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.