Betsy Braddock: Psylocke Appreciation 2018

[Devaishwarya]

To be quite honest...I'm not at all feeling her new costume. I understand why they went totally opposite to her Ninja look and why they want to us the pink of her initial introduction to the UXM but...it's just uninspired.

[sublimeclown]

Love the hair color and style in this cover! Glad she is actually being portrayed with purple hair again - the black hair always frustrated me. Still not crazy about the outfit, but we know that will change eventually. I think a nearly all black costume with the lavender hair would rock, but I get they are trying to play off her original pink outfit for now. At least she still feels like Betsy in this cover, and that's the most important thing to me.

[Psycwave]

This is basically what happens when people start viewing characters as a series of check boxes that a quota needs to be filled for rather than the bases for good stories to be told. It’s not as if they ever actually pushed Psylocke as a representation of Asian characters to begin with. It was just another case of weird comic book science. People complain that she became a ninja after being out in the body. That was later explained in that she had basically become a melding of herself and Kwannan who was herself an assassin and as when someone melds with another, they tend to pick up on some of their skills. Not even like being a ninja is an Asian only thing in the MU as the likes of Wolverine, Daredevil and Elektra show. Hell are people going to next complain about Iron Fist because of how much of the Iron Fist mythology is dipped in clearly Asian based culture yet he’s a blonde haired Caucasian man? Where does it end once you start rolling the ball?

There was actually a whole things about Iron Fist and his Asian mythology when the show came out. There were petitions and everything. If anything, it's just another example of how much of a vacuum all this stuff happens in. Returning back to her original body was more than likely always going to be apart of her character arc. It could've been another 30 years before it happened but I honestly feel like it was coming regardless.

But Kuro, what do you think of Betsy on the new cover?!

[Selene]

There was actually a whole things about Iron Fist and his Asian mythology when the show came out. There were petitions and everything. If anything, it's just another example of how much of a vacuum all this stuff happens. Returning back to her original body was more than likely always going to be apart of her character arc. It could've been another 30 years before it happened but I honestly feel like it was coming regardless.

Well,I could accept this a tad better as rationale,as opposed to "it was a delicate situation,yadda yadda".

[Selene]

*Double post.

[TurboTaj]

This is basically what happens when people start viewing characters as a series of check boxes that a quota needs to be filled for rather than the bases for good stories to be told. It’s not as if they ever actually pushed Psylocke as a representation of Asian characters to begin with. It was just another case of weird comic book science. People complain that she became a ninja after being out in the body. That was later explained in that she had basically become a melding of herself and Kwannan who was herself an assassin and as when someone melds with another, they tend to pick up on some of their skills. Not even like being a ninja is an Asian only thing in the MU as the likes of Wolverine, Daredevil and Elektra show. Hell are people going to next complain about Iron Fist because of how much of the Iron Fist mythology is dipped in clearly Asian based culture yet he’s a blonde haired Caucasian man? Where does it end once you start rolling the ball?

That already happened

There was actually a whole things about Iron Fist and his Asian mythology when the show came out. There were petitions and everything. If anything, it's just another example of how much of a vacuum all this stuff happens in. Returning back to her original body was more than likely always going to be apart of her character arc. It could've been another 30 years before it happened but I honestly feel like it was coming regardless.

But Kuro, what do you think of Betsy on the new cover?!

At the very beginning, yes most likely. But her redesign caught on to such a degree that those plans went aside and now so much time has passed that people were going to be upset no matter which direction they went. I can already see the outrage though when the X-Men join the MCU and casual audiences see white Psylocke. Many an article will be written about asian erasure and white-washing. You can't seem to win either way by making her fully white or fully asian (hence why I keep reiterating that I think the best option is to say she physically became mixed when Betsy and Kwannon melded.)

[Havok83]

That already happened



At the very beginning, yes most likely. But her redesign caught on to such a degree that those plans went aside and now so much time has passed that people were going to be upset no matter which direction they went. I can already see the outrage though when the X-Men join the MCU and casual audiences see white Psylocke. Many an article will be written about asian erasure and white-washing. You can't seem to win either way by making her fully white or fully asian (hence why I keep reiterating that I think the best option is to say she physically became mixed when Betsy and Kwannon melded.)

if anything this will reduce her chances of being in the MCU as the X-men already have 2 more prominent white female telepaths. Adding Psylocke in her present state does nothing for variety. I think they’d just flat out make her Asian from the beginning and ignore and recent changes in the books

[Psycwave]

At the very beginning, yes most likely. But her redesign caught on to such a degree that those plans went aside and now so much time has passed that people were going to be upset no matter which direction they went. I can already see the outrage though when the X-Men join the MCU and casual audiences see white Psylocke. Many an article will be written about asian erasure and white-washing. You can't seem to win either way by making her fully white or fully asian (hence why I keep reiterating that I think the best option is to say she physically became mixed when Betsy and Kwannon melded.)

