Before the X: The fifth and final chapter covering Betsy Braddock's early life will address the events from Captain Britain vol. 2 #1-14 (1985-1986). Jamie Delano took over writing duties with the first issue on the recommendation of Alan Moore and with the agreement of Alan Davis. Davis gave plot ideas to Delano, but wasn't happy with the direction taken, so he eventually took over as the writer in issues #13 and #14. During this run, Betsy finally stepped up as an equal to her brother. She stood for herself and often argued with Brian as it was clear both wanted different things and viewed the world in a opposite manner. Her ties with the magical realm of Otherworld were established by retconning her father as being from Otherworld. She also came on her own as Captain Britain in the absence of her brother. Betsy also suffered a rape attempt by a Captain Britain doppelganger and was blinded by the villain Slaymaster, truly horrific events. The flashback depicted in Uncanny X-Force #17 (2011), in which Betsy meets Warren for the first time could only have happened during this run because 1) After Betsy and Brian reunited in Daredevils #3, they were soon caught up in James Jaspers' Warp; 2) Betsy was dating Tom Lennox before, the flirtation probably only happened after his death; 3) Things were calm enough during the first issues of this run so that Brian and Betsy could have attended parties. And so, this is how Betsy Braddock's story ends, that is, until a certain Mojo and Spiral came along and Psylocke was born in the pages of New Mutants Annual #2 later that same year. Thank you for following this project, we hope you enjoyed!
CHAPTER V - Captain Britain
Betsy and Brian lived a happy, mostly peaceful life at
Braddock Manor with their guests Alison Double and Meggan. She spent her time
teasing Brian, but reminded him it was very lonely for her when he disappeared
from her life. Meggan described Betsy as kind and gentle and thought of her as
a friend. When the twins reminisced about Brian’s career as Captain Britain,
Betsy wondered how he could like fighting. Betsy still mourned the death of Tom
Lennox. One morning, she read the personal ads in the newspaper. One specific
ad called her attention for its absurdity, about a certain Crazy Gang hiring a
clever leader. The address from the ad turned out to be Brian’s only lead
concerning the Crazy Gang’s hideout. [Captain
Britain v2 #1, #2 / Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn #1]
During this period, Betsy and Brian kept ties with the
Hellfire Club. The twins both held claim to their father’s seat as Black Bishop
upon the London Chapter’s Inner Circle, but neither seemed interested in the
position. In a trip to America, the twins attended a party held by the Hellfire
Club branch in New York. When the White Bishop, Donald Pierce, bored the
Braddocks with monotonous conversation, Betsy called the attention of the
handsome Warren Worthing III and asked him to save her from Pierce’s dull talk.
There was no need to introduction. Betsy already knew Warren was an X-Man, an
aristocrat and a playboy, just as Warren knew she was the daughter of Sir James
Braddock and twin sister to Captain Britain. The duo got along quickly and
toasted to their hereditary obligations. It was a night to remember for both of them. [Uncanny X-Force v1 #17 / Excalibur v1 #96]
Days later, back in England, the mercenaries known as
the Technet were hired to bring in Kaptain Briton, a vicious and ruthless
doppelganger of Brian Braddock from an alternate universe. The Technet
mistakenly captured Brian instead, which prompted Kaptain Briton to pretend he
was the real Brian. Betsy noticed he looked strange. When the Technet realized
their mistake, Brian was freed and rushed to Braddock Manor to fight his evil
version. Betsy was startled to see two Brians and gathered with Emma, Alison
and Meggan to watch the fierce battle. When Briton knocked Brian unconscious,
the Technet captured the wrong Captain Britain again as Betsy couldn’t tell who
was the real Brian. Later, Briton took Betsy to her bedroom and she asked him
to stay until she felt asleep, but instead the abusive Briton took advantage of
her ignorance and forcibly kissed her. Betsy was shocked as Briton tried to
rape her and learned he wasn’t her brother after all. Desperate and enraged,
Betsy reached out to her attacker with her telepathic power. She cried as she
plunged into the sadistic memories and fantasies displayed in Kaptain Briton’s
mind. Disgusted, Betsy attacked her would-be rapist with a fierce psychic
blast, which fried his mind and devastated her room. Briton was the first
person Betsy had killed. She was left traumatized and in shock. When the real
Brian returned, Betsy experienced a natural aversion of him due to the
traumatic circumstances of the assault upon her. [Captain Britain v2 #4, #5, #6, #7]
That same night, the computer Mastermind informed the
twins of their Otherworld origins and the role their father, Sir James, played
for Merlyn. Later in her life, Betsy would come to think of Otherworld as her
home too and read about its domains, such as the Forest of a Thousand Sorrows.
