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| “ | Millions of souls were being consumed every second. There was no other way. And you know that. But you made me do it. So you get to stay the good guy | „ |
| ~ Psylocke. |
| “ | That's right. Because pain goes away. Just like this hurt will. So just remember -- all pain is only temporary, okay? No hurt lasts forever. | „ |
| ~ Psylocke. |
Psylocke (real name Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock), is a fictional character and superheroine from Marvel comics, appearing as a major character in the Captain Britain and X-Men comics.
She is one of the children of Sir James Braddock, a champion of the Otherworld, another dimension who was sent to Earth by Merlyn to father a child to become Captain Britain. As her twin brother, Brian, became the superhero Captain Britain, Betsy developed telepathic powers when she reached her teenage years while in New York. She eventually joined the ranks of the X-Men under the nickname "Psylocke" after being rescued from Mojo and Spiral. She was his ally during several adventures and even replaced him as Captain Britain for a time, and is currently doing so after Brain become "Captain Avalon".
She was created by Chris Claremont and the late Herb Trimpe, and first appeared in Captain Britain Vol. #8 in December of 1976.
History
Background
Betsy is a pilot, secret agent, supermodel, and twin sister of Captain Britain. She developed psychic powers and spent some years as a supporting character in her brother's book, then had a brief but disastrous go at filling in for him and was blinded by his nemesis. After that she tried to quit superheroing but was kidnapped by Mojo and rescued by the New Mutants.
She was initially a character with mediocre fighting skills but excellent telepathy. She was later kidnapped in China and turned into a McNinja, getting magically body-merged with the mutant assassin Kwannon (resulting in the assassin looking like Psylocke, and Psylocke looking Asian but with her face still recognizable) and picking up super martial arts skills. She even got a psychic knife, which after she switched her powers from telepathy to telekinesis turned into a telekinetic katana.
In the aftermath of Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor, Betsy regained her original British body after causing the psychic vampire Sapphire Styx to explode using the power of her victims' souls, which also brought Kwannon back to life.
Biography
Early Life
Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock was born in London to Sir James Braddock and Elizabeth Hartwood, and is the sister of Jaime Braddock and the twin of Brian Braddock. Betsy's father wasn't from Earth, but was a denizen from Otherworld, who was sent there to father a child that would become Captain Britain. During her childhood, Betsy was closer to Jaime than Brian, as she admired her older brother's occupation as a race driver. Once she reached her teenagers years, Betsy decided to move to New York to become a supermodel, and while there, her mutant powers activated presumably due to suffering from trauma. After her parents were killed in an accident caused by Mastermind, Betsy became a charter pilot.
Heroics
After Brian become "Captain Britain", Betsy assisted him in going to the Braddock manor to help Jaime after he suffered a car accident. When arriving at the manor, her plan was downed by Dr. Synne, who then proceed to brainwash Betsy to kill Jaime and Brian, but they subdued her. Betsy would then leave piloting to continue her modelling career, where she came into contact with S.T.R.I.K.E.'s psi team that decided to recruit her due to her telepathic powers. While as an agent of S.T.R.I.K.E., Betsy suffered from mental trauma when her colleague Tom Lennox was killed when she had a psychic link with him, but was taught by Victoria Bentley to learn how to harness the trauma to control her powers.
Becoming Captain Britain
When Brian refused to help the R.C.X., Betsy was persuaded by Agent Gabriel to become the new Captain Britain, which gave her enhanced strength and flight. She then received training from Captain UK, who became her partner for several months until he decided that she could begin a solo career as the new Captain Britain. During her tenure as the hero, Betsy was blinded by Slaymaster and Vixen, which led to Brian to take back the mantle as his twin had to recover from her injuries. She began a romantic relationship with Agent Gabriel, and later accepted his proposal of marriage.
Becoming Psylocke
Though Betsy intended to get married to Agent Gabriel, she was kidnapped by Mojo and Spiral, who proceeded to give her cybernetic eyes and have her brainwashed to star in their show, the Wildways. Braddock was given the codename "Psylocke" by the villains, and was brainwashed to star in the show to lure in teenagers to join the Bratpack. She would be rescued by the X-Men members Cypher and Warlock when they rescued their teammates, and decided to bring her to Professor X's school since her powers were mutant in origin. Betsy battled Sabretooth while the X-Men dealt with the Marauders, and impressed with her courage, decided to allow her to join the team.
Powers and Abilities
Psylocke has been classified as a master martial artist, though the specific fighting arts she has mastered have never been revealed. Presumably, as a ninja, she is skilled in various Ninjutsu techniques such as Taijutsu and Ninjaken. Even though she is known as a ninja and worked for The Hand as one, her fighting skills and techniques far surpass those of the average Hand ninja or Crimson Dawn Undercloak. Her skills have been said to rival those of a ninja master.
