The X-Men's Most Baffling Retcon Finally Gets a Makeover!
After 33 long years, Marvel has taken on the challenge of unraveling the most mind-boggling retcon in the X-Men universe. The story of Psylocke, a powerful telepath and sister of Captain Britain, took an unexpected turn in 1989's Uncanny X-Men #251. With the mystical Siege Perilous, a gateway to one's heart's desire, the X-Men found themselves in a new world of possibilities.
For Psylocke, this meant a complete transformation. She reappeared with a new Japanese identity, becoming a psychic assassin known as "Lady Mandarin" for a brief period. The Hand, a mysterious organization, had discovered Betsy Braddock and decided to merge her mind with that of a fallen ninja warrior, Kwannon. This fusion created a new status quo for Psylocke, but it was short-lived.
The 1993 Twist: Two Psylockes?
In 1993's X-Men #20, written by Fabian Nicieza, the story took an even more intriguing turn. Psylocke, in her new form, attempted to seduce Cyclops, but things escalated when the original Psylocke suddenly reappeared, claiming the ninja version was an imposter. The X-Men were left confused, trying to unravel the truth. It turned out that the Hand had engineered a body swap, with Betsy's mind in Kwannon's body and vice versa.
This narrative twist was messy, and it all stemmed from a simple misunderstanding by Nicieza. He later admitted to CBR that he had misinterpreted the 1989 story and tried to fix the continuity error. It was a challenging task, especially before the internet age, where fact-checking was not as instantaneous.
The Cultural Shift and Marvel's Response
The original story had Kwannon (in Betsy's old body) succumbing to the Legacy Virus. However, in 2018, Marvel decided to address the cultural implications of the narrative. The concept of a British psychic in a Japanese assassin's body was seen as cultural appropriation, so Marvel took action. In Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor #4, written by Jim Zub, Psylocke fell victim to a soul assassin, Sapphire Styx, resulting in two versions of Betsy once again. Kwannon now claims the name Psylocke, while Betsy has taken on the role of Captain Britain.
Marvel's Attempt to Untangle the Confusion
Marvel's new Psylocke: Ninja miniseries, created by Tim Seeley and Nico Leon, aims to clarify this complex retcon. Instead of a wholly original story, they delve into the past, revealing how Betsy Braddock ended up in the ninja body. The panels retell previous flashbacks but with subtle changes in dialogue to straighten out the narrative. A crucial scene reveals that the Hand believed a fragment of Kwannon's soul would merge with Betsy's original body during the transformation.
The original Psylocke and Kwannon story is undeniably one of the most confusing in X-Men history. It contained a straightforward continuity error, and Nicieza's attempt to fix it was admirable, but it fell short. By retelling the story with these subtle changes, Marvel is essentially completing the retcon process. It's a rare opportunity for a comic book character, and the narrative's future is intriguing.
What's significant is the modern Psylocke's identity shift. She is now Kwannon, an odd inversion of the original story, where Betsy took Kwannon's body, and now Kwannon has taken her name. How will Seeley and Leon bring this narrative full circle?
Share your thoughts in the comments below and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!
