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In UXM 272, Claremont uses a reunion with the broader X-Men and the extreme circumstances of collective torture to define and showcase Psylocke’s new emerging character in the wake of her recent transformation. #xmen @LetsTalkBetsy 1/7
The story is reminiscent of “Wolverine Alone” from UXM