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:
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!!?!?
“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.
29 comments:
The self congratulatory tone of this newsletter is so weird. Also, she pretty much admits that her agent Cerebrocast has been helping her with this book. No wonder Betsy is so shit nowadays, she writing whatever her friend/agent wants. She really think she's writing great. Her agent probably telling her that Betsy fans love her. Ughhh. These two need to go.
@Unknown, indeed. Well, other X-writers have been influenced by readers before, like Kyle & Yost bringing Lois London back from DECADES of editorial limbo, or Bendis retconning Iceman as gay after the jokes in CBR's X-Books forums. Or the Utopia era giving Psylocke a lot of panel time when the Psylocke fandom was very vocal - perhaps we should do the same now and see if it finally reaches Howard.
The one part of her quote that I do like is the suggestion that maybe Gambit isn't dead after all. I know characters die, but his death just seems cheap, like that time when Claremont had Vargas killing Betsy just to make him look strong (yes, we know Claremont intended to bring her back by the end of his run, but he didn't, and that only reinforced how bad that death scene was).
As for Betsy's future, I wonder... is there no way that she could be part of two books (like when Wolverine had both his solo book and X-Force, or when Kid Cable was in both Fallen Angels and his solo book, or when Apocalypse was in both X-Men and Excalibur)? That way, we'd at least have the possibility of enjoying the other book.
(by the way, speaking of Kid Cable, is he still around? I see that the current solicitations only show Old Cable)
Wow the delusional is real. She needs to just quietly go ASAP
I think it's pretty clear that Tini Howard chose to dismiss any criticism and surround herself with a very specific group of bootlickers in this so-called Cerebro discord run by her agent/friend who blindly praises her. Sad that she has deluded herself to this point.
@FSaker a nice way to have the real Betsy back is Claremont to have featured her in his X-Treme X-Men limited series. The problem with this is that Claremont had killed off Betsy early in that run with Vargas.
On the flip side, the total humiliation and degradation of Betsy as a character will create large pushback taking into consideration the numerous fans Betsy has. We have to bear this phase it won't last long.
I have had the misfortune of reading all of Tini's Betsy from Excalibur to KoX and never have I really understood what was going on. Her dialogue is just...empty. Like, it's kind of impressive really. How do you write 31+ issues that say nothing? None of her characters are well fleshed out and the self-inserted narrative she's given to Betsy is so transparent and infuriating. You'd think if she were working out her own issues via Betsy, we'd have gotten somewhere by now but no.
I feel like Tini and the Cerebro guy think of Betsy as only existing as character when she is in her English body and don't transfer any of the character development we got when she was in Kwannon's body. Like in their minds, Betsy stopped existing as soon as she went thru the Seige Perilous until the dumb Sapphire Styx story. But Betsy is the character we've had the past 30+ years, not Kwannon.
And don't get me started on Kwannon. Marvel having their cake and eating it too, all at the expense of Betsy; screwing her over just like Matsu'o did. I don't really mind Kwannon as a character, I hate the idea of her and the whole retcon story, AND that they did the "English lady looks hotter as a Japanese lady" with no regard to social implications.
But having Kwannon walk around using the Psylocke codename and wearing the outdated Jim Lee outfit just slaps my face every time. I have a HUGE Psylocke collection -@xmenmuseum on IG - but I put all my Psylocke stuff away because the iconic image of Psylocke isn't MY Psylocke anymore. Meanwhile, Betsy is trapped under Tini Howard's pen and Cerebro dude's haughtiness and tendency to talk over all his guests.
That is my opening statement and in this essay I will....
Daniel, you hit the nail on the head. If you've been following that annoying Cerebrocast twitter, you'll see he thinks of Betsy as only exiting up to 1989. He doesn't even like Disassembled Betsy. Tini, instead of writing a character with all the baggage from the past 40 years, wants to restore the 1989 status quo, which is funny, because Outback Betsy was actually interesting, and not this sad loser she's trying to recreate.
