The Braddock Family Appreciation 2023

[Daedra]

Fo today's Throwback Thursday I'm looking back to Captain Britain Weekly issues #35 and #36, which sees the mechanical quarterstaff CB has carried since his origin transformed into the golden Star Sceptre.

Captain Britain's quarterstaff had the ability to extend and contract its length, generate a force-field, and fire a beam of destructive force, all accessed by pressing one of the first three buttons at its base; what the fourth button might have done we'll never know, as by the time CB Weekly had got to #35 the creative team had no doubt realised that Captain Britain was not the smash hit with the British audience that they had hoped for, and switching CB's unique but slightly goofy pole-vaulting method of travel to the more glamourous, if more conventional, ability of flight might generate a little more excitement. This was an old ploy that Marvel had used before - Dr Strange had his old cape switched out in favour of the new flashier Cloak of Levitation which granted him the power of flight, back in the Sixties. It was obviously worth a try.


The cover for #35 has a nice dramatic image of Captain Britain quitting, declaring "I'm a hero no more!" as he casts away his quarterstaff. It is obviously inspired by classic The Amazing Spider-Man #50 "Spider-Man No More" cover. For me the really notable thing about CBW #35's cover is the way that Captain Britain throws his quarterstaff down in front of him, yet it somehow ends up landing a little back and to his right - even M.C. Escher would find that use of perspective ****ed up!

The issue has Captain Britain's unconscious body at S.T.R.I.K.E. headquarters, his spirit called to Merlin's realm where the magician tells him the history of the amulet and sword test, in which Merlin is looking for someone who will choose jewellery over a weapon in a time of personal danger. Yeah. I can’t help feel that as a test of morality to find a hero, this is terribly flawed. But what do I know? It only took roughly over one and a half thousand years for Merlin to find his guy, so I guess it worked out fine.


Brian acts out the cover and throws down his staff as he declares himself done with the whole Captain Britain stuff. Merlin, however, talks Brian out of quitting in just two panels. Things happen fast when you only have seven pages to play with! The whole quitting thing is clearly just a device to get to Merlin transforming the quarterstaff into the Star Sceptre at the end of the issue - after all, why would Brian throw down his staff to symbolise his quitting rather than the amulet, the thing that made him Captain Britain?



The sceptre itself is a little odd-looking. That weird hook thing has no obvious use, and makes me think of a clip on a pen top. In fact I'm not sure the artist didn't just base the design on a pen he had sitting on his desk, it looks suspiciously like a fancy pen to me. It may well have been based on one of the U.K.'s ceremonial maces, though less brutal-looking, but the hook-clip is simply without precedent on anything similar.

I’ll add a photo of a ceremonial mace to the left of the cover just for comparison:



The next issue, #36, is entitled "God-War". Pablo Marcos's cover is actually very nice, and he's made the sceptre look pretty good, arguably better than Ron Wilson's version inside. Merlin presents Brian with the sceptre, then creates an illusion of Courtney falling to her death to get Brian to instinctively use the sceptre's flight ability to save her (this is very similar to Captain Marvel #17, where the newly revamped Mar-Vell suddenly finds himself confronted with Yon Rogg, who throws a fake Carol Danvers out of a spaceship and leads Mar-Vell to discover he has the power of flight as he thinks about saving her. Marvel really isn't afraid of reusing ideas). He's also attacked by a robed figure, who is, like Yon Rogg in the Captain Marvel issue, really just a convenient obstacle for our hero to test his new abilities against. Flight is actually the only new function the sceptre has that the staff didn't, and it doesn't demonstrate the vibro-blast, which I expect the writer had forgotten about.



Merlin also warns Brian that the sceptre only has fifteen minutes of flight-time in it, after which he'll plummet to his death! You'd think Merlin might have mentioned this to him before he tricked him into flying to rescue faux-Courtney, but I guess you don't want to draw attention to the shortcomings of a gift you've just made a big deal about.

Merlin goes on to big-up the danger the Star Sceptre would pose in the hands of villains, saying that "one lone warrior couldst fly low beneath thy radar and strike without warning!", and we're treated to a picture of a masked villain using the Star Sceptre to fly up to Big Ben and destroy it with a shot from a pistol. I don't know about you, but I think the real threat in this hypothetical situation is the pistol that can one-shot a national landmark, not a gaudy flying stick that will drop you like a brick after fifteen minutes. If I was Brian I'd be asking if I could swap the sceptre for that gun, because that kind of firepower would make mincemeat out of most of CB's foes so far. Brian, however, does not do that, he simply continues to stare at the hook on the sceptre, no doubt trying to build up the confidence to ask Merlin why there is a can-opener attatchment on his new weapon.


