Psylocke in the MC2

 

Gee, that X-Men ’97 Season 2 sure is shaping up to be a phenomenal bit of television. Among the multitude of mutant plotlines, teams and characters vying for screentime is none other than Psylocke. While there’s some confusion of which incarnation of the character is appearing in animation, today we are going to look at a Psylocke who never appeared at all: Psylocke in the MC2.

 

Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Braddock first appeared  in the pages of Marvel UK’s Captain Britain #8 in 1976 before briefly assuming her sibling’s eponymous mantle in Captain Britain (vol. 2) #12 in 1985. Betsy would make the jump to Marvel’s American comics line with the New Mutants Annual #2 in 1986, taking on the codename Psylocke for the first time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, I am not dipping into the ocean of X-Men retcons that surrounds the whole body-swap narrative. Perhaps at another time for a deep dive? Let’s jump into the MC2, shall we?

 

As I mentioned above, Psylocke doesn’t appear on-panel in the MC2. Heck, she doesn’t even get name-dropped -not directly at least- but she is referenced. In Rina Logan’s aka Wild Thing’s debut in J2 #5 where, during a scrap with J2, Rina reveals her ability to manifest psychic claws which she was taught by her godmother. The whole ‘manifest pink-purple psychic energy in the form of a weapon’ modus operandi certainly suggests Psylocke, doesn’t it?

 

Wild Thing co-creator Tom Defalco did throw some doubt into the mix in the pages of the Wizard Magazine Wolverine Special 1999:

 

One familiar X-Character readers will definitely be seeing in the near future is Wild Thing’s mysterious godmother, the mutant who taught her to wield her psychic claws. Only problem is, the powers-that-be can’t agree on who she is. Most people -including Hama- think it’s Psylocke. But Defalco thinks otherwise.

“Everyone’s guessing Psylocke mainly because the claws are purple,” says the cagey Defalco. “I think Psylocke would be a boring choice now.”

 

While the article also mentions Rina’s godmother’s identity would be revealed soon, as we all know by now, the Wild Thing series was cancelled prematurely with #5. All future storylines remain unpublished and unresolved.

 

However, in the pages of both the All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #12 and the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #13 Hardcover, the profile for Wild Thing has this to say:

 

‘Rina Logan was trained to be a hero from a young age by her parents. She was also taught how to manifest psychic claws by her godmother, Betsy Braddock (Psylocke).’ 

 

 

 

Whatever the truth is, it remains tucked away in a Marvel office drawer under psy-lock and key. Psylocke. Psyche. You get it.

 

Until those unseen MC2 issues see the light of day, I remain

 

frogoat

History of the MC2: The X-Men

I was inspired recently to make a timeline of events covering the history of the MC2, spanning the nebulous 15 year stretch of time after the Main Marvel Universe (or Universe-616) split off and became the MC2 (or Universe-982) and before the next-generation of heroes began to debut starting with J2 #1, A-Next #1 and What If #105.

The X-Men of the MC2. Colour artwork by Erundel.

Given that X-Men: Dark Phoenix is hitting cinemas, for the sixth installment of this series I've chosen to examine the history of the oft-forgotten team of mutants, the MC2's X-Men. Following a few references to the original mutant team in the series, we get our first glimpse of the X-Men in J2 #7 via a flashback to 'The Last Days of the Original Juggernaut'. It's here we learn Cain Marko aka the Juggernaut reformed and joined the X-Men, eventually being lost on a mission while at the Crossroads of Infinity though some details would remain unrevealed.

We get hints of the Juggernaut's final mission as early as J2 #1 with mentions of him being lost in a 'weird alien dimension' when Cain's son -Zane- has a recurring nightmare about his father. It's also in this issue we first learn that Cain met, fell in love with and married Sachi Yama a few years prior to his disappearance. Zane also mentions his parents were married 'a few years' before his disappearance and recalls his father taking him to Central Park or the movies when he was 'only a kid' which gives us a vague order of events.

We get hints and mentions throughout the J2 series until #12 reveals that Cain's final mission with the X-Men was to save the Earth from the Overlords Eight. While on their way back from the Crossroads of Infinity, the X-Men ran into an army of creatures called Darklings and Cain was imprisoned and tortured by one of the Overlords Eight, Nemesus. Cain would spend many years trapped in Nemesus' dimension, eventually inadvertantly transferring much of his powers as Juggernaut to his son, Zane.

