Newsarama: A new age for mutantkind is here with "Dawn of X". With the stage set by House of X and Powers of X, this week's X-Men #1 ushered in the new era - and it continues as the line expands with New Mutants, X-Force, Excalibur, Wolverine, X-Corp, and more.
As this new era begins, Tini Howard sat down with Newsarama to talk about Excalibur and how she was personally inducted into Hickman's proverbial Silent Council.
Newsarama: You three were among the first readers of Jonathan Hickman's new vision for the X-Men and some of you worked on some pre-House of X Powers of X X-Men stories. Can you describe your own personal journeys taking all of this in and going from pre-Hickman into this new era?
Tini Howard: When Hickman reached out to me, I had just started having a lot of Marvel work come out and I remember Ed and some people I talked to about it were like, “sometimes when that happens you'll start getting people who will like email you their story ideas and stuff.” So I got an email from an address that I didn't recognize. It was like titled like “X-Men Ideas” or something like that. It was a wall of text. I was like, “who is this lunatic?” I read it and I was like, “Oh, I've been reading this lunatic's work for years. Oh my God.” It was very exciting.
I read the take and I was like, “yeah, I'm all in.” Instantly, I knew where my story would fit in and what I wanted to do. It didn't spring from my head fully formed. But Jonathan asked me to bring in a pitch and I didn't really. I brought in an essay where I was like, “I don't really know what I want to do, but here's what this makes me feel. And here's where I think this can go and here's who I want to do it.” Apocalypse was the person that was really centered on originally.
And the other really cool thing was that when I came in like that, Jonathan responded to that. He wasn't like, “nice essay, but where's the punching?” It was like, “here's my essay about this culture you've built.” And he was like, “yeah, cool. Okay.” And we built it from my favorite place to build stories, which is a philosophical question of “what do we do with them now.” Not just “what would be cool to see them do,” but “what do they need? What do they archetypally do for people and how do we manipulate that as storytellers?” Those big storytelling questions are all stuff I've really gotten to do here in this iteration of the X-Men.
Nrama: Plus, Hickman seems like a guy that loves an essay.
Howard: Yeah. He doesn't mind essays.
Nrama: So to build on that, Tini, Betsy's taking over the Captain Britain mantle with Excalibur and it's finally happening in main continuity. What's the throughline you found for it to be a legitimate progression for the Betsy Braddock we first met in those old Captain Britain UK stories?
Howard: I think the Braddocks are an awesome family. I have really built a lot of the story around the Braddocks as a unit. So it's not just the Betsy show, we're not ignoring who Brian is and who Brian has been and some other members of the Braddock family. In a real way, the Braddocks are like the Starks of this story. They're a family unit and we'll see them and follow them. And that's part of the story. It is not the story of shoving Brian Braddock in a drawer, getting Betsy the amulet, and putting them on stage. It is the story of a family, some of whom are mutant and some of whom are not, during a time of mutant ascension. And I think people will be really pleased. This is a story that elevates and celebrates the entire Braddock family. The Captain Britain mythos, themes and the long history of Excalibur as a book of magic and light and love.
Nrama: Do you have plans to do UK cons and signings in relation specifically to Excalibur?
Howard: So the joke that I've made is that for the books I’ve done, Death's Head and Excalibur now, that I've never even been to the UK. So if anyone is like, “Hey, why is she writing this stuff? She's not even English.” My response is: invite me to your beautiful country and say that to my face! I absolutely think that I should probably travel to some of these places I'm writing about and see them in the flesh. What a great idea that you've had.
Nrama: Well now it's out in the world, so we'll see what happens.
Howard: Manifest it.
“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.
17 comments:
Interesting that Apocalypse was originally the main concept of this book. I guess Betsy was mandated? Hopefully this means Tini has a good grasp on Betsy.
Betsy hasn't been featured in a well written story since probably Bunn's run. Hopefully Tini can give us a good Betsy story.
Betsy needs all the love she can get and NADA negativity by her haters.
People have to realize that Betsy is worn out by endless mind controls and body swaps. So please give Betsy the moment to breathe in her biological body so that to reclaim her lost self and integrity.
Rogue, Jubilee, Gambit, Rictor, Jean, Storm and Dazzler is the family Betsy needs to feel love and support right now.