Nevertheless, the villain (we learn his name is Nykonn, which sounds suspiciously like the name of a camera manufacturer) seems determined to have the sceptre at all costs. Perhaps he had a tin of soup he needed to open? Whatever, he attacks Merlin and CB with rocks, and Merlin gets Brian to generate a forcefield with the sceptre just by thinking about it. Nykonn creates a small army for Brian to fight, during which Brian discovers that "when I use the sceptre like a staff, it becomes a staff!". He also throws the sceptre at the bad guy - I guess he was hoping that it would magically return to his hand - but it misses; however Merlin destroys Nykonn at the cost of his powers, leaving Brian stranded in Merlin's dimension at the end of the story.

I think it's worth mentioning that the sceptre we see here (and in the stories that follow this one up to and including the Marvel Team-Up issue with Spider-Man) does not really resemble the one Brian has in his adventure with the Black Knight from the pages of the Marvel UK Hulk Comic. Presumably, much like the staff became the Star Sceptre, the Sceptre became the golden staff weapon Brian has with him in that cave in Cornwall. I'll talk about Brian in the Black Knight comic strip on a later Throwback Thursday.

Well done Panic, this was such a fun read, the comedic spin you put on it felt like a modern take on the whole Captain Britain origin/mythos, I always loved comic characters with gadgets and accessories, toymakers could make money out of them and children used to love this stuff but that was before ipads and phones were everywhere.
The scepter thing is so weird, “15 minutes at a time” does it mean that the possessor just had to touch the ground every 15 minutes? Was free flight such an overpowered concept at the time?

[Panic]

Well done Panic, this was such a fun read, the comedic spin you put on it felt like a modern take on the whole Captain Britain origin/mythos,

I’m currently listening to a podcast retelling the old Chinese classic The Water Margin, and I guess I’ve picked up the style somewhat. The author of the podcast does point out a lot of questionable actions on the part of our heroes, it’s got some really crazy stuff in it.

I always loved comic characters with gadgets and accessories, toymakers could make money out of them and children used to love this stuff but that was before ipads and phones were everywhere.

I think accessories are still cool, things like Thor’s hammer or Cap’s shield are fun, especially when you are a kid buying action figures. Just look how the BBC embraced the sonic screwdriver in the Doctor Who reboot, that’s made them a lot of money right there. I think in Captain Britain’s case the fact that Chris Clairemont shaped the character over the course of a three hour phone conversation with Herb Trimpe (iirc) meant that things were not given as much thought as they might. Even basic stuff like how to colour the staff seemed to cause confusion - sometimes it seems to be all bare metal (all blues and whites), other times it’s coloured red, white, and blue as if it’s painted. One of the writers even seemed to think it was made of wood and had CB worry that it might burn! I think the fact CB weekly was being published half a world away meant it was quite a low priority.

The scepter thing is so weird, “15 minutes at a time” does it mean that the possessor just had to touch the ground every 15 minutes? Was free flight such an overpowered concept at the time?

It is strange. I guess it might be that CB was conceived as an acrobatic hero and they were worried that might change if he could fly all the time? Or perhaps they wanted him confined to the UK and were concerned later writers might have him globetrotting if he had unlimited flight?

Normally a limit is placed to add extra tension to the drama: Thor reverting to Blake if he lost contact with his hammer for more than 60 seconds was a good way to make Thor sweat, Mar-Vell only able to stay in the positive universe for three hours meant Rick Jones got a certain amount of panel time where he was vulnerable, Tony Stark having to worry about having a heart attack if his power ran low; the fifteen minute flight limit doesn’t really offer much compared to those things

[JB]

Fanart Friday!

An adorable little animation of Betsy and Rachel by Carl Broaddus for pride month:
https://twitter.com/gottabecarl/stat...78403614896135

By Jenn K. Tidwell.



By Edde Wagner.



By James "Squeegool" Claridades.

[JB]

So this week marks the conclusion of Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain with issue #5 and though I'm a bit sad, I'm very happy this title existed! Some of the reviews that have come in:

AIPT:
"Full of heart and drama, Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #5 is a fitting finale for the Braddocks and their assorted allies. Dark days may be ahead for mutantkind, but Captain Britain has found a happy place for her story to resolve for the time being. Telling a story this long, this queerly, this magically, in the state of current corporate comics creation is a thing worth celebrating, and this finale is a job well done."

Comic Watch:
"In the final issue of Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain, the story wraps up in a superpowered spy-thriller that resembles much like Ocean’s Eleven: a family-friends-lovers team up to take down the series’ villain to stop a war from happening that could destroy Britain and consequently much of earth...

