Betsy Braddock: Psylocke Appreciation 2018

[Mia]

This specific podcast was recommended to me today and I think it is an excellent listen if you have the time. Sarah Kuhn does a really nice job walking us through the problematic aspects of Psylocke's origin story, explaining how Psylocke (perhaps unintentionally) is representative of the mixed/asian-american experience, detailing how Betsy walks through the world as an asian woman and how that would undoubtedly inform her experience, how important the visual representation is, how returning Psylocke to being white is troublesome, the storytelling potential to explore for an asian Psylocke, etc.

https://www.xplainthexmen.com/2016/1...at-sarah-kuhn/

Also, during the podcast Kuhn alluded to an article (copied below) written by another mixed asian with a similar connection to Psylocke:

http://jenniferdeguzman.com/blog/201...ly-problematic

I wanted to share these to promote other asian voices on this topic who may be more articulate than I am at explaining some of the more contentious points of discussion that have arisen recently.

A few weeks ago I was watching a Youtube video with a pundit at a university. During the Q&A a student from Egypt, a Coptic Christian got up and said that he could not help but notice that Americans were ‘quick to take offense’ and were easily offended. And the video above just cements it. Since when has comic books been about representation and box ticking? What happened to good storytelling?

Long time comic book reader, female, Black (Jamaican family) living in the Toronto Ontario region. I tend towards introversion and like many introverts we tend to like Asian culture. I actually often joke with my Chinese and Filipino friends that I am going to move to the respective countries because the people seem to be so nice and if not friendly at least easy to get along with, and are not uptight/angry.
Psylocke is one of my top five favourite comic books characters.

Depending on the story or period she and Storm are either #4 or #5. I fell in love with the character when I first discovered the X-Men and Fabian Nicieza was writing her. She was a powerful woman, regal, with a fighting spirit. She managed to be strong and feminine. And like many Marvel women, she managed to display strength without coming across as shrill, angry or aping male behaviour. I admired the fact that despite the harsh circumstances that she had gone through she had managed to face her problems bravely and with dignity. If anything Psylocke (like most of the Claremont women) is essentially Emma Peel with a different backstory/look.

Her skin colour, race had no bearing and factor on me liking her. In fact none of those factors have any bearing on any of the characters that I like. Skin colour is a physical representation nothing more. It’s the characters character that matters. How they comport themselves, do they show resilience and or are they kind?

Asia is a wide land mass. Not all Asians are the same. And as it has been repeatedly mentioned, there are Asian people who live in Britain. There are Asians in Asia who are overjoyed if their children get into a British university (read: Oxford and Cambridge) . Does that mean they are want to be white now too?

I find it insulting the insinuation that an Asian person who speaks with a British accent, displays class or manners or is culturally British is ‘acting white’. What exactly is acting Asian? What is acting Black? I get all the time that I am acting white. But essentially that means because I speak proper English, have ambition and don’t listen to rap/hip hop. I’m ‘white’.

I think at the end of the day, no decision is going to please everyone because of how complex the character has become with. There are obviously like yourself who feel that she is representative of an Asian character so a descision like this is dissapointing and cuts down the amount of Asian superheroes and then there are also people who feel like she is a faux-Asian and the faster she is removed from the body the better. And then there are also people who look at it from a female-centric point of view and don't like the idea of a female character living in a body she doesn't like (which can symbolize a loss of agency which happens to be something common for female characters in the comic book world). Basically my main point is that people look at it from different point of views so I don't think there is a right or wrong descision in terms of how Psylocke will be portrayed in the future. There is always going to be one group of people offended and another group not.

Until I saw the last panel, no one (feel free to correct me anyone) had ever demonstrated the fact that Psylocke was disgusted with being in an Asian body (racist overtones). In fact from what I recall there are Asians who were relieved to see a strong Asian character. And as I mentioned above, Betsy has always been shown as the type of woman with a victor mentality not a victim mentality. She is the type of person who over comes difficult circumstances she does let them get the better of her.
So this turn around, in every respect, is very disappointing to me.

[Tazirai]

She is a fictional character and would only feel what she is written to feel. This isnt a scientific america article. We grew up with her as Eurasian and this doesn't matter to anyone really. I mean when you think about it. Obviously she was English longer. Since she was that from birth. This is a stupid PR move to pacify a few sensitive millenials who wouldn't know culture appropriation if it bit them on the hand.