@Jaime Braz, from what I read, Claremont's X-Treme X-Men limited series doesn't take place in the present; it's going to take place between the end of the original X-Treme X-Men run and Claremont's Reload era run. As you already pointed out, Betsy was dead during that time, and even if she wasn't, I don't think her presence there would do her much favor - she'd be in Kwannon's body (making many current readers confused as to which of them is being shown in that book), and the stories would basically be flashbacks with little to no repercussion in the overall X-universe.
I think the best way to "save" her would be to have her used in a second X-book (or even a Marvel book not involving the X-Men) taking place in the present, even if she weren't one of the main characters in it. For instance, she could appear in a supporting role in Ororo's book, or in one of the Avengers books (not necessarily joining the Avengers, just helping them in a mission or something), something like that.
Maybe it's just me, but one of the few complaints I have about Hickman's run with the X-Men is that, while the X-books were supposed to be very integrated with each other (and indeed, we'd often see characters from one book appearing in other books), he and the other X-writers basically pretended Betsy wasn't in Krakoa at all, and let Tini Howard be the only person using the character. Yes, Betsy got some background panels here and there, but did absolutely nothing outside of Excalibur... and while Hickman's X-Men book had DOZENS of characters from other books having prominent roles on arcs or single issues, the only time he bothered to use Betsy was during the X of Swords event - and it wasn't even a noteworthy appearance.
Maybe if other X-writers had had the possibility (and the will) to use her in some of their stories, readers would point out to Marvel that they were enjoying Betsy more in those books than in her own, and maybe that would make Marvel (and even Howard herself) reconsider whether they should change the direction they were giving to the character. Alas, that was not the case.
@FSaker I fear the reason Betsy is ignored is for the difficulty to integrate her in her current state as Captain Britain. She has become so niche that she is written to the Otherworld corner of things indefinitely.
A more believable reason with foundation to it is the United Kingdom an enemy country to Krakoa. Betsy is the defender of the UK wearing its flag colors. A possibility the rest of the mutants avoid contact with her for the national supremacy she brings to the table.
Nevertheless the new costume has toned down the patriotic implications that come with the Captain Britain burden. Yet still Betsy is divided by the mantle of her brother and unable to pledge full allegiance to the mutant side. Were she Psylocke such dilemma would be out of question.
@Jaime Braz, is it that difficult, though?
I mean, maybe I'm wrong, but if I remember correctly, Magik has her kingdom in Limbo (I don't know if she still rules Limbo, but even if she doesn't, she'll always have affairs there), she's involved with Dr. Strange's academy of magic or something, and even so, she's always been a core member of the New Mutants, she's one of the security captains in Krakoa... AND she's just been promoted to the X-Men team.
It's odd that Betsy wasn't considered to the X-Men team, considering that a Captain Britain could help them to get credibility with the non-mutant superhero teams (after all, the two previous Captains Britain were Avengers, so they should know that a Captain Britain is a reliable hero or heroine). Also, having Betsy in the team could help them whenever a threat from another reality happens, as she has knowledge about the multiple reality and she has her troops of alternate counterparts - meaning that she can always contact the Captain Britain from whatever alternate reality the threat comes from to learn how to stop it.
Betsy could be used as a major character in the Krakoan society, and even as a major character in the overall Marvel universe. Instead of this, she's stuck in Otherworld stories that most readers won't even bother to read, and even the readers who like Betsy and the Captain Britain mythos seem to be giving up on it.
And it's not like she needs to choose between the UK and Krakoa. That's a false dilemma that the Coven Akkaba brought up. She doesn't need to choose to pledge her allegiance to one nation or the other; she needs to show to the world the menace that Coven Akkaba represents, bring them down, and then show that both Krakoa and the UK can be allies.
The truth is that no one wants to touch current Betsy. Both New Mutants & Wolverine books had arcs set in Otherworld and Betsy wasn't even mentioned. A Captain Britain should be a hero in the larger Marvel Universe. Even Brian, who is less popular, would pop up from time to time in Avengers books. Betsy, on the other hand, has been trapped in a little corner/bubble having irrelevant adventures that ultimately amount to nothing.