The carefully executed plan with Betsy invading Le Fay’s castle to stop her while Summers’ negotiations with the Furies to fight Doctor Doom and his Doombots were juxtaposed very well, much like you would expect if you were watching a spy movie (such as Mission: Impossible). Overall, even though the story had moments of teetering on the edge of feeling rushed, it was really enjoyable to read.

This was a great concluding story to a wonderful character series. Although it felt like it could have used a few pages or even another entire issue to help with the pacing and bring the story to a fuller conclusion, this was a wonderful story that was written and illustrated in a very fun and exciting way."

ComicBook.com:
"As both a finale for this miniseries and a celebration of Betsy's tenure as Captain Britain, this issue is genuinely effective."

I must give Tini Howard her flowers for what amounts to a 36 issue run plus the three X of Swords one-shots co-written with Jonathan Hickman. I am fully in favor of the creation of an omnibus collecting the issues and would love having it on my shelf.

BONUS: BB:CB #5 made AIPT's Fantastic Five this week! (Issue #2 did as well back in March.)


It's no secret that Howard's run generated very mixed feelings within the fandom but over the past year I had the pleasure of interacting with readers that have enjoyed the run including some of our fellow CBR posters in this thread. A few of the lovely posts from this week:

@QueerDeafie:
"I am so bummed Captain Britain has ended, but thank you for the gift of this story, @TiniHoward! Also, look at my babies! Askani is all grown up!!"

@butterumscoffin:
"I just want to say thanks to @TiniHoward for your amazing work.
I walked into Excalibur not knowing anything about Betsy or Captain Britain, and have walked out of it preparing to read through an omnibus of CB and falling in love with Betsy."

@BraddockClan:
"Never in a million years would I have believed that the Braddocks & Otherworld would get this much attention in modern comics.
Characters & ideas that I thought where lost to time got an opportunity to breathe new life.

For the Story!

Forever grateful for this collection"

@jk_tidwell:
"#XSpoilers: So the Excalibur trilogy has ended... I know I've been obsessed with this series on here but there's a good reason! Betsy and I have a ton in common and it's been heartening to see Tini Howard and Leah Williams take her from Age of X-Man through Krakoa. (1/7)"

@PurplehairedNi1:
"As Betsy Braddock Captain Britain ends today I just want to highlight how much this trilogy meant to me. Due to this series I found my small community on twitter which has helped me out a lot IRL #Xspoilers"

@JermzX2:
"Let it be known that TH’s finale of Captain Britain #5 was the best superhero/spy comic I’ve read today! Look at this team of elites, this is something Betsy’s known for… being a leader & badass spy 🗡️ Plus… Pete had a score to settle & my man dished out revenge"

And my personal favorite...

@jk_tidwell:
"I also credit the Krakoan era and Betsy/Rachel especially with inspiring me to learn to draw again, so in honor of the final issue of Captain Britain I wanted to repost just a few of the pieces of fanart I made for them...



Such love warms my heart! I'll be back with my thoughts on the issue and the series.

[Uncanny X-Man]

Many thanks for collating all these, Jbenito! I'm always impressed at how much work and thought you put into your posts.

And definitely love seeing the love for Betsy. I hope Chris Hassan gets once again flooded with questions on the Psychic Butterfly for JDW's next X-Men Monday so he has no choice but to let some info slip :P

[JB]

Many thanks for collating all these, Jbenito! I'm always impressed at how much work and thought you put into your posts.

And definitely love seeing the love for Betsy. I hope Chris Hassan gets once again flooded with questions on the Psychic Butterfly for JDW's next X-Men Monday so he has no choice but to let some info slip :P

Aww it's totally my pleasure and thank YOU for being such a bright light. I always love your posts and your love for the Braddock family is inspiring!

Yes! I will not rest until Chris Hassan receives just as many questions about Betsy as he does Hellion. Perfect reminder for anyone who hasn't submitted yet as the deadline is this Sunday: https://aiptcomics.com/2023/06/21/x-...dan-d-white-2/

[JB]

Right out of the gate I must say how much I enjoyed seeing S.T.R.I.K.E. in action in BB:CB #5.


