Psylocke: Ninja #1 Art

Psylocke: Ninja #1 Spoilers

Spoilers: Fearing the inevitable slaughter of the X-Men at the hands of the cyborg Reavers, Psylocke uses her telepathic powers to push her teammates into the Siege Perilous, a mystical artifact that offers the possibility of a new life. Choosing rebirth over death, she follows them through the portal herself, hoping to escape an existence shaped by the expectations of others. She emerges on the shores of Okinawa, Japan, where she is discovered by local fishermen. Mentally disoriented, Psylocke’s thoughts begin to project directly into their minds: she speaks first in English, then in Japanese, and finally in Uchinaaguchi—the nearly forgotten native language of the islands. Realizing she is a mutant, the fishermen decide to turn her over to the criminal organization that controls the island: the Hand.

Meanwhile, on an island in the South China Sea, within a Hand fortress, Matsu’o Tsurayaba—a high-ranking member of the organization—recounts his most recent assignment from the Jonin. His target had been the crime lord Nyoirin Henecha, who employed Kwannon, Matsu’o’s lover, as his personal assassin. Neither Matsu’o nor Kwannon was willing to yield, and the mission culminated in a brutal confrontation. Matsu’o is now haunted by Kwannon’s death, having watched her fall from a cliff during their battle. Seeing an opportunity to “save” the woman he loved, Matsu’o proposes a dark plan to the Jonin. Initially rejected, the Jonin later reconsiders and ultimately agrees. The Hand intends to transplant Psylocke’s powerful telepathic mind into Kwannon’s physically perfect but brain-dead body, creating a loyal “masterpiece”: a psychic ninja engineered to serve the Hand’s interests and capable of standing against American superheroes. The Jonin warns Matsu’o that remnants of Kwannon’s original self may surface within Psylocke’s discarded body during the process—and that if Matsu’o fails, the resulting being will be used as collateral.

Some time later, in the snowy mountains of northern Japan, the transformed Psylocke trains relentlessly, demonstrating her new lethality by charging a bear and hurling it away with a single devastating kick. Declaring that she has scouted the region and is ready, she prepares for her final test of loyalty. Matsu’o leads her to a temple perched atop a sheer cliff, where she is ordered to eliminate the Hand’s greatest enemies: the Chaste, a mystical martial arts order that once allied with the Hand before turning against them. Matsu’o warns her that the Chaste possess something stolen from the Hand—something Psylocke must not recover, but utterly destroy.

As the loyal Psylocke begins her ascent up the cliff, she ruthlessly suppresses intrusive thoughts tied to her former British identity, dismissing memories of her past life as meaningless debris. Yet fragments still surface: the image of throwing a snowball at a blond British boy, or the sensation of a cooing newborn clinging to her chest. Despite these lingering psychic echoes, she accepts her new role and forbids herself from probing deeper into her true history. Watching from afar, Matsu’o observes his creation with pride, convinced he has forged the ultimate loyal assassin.

Within the Chaste’s fortress, members Stone and Palm reflect on how close the world once came to falling to the Hand. Palm, whose training focuses on healing arts, speaks of tending to a particular “patient.” Psylocke infiltrates the stronghold with cold efficiency, scaling frozen cliffs and swiftly defeating Stone. She is then confronted by other members of the Chaste—Flame, Wing, Shaft, Claw, and Star. Palm retreats to her patient, whom she must protect while continuing the healing process. Psylocke’s true target is finally revealed: Elektra Natchios, lying unconscious and defenseless within a healing pool.

Psylocke: Ninja #1 Variant Cover by God Tail

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Psylocke: Ninja #2 Variant Covers by Rickie Yagawa and Inhyuk Lee

Psylocke: Ninja #1 Preview

Psylocke: Ninja #1

Writer: Tim Seeley

Art by: Nico Leon

Cover by: Derrick Chew

The Story:

BETSY BRADDOCK: MUTANT, X-MAN…NINJA! Flashback to a time when Psylocke was reborn into the ultimate killing machine. What sacrifice did Betsy make to save the X-Men? Why did the Hand choose Psylocke to be their weapon? And what does it have to do with their former assassin…Elektra?! Discover the answers to these questions and more in a lost story from the X-Men’s past!

In Stores: January 21, 2026

X-Men Monday #325 – Tom Brevoort Talks Betsy Braddock's Complicated Status

AIPT!: This week’s X-Men Monday returns in a big way, welcoming Marvel’s own X-architect, Tom Brevoort, for a wide-ranging conversation on the past, present, and future of the X-Men.

AIPT: Betsy Braddock will turn 50 in 2026. While the Psylocke: Ninja flashback miniseries is appreciated, her absence from the Shadows of Tomorrow teaser is concerning. Will Betsy eventually have a place in present-day stories?

Tom: Betsy turns 50 along with Captain Britain, so we’ll definitely be doing something for Captain Britain’s 50th, and Betsy will definitely be a part of that. Beyond that, it’s kind of wait and see.

I like Betsy Braddock. But Betsy Braddock is hard and kind of a messy situation.

Everybody was well-intentioned throughout all of her storytelling, but that whole thing is a mess. And in coming to the table where it was set when I got here, I made what, to me, felt like the only choice I could make at that point, which is, Kwannon is Psylocke, that’s the state of play. That’s what we’re going to commit to. Psylocke is Kwannon, and she’s in X-Men. Betsy is Captain Britain, she’s with Rachel Summers, and she’ll be in X-Force. 

