Captain Britain by Phil Noto

Tini Howard Babbles About "Knights of X"

Tini Howard confirms in her newsletter that Betsy has been "finding herself" for the past 3 years and 30+ issues (Yes, we could tell) and that she thinks her book is "really good" (😂). Check it out:

TH: Knights of X #4 confirms the long-simmering feelings between Betsy Braddock and Rachel Summers with a big, deep, wet kiss. Captain Britain has a girlfriend and her girlfriend has started going by Askani. There’s been some very kind recognition of that, and I just want to express my gratitude.

This book is one of the rare times in my life where I think every issue just gets better and better. It’s part of why I’m so comfortable with our final issue coming next month with Knights of X #5. Read beginning to end, it feels like a perfect little 2.5 hour superhero movie. And oh boy... the sequel. What’s coming next is taking Betsy to whole new heights. She’s been finding herself for 31+ issues of comics, and now she’s come back through the Siege. We’ll see what happens in Knights of X #5. Hope everyone survives the experience. All this kissing is great but is Gambit going to be okay!!?!?

Editor Explains why Ongoing Books become Minis

Off Panel: Marvel Editor Sarah Brunstad, who edits Knights of X among other books, joins Off Panel for a discussion about the wider world of editing comics.

Do you think of a comic book run length before going in or you hope for more because five issues might be it? Do you have to orient around for just those five issues?

Brunstad: It’s a big challenge because from the get go you want to go in and fight for more [issues] and the sad truth is that the fate of a lot of books is decided by the time issue #2 comes out if the sales have already dipped. I think both readers and retailers are impatient. My gut instinct is usually when I know it might end at #5 is just to [approach the author] and say we should just plan that it’s probably going to end in #5. I’d rather let somebody tell a really satisfying story in five issues than to get them excited to build up and try to put in a B-plot that we’re not going to be able to pay off. A lot of the things that fans complain about are the direct result of not being able to get an extended series. We want more soap opera, more romance, more B-plot kind of structures but you can’t do that in just five issues. When you get an extension, you have another five issues, but you’re going to build another five-issue unit. You can’t build it like a ten-issue [unit] at that point.

Tini Howard Explains her Uninspired Take on Betsy Braddock

EW: Writer Tini Howard shares her thoughts on her uninspired, bland version of Betsy Braddock and her uneventful book "Knights of X".

On Captain Britain

Tini Howard: For me, the most interesting thing about this character has always been that they're not a nationalist hero, they're a magical hero who defends the idea of story and legend. I like looking at those legends and talking about what kind of people are allowed to have these victory stories. What kind of people are allowed to be heroes?

On Brian and Betsy Braddock

Tini Howard: The biggest difference between Betsy and Brian is that Betsy is too smart to trust the narratives because she understands they weren't written for her. They were written for people like Brian. The fact that she knows that, and isn't afraid to change the story, is what scares the people in power. If you're Brian Braddock and you are a straight white man that lives in England, and a magical man appears to you and says, 'I have a quest for you,' you're more likely to trust that. But if you are a queer woman and mutant, and a man appears to you and tells you that he has something for you to do, that carries a different charge and a different level of trust.

On Betsy and Rachel

Tini Howard: One of the most exciting and affirming moments I can remember as a comics reader was reading Peter David and Valentine De Landro's X-Factor #45, turning the page and being completely surprised by a kiss between Rictor and Shatterstar. It was just such an incredible thing, how it was treated like any other awesome surprise kiss, and so exciting. Also, I think kissing is very important to good X-Men stories. There's such a thrill when two characters you like kiss, it's like winning the Super Bowl...I imagine. I've spent three years working behind the scenes to create that feeling for others that I so loved myself. That's what making art is all about, to me.

On archetypes

Tini Howard: I have a real love for the sorceress and the knight. From Final Fantasy to Geralt and Yennefer in The Witcher, I love a sword-wielder and their more magical partner who is equally powerful and tough. That dynamic lets the characters react to the expectation that one of you defends the other or something; instead they can show how partnerships actually work and how people actually love each other.

On Knights of X #5

Tini Howard: In Knights of X #5, we'll learn a bit more specifically about the power and potential that the connection between Rachel and Betsy is capable of. Rachel's past taught her to claim space for herself outside of the desires of others, and she's going to be in a role to help Betsy to learn this as well.

Knights of X #4 Art

 

Knights of X #4 Spoilers

Spoilers: King Arthur and his minions pursue the Knights, while they argue about Gambit’s death and the meaning of his sacrifice. Mad Jim Jaspers is freed and incapacitates the Furies. Jaspers then opens a portal to Mercator. Betsy decides to go alone, but her Knights follow her. King Arthur also crosses the portal to Mercator and ends up in the new realm sinking in black mud. Absolon welcomes him and explains that Mercator is the Siege Perilous itself turned into realm and that the Siege forces one to face oneself. A data page follows with a letter from King Arthur addressing Merlyn ending their alliance and writing about how he loves his son (Don’t worry, it makes no sense). Each Knight of X is also faced with their innermost fears/desires. Rictor desires to die, but sees Apocalypse instead. Meggan sees an aggressive version of Brian. Mordred sees a version of King Arthur. Betsy sees the Captain Britain Corps blaming her for her failures, but realizes she had been in that place before when she crossed the Siege Perilous back in the day.