This sequence meant a lot to me because these characters mean a lot to Betsy. Introduced 40 years ago, the STRIKE Psi-Division was special because they were Betsy's teammates and friends. Betsy was still very much a supporting character in Brian's stories and yet Alan Moore built this supporting cast around her. From the moment we met them they were being hunted and most were brutally murdered by Slaymaster. Betsy was deeply impacted by their deaths - she worked with them, went on the run with them, and was psi-linked with some of them when they were killed. She was in a romantic relationship with Tom and psi-linked with him when he was killed, and shared several traumatic experiences with Alison. Alison would later take Betsy into her home in Switzerland to care for her when she lost her eyes. They are like family to her and carry on a legacy that honors the 5 other psi-division members who were not mutants and remain deceased.
- Even though I would have loved to see Betsy in spy gear as well, I was happy to see her calling the shots from above as the natural born leader she is.
- The return of her mini butterflies was a treat.



I immediately thought of Soule's Astonishing X-Men when she used them to reach out to the nearest X-Men.
- I loved Betsy's exchange with Faiza and how they worked together to deal with Morgan. Dr. Hussain is a great addition to the large cast surrounding Betsy.
- She took a direct magical attack from Morgan while bound with Blightswill, pretty much the first time we've seen her lose the upper hand this whole series, and still overcame thanks to her CB powers. It was a scene that nicely mirrored the epic scene in Excalibur #25 when she lost her CB powers and used her mutant powers to knock Arthur on his butt.
- Rachel being the one to confront the Furies in Everforge and negotiating with them was great. I've always liked the idea of her taking on a co-leadership role in Otherworld affairs when Betsy is handling situations in Britain. This was exactly that and her Askani senses helped orchestrate the prevention of a war. Bonus: Her Askani portals are really cool.

And then the ending which was very heartwarming. The letter from Betsy to the Corps showcased how far she's come in both accepting her role and herself. Having a direct line to the Avengers and working with them by providing intel about the Doombots is great for her overall status. She's now an ally to them not only as an X-Man but as a hero standing on her own and I appreciate the Avengers office for giving this their blessing.

But my favorite part of all is the return of the Braddock Academy.


This opens the door to many more stories and development for the family should another writer decide to use it. I'd like to see the Academy become an important fixture in the MU and a leading school for mutants and the superpowered youth. And while I know it's only a matter of time before the family branches out in different directions again, I feel so much joy seeing them together like this and living under the same roof.

The family vibe is an essential component to the X-Men so I'm grateful we got to enjoy a big dose of it with the Braddocks.

[From The Shadows]

Excalibur and the "X-Men" meet since they were revealed to be alive, though actually they were Warwolves I think - The X-Men. I remember being so disappointed.

[JB]

Excalibur and the "X-Men" meet since they were revealed to be alive, though actually they were Warwolves I think - The X-Men. I remember being so disappointed.

Aw I really wanted that reunion to be real. But I was happy to see how easily and quickly Brian embraced who he thought was Betsy despite her complete change.

Speaking of OG Excalibur I was just rereading the first issues and it’s kinda poetic how Saturnyne was after Rachel back then and now Rachel’s powers have made her job obsolete. lol Your essential worker status has been revoked.

[Uncanny X-Man]

Excalibur and the "X-Men" meet since they were revealed to be alive, though actually they were Warwolves I think - The X-Men. I remember being so disappointed.

I know what you mean. Thankfully Alan Davis more than made up for it some time later in the spectacular intro sequence of Excalibur #55:

[JB]

I know what you mean. Thankfully Alan Davis more than made up for it some time later in the spectacular intro sequence of Excalibur #55:

Such a great scene and such a great story! I love their bond.

[From The Shadows]

I know what you mean. Thankfully Alan Davis more than made up for it some time later in the spectacular intro sequence of Excalibur #55:

More than made up for it for sure! Davis is a genius.

Such a great scene and such a great story! I love their bond.

They have a great bond, and I also love how playful they are when their training.

[Askani's Flame]

Aw I really wanted that reunion to be real. But I was happy to see how easily and quickly Brian embraced who he thought was Betsy despite her complete change.

Speaking of OG Excalibur I was just rereading the first issues and it’s kinda poetic how Saturnyne was after Rachel back then and now Rachel’s powers have made her job obsolete. lol Your essential worker status has been revoked.

I brought this up in another thread, but for those that were like "Why is Rachel so anti-Saturnyne she is crazy jealous..." it's because the first 45 issues of Excalibur Rachel was being hunted by Saturnyne. And yes, so fitting now that Rachel stole her job.

[CGAR]

Don’t forget to send in your Braddock questions for X-men Monday

Cancel that the deadline was yesterday.

[crimsontt]

I quit my job recently and finally took a few time to give life to a really old plot I had created for Betsy’s origin.

I’m still working on the dialogues, but here is the unlettered preview.

PM me if you want to collaborate with the dialogues

https://m.tapas.io/episode/2881463