As a telepath, Psylocke used to take advantage of her powers in a fight by reading her opponents' movements seconds before they made them, giving her the opportunity to counter-attack faster, and she could also use her telepathy to mask her presence from other people, humans and super-humans alike. She also used to create telepathic illusions to distract her enemies while fighting them and as a ninja, she used her psychic knife to incapacitate her opponents without killing them, though she has less inhibitions about doing so and will if necessary.
As a telekinetic, she often used her powers to augment her strength, durability, agility, and speed, which made her fighting skills so strong that she was able to match and even outmatch other superhumanly strong opponents like a holographic version of Sabretooth in the Danger Room. Psylocke was also able to match Rogue’s attacks during a training session, despite the fact that Rogue had greatly enhanced speed and strength at the time.
Psylocke is also a competent pilot, having been tasked to pilot the X-men Blackbird on a few occasions
She also has a bit of skill in seduction. She managed to get Fantomex to get laid with her for the first time to satisfying her curiosity. Psylocke has a decent taste in sex, as she cruelly dismissed Fantomex after spending the night with him, adressed him as a "product"
Personality
Miscellaneous Information
Height: 180 cm (5'11")
Weight: 70 kg (155 lb.)
Build: Athletic
Eyes: Purple (Blue – natural)
Hair: Dark Violet (Blonde – natural)
Place of Birth: Braddock Manor, England, United Kingdom
Portrayals
Films
- In the X-Men movies, she was portrayed by Olivia Munn in X-Men Apocalypse.
Television
- In the X-Men animated series, she was voiced by Tasha Simms.
- In Wolverine and the X-Men, she was voiced by Grey DeLisle, who voices Daphne Blake in the Scooby-Doo series, and also voiced Mandy in The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Sam Manson in Danny Phantom, and Catwoman in the Arkhamverse and Injustice series.
- In X-Men 97, she appears in this series on Disney+ but hasn't confirmed by voiced actress.
Video Games
- In X-Men: Children of the Atom, Marvel Super Heroes & Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, she was voiced by Catherine Disher, who also voiced Jill Valentine in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, Marvel Super Heroes, and Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes.
- In X-Men: Mutant Academy 2, she was voiced by Jane Luk.
- In X-Men: Next Dimension, she was voiced by Masasa Moyo, who also voiced Adi Gallia in Star Wars: Obi-Wan and Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter, Lisa Hamilton in Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 and Dead or Alive Paradise.
- Mayo reprised her voice for the character in X-Men Legends.
- In Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, she was voiced by Kim Mai Guest, who also voiced Mei Ling in the Metal Gear Solid series.
- In Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, she was voiced by Kimberly Brooks, who also voiced Ashley Williams in the Mass Effect trilogy, Luna in the Scooby-Do franchise, and Bumblebee in DC Super Hero Girls.
- In Marvel Super Hero Squad Online, she was voiced by Laura Bailey, who also voiced Jaina Proudmoore in the World of Warcraft series, Nadine Ross in the Uncharted series, Mary Jane Watson in Marvel's Spider-Man, and Supergirl in Injustice 2.
- In Deadpool, she was voiced by Melissa Disney.
- In Marvel Heroes, she was voiced by April Stewart, who voices Liane Cartman and Carol McCormick in South Park, and also voiced Aphrodite in God of War III, and Raava in The Legend of Korra.
- In Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, she was voiced by Erica Lindbeck.
- In Marvel Rivals, she was voiced by Alpha Takahashi
Motion Comics
- In Wolverine versus Sabretooth, she was voiced by Heather Doerksen, who also voiced Stephanie in The Barbie Diaries, and Phaedra in Barbie & the Diamond Castle, Leia Organa, Mon Mothma, and Shmi Skywalker in Lego Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles and Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales.
Trivia
- In her original body, Betsy Braddock was a natural blonde.
- In New Mutants Volume 1 Annual 2, Betsy makes her first appearance in American comics.
- Betsy still has the knowledge of Kwannon's body.
- Psylocke and Cypher were mutually attracted to each other, but nothing ever came of it. Probably due to the major age gap, which is illegal.
- When Psylocke was in Kwannon's body she was attracted to Cyclops, and mentally manipulated him to be attracted to her, but nothing ever came of it. She later admitted to Jean that this was due to the presence of Kwannon's lingering personality traits in her mind, but that she did in fact find Cyclops attractive.
- Psylocke was involved in a long term relationship with Angel, but they broke up when they realized they were too different.
- Psylocke was involved in a relationship with Thunderbird up until her death.
- Psylocke and Beast flirted with one another in X-Treme X-Men Vol 1. It was revealed in the same comic that Dr. McCoy had a crush on Betsy when she was a supermodel.
- Though Psylocke's earlier costumes were considered to be basically modest, she has been known lately for her unusually revealing costumes; a habit she shares with Emma Frost.
- As Betsy and Kwannon had merged mind, powers and body, Pyslocke's body has the appearance of a curvy partial-Asian mostly-Caucasian woman.
- She was intended to be a playable character in X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse but was scrapped.
 Heroes
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