Disagree with you 100%. So if they left her alone. Would that not be a stupid PR move to pacify a few sensitive people who not only don't understand cultural Appropriatiion, but want THEIR status Quo left alone? are the Ant-SJW's also SJW's?
The Leave her alone side aren't being sensitive about their half naked ninja chick?

[Tazirai]

I wonder if we are going to get any explanation for why Betsy didnt go back in the Japanese body? Considering Kwannon is alive and running around, it wasnt completely dead and Styxx misdiagnosed it. Creating a whole new body out of soul power isnt anything Betsy's ever done so not sure how/why she would even think that were an option. In her situation, I would think her main goal would be to be back in the physical world and her body that she just left would be the most simplest route. There's a massive jump in logic to make sense of what just happened that now that Ive had time to process, is bothering me

She literally explains why. Even when she entered the mindscape she was in her white body, because that's how she sees herself. Given the opportunity to use anothers ability to come back to the physical world, why would she make a body she wasn't born in?

That would smack of "The Asian body fans won't understand why the white woman would choose to not recreate her asian body......"


You should read this...

An Explanation why Psylocke would choose her birth looks and not her stolen looks.

[Psyknight]

I wonder if we are going to get any explanation for why Betsy didnt go back in the Japanese body? Considering Kwannon is alive and running around, it wasnt completely dead and Styxx misdiagnosed it. Creating a whole new body out of soul power isnt anything Betsy's ever done so not sure how/why she would even think that were an option. In her situation, I would think her main goal would be to be back in the physical world and her body that she just left would be the most simplest route. There's a massive jump in logic to make sense of what just happened that now that Ive had time to process, is bothering me

Yeah I definitely got the impression that she could’ve revived her Asian body if she wanted to or if she tried to. I think Zub/Marvel were just bent on her getting back to her old body and the logistics of it were of secondary importance at most.

I’m not saying that Psylocke made the right or wrong choice, just that I do agree with you that you would think she would try first to revive that body first, instead of jumping to the conclusion that she could make a new/old one.

[Tazirai]

Having read MOM #4, and noting the artist change, I get the sense that Marvel changed the script halfway through. I have no proof. I feel like someone stepped in halfway through the process and said Betsy needed to get into her own body. So the writer and artist scrambled to do the fill-in pages between the Kirk pages and the Kwannon reveal bumper at the end. "Soul Power" funding the instinctive use of molecular telekinesis is well beyond the expectations of the reader.

I think Zub originally wanted to migrate Psylocke into Styx --like we were all afraid of-- but Marvel hit the brakes.

Zub literally says why he did it on his Twitter. You don't need any Conspiracies. He litterally tells people.
Just like Psylocke literally tells people whyshe went back to her normal body.

Also the front end art was the mindscape, the back end art was her back in the real world. Again, no conspiracies needed.

[Koriand'r]

I'm sorry, strictly from a design perspective, from the Captain Britain trade to the X-Men, Betsy never gelled as a character until she became Asian.

[CRaymond]

Zub literally says why he did it on his Twitter. You don't need any Conspiracies. He litterally tells people.
Just like Psylocke literally tells people whyshe went back to her normal body.

Also the front end art was the mindscape, the back end art was her back in the real world. Again, no conspiracies needed.

You’ve never been lied to online? Bless.

If you think MOM is good writing and not suspicious even for comics logic... we should just block each other now :-(

[TheCape]

Asking out of curiosity, because i haven't read the story, but didn't Logan has something with the storyline when Betsy has her body changed or the aftermath at least, i haven't read the story so i'm not sure.

[Havok83]

She literally explains why. Even when she entered the mindscape she was in her white body, because that's how she sees herself. Given the opportunity to use anothers ability to come back to the physical world, why would she make a body she wasn't born in?

That would smack of "The Asian body fans won't understand why the white woman would choose to not recreate her asian body......"


You should read this...

An Explanation why Psylocke would choose her birth looks and not her stolen looks.

How would she know she could recreate a body out of soul power? It doesnt make sense why she would think that was a possibility. Thats my point

Yeah I definitely got the impression that she could’ve revived her Asian body if she wanted to or if she tried to. I think Zub/Marvel were just bent on her getting back to her old body and the logistics of it were of secondary importance at most.

