I loved anymore. (Just want to make it clear I don't miss Betsy being in a body that is not hers, but I miss her being an edgy psychic with an ambiguous dark and heroic personality working with the main X-men teams).

So I just hope, since comics are a visual media and it's easier for Psylocke to be the sexy asian ninja, that they rebuilt Betsy with more characteristics that she used to have in all those years of X-Men publishing we grew to love her since Mutant Massacre. After all, I'm an X-Men fan and in recent years she's been written as only a Captain Britain comics character. A more boring version of her IMO.

Again, the Disassembled route was a very good direction IMO. A less Asian but still sexy costume, a more European tk sword, her butterfly and voilà. Just give her a new codename and, like you said, let her develop in a team book.

[JB]

Ultimately I think the question of who should have the Psylocke name is one that only corporate will answer, what with licenses and all that. But I think for example when choosing to use "Psylocke" in video and mobile games, they're going to have her be Betsy Braddock because of her long history.

Marvel Super War is a perfect example as they give you different costume options:



They're all Betsy even with the ninja costume, British accent and all. I love that Psychic Knight skin they made for her, btw. Feels like a happy medium with her classic colors and the armor.



As far as her being Captain Britain, I feel like Marvel should have really went big with it when deciding to do it. Make the multiversal protector aspect majorly important and have her convene with other multiversal groups. Having her team up with the Avengers in her solo was good but more of that kind of thing is needed. There's still a chance to build on that, as well as continue her leadership role (if what the streets are whispering is true), but the Captain Britain IP imo needs to be bigger than just within Betsy's small UK corner of the MU.

[CGAR]

Agree with you on that uniform and voice. I just wish they. got rid of the spikey triange shoulder pads.

[Rnap22]

One issue I have with Kwannon taking on the Psylocke name is that it was Betsy. Appearances in the past or of Betsy… crossovers where she talks about Brian being her twin etc… are new readers going to do the research to realize that isn’t Kwannon? Betsy as CB just didn’t translate for me and I don’t want her to be just “Betsy Braddock” in the books… it’s the same for Jean. Everyone saying “Jean Grey” we know who she is. Rename her the Phoenix. Give Betsy Psylocke again. And Kwannon can go by Kwannon since it’s not even her name anyway.

Kate has had so many code names, but we all know that Shadowcat is her best.

[whitecrown]

I've never liked this trend of codename-less characters like Jean Grey and Kitty Pryde. They had identities like Phoenix and Shadowcat which should be respected. Relegating Betsy to another codename-less character because her codename was pawned off to a knockoff feels insulting to me. Like Marvel is punishing Betsy for her years of being in an Asian body as if they weren't the ones responsible for the race-swap but she actively chose it with malicious purposes. Psylocke is Betsy's mantle and should be restored to her. For new readers, they'll see Psylocke now and all those decades of backstory and associate it with Kwannon instead meaning our Betsy has essentially lost most of her whole past.

Kwannon already had a codename with Revanche so I don't know why they didn't bring that back.

[CGAR]

We all know it was for brand and business.

[MentalManipulator]

What if Betsy became Psykey?

They could lean heavily on the complementary aspects of both characters, their shared history together.

Looking at both Jim Lee ninja and Disassembled skins from the Marvel Super War game you can not tell me they don't look amazing together.
Captura de Tela 2023-09-04 às 20.50.30.jpg

[CGAR]

I just dont think it was done maliciously.

I dont think the character of Kwannon should be written off and be hated on.

It just wasnt executed well.

The editor gave Kwannon a great writer and artist that elevated her in Hellions.

Betsy was stuck with a writer for three titles.