Even with the original plan of it happening being derailed I still feel it was going to happen one day. It just makes sense for Betsy, no matter how much people prefer one over the other, too many writers like to play with the will she won't she of going back. And these days more and more writers wanted to put her back because of the story potential they could've told. Do I agree that doing it on the side in this mini dedicated to Wolvie was the wrong place for it? Absolutely. I started reading comics after the change had happened as well and even back then I always thought "she's going back one day. There's a writer who can't wait to tell the story of how she goes back and what newfound purpose she has with her OG face back." Comics and marketing aren't suddenly ending so there is plenty of time to push the new versions of her in all mediums and in 30 years this new look will be the "iconic" one. It's like when Carol got her new Captain Marvel uniform. I feel like by the time an MCU X-men film comes out it won't even matter anymore.

This is that time. As for Kwannon, my thoughts and feelings for her haven't and probably won't ever change. She's a footnote and we'll probably never have to speak of her again now that she's got her original face back.

[Psycwave]

ew a double post.

Psylocke!!

[Killerbee911]

Because it really has been a non-issue until recently when it seems like a whole bunch of non-asian people decided they were offended for us and started demanding this change.

I'm very disappointed by the direction they went in. I always connected to Psylocke as a mixed asian with a complicated ethnic, racial and cultural background. Now we have another bland totally caucasian character because people (seemingly a lot of non-asians too) want to simplify characters into boxes of what they deem to be acceptable representations of asians. They should have just made her officially biracial as a true meld of Betsy and Kwannon. People with complicated backgrounds exist (although these are comics so its amplified x100) and this is basically erasure of those individuals IMO. Only people with clean and simple to understand backgrounds are now apparently acceptable.

I get where you coming from but accepting Psylocke as is settling imo and you don't realize on until you get good representation how much it sucked to have the bad or decent ones. People with complicated backgrounds exist why settle for Psylocke when comics can create an Asian woman with a white father and Asian mom who grew up in Jamaica speaks with an accent from there.My first reaction was that they should keep psylocke as Asian with a retcon but then I realize what if they flesh out Jubilee or Karma,What if they created new character who better represents the Asian experience. Psylocke even with recton will always be Asian character that was really a white woman and trust me they can do better. For me reading Mile Morales or watching Black Panther was breath fresh air you mean characters I like can be flesh out and not stereotypes the drug dealer,Athlete or angry black man stuff.

Like it or not diversity does play apart in team make up and Psylocke did get slotted in as diversity on teams. Since that is the case when making X-men teams now and the obvious topic of hey we have Cyclops, Jean Grey,Wolverine, Kitty on a team hey we have Psylocke,Karma,Jubilee,Storm,Celia Reyes around to use . I like that Psylocke will not be used as racial diversity anymore and if they are trying to add some diversity to a roster a character because yes that does happen then character who can better tell the Asian experience can be used.

[Kurolegacy]

There was actually a whole things about Iron Fist and his Asian mythology when the show came out. There were petitions and everything. If anything, it's just another example of how much of a vacuum all this stuff happens in. Returning back to her original body was more than likely always going to be apart of her character arc. It could've been another 30 years before it happened but I honestly feel like it was coming regardless.

But Kuro, what do you think of Betsy on the new cover?!

That already happened

The fact that that even happened in the first place is just ridiculous. At that point it just feels like people are just looking for things to be “offended” by. They treat culture in a sense of that it only belongs to a singular group rather than something that can be shared and adopted by those who, while not originally from a location, come to live amongst that culture. That in itself is a very closed minded view that feels almost xenophobic.

As for the cover, it does appear more like a slight blend of the two but with a hairstyle and color more akin to her original body. However considering that it contradicts the original teaser image, I’m thinking that that’s only from the artist’s style than a sign of what’s going on.

[Tazirai]

I can't wait for Jean and Betsy to interact. It's been such a long time since she was a member of the main core X-team. I'm so excited.

I love the team she's on. It's a good mix of Outback, Blue, and New Mutants.
My Excite is real.

[Tazirai]

Because it really has been a non-issue until recently when it seems like a whole bunch of non-asian people decided they were offended for us and started demanding this change.

I'm very disappointed by the direction they went in. I always connected to Psylocke as a mixed asian with a complicated ethnic, racial and cultural background. Now we have another bland totally caucasian character because people (seemingly a lot of non-asians too) want to simplify characters into boxes of what they deem to be acceptable representations of asians. They should have just made her officially biracial as a true meld of Betsy and Kwannon. People with complicated backgrounds exist (although these are comics so its amplified x100) and this is basically erasure of those individuals IMO. Only people with clean and simple to understand backgrounds are now apparently acceptable.

How do you know she's going to be bland when you haven't read her yet?
Why do people think her going back to her former body will suddenly make her bland and boring?

I have to ask, are these people really Psylocke fans?

[Tazirai]

ew a double post.

Psylocke!!

*Double post.

They need to "FIX THE FORUMS!!!!!!!"

[CGAR]

She's literally the same character and going by artist interpretations of her so far; she's gonna look the same with lighter purple hair, not be described as Asian anymore, and her costume is different. But that changes like every other year so who cares.

Im not understanding how some people think she will be boring now.