When Mastermind suggested he would take a more active role of guidance, Betsy
was willing to accept, but Brian was more than suspicious. She argued that
their father had built the computer for that purpose and thought Brian was short-sighted.
[Captain Britain v2 #7 / Excalibur
v2 #1 / Uncanny X-Force v1 # 21]
Braddock Manor was visited by Captain UK and Agents
Michael and Gabriel with the R.C.X., the agency that replaced S.T.R.I.K.E.
Betsy happily recognized “Gabriel” as Matthew, with whom she worked once at S.T.R.I.K.E.
When Brian refused their request for his help and facilities to prevent a
coming coup d’état, Betsy again found Brian to be short-sighted and argued with
him. At that same moment, when the Warpies – children mutated by the Jaspers
Warp – were accidentally set loose, Betsy, Brian, Linda and Meggan joined
forces to defeat them. Later, Betsy dismissed Gabriel’s invitation to join the
R.C.X., but couldn’t refuse giving sanctuary to the small Warpies. Brian wanted
them gone, but Betsy put her foot down on the matter as the house was hers as
well and the Warpies needed protection, education and love. The Warpies seemed
especially fond of her. Once Betsy sided with the R.C.X., Brian decided to
leave Braddock Manor with Meggan. [Captain
Britain v2 #8, #9]
With Brian gone and Braddock Manor taken over by the
R.C.X. and the Warpies, Betsy pled to be alone and rebuild her life as a
fashion model, but Gabriel wanted her to become Captain Britain. At first,
Betsy was reluctant, but with the safety of the Warpies in jeopardy and Linda
offering to be her partner for a few months, she was convinced. Mastermind
modified the uniform of Kaptain Briton and adapted it to Betsy’s sense of
style. The uniform made Betsy feel powerful and she loved the idea of flying.
Soon, the new Captain Britain and her partner, Captain UK, became a public sensation
and they worked brilliantly together for a few months. Betsy even started a
relationship with Agent Gabriel during this time. One day, Linda decided to
leave. That same day, crime lord Vixen challenged Betsy to a duel at the South
Bank building site on the Thames. Betsy knew it was a trap and Agent Gabriel
tried to talk her out of it, but Agent Michael urged her to go. At the site,
Vixen lured Betsy into a showdown with Slaymaster, who brutally beat her, then
gouged her eyes. Brian experienced a psychic flash of Betsy’s pain and flew to
her rescue. In a berserker rage, Brian smashed Slaymaster’s head with a rock,
killing him. Brian returned Betsy to Braddock Manor and asked Mastermind to
look after her. He blamed the R.C.X. for Betsy’s blinding, but she assured
him she did it on her own free will. The traumatic events led Brian to become
Captain Britain again. [Captain
Britain v2 #12, #13]
In the next few days, Betsy made a remarkable recovery
and spent most of her time playing with the Warpies. The one called Beetroot
thought of Betsy as a loving mother. During Christmas, she opened the presents
with the children. When Betsy and Gabriel went for skiing outside Braddock
Manor, she refused his offer to implant cybernetic eyes. Betsy explained her
psychic powers more than compensated her lack of sight, using them to “see” the
world through the minds of others. Feeling that the Manor didn’t feel like home
anymore, Betsy invited Gabriel to travel to Switzerland in Alison’s château.
The ideal place for a holiday or a honeymoon. Days later, Betsy and Gabriel
vacationed along with Alison in Switzerland. She was finally happy. [Captain Britain v2 #14 / Excalibur v1 #62]