I’m not saying that Psylocke made the right or wrong choice, just that I do agree with you that you would think she would try first to revive that body first, instead of jumping to the conclusion that she could make a new/old one.

Bingo. Thats exactly what I mean.

Asking out of curiosity, because i haven't read the story, but didn't Logan has something with the storyline when Betsy has her body changed or the aftermath at least, i haven't read the story so i'm not sure.

Yes. It led to the two of them plus Jubilee hanging out as a trio before rejoining the X-men

[TheCape]

Yes. It led to the two of them plus Jubilee hanging out as a trio before rejoining the X-men

Then i'm not surprised that it was done here Madripoor+Looking for Wolverine+Jubilee= Profit, or at least that was probably Marvel Editorial thougth process .

[Tazirai]

I'm sorry, strictly from a design perspective, from the Captain Britain trade to the X-Men, Betsy never gelled as a character until she became Asian.

To some of you, that's fine. To people like me, she was fine. /shrug to each their own.

You’ve never been lied to online? Bless.

If you think MOM is good writing and not suspicious even for comics logic... we should just block each other now :-(

Why would I block you for disagreeing with me?

[Tazirai]

How would she know she could recreate a body out of soul power? It doesnt make sense why she would think that was a possibility. Thats my point

From the issue...



From Uncanny X-men 238
Rogue and Wolverine need their powers back. Wipeout took their powers. Storm is concerned he'll use his powers against them. Rogue has Psylocke use his powers to restore theirs.

Psylocke had done this multiple times. But since many don't keep up with her pre-asian, they don't know that. She stopped Jean from Accessing her powers, then Used her powers to control, guide, and amplify Jeans.
She's turn Dazzlers powers against others, etc. It's part of her ability to Find, Access, Scan, and use.

[Kurolegacy]

She literally explains why. Even when she entered the mindscape she was in her white body, because that's how she sees herself. Given the opportunity to use anothers ability to come back to the physical world, why would she make a body she wasn't born in?

That would smack of "The Asian body fans won't understand why the white woman would choose to not recreate her asian body......"


You should read this...

An Explanation why Psylocke would choose her birth looks and not her stolen looks.

Only thing is, that doesn’t really make a lot of sense. We’ve seen Psylocke in the mindscape and the astral plane numerous times and, even in a place where your form can be reflected as essentially anything you like, it was still her Asian form. The fact that now it’s suddenly her original kinda rings a bit contrived.

[Havok83]

From the issue...



From Uncanny X-men 238
Rogue and Wolverine need their powers back. Wipeout took their powers. Storm is concerned he'll use his powers against them. Rogue has Psylocke use his powers to restore theirs.

Psylocke had done this multiple times. But since many don't keep up with her pre-asian, they don't know that. She stopped Jean from Accessing her powers, then Used her powers to control, guide, and amplify Jeans.
She's turn Dazzlers powers against others, etc. It's part of her ability to Find, Access, Scan, and use.

Im sorry but thats a stretch and I dont see anything in your scans that make this make anymore sense. When was it in Styxx' powerset to create entire bodies from the soul energy she collected? This is just logic we have to ignore for the sake of it being a comic but it doesnt make sense

[Tazirai]

I'm wondering do some of you even know the character and her abilities at all?

As the White version, she may not have been the Strongest Telepath, but she had a lot more versatility at the time than Jean, or many others. She used her abilities in highly creative ways.
So since it's a power she has used before, because she probed their minds to "Dig a little Deeper", how is it out of the realm of possibility that after the scanning and reading, she couldn't figure out how to use Sapphires abilities to do that.

Emma Frost has done this also.

Emma Frost
After months in a coma, Emma Frost awoke and possessed Iceman's body.[40] Frost accessed the full extent of his powers and used them in ways Bobby had previously never dreamed. Bobby demanded she tell him how she accessed his powers. Emma responded that she owed him nothing and went as far as to call him a pathetic loser for not pushing himself.[41] Bobby, still upset about the lack of control over his powers after years at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, went on a road trip with Rogue, who was dealing with her own demons after sharing a kiss with Gambit. During the trip, Bobby began seeing visions of Emma Frost.[42][

Emma has used Storms powers.





So what makes Emma different? She wasn't asian. So she had no other body to choose from.