And X-Force ran its course, but it’s not as simple as just putting Betsy in the other book, or the name is really hers, and the Psylocke history is really hers. It kind of is, but 30, 40, 50 years later, here’s where we are now. 

And the other problem is, even among the Betsy fans, when you actually listen to what they say, they’re all over the road, too. We want her back, but we want her back in this iteration, and we want her back, but not like this. So even they’re trying to figure out what’s the right thing for the character and the story. What’s the story that somebody walks into my office, shows up in my email, or calls me on the phone and pitches me about Betsy Braddock that makes me go, “That’s a great story. I want to see that. I want to make that.” There’s no point in just bringing her back into a book if she’s going to be furniture.

So it’s kind of all of that, which again, is cold comfort and no comfort to people who love that character or any of the characters that haven’t gotten as much spotlight as we’d like. Over the churn of history, every character gets their day or gets their moment. So it’s not that there isn’t a genuine effort, it’s just that the genuine effort isn’t necessarily dedicated to just that one character, but to all the characters that people like or have ideas with.

Recap 2025 • Betsy Braddock/Captain Britain

Recap 2025 • If 2024 was a year of recovery and renewed confidence for Betsy Braddock, 2025 began with a rare sense of momentum and creative clarity. The year opened at full speed with the continuation of X-Force, written by Geoffrey Thorne and illustrated by Marcus To. In particular, X-Force #7 stood out as a genuine love letter to the character: Betsy was firmly in control of her narrative and her powers, while also celebrating her visual legacy by revisiting iconic looks such as the classic pink jumpsuit and the Outback-era armor. As the series progressed, a growing consensus formed among fans that Thorne was delivering Betsy’s strongest characterization in years—confident, articulate, and emotionally grounded.

Unfortunately, that momentum was short-lived. What was originally planned as a 15-issue run was abruptly cut to ten, with X-Force cancelled and wrapped up prematurely. From that point on, Betsy Braddock all but vanished from the X-Men line, reduced to occasional, inconsequential cameos and largely ignored by the broader narrative. She played no meaningful role in the early-year crossover X-Manhunt and in the Hellfire Vigil, and was entirely absent from the year-ending event Age of Revelation. In the end, 2025 proved to be a lean and frustrating year for Betsy, with only four full-fledged appearances and little sense of editorial commitment to her place in the X-Men universe.

As we look back on 2025, let’s revisit Betsy’s most memorable moments, explore the evolution of her character, and celebrate her continuing legacy in the X-Men universe. Happy New Year to all her fans—here’s to an exciting future ahead!

REMINDER: Email the X-Office at officex@marvel.com and the Avengers Office at mheroes@marvel.com and ask for Betsy Braddock's return to comic books.

REMINDER: Send your questions to Tom Brevoort at AIPT!'s X-Monday and ask about Betsy's whereabouts in the present-day stories. CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS.

JANUARY
	X-Force #7 • “The Devil in Heaven” Betsy confronts La Diabla within a psychic battlefield, steps up as the key defender of Rachel during a dangerous power surge, reclaims iconic aspects of her past, and decisively resolves the team’s first major crisis of the year.
FEBRUARY
	Psylocke #4 • “A Deadly Display” [Hallucination] Betsy appears as a hallucinatory projection created by the Taxonomist, embodying Kwannon’s insecurities about identity and legacy, and weaponizing their shared Psylocke history as psychological torment.
	X-Force #8 • “The Devil's Lesson” Betsy faces La Diabla’s escalating assault head-on, protects the team from her alchemy, counters psychological provocation with resolve, and unleashes overwhelming psychic force to turn the tide of battle alongside X-Force.
MARCH
	Psylocke #5 • “Hostile Hospitality” [Hallucination] Betsy haunts the narrative through disturbing hallucinations tied to the Taxonomist’s fixation, as his plan to forcibly reunite her with Kwannon exposes how their shared past continues to manifest as psychological trauma.
	X-Force #9 • “X-Manhunt, Chapter Six: The Shapley Value” Betsy identifies La Diabla as the true threat, engages her directly despite being outmatched, supports Forge with a powerful psionic boost, and ultimately falls alongside X-Force as La Diabla turns the battle decisively in her favor.
	X-Manhunt Omega #1 • “X-Manhunt Finale: Dreams End” [Flashback] Betsy appears in a flashback to X-Force #6, shown actively sealing global reality fractures alongside the team, including a major operation in the Mariana Trench.
APRIL
	X-Force #10 • “The X-equation” Betsy confronts La Diabla directly in the final showdown, rejects her manipulation outright, asserts complete mastery over her psychic power, and decisively defeats her—bringing the X-Force era to a definitive close by leaving the team.
	X-Force #10 • “Beginning Now” [Flashback] During Cable’s reflection on the many incarnations of X-Force he has shaped over time, Betsy appears among the team’s past lineups, reaffirming her place in the unit’s evolving legacy.
JULY
	X-Men: Hellfire Vigil #1 • “Hellfire Vigil” Betsy Braddock attends the Hellfire Vigil alongside Rachel Summers, standing in quiet solidarity as mutantkind mourns the fall of Krakoa and reflects on what was lost.
	Avengers Academy: Marvel's Voices Infinity Comic #53 • “Dropping the Gloves” [Flashback] Marcus Wetherell recalls how his mother, reporter Manoli Wetherell, was present during the Outback X-Men’s battle against the Adversary in Dallas, indirectly spotlighting Betsy’s role in that historic confrontation.