#tbt: X-Men #20 – Jean Grey demands Psylocke to tell her if her and Cyclops are having an affair. Enraged, Psylocke uses her psi-knife on Jean and knocks her out. Suddenly, Psylocke sees an image of her previous self who turns out surprisingly real. The new arrival attacks Psylocke, and defeats her. When the rest of the X-Men arrive, the new arrival reveals herself as the original Betsy Braddock, stating that the Psylocke they know is and has been an impostor. Written by Fabian Nicieza and Art by Andy Kubert. 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.
15 comments:
The beginning of the body-swap mess... and all because Nicieza didn't pay attention when he read Claremont's Acts of Vengeance story (in which Wolverine recognizes Psylocke not by her scent, but by her FACE, meaning she was supposed to look like she just had a little plastic surgery in her eyelids).
I gotta say, I really hate this story. It not only messed her background, but it was also frustrating that Revanche kept beating her and Betsy was never allowed to retaliate.
Plus, look at the size of Jean's forehead!
Ughhh...I'm still pissed at Nicieza for this nightmare. In fact, he's responsible for a few piles of bad X-Men writing. Oh well. Psylocke survived, and emerged as one of the best Marvel characters, IMO.
FSaker and Brian, yes this was terrible in terms of continuity and story concept. It proves that Kubert/Nicieza actually didn't READ any of Claremont's/Jim Lee's run. The editors are also to blame because they didn't PROOFREAD this at all before it went to print. I actually like to pretend that this never happened since Revanche/Kwannon is not mentioned anymore... but hardcore Psylocke fans like us remember this, and it is truly cringeworthy.
Yeah. I didn't mind the "yellowface" when it was just her body versus that of another woman. Psylocke seems to be vanishing to editorial limbo with the X-Men's spring lineups announced. I think Marvel can really use this hiatus to really do some course-correction with by restoring Psylocke to her white incarnation versus making her a stereotypical token and her really fully getting how intersectionality affects a woman of color once she returns to being a white aristocrat and how that now informs her world view. That's if Marvel wants to be at the forefront of what the hell is going on in this country and in wake of movements like the Women's March, which are still largely ruled by white feminism which actually is still subservient to white patriarchy.
Correction: I didn't mind the "yellowface as much. That's what I meant to type. Still problematic even with one body being transformed.
OH MAN, what a terrible writing that was... just got a thought if they did a "What if Psylocke NEVER switched bodies with Kwannon?"
Anyone, I'd write them and beg them to make that What If issue canon? The only thing I really like from her transformation is her being a fighter. All this other shit, including forced Asiatic identity and telekinesis, etc. can go.
As well as the gauntlet of psychic weaponry. She can regain her random precognition though.
Funny that Kwannon had natural empathy.
Antone, which makes Psylocke'a explosion of random abilities while in this random chick's body all the more ridiculous. And, yeah. I know the recon has Ricochet Rita splicing their DNA toghether in both bodies, so someone may argue that the Kwannon body is just expressing Psylocke's latent abilities, but then that's even more complicated by Jamie creating a second Kwannon body for her when he resurrected her, a body that should have no Boddy Shoppe modifications (unless we're arguing that he copied the spliced genome body) and still that is all super stupid as why would he bring her back in that form versus the one he knew like when he recreated her body in the Underworld arc.
Basically, the more we delve into all the gaping holes of this recon the dumber it proves the retcon to be.
I love Revanche though. :(
I think the last ever appearance from Kwannon/Revanche was back in House of M as one of Magento's Elite Guard.
I miss the real Psylocke. I also want Kwannon to be the ACTUAL Asian woman, she's supposed to be.
Benjamin, Antone, Tazirai,
Y'all are good, 'cause I'm over here, like "Fuck Kwannon. She can stay taking her dirt nap." Let's get Psylocke properly gathered and course corrected and actually focus on Asian X-Men who matter like Sunfire, Jubilation and Karma.
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