Spoilers: Betsy reunites with Tom Lennox at the Green Lagoon bar, where he reveals his plans to reform S.T.R.I.K.E. under Pete Wisdom’s leadership. Betsy is distracted catching glimpses of the Otherworld battle in her mind and with Kwannon and Greycrow on a date also at the bar. Tom doesn’t expect them to renew their relationship but is hopeful Captain Britain might join S.T.R.I.K.E. on a mission in London. Soon enough, Alison, Vicki and Kevin join them. Betsy explains that she will fight for England in Otherworld instead and is encouraged by her dear friends.
In Otherworld, Maggie Braddock explains that Excalibur retreated back to the castle while the Captain Britain Corps held the Citadel, where Saturnyne is meditating on a scrying pool to enhance and heal the Captains. Excalibur agrees to jump into battle again while Jamie stays behind with Shogo and Maggie to protect the gate to Krakoa. Meanwhile Merlyn is casting a spell of sorts while Arthur’s forces erect siege towers and place ballistae around the Starlight Citadel.
Saturnyne deploys her White Priests against Arthur’s army. The Priests are soon joined by Excalibur, the Braddocks, Shatterstar and Bei; however, Arthur’s minions start targeting only the Captains Britain. Betsy orders the Captains to retreat, but it’s too late. Merlyn finally casts his spell wrapping the Citadel with an anti-magic bubble. Excalibur attempts to hold the Citadel’s doorway against their enemies. Betsy projects her butterfly avatar and orders her teammates to protect Saturnyne and escort her out of the Citadel.
Arthur breaks into the Citadel and meets Betsy in plain clothes. Without magic, Betsy loses her Captain Britain costume and powers. Betsy assures Arthur he won’t retake Avalon and will learn to fear mutantkind, after all he’s just a man. Betsy again projects her butterfly effect and subdues Arthur telepathically, leaving him catatonic while displaying a huge butterfly effect.
Excalibur rescues Saturnyne, just in time for Jamie Braddock to return riding Shogo. Excalibur flees riding on Shogo’s back. Betsy comes looking for Saturnyne, and Jamie just drops her for Betsy to catch. While out of Merlyn’s anti-magic bubble, Betsy becomes Captain Britain again. Betsy asks Shogo to carve a trench between the Citadel and Camelot with this reality-bending fire while Jamie holds reality together so it won’t collapse. Enraged, Merlyn casts a spell against Saturnyne and Betsy, who end up falling into the ground until they reach a place called the Sea of Secrets. Both women wake up on a small boat. Saturnyne says she’s ready to tell the story of how she took the Citadel from Merlyn.
“For so long, my life has been out of control. Chaos and serendipity, wrapped in insanity. I have suffered, I have lost. Not just my life, but my very soul, my self. But no more. Now I know who I am.” – Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Braddock, daughter of Otherworld, mutant, telepath, telekinetic, defender of the realm and, above all, X-Man.
11 comments:
Nice to know that the butterfly avatar is finally back and that Betsy's powerful telepathy is acknowledged (even if leaving Arthur catatonic may not sit well with fans of the Arthurian legends).
On the other hand, I was expecting that, even if Excalibur isn't ending next month, at least this arc would be over. But judging from these spoilers, it seems the next issue may not show the end of the battle against Merlyn's forces (unless Saturnyne's explanations turn out to be really short)...
In fact, it seems unlikely that this run is ending, considering that Morgan and her coven are still around and aren't even involved in this final battle (again, unless they become the antagonists in another X-book, assuming Wisdom's STRIKE team may be getting one - I'd love that, but I don't think Marvel would do such a project).
In terms of Betsy, this was her best showing in Excalibur. Finally kicking butt and taking names with the glorious return of the butterfly.
Happy the Butterfly is back and we see her using her telepathy in a strong bold way. Just wished she showed up in her Disassembled Uniform when not in her CP one.
@BMS, good point. And she COULD appear in her Disassembled uniform in the panels where she loses the armor due to Merlyn's anti-magic bubble - after all, she was wearing it when she got the CB armor in this run for the very first time... I assumed she was always wearing it underneath the armor (or, rather, that she wears the Disassembled uniform and it then gets magically altered to become the CB armor whenever she needs it).
Using logic and class Betsy changes into Disassembled costume when the CB amulet loses power. Marvel lacks sense of fashion and style when it comes to Betsy. She is the X-woman that has lost top fashion designs the likes of Mahmud Asrar, Clay Mann and Kris Anka fashioned.
To me Clay Mann made the fashion statement Betsy would wear in a fight weapons accessorized on the fabric.
First win in forever.
I’m elated to see her power signature return I. All it’s glory! I would love to see her eyes in its wings, along with her psycho-blast and psychic knives. I am happy for this display, but still kinda irked that it took two years of the extremely tedious story to get this.
Onward and upward: Can we get a return to Krakoa and her having some relevance in the urgent matters there?!?!!
The butterfly effect took forever to return!!
Deserved a butterfly as giant as that one from Astonishing!!!!
I missed the Wednesday releases and read the previews batch. I did the round of the moon and landed on Earth for the butterfly return and its seismic impact. Tank top Betsy unleashed the sleeping beast for 25 issues and took names.
Me too:( but at least she looks cute in casual wear between armor wearing but yeah I'd totally prefer she defaulted to dissembled look when not suited up
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