The X-Men team that Cain Marko joins is led by Wolverine and other teammates included Wolfsbane (Rahne Sinclair), Synch (Everett Thomas), Siryn (Theresa Cassidy) and 'Hopper' (J2 #7, J2 #12 and Wild Thing #5). Notably, Cyclops mentions he was on a sabbatical at the time the Juggernaut joined the X-Men (J2 #7) and the latter made peace with his stepbrother, Charles Xavier (Wild Thing #5).

In addition to the mystery of original Juggernaut, we have a few other bits and pieces of information which help us assemble a very loose order of events surrounding the X-Men. At some point in the past, Wolverine regained his adamantium which at the time the issue was published, had not occurred in the Main Marvel Universe (J2 #10). Cain Marko's and his former partner in crime, Black Tom Cassidy, had a falling out, possibly as a result of Cain dating Sachi Yama (J2 #7).  Cassidy Keep, the ancestrial home of Black Tom has been seemingly uninhabitated following Tom's disappearance 'years ago' (J2 #9).

Wild Thing aka Rina Logan mentions growing up in a super hero team (Spider-Girl #½), and learning how to manifest her psi-claws from her 'Godmother' (J2 #5), most certainly a reference to the X-Men and Psylocke respectively.

In Wild Thing #3 we learn that Mr Woodhill, the social studies teacher at Upper Saddle River High was involved in a crash ten years prior, spending a year in the hospital as a result. While there Woodhill was transformed into a Sleeper Sentinel, including suppression implants to ensure he remained unaware he was a cyborg. Jubilee explains that the X-Men had years ago attempted to find all the Sleeper Sentinels but some -such as Mr Woodhill- had gone undetected. Using a program devised by Dr McCoy and Forge, the Sleeper Sentinels would have their Sentinel activation nullified, allowing them to continue on believing they were ordinary humans (Wild Thing #3).

As noted in my History of the MC2: The Avengers post, Jubilee was active as a member of the Avengers interim team that formed following several losses during a mission to an alternate world (What If #105, A-Next #1 and #7 and Spider-Girl #32). Based on that information, we know this was around 10-11 years prior to the present-day in the MC2 seen in What If #105. 

Zane notes that thanks to the efforts and sacrifices of the X-Men, anti-mutant sentiment has been on the down-swing for the past few years and that the X-People currently operate from a mansion in Saddle River, New Jersey (J2 #2). Additionally, Rina seems to imply that both the X-Men and X-People teams currently exist (J2 # 10). The continued existence of the X-Men team is confirmed by Mainframe in Spider-Girl #92, in which we also learn Magneto hasn't been seen in years and is believed by some to be dead. 

With all that covered, we can piece together a very rough outline of events for Marvel's Merry Mutants, the X-Men during the approximately 15-year span prior to present-day events in the MC2 starting with What If #105:

• Cain Marko falls in love with Sachi Yama and reforms

• Cain has a falling out with Black Tom Cassidy, possibly over Sachi

• At some point Black Tom Cassidy disappears

• Wolverine regains his adamantium under unrevealed circumstances

• Cain joins the X-Men led by Wolverine. Cyclops is on a sabbatical around this time.

• Sachi and Cain are married and their son, Zane Marko is born.

• A few years later, Cain is lost on a mission with the X-Men and is imprisoned and tortured by Nemesus of the Overlords Eight
• Jubilee joins the Avengers following the loss of many of their members. 

• Several people are transformed into Sleep Sentinels including Mr Woodhill. 

• Dr Hank McCoy and Forge devise a method of neutralizing the Sentinel programming, allowing the Sleepers to lead normal lives unaware they are cyborgs. However Woodhill and others remain undetected.

• Following several sacrifices by the X-Men, anti-mutant sentiment is reduced. 

• At some point, Magneto disappears and is thought dead by some.

• Working from a mansion in Saddle River, New Jersey, the X-People team is formed and named by Jubilee. 

• The X-Men team continues to operate and oversee the newer team in some capacity.

While much of the dating of events remains extremely unclear, and certain events (such as Zane's birth or characters disappearances) could easily be placed elsewhere, I believe this is a pretty good summation of the available information. As there are still several plot threads left unresolved and more than a few X-Men teammates' whereabouts unaccounted for, I'd sincerely love the X-Men of the MC2 to get some more page time one day. Perhaps in an X-People mini series?

Until I develop mutant powers, don a yellow a blue skin-tight outfit and fight for equality in world that fears and hates me, I remain

frogoat