Meanwhile in the Floating Kingdom, Roma senses that something has awakened within Shogo. Roma and Saturnyne ride on Shogo and head to Mercator. Merlyn, who was randomly nearby spying on them after disappearing last issue (?), decides to pursue both women. Rachel somehow realizes what Roma and Saturnyne are up to and says she won’t let them tie Betsy to them in every timeline. The peasant woman Geraldine approaches Rachel and says she must gather the Knights to save the timeline. A data page follows explaining how Rachel is unique in the multiverse.

Afterwards, Shatterstar is fighting Spiral and Adam the X-Treme when Rachel interrupts his vision and recues him. Rachel proceeds to rescue Bei from a vision in which she kills Doug and Kylun from a vision where he relives the death of his former lover Sat’neen. Meggan and Rictor break free from the illusions by themselves, and the Knights regroup. Rachel flares up a beam of light to guide Betsy back to them. When they reunite, Besty and Rachel kiss passionately with butterflies around them. Absolon Mercator welcomes them and points out to Shogo arriving shortly with Roma and Saturnyne. Merlyn is pursuing them and says it’s time to end the battle.

Captain Britain by Bob Quinn

Knights of X #4 Preview

Knights of X #4

Writer: Tini Howard

Art by: Bob Quinn

Cover by: Yannick Paquette

The Story: Brave Through the Darkness! With Arthur and his army on their heels, all but one of the Knights of X have made it to Mercator — the province void of light. But all isn’t what it seems. Will Betsy and her team be able to overcome the darkness and find the Siege Perilous?

In Stores: July 20, 2022

 

Captain Carter #4 Art

Captain Carter#4 Spoilers

Spoilers: While Captain Carter and Tony Stark team up to fight the mysterious lady’s henchmen, the woman escapes. Peggy and Tony are overwhelmed and decide to retreat. Meanwhile, Agent Lizzie Braddock and Harley keep uncovering the conspiracy behind the Prime Minister’s fabricated life. Lizzie shares that her father used to be Director General at S.T.R.I.K.E., which is why other agents feel like she earned her position because of her name. Peggy and Stark reunite with Lizzie and Harley, who reveal their findings about the Prime Minister’s fake past. Stark decides to have a meeting with one Dominic Lewis, an acquaintance of his who allegedly went to school with the Prime Minister. Later, Stark meets Dominic with Lizzie posing as his new assistant. Dominic, however, dodges any questions about his past with the Prime Minister. Dominic leaves for a smoke and commits suicide by jumping off a building after receiving a mysterious call. The Prime Minister also frames Captain Carter for multiple murders. The group heads back to the apartment, and Lizzie identifies the mysterious woman as Lady Jacqueline Falsworth. They also find out Jacqueline hasn’t aged in years and that her father John Falsworth is actually the Prime Minister, who also didn’t age. Later that night, Peggy deduces that the Prime Minister is a vampire and attempts to surprise him by herself in his office. The PM outsmarts her and have her arrested for treason.

Tini Howard Confirms End of "Knights of X", Threatens New Book

 

Source: Tini Howard's newsletter.

There you have it. Tini Howard took to her newsletter to confirm that Knights of X #5 is indeed the final issue. Unfortunately, she also confirms that she's not done writing Betsy Braddock yet and teases a new book focused on Captain Britain. Maybe third time's a charm, right? 😢

The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Psylocke/Captain Britain

This is a compilation of all official Marvel Handbook entries on Betsy Braddock/Psylocke/Captain Britain. Due to the low quality of the early Handbook scans, most of these pages have been edited, restored or altogether recreated by us. Enjoy!

Gamer's Handbook of the Marvel Universe #3 (1988)

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Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe [vol. 3] #6 (1989)

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Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition [vol. 1] #23 (1992)

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Stryfe's Strike File #1 (1993)

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Wolverine Encyclopedia #2 (1997)

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X-Men: Declassified #1 (2000)

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Marvel Encyclopedia: X-Men (2003)

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Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: X-Men #1 (2005)

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X-Men: The 198 Files #1 (2006)

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Marvel Encyclopedia #1 (2009 Reprint/Update)

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Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z [vol. 1] #9 (2009)

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Women of Marvel: Celebrating Seven Decades Handbook #1 (2010)

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Heroic Age: Heroes #1 (2010) / Heroic Age: X-Men #1 (2010)

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Ultimate Marvel (2017)

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Marvel Encyclopedia New Edition (2019)

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X of Swords Handbook #1 (2020)

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Marvel Avengers The Ultimate Character Guide New Edition (2021)

Captain Britain, Storm & Dazzler by Romina Jones