Recap 2024 • Betsy Braddock/Captain Britain

Recap 2024 • After a challenging 2023, where Betsy's solo title was cancelled due to poor sales, 2024 marked a year of revitalization and transformation for Betsy Braddock. Her journey began with a pivotal role in X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic in January under writer Steve Foxe. As Captain Britain, Betsy faced complex challenges, particularly after her dramatic renouncement of the United Kingdom following their alliance with Orchis.

With the end of the Krakoan era, the X-Men entered a new chapter with the "From The Ashes" era, led by new senior editor Tom Brevoort. Betsy rejoined X-Force under writer Geoffrey Thorne, now donning a more traditional superhero costume. She continued to shine, with fans feeling she had regained her voice. Thorne was notably receptive to feedback from Betsy’s fans, frequently engaging with them on online forums. This openness and Betsy’s evolution throughout the year reinvigorated her fanbase. The year ended on a high note, with anticipation growing for X-Force #7, the first issue of the new year focused on Betsy.

As we look back on 2024, 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!

JANUARY
	X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #123 • “X-Corps Unlimited!” Captain Britain joins X-Corps, counters Orchis' propaganda via media, and helps sustain public support for mutants amid escalating threats and misinformation campaigns.
FEBRUARY
	X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #125 • “The United Kingdom versus Captain Britain!” Betsy faces anti-mutant bias on live TV, battles Orchis Sentinels in London, reunites with Rictor and Shatterstar, exposes UK mutant abductions, and plans bold action from Braddock Manor.
	Wolverine: Madripoor Knights #1 • “Blindsides Galore!” [Flashback] Psylocke battles Hand ninjas in Madripoor, protects Jubilee, and discovers the Bacchae's plea for aid. Sensing their urgency, she joins them, taking Jubilee along for their mission.
	X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #126 • “Borstal Breakout!” Captain Britain, Shatterstar, and Rictor infiltrate a mutant containment facility, uncovering a massacre and the disappearance of children. They confront the Externals, leading to an intense battle.
	X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #127 • “Brawl in Cell Block X!” Captain Britain, alongside Shatterstar and Rictor, battles the Externals. She confronts Absalom, using her psychic knife to probe Selene’s agenda, but the Externals escape, leaving the heroes with ominous uncertainty.
	X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #128 • “Fires of Finality!” After the explosion at the facility, Captain Britain and her team escape, facing hostility in London. At X-Corps, Betsy renounces the UK for its alliance with Orchis, signaling a major turning point.
MARCH
	X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #129 • “The Burning Heart of X-Corps!” Captain Britain joins X-Corps' new initiative, helping plan global relief efforts. As the team confronts Orchis and Selene’s schemes, Betsy clarifies the Externals’ role in mutant disappearances, heightening the urgency.
	Dead X-Men #3 • “An Echo A Stain” [Alternate] Psylocke-5 leads the X-Men-5 in defending Faraway, attacking the X-Men with her team, and engaging in a fight until Cyborg Moira arrives, unleashing a powerful blast with her M Weapon.
	X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #131 • “A Call to Arms!” Captain Britain and X-Corps work to disrupt Selene’s ritual by using Jamie Madrox’s dupe to gather intel on the Externals. The plan succeeds, leading to a shocking reveal about Tempo’s role in Selene’s ascension.
APRIL
	X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #133 • “Panic in the Sky!” Betsy coordinates efforts to prevent X-Corps Island’s crash, contacts Dani telepathically, and orders Rictor to use his geokinetic powers to stabilize the island, ensuring the team remains focused on the crisis.
	X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #135 • “Grudge Match!” Betsy oversees the team's strategy and recognizes the urgency to confront the Externals, signaling a shift toward proactive engagement in the escalating conflict with Selene and her allies.
	Dead X-Men #4 • “Hyper Balled” [Alternate] Psylocke-5 and her X-Men-5 join forces with the 616-X-Men to battle Cyborg Moira, until the 616-X-Men depart her reality.
