AIPT!: This week’s X-Men Monday returns in a big way, welcoming Marvel’s own X-architect, Tom Brevoort, for a wide-ranging conversation on the past, present, and future of the X-Men.
Tom: Betsy turns 50 along with Captain Britain, so we’ll definitely be doing something for Captain Britain’s 50th, and Betsy will definitely be a part of that. Beyond that, it’s kind of wait and see.
Everybody was well-intentioned throughout all of her storytelling, but that whole thing is a mess. And in coming to the table where it was set when I got here, I made what, to me, felt like the only choice I could make at that point, which is, Kwannon is Psylocke, that’s the state of play. That’s what we’re going to commit to. Psylocke is Kwannon, and she’s in X-Men. Betsy is Captain Britain, she’s with Rachel Summers, and she’ll be in X-Force.
And X-Force ran its course, but it’s not as simple as just putting Betsy in the other book, or the name is really hers, and the Psylocke history is really hers. It kind of is, but 30, 40, 50 years later, here’s where we are now.
And the other problem is, even among the Betsy fans, when you actually listen to what they say, they’re all over the road, too. We want her back, but we want her back in this iteration, and we want her back, but not like this. So even they’re trying to figure out what’s the right thing for the character and the story. What’s the story that somebody walks into my office, shows up in my email, or calls me on the phone and pitches me about Betsy Braddock that makes me go, “That’s a great story. I want to see that. I want to make that.” There’s no point in just bringing her back into a book if she’s going to be furniture.
So it’s kind of all of that, which again, is cold comfort and no comfort to people who love that character or any of the characters that haven’t gotten as much spotlight as we’d like. Over the churn of history, every character gets their day or gets their moment. So it’s not that there isn’t a genuine effort, it’s just that the genuine effort isn’t necessarily dedicated to just that one character, but to all the characters that people like or have ideas with.
“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.
11 comments:
He need to not listen to twitter feedback. They’re mostly just CB and only want her with Rachel Stan’s.
Tom doesn’t understand doesn’t have to be CB and he can find a place for her. Teams always need a telepath and she has history with a lot of XMen. This isn’t hard the xoffice is just clouded by too many fans requesting this and that and not asking for what what realistically will keep her relevant. I fear her fans are her biggest enemy
Fuck that Shitkoa era. Tini Howard and Jordan D. White left us with their mess.
Krakoa started out really great with House of X and Powers of Ten. Inferno was pretty good too. I thiink Krakoa went to hell once Hickman left.
I actually feel like this return to wash, rinse, repeat pre-Krakoa feels like shit. Yet anothet dystopian future crossover and mutants in the present begging for crumbs from non-mutants again… It’s all so tedious and tiresome.
Betsy was Captain Britain for the first time before she ever used the name Psylocke. She clearly never had a problem with it, but I believe that name was invented by Mojo. I liked the handling of her character throughout Krakoa. X-Force was sort of meh. I would like her to remain Captain Britain. She and Rachel alone fairly well represent the essence of Excalibur. They should publish an all new series mostly removed from other X books set in the UK and in other dimensions with some comedy.
Is there really anybody who likes Betsy as Captain Britain? Captain Britain is and always will be Brian Braddock. The worst part about the Captain Britain mantle is that it's not compatible with an X team. It feels weird to put such a name on any roster. It would only work on an Avenger's team. When Betsy joined X-Force the first thing they did was removing the armor. Just bring back Disassembled Betsy and put her on an X team. It can't be that hard. Besides, there are so many messed up character stories in the Marvel universe. Good writers find a way to fix them.
I don't like the idea that they ditched Betsy's history as Pyslocke for 3 decades and why in the why does Psylocke should exclusively be Kwannon? Kwannon, being an asian ninja assasin could use any codename. She even chose/had one before and its called Revanche.
Marvel's marketing department decided that the asian one should be called Psylocke, because that was the most popular presentation of Psylocke. It's just about the brand. Editors are trying to find excuses for that decision. I don't think anyone who is really invested in the character Psylocke would say that this codename rightfully belongs to Kwannon.
Personally, I don't mind Betsy being Captain Britain, as long as the mantle isn't what defines her as a character. Thorne showed that she can be CB and still be part of an X-team and be the Betsy Braddock we all know and love. She also doesn't need to wear an armor; this blog showed some weeks ago an art drawn by Luciano Vecchio where her uniform looks perfect for a X-Woman - the Union Jack symbol even forms an "X" covering her chest.
Then again, as long as Betsy is written well, I don't care whether she appears as CB, Psylocke, Revanche, Lady Mandarin or whatever other codename Marvel gives her.
I respectfully disagree; Betsy and Rachel belong to the X-Men and should definitely be part of an X-book. TH already tried to remove them from other X-books and it was a disaster (and even devalued both characters, as we can see now with most writers not being interested in using them, either in X books or in other parts of the Marvel universe).
I would really like Betsy appearing in any book as Betsy Braddock and using her Captain Britain role when necessary, transitioning between her pink and purple uniform and the blue and red of her Captain's armor.
Thorne has shown us that it's possible for Betsy to be on an X-Team using her knowledge and magical powers when needed, so I can't swallow this idea that "she's too complicated."
Kwannon is Psylocke and Betsy, for now, is Captain Britain. There's nothing complicated about that.
If the problem is Brian, the mantle can be shared and it would even be better, leaving most of the responsibility with him while Betsy only uses it when required. Just return the Amulet of Right to him (making him the true Captain) and give the Sword of Power to Betsy (as the "Knight Errant").
I mean this from the bottom of my heart: f@&$ this guy. F@&$ Tom Brevoort.
Betsy Braddock is Psylocke. The only “mess” is his doing and he needs to go. It’s seems clear that nothing good can happen to Psylocke/Betsy until he goes. He literally acknowledges it’s a mess but then doubles down on the mess he created. He can’t even see/admit that his editorial actions have presided on the biggest downgrade in the character’s history.
Between this and not letting Hickman finish his run his way only solidifies that Brevoort is a colossal f$&@up and the sooner he is gone the better.
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