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 All future storylines remain unpublished and unresolved.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

How I Made My First Marvel Legends Custom Figure

Something different for today! I’ve had a recent desire to get back into a childhood hobby of mine: Marvel Legends! With the march of time, the toy line of Marvel figures has changed hands from Toy Biz to Hasbro and there’s been many improvements in how these toys are made. With that said, I found a bunch of heavily discounted Marvel Legends figures, many of them X-Men related, and on a whim, I snapped them up with one goal: make custom MC2 Marvel Legends figures!  Here’s my first attempt, making the leader of the Uncanny X-People; Jubilee as she appears in the MC2.

 

To start off with, I had purchased the X-Men ’97 series Jubilee figure which has a great head sculpt and detailing. Normally Jubilee figures portray her rocking her iconic 90’s clothing with the blue gloves, rolled up yellow jacket, pink shirt and blue shorts, but the figure here reflects her costume change from seen at the end of X-Men ‘97’s first season. Fortunately, I also picked up the Husk figure from the Nemesis Build-A-Figure series, which has the now-classic Generation X red body suit I needed. I learned as a kid that hot water and Marvel Legends don’t mix, and thus with a ‘boil and pop’ I hit what I thought was my first stumbling block.

 

Oh no! Are the heads not interchangeable? Turns out the pegs are designed the same, and with a little adjustment I was able to swap them over. Some blue tack was required as one head socket was bigger than the other. The boil and pop let me take Jubilee’s coat and arms out and re-place them on the Husk figure’s torso.

 

The second problem, and again it was very minor, was the hands. Jubilee in the MC2 wears yellow gloves, the 90’s version had blue gloves and neither of these figures had either. Enter the Age of Apocalypse Rogue figure which was part of the Colossus Build-A-Figure series. Marked down a ridiculous 80%, I got this and several others in a bundle very cheap. And she has yellow gloves. Everything came together and all is right with the world, folks!

 

Anyway, I’m extremely happy with how this turned out and how easily the parts came together. I’m looking forward to making more in the (MC2) future so stay tuned!

 

Until I figure out how to paint figures, manufacture my own accessories and make my own dollies, I remain

 

frogoat

Adamantium in the MC2

 

Let’s rip into yet another X-Men ’97 related topic today, with a quick look at the nigh-indestructible Marvel metal alloy: Adamantium, as it relates to the world of the MC2. Prepare for an injection of information about Adamantium in the MC2.

 

Before I jump into the history of the amazing alloy, I have to address Captain America’s shield. Prior to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it was commonly held ‘wisdom’ that the virtually indestructible shield of Captain America was composed of Adamantium. However, this is not the full story. The shield is a unique combination of ‘Proto-Adamantium’ (apparently even stronger than its successor) and Wakandan Vibranium. Even that account was retconned or disputed in the Avengers (vol. 3) Annual 2001. But that’s a story for another time and another post all its own!

 

True Adamantium first appeared in the Main Marvel Universe or Universe-616 in Avengers (vol. 1) #66 as the creation of a Dr. Myron Maclain who has invited various Avengers including Thor and Iron Man and Goliath (Clint Barton) aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier to test their abilities against it in order to confirm it’s durability. Against his will, The Vision steals the Adamantium and uses it to rebuild his creator, Ultron.

Most notably, Wolverine is the poster boy for Adamantium. First appearing in a single panel of Incredible Hulk #180 and making his first full appearance in Incredible Hulk #181, where Wolverine reveals to the Hulk his claws are ‘forged of diamond-hard Adamantium’. But it’s not until X-Men #98 that the X-Men (and the readers) learn the claws are a part of his body rather than attached to his gloves. Mention is made of Wolverine’s ‘unbreakable bones’ in X-Men #124 before X-Men #126 has Logan outright state he has ‘a skeleton made of about three million bucks worth of Adamantium’. And that’s not adjusted for inflation!

 

We see this ‘Weapon X’ experiment play out in the pages of Marvel Comics Presents #72-#84. Logan survives the experiment due to his mutant healing factor but loses his memory. Writer Larry Hama addressed a significant issue fans had with Logan having Adamantium bonded to his skeleton in Wolverine (vol. 2) #80. There it was explained that Logan’s own mutant physiology had caused a molecular change in the metal- creating what was identified as ‘Adamantium Beta’ -allowing it to bond directly into his skeletal material without inhibiting the living nature of his bones.

 

Now we come to the X-Men storyline known as Fatal Attractions, during which Magneto returns to his villainous ways and uses his powers to rip the Adamantium from Wolverine (X-Men (vol. 2) #25), nearly killing him and shortly afterwards revealing Logan had bone claws beneath the Adamantium the whole time (Wolverine (vol. 2) #75).

Logan would spend several publication years without Adamantium which brings us to the MC2. While on an apparent rescue mission in Madripoor with Wolverine, Zane Yama asks the Canadian former X-Man when he got his Adamantium back. Amusingly, the MC2 predicted and pre-dated the restoration of Wolverine’s Adamantium-coated skeleton, which didn’t occur until Wolverine (vol. 2) #145, published several months later (J2 #10).

 

Jumping back a few months, in the pages of A-Next #6, while helping the hero Argo to find his father Hercules, the Avengers find themselves in the secret S.H.I.E.L.D. facility within Mount Athena. There they learn 'The Merchandise' (actually Hercules himself) is buried several miles within the mountain in a special Adamantium cell. Agent 33 receives orders from 'The Top Man himself' to allow the Avengers to take custody of Hercules.

The following month in J2 #7 we have a one-panel appearance from the mainstay Daredevil villain and assassin Bullseye. I mention this as Bullseye received Adamantium-laced bones to some degree after his spine was shattered in Daredevil #181. This took place in Daredevil #197-#198 at the hands of Kenji Oyama (Lord Dark Wind), the man who originally conceived the method of bonding Adamantium to bones which was stolen and used on Wolverine. Of course, the MC2 Bullseye might instead be a descendant, as was once humorously suggested by Ron Frenz…

 

Back in J2 #8 we get the first appearance of Sabreclaw aka Hudson, the half-brother of Rina Logan aka Wild Thing and the son of Wolverine. While it doesn’t appear to be explicitly referenced in the comics unless I’ve missed something, the All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Update #3 confirms that Hudson’s claws have been reinforced with Adamantium sheaths. Additionally, while the Avengers are preparing for a conflict with the Adamantium-bodied Ultron Extreme, Sabreclaw quips that he has ‘experience against Adamantium.’ (Avengers Next #3).

 

 I hope this slice of MC2 history helped provide some context and insight into Adamantium. Let me know if I missed anything as it relates to the MC2!

 

Until I survive a horrific experiment that laces my body with an indestructible metal, survive its removal and then willingly agree to undergo the same experiment again, I remain

 

frogoat