	X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #136 • “The Battle of X-calates!” Betsy notes Selene's psychic dead zone around Nova Roma, making telepathic contact difficult, and identifies an invisible barrier as magic, recognizing the Externals' expertise in ancient ways.
	X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #137 • “Enter the Dragon!” Betsy orders the team to advance, attacks Saul with her psychic sword, and defends herself with a telekinetic shield. She climbs Saul’s dragon form, thrusting her sword into its scales during the battle.
MAY
	X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #138 • “Crule, Crule Summer!” Betsy rides Saul in dragon form, orders him to land, and uses her psychic knife to knock him unconscious. She informs Mirage that the Externals are defeated and it's time to bring in the strike team.
	Giant-Size X-Men #1 • “Truth or Die” [Hallucination] Archangel hallucinates about his former girlfriends, including Betsy Braddock as Psylocke, who appears to him as a waitress.
	X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #139 • “Ascension Agenda!” Betsy, along with Shatterstar, Rictor, Warpath, and Thunderbird, rushes toward Selene's palace, but their progress halts as they witness Selene nearing the completion of her ascension, towering in blood.
	X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #140 • “Attack on (a) Blood Titan!” Betsy, Rictor, Shatterstar, Thunderbird, and Warpath face the blood drones to buy time for Mirage's team, as Selene's ascension nears completion. Betsy strategizes to hold off the threats.
	X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #141 • “New Mutants, Old Grudges!” Betsy helps coordinate X-Corps’ strategy, ensuring Magma and Khora stay focused. She assists in isolating Selene's palace and emphasizes protecting Nova Roma and mutants while supporting Dani’s plan.
	X-Men: The Wedding Special #1 • “Wedding Gatecrashers” Betsy and Rachel wake up at Braddock Manor on the day of Mystique and Destiny's wedding. After facing alien forces and the Technet, they confront Saturnyne, who plotted to steal Betsy's invitation.
	Rise of the Powers of X #5 • “Now And Forever” [Alternate] Jean Grey/Phoenix summons every mutant in the Omniverse to battle Enigma, including Betsy Braddock as Captain Britain (Krakoa), Psylocke (Outback), Hand Ninja (90s), Ultimate, and Age of Apocalypse versions.
JUNE
	X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #142 • “The X-Citing Conclusion!” Captain Britain and X-Corps trap Selene and the Externals in stasis chambers. After the defeat of the Externals and Orchis, Betsy leaves X-Corps and reunites with Rachel.
	Wolverine: Madripoor Knights #5 • “Heroes--Rise Again!” [Flashback] Psylocke and Jubilee return from their adventure with the Bacchae just in time to join Wolverine, Black Widow, and Captain America at a bar to celebrate their victory.
JULY
	X-Force #1 • “Where Monsters Dwell” Captain Britain joins Forge, Sage, and Rachel in X-Force after initial reluctance. She aids Rachel with a psychic boost against biomass creatures and helps direct civilians to safety.
AUGUST
	X-Force #2 • “Igubu Lika-Anansi” Captain Britain is transformed into a medieval version of herself by magic in Wakanda. She is brainwashed and ordered to capture Forge and Sage but is later freed when Sage breaks the spell.
SEPTEMBER
	X-Force #3 • “The Walking Man” Captain Britain fights Nuklo in Phnom Penh, using a giant telekinetic sword to strike him. She later enters Nuklo’s mind with Rachel, uncovering his true, regressed mental state.
OCTOBER
	X-Force #4 • “Two Seconds Later” Captain Britain leads X-Force through multiple dimensions, using her powers to open portals from the Temple of the Dragon's Breath to Otherworld and the Everglades. She coordinates their attack on Nuklo.
NOVEMBER
	X-Force #5 • “One Second Later” Captain Britain helps negotiate with Tempest's Avengers and amplifies Rachel’s powers to impersonate the Phoenix. She also fights alongside the team to prevent Nuklo from destabilizing another dimensional nexus.
DECEMBER
	X-Force #6 • “The Devil Is a Liar” Betsy and Rachel meditate together on the X-Jet, synchronizing their powers, while Forge is occupied with his virtual reality program. They are then both attacked by La Diabla, which traps them in a catatonic psychic trance.