@FSaker, @Unknown Betsy has changed. She is not Psylocke a main of the X-Men and is bound to the magical Otherworld. The knight appearance is limiting to Dungeons and Dragons stories and is disparate to the other X-Men.
From the start it was a killing of Betsy's mutant side to establish the Captain Britain powers. Marvel contradict themselves by using Betsy the mutant citizen of Krakoa as the magical cop of the Otherworld and England. She is viewed with suspicion the way Firestar is as a former New Warrior and Avenger. Made Betsy an outsider therefore writers don't want to use her.
Magik doesn't compromise her mutant identity by ruling Limbo. Illyana remains Magik to her core. She still wields her soulsword, uses her mutant powers and overall retains her look. Her position of captain in Krakoa reinforces the connection to the mutants. Ironically, the mutant with Captain in her title is marginalized to the Otherworld.
With Betsy they begrudgingly allow her to use her mutant powers, the butterfly signature and her t.k. weapons. There was a time Tini Howard wanted to give Betsy new magic weapons with Carol Danver's star brand symbols. It was called starlight sword and denied Betsy access to her mutant power of creating psi powered constructs. If Betsy's fans weren't vocal about her butterfly it would have also been taken from her.
Yeah I hate the Captain Britain name, the flag as a costume and being tied to one corner of the Marvel Universe that rarely is impactful and which rarely many readers care to read about. Just call her Betsy Braddock and send.her back to the XMen and lose all the OW baggage. IDC if it feels shoe horned she needs to be restored because the longer Howard writes her the further she drifts from who she is and who new readers will only be familiar with. Smh
"Just call her Betsy Braddock and send.her back to the XMen and lose all the OW baggage"
But doesn't the Krakoan society demand that each inhabitant has their own "mutant name" or something? Betsy probably wouldn't be allowed to be just called Betsy Braddock there; she'd need a mutant name (a.k.a. superhero codename).
Marvel left her in a tough spot... I understand that some people here may want her to abandon the Captain Britain mantle, but the problem is that she can't go back to her Psylocke mantle (Kwannon already took it) - and let's be honest, her real name isn't recognizable to the average readers the same way as Jean Grey's, Emma Frost's or Kitty/Kate Pryde's.
Betsy Braddock names is very recognizable. And she doesn't need a code name Jean ditched Marvel Girl
Really? I don't think so... unfortunately, it seems to me that Betsy is in the same situation as Storm, Rogue or Magik: readers who follow the X-Men for years may be familiar with their real names and even use them to refer to the characters in conversations, but if we mention "Ororo", "Anna", "Illyana" or Betsy to most people (casual readers or people who only know Marvel characters from films, animated series or video games), they probably won't associate these names to "Storm" (even though Storm's popularity is HUGE), "Rogue", "Magik" or "The Mutant Formerly Known as Psylocke"...
I love reading the comments here. Honestly I've never felt so uninterested in Betsy as I am now, so it's a nice feeling that we're all in this together. :D
Then again, I suppose the idea of having her use her real name could work if Marvel used her as some sort of ambassador figure, dealing with politics around the world rather than being a superheroine (though she could still get involved in battles and stuff, kinda like Peter David's book for She-Hulk where she was primarily dealing with her work as a lawyer but still got involved in the occasional superpeople battles), and wearing normal clothing instead of superhero uniforms (but keeping her purple/lavender colors). Kinda like Victoria Neuman in The Boys (but not evil).
@randybear Betsy Braddock is a household name thanks to the belated introduction of her Psylocke alias. Betsy had already appeared and played a big role in Alan Moore's and Davis' fan favorite and critically acclaimed runs. The purple hair is her trademark because of that and the butterfly too thanks to Claremont and Davis during her introduction to the X-Men.
To me three are the core features of Betsy first the purple hair, second the butterfly and third her modelling and spy years that shaped her. She was already a complete character that should have evolved on that foundation instead of having changed her orientation into a ninja assassin.
