#tbt: Uncanny X-Men #213 – Psylocke registers another presence at the Xavier estate. It’s Sabretooth, who quickly takes out Rogue and then turns on Psylocke. She draws him away from the infirmary to not endanger the many patients there and manages to evade his attacks till the X-Men arrive from the tunnels. Written by Chris Claremont and art by Alan Davis. Read full summary here.
“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.
7 comments:
The real Psylocke!
Davis has always drawn a beautiful Elizabeth. I can see her a a former supermodel fashionista here.
Ive always loved how curvaceous he drew Psylocke. She really stood out during that time. He drew most of the x-women with various physiques, but his Betsy akways had me.
Good to see the real Betsy.
Tazirai, I agree. He was able to capture just how feminine and ladylike she was. I always loved that about here. That air of sophistication which hid the warrior within. She was like the velvet gloved iron fist. Her character completely lacks all that subtlety and nuance now. My dream come true would be if they used the new Battleworld Universe to recrify Besty. Putbher back in her old body and have her still know martial arts, but also be smart and not just jumping into every physical fight possible. I'd be on the fence about her keeping her telekinesis. No psychic constructs/weapons though (save for maybe the psychic blade from her fist). So basically she'd be her true self in her own body with telepathy and precognitive flashes and psycho-blasts and her fighting/swordsman skills. Oh and she would still have her current Anka-designed uniform. That would be my dream. They could deal with her killing addiction still if they ever did do the above. I doubt they would take Battleworld as an opportunity though to rectify and correct this character, so just regard all that as me daydreaming in writing.
That was truly one of her most memorable moments in the X-Men. Even though Betsy wasn't able to physically beat Sabretooth (and she was already severely injured before he attacked her), she risked her own life and used her intelligence to distract him long enough to keep the Morlocks safe until Storm and the team returned home and kicked his ass.
Psylocke could definitely get more moments like this. In fact, she did get moments like this shortly after the body swap and also in Remender's Uncanny X-Force - and that's what makes me think the problem isn't Betsy being in the Asian body, but the inability of most writers in capturing her personality, her wits and her courage (not to be confused as stupidity to enter a battle unprepared, as she's done so many times after the body swap).
Remender did a great job with Betsy, and Spurrier is doing a great job until February. Hopefully other writers will keep her development not as a one-dimensional ninja, but as a complex, intelligent and brave woman.
As for the Battleworld rectifying her, I'm not sure if that would be a good idea. First, we must remember she became known by many readers (probably by most readers) in the Asian body, so another body swap could be quite confusing. Second, her original body was completely destroyed - if the idea is to have her swap bodies with the British Betsy from another reality, well, technically she'll still be in someone else's body (even if this someone else is her own counterpart from a different world), not in her own.
That said, I do hope Psylocke will participate of Secret Wars somehow.
Rahsaan. Yeah I miss the smart and tactical side of her, over the silly angry Psylocke. Spurrier did gangbusters with her, Remender also.
I agree about the rectification.
Fsaker, while it's true her body was destroyed. This is comics, She can always get one. When Xavier comes back, he's going to get a new body also. He's had several already. As far as people knowing the asian form , and getting confused by a change. i don't think its really that severe. She can become popular in her old body, it's like you said lazy and uncreative writers. G Wilso has recently stated that she went back and read Betsy history and is willing to place her back in her original form. she views the asian swap as problematic, and thinks that there should be a true asian woman in the body, rather than a white one.
There's a link to her talk on CBR forums in psylocke thread. It's like how Quicksilver, and Wanda are probably Inhuman now, and When logan comes back, he'll probably be inhuman also. So while Betsy is popular, she's not as popular as those guys, and could take a shift just as easily.
But to play devils advocate, artists draw her white anyway, lol.
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