X-Force #7 Art

New Year's Day is BETSY BRADDOCK DAY!

X-Force #7 Spoilers

Spoilers: Aboard the X-Jet, Forge is battling La Diabla in his VR simulation while Tank unwittingly plays chess nearby. In another compartment of the jet, Betsy and Rachel meditate together, synchronizing their powers.

In Betsy and Rachel’s private mindscape, Betsy—dressed in her iconic pink bodysuit—has created a mental space modeled after the Excalibur lighthouse in Cornwall, serving as a “happy place” for Rachel. Betsy expresses concern about Rachel’s powers following her death at the hands of Charles Xavier, but Rachel reassures her that she’s recovering and will be fine soon.

Their conversation is interrupted by Marvel Girl—Rachel’s past version from the Reload era—who has timeslipped into the present. Marvel Girl is surprised to see Betsy in her original body, let alone dating Rachel. Suddenly, Rachel’s body begins to crack under the strain of her immense power. Betsy explains that Rachel is struggling to contain it.

At that moment, Mother Askani—Rachel’s future version—arrives alongside other past versions of Rachel (from Days of Future Past, House of M, Prestige, and Rise and Fall of the Shi’ar Empire). Together, they converge in the present.

Mother Askani explains that Rachel sacrificed herself to save mutantkind, but without the Phoenix Force—which Jean Grey fully claimed and took into space—Rachel created her own fire, resurrecting herself without the Phoenix or the Five. However, Rachel’s body cannot yet contain all this energy, resulting in the cracks. While she heals, the excess energy has been siphoning into Betsy Braddock. Mother Askani adds that she and Rachel’s past selves have been timeslipping into the present to seal the cracks and wounds in Rachel’s body. According to her, the process is almost complete.

The private mindscape is then invaded by La Diabla, who expels Rachel’s future and past selves back to their respective times and places. Betsy manifests dual psychic knives and prepares to fight La Diabla, but the villain immobilizes her with alchemy. La Diabla observes that Betsy is more than just a mutant, remarking on eldritch forces swirling within her. She also notes Rachel’s inability to contain her full power. However, La Diabla is focused on Forge and banishes Betsy from the mindscape, leaving Rachel trapped and paralyzed.

Betsy wakes up aboard the X-Jet, where Forge explains La Diabla’s identity. Betsy warns that they need to rescue Rachel from the mindscape immediately, or she risks collapsing and unleashing a psychic detonation that would kill every mind within a thousand-mile radius. Forge deduces that La Diabla’s symbol was specifically designed to block Betsy. To counter it, Forge crafts a techno-spirit rattle, combining his shamanistic knowledge with his mutant abilities.

Using the spirit rattle, Betsy reenters the mindscape, now wearing her Outback-era armor and wielding a massive psychic sword. She ambushes La Diabla, driving her sword through the villain’s chest and engaging in a fierce battle. La Diabla is shocked by their resilience and hints that Betsy and Forge are more than just their mutations. In a climactic moment, Betsy destroys La Diabla psychically, expelling her from the mindscape. Betsy and Rachel reunite and awaken in the real world aboard the X-Jet.

Tank greets them cheerfully, but Forge scolds them, pointing out that if they had shared their problem earlier, he could have modified their X-Force uniforms to handle their excess psionic energy. As the team discusses their next steps, the X-Jet is struck by what appears to be a missile. It’s revealed to be Colossus, who tears a hole in the aircraft and threatens to kill them, seemingly under the control of a headband resembling Malice’s choker—albeit without the skull emblem.

X-Men Monday #280 – 2024 Reader Survey Results

AIPT!: In the 2024 X-Men Monday Reader Survey, Betsy Braddock ranked as the second-favorite X-character of the year, while X-Force secured third place as the favorite X-ongoing series.

Betsy’s storylines and X-Force's consistent action and intrigue have resonated strongly with readers, making them standout highlights of the "From The Ashes" era. Consider reaching out to the X-Office at officex@marvel.com to share your enthusiasm for Betsy and X-Force and to express your hopes to see even more of them in 2025!

X-Force #7 Preview

X-Force #7

Writer: Geoffrey Thorne

Art by: Jim Towe

Cover by: Stephen Segovia

The Story: THE POWER OF LOVE! The romance of BETSY BRADDOCK and RACHEL SUMMERS has been fraught with challenge, but can they navigate the mysterious problem with Rachel's powers - and still survive the machinations of the alchemical menace known as LA DIABLA?! Edge-of-your-seat action and revelations in the next issue of X-FORCE!

In Stores: January 1, 2025

"X-ManHunt": Eight-Part X-Crossover Kicks Off This March

Marvel.com: X-ManHunt, the next milestone X-Men crossover, arrives in March! Bringing the current ongoing X-titles together for the first time this era, X-ManHunt will have chapters in Uncanny X-Men, NYX, Storm, X-Men, X-Factor, and X-Force along with a tie-in issue of Exceptional X-Men, before concluding in X-ManHunt Omega, a double-sized finale one-shot.

The saga kicks off when Professor X breaks out of Graymalkin Prison, sowing division and discord among the different mutant factions. For his crimes against humanity at the end of the Krakoan Age, Charles Xavier remains a heavily-guarded inmate at a mutant detention center built at his former school, a cruel punishment he was willing to accept—until now!

Driven by mysterious new purpose, Professor X frees himself from captivity to undertake a mission of personal significance. He has no time to lose as a telepathic virus wreaks havoc on his mind—and those around him!

The hunt for the most dangerous mutant in the world begins, and Professor X desperately calls on his X-Men. Some are ready to forgive. Others are not. And while his once loyal followers clash to decide his fate, the X-Men’s founder will be forced to reckon with his tarnished legacy once and for all!