@FSaker Storm, Rogue and Magik have replaced the real names of their holders. They are their skins and can't be recognized without them. Betsy was lucky she received a slave name from Mojo she can live without. The Psylocke name is connected to the Jim Lee costume and that affected Kwanon that she can't escape from the legacy mantle regardless of the efforts writers might spend in the future if readers realize the whole white heritage and slavery problems coming with Psylocke and for being used by a character of color. Marvel will have a problem to change Psylocke far from the English grammar and closer to Japanese definitions.
@FSaker My prediction is that Betsy will be introduced in the MCU along the description you explained. Similar to the introduction of Betsy in the Captain Carter series of Jamie McKelvie and Marika Cresta.
@Jaime Braz, I often see you guys praising the Captain Carter miniseries (...I think it's a miniseries, right?), so I guess that turning Betsy into Agent Lizzie Braddock could be interesting.
The problem is that this would mean that she would be estranged from the X-Men in the MCU (and if this idea was brought over to the main universe in the comic books, she'd remain isolated from the Krakoan society). Personally, I'd rather have her involved with the X-Men... but if this is what it takes to save her both in comics and in the MCU, I guess it's okay (as long as she doesn't get stuck in a generic, boring SHIELD uniform looking like a purple-haired Black Widow).
Betsy has a better shot at the MCU in a Captain Britain project, even if she's a supporting character to Brian, than with the X-Men. Feige has about 15 X-Men who are more popular than Betsy and Jean and Emma will certainly fill the telepath role. No wonder she's always adapted as a generic villain with minimal screen time and very few lines.
Okay so the name Captain Britain is more recognizable to casuals than Betsy Braddock? 🙄
Also who said just Betsy? I said Betsy Braddock same vein as people refer to Jean Grey not saying they need to he referred as first name basis. I cant with you 😂
Thank you, agreed
like it when comics reflect the politics and ideas of the time they are written, and I think it's what makes comics important. The problem here is when I read Tini's ideas or explanations of what's happening, it seems heavy-handed and personal. Like she uses Betsy as a vehicle to reflect her point of view and tell stories that primarily interest her because I see little in honoring Betsy's character's history.
I would say her writing feels gratuitous, but with this entry, she comes off as a full-on narcissist. "just keeps getting better and better". And "the perfect little 2.5-hour superhero movie". Someone needs to get over themselves because this stuff is starting to read like some old-school slash fiction made for a personal spank bank. "a big, deep, wet kiss", it's getting kind of creepy.
I fear this leads to her making Betsy find herself non-binary or identifying as male. And as much as that should happen in comics, I don't think Betsy Braddock should be that character. But it would give Tini Howard attention and cover up for her lack of imagination and storytelling ability.
I don't think she'll have Betsy identify as male. She likes the whole "women fail" thing added to her stories lol.
"Okay so the name Captain Britain is more recognizable to casuals than Betsy Braddock?"
I really wish I could say it isn't. "Captain Britain" isn't a big name in Marvel, I agree, and Betsy is indeed better known to casual readers than Brian - the thing is, most casual readers (or people who only know superheroes from other media) know her as "Psylocke", not as "Betsy Braddock". It's a different situation from Jean Grey, who's better known by her name than by any of her codenames (Marvel Girl, Phoenix, and so on). And while "Captain Britain" isn't well-known by the general audience, I think it's still an easier identity to stick in their memories than the real name of a character who spent decades being known by her codename.
This is just my opinion, anyway, and I do hope that it is wrong and that yours is the right one. And it doesn't mean that I'm against taking the CB mantle off of Betsy and use her only with her real name: if Marvel does a good job pushing her forward in interesting stories (as a STRIKE agent like Captain Carter's Agent Lizzie Braddock, or as a Krakoan spokesperson or something like that), it could definitely work. My concern is that this would require a good writer with good ideas - and for now, Betsy is still stuck with Howard, who I believe is a good writer but whose ideas for the character are... not the best ones (and I'm not talking about pairing Betsy up with Rachel; I do like this idea, but think it was badly executed). Maybe once Betsy is brought into the MCU we'll finally see some good changes in the comic books as well.
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