I kinda hope Warren shows up in the book. I love he and Betsy's relationship, Uncanny X-force made them one of if not my favorite comic book couples. I would definitely like to see how he reacts to Betsy taking up the Captain Britan mantle.
The interviews speak about Apocalypse and his plans. His real plan must not be good. The positive is that Betsy is the leader so whatever Apocalypse cooks she will eat it and spit it out. Another positive is that Brian Braddock and Meggan Puceanu remain part of Excalibur and James Braddock will appear. Apocalypse, Archangel and Betsy were made a hot topic in Uncanny X-Force and before that when Archangel battled the death seed of Apocalypse with Betsy always supporting him and helping Warren hold back the celestial virus. I was sure Archangel would be a member of Excalibur because Betsy and Apocalypse are there. Warren isn't a member of the Silent Council, X-Force wetworks or the shipping company of the Marauders. It is head scratching why Betsy and Warren are separated after they had their minds meld together to keep them sane from their tragic setbacks.
Every Marvel hero and villain has haters who want to see the character fail. Luckily for Betsy her haters aren't many like others because she is a nice person and loves everyone. People hate Jubilee for being happy and sarcastic and others hate her because they don't like her powers and find them weak. You can't please everyone.
I loved Warren and Betsy as well. But real Warren back when he was supporting her through the Kwannon/Revanche storyline. I want that Warren's personality back.
I think everyone here loves Betsy but not everyone liked her in Kwannon's body that's why Kwannon has a lot of haters here but many fans also . A lot of us love all of Betsy's stages even when she was in Kwannon's body. Like myself.
A showdown must've razed here while I was away. You guys talking about haters makes me smell trolls dropping by and dissing Brit Betsy cause she ain't Yellowface no more. Psylocke like a butterfly can't catch a break from the rabid dogs attacking. Ever crossed your mind to install a trap to catch 'em?
@Finn I can't hold a chuckle for Betsy has the butterfly and you talk stages. A butterfly got stages of transformations. If Marvel used the butterfly pun they stretched the caterpillar to frags. From British to Asian, to dead, to alive, to British, to Asian, to inside of many bodies, to White back again. You know the Russian nesting dolls? Betsy was turned into one. Wish her luck for the final butterfly to be OG Betsy.
Betsy and Warren are Eve and Adam. They are comfortably wild and crazy together you love to hate them and the other way round. Their chemistry is dreamy when they become A-holes and cheaters on each other but end up back together. Filthy rich people are the best.
I'm curious if they will explore Betsy couples with anyone for a while since the primary focus on her for the time being seems to just set up her marketing status quo as per Tini
In my opinion Betsy has to take a break from romantic stories and flirting with teammates. She is more than a female X-Man on Craigslist. Her love life needs balance which none of her previous exes ever gave her.
I don't want Betsy's love history with Warren to be retconned and wiped out. Their Uncanny X-Force moment as Warren was dying and Betsy granted him the gift of a happy married life with her to old age was heartfelt and touching.
@Kiki M. Ishola the liberation of Betsy from the Asian body prison is a crucial moment where the body swap will be put behind. Betsy will solidify as a white British character, knight from the Otherworld and not a ''Yellowface'' satire of the 90's.
At this moment of truth where the separation between Betsy and Kwannon happens, Betsy's loyal fans will stick by her side and fake fans of the ninja bathing suit will defect. Time will tell who are the genuine Betsy followers and who are not.
@Jaime I don't touch Rick Remender. He is dark for my taste. The scene with Warren is ok although Betsy and Warren ain't the romantics to share tears and fondle. The love of Betsy and Warren is a ping pong game of quips and emotional competition. The speed on which they feel emotions makes them irresistible to one another. They can't find people who feel so much in so little time and they end up always together.
Betsy picked Warren as long time partner because she likes the challenge of multiple personalities. Warren has three. Businessman and rich heir Worthington, Angel and Archangel. Fantomex is the same deal having Charlie, Fanto, Cluster and Sentinel E.V.A.
Don't care about others. I know for myself that I'll defend Betsy from the shade and shit people throw at her. I'll make sure she always stays squeaky clean.
Betsy is safe. She has survived many bad things so a few haters here and there will not do harm.
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