"We’ve mostly been keeping the various groups of X-characters separated from one another as we set up the post-Krakoa landscape," Executive Editor Tom Brevoort explained. "But it feels like now is the right time to send them crashing into one another. And who better to instigate this situation than the disgraced Professor X, who has intimate connections with almost all of our key players?" 

	Uncanny X-Men #11 Written by Gail Simone Art by Javier Garrón Cover by David Marquez On Sale 3/5 X-MANHUNT PART ONE! At the end of the Orchis War, Charles Xavier surrendered himself to the authorities and allowed himself to be imprisoned in Graymalkin Prison! But now something has spurred him into action, into escaping his incarceration and embarking on a mad scramble across the nation!  What has caused Professor X to go on the run? And will his assorted pupils move to protect him, recapture him or kill him? The answer, of course, is all of the above. In this opening chapter, Rogue and her team of X-Men are forced to ally with their worst enemy in order to betray their most trusted friend!
	NYX #9 Written by Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing Art by Francesco Mortarino Cover by Sara Pichelli On Sale 3/5 X-MANHUNT PART TWO! Charles Xavier is on the run, and his first stop is New York – but there are plenty of mutants in the city who want nothing to do with the most recent master plan of the disgraced Professor X! Will the return of their dearly departed mentor bolster the burgeoning community that calls itself NYX or tear everything they’ve built apart? What does Xavier want from the city? What is he willing to do to get what he wants? And – perhaps most alarmingly of all – who else is waiting in the wings to strike?!
	Storm #6 Written by Murewa Ayodele Art by Lucas Werneck Cover by Mateus Manhanini On Sale 3/5 X-MANHUNT PART THREE! Fugitive Charles Xavier seeks refuge in Storm Sanctuary, Storm’s floating home in Atlanta City, and the (Alaskan) X-Men take notice. Will Storm and the X-Men join forces with Professor X to prevent his return to prison by any means necessary, or will they fall victim to opposing views that will send X-Men against X-Men in a bloody brawl to the death? And making his From the Ashes debut is the unstoppable devourer, the blue-skinned Zulu titan… Maggott!
	X-Men #13 Written by Jed MacKay Art by Netho Diaz Cover by Ryan Stegman On Sale 3/12 X-MANHUNT PART FOUR! The X-Men have caught up with their erstwhile mentor Charles Xavier on his mad scramble across the country. But they aren’t the only ones who’ve found him!
	X-Factor #8 Written by Mark Russell Art by Bob Quinn Cover by Greg Land On Sale 3/12  X-MANHUNT PART FIVE! Charles Xavier has escaped from prison, and X-Factor must track him down! But how will the X-Men react to X-Factor hunting their founder? And what will happen when Havok and Cyclops collide?!
	X-Force #9 Written by Geoffrey Thorne Art by Marcus To Cover by Stephen Segovia On Sale 3/19  X-MANHUNT PART SIX! Sage and Professor X go way back, to another war and another time. But now, in his hour of most desperate need, will Sage use her talents to aid Professor X’s quest…or put a stop to his manic mission? The penultimate chapter of X-MANHUNT brings X-Force into the fray!
	Exceptional X-Men #7 Written by Eve L. Ewing Art and Cover by Carmen Carnero On Sale 3/19 X-MANHUNT - COLLATERAL DAMAGE! With Charles Xavier on the run, Emma Frost and Kitty Pryde reckon with their own dreams and fears for the future of mutantkind. Axo feels pushed away from the team and pulled closer and closer to charismatic technologist Sheldon Xenos. But is Xenos who he claims to be? (Spoiler: He is not!)
	X-ManHunt Omega #1 Written by Gail Simone & Murewa Ayodele Art and Cover by Gleb Melnikov On Sale 3/26 X-MANHUNT FINALE! X-MANHUNT concludes as Professor X reaches his destination, and his assorted pursuers, friend and foe alike, catch up with him! Alliances will be battle-tested, the blades of betrayals will cut deep with poisoned tips, and when the dust finally settles, Charles Xavier will have to make a tectonic-shifting choice with the fate of all mutantkind in the balance. The world is about to change. This time around, everyone is wide awake.

Vote for Betsy Braddock and X-Force in AIPT's 2024 X-Men Monday Survey

This is your chance to let X-Men Monday at AIPT know what you loved this year — and maybe, just maybe, the X-Office will take notice of the results. Cast your vote for Captain Britain as your favorite X-character and X-Force as your favorite ongoing X-series here. The survey closes on Sunday, December 8, 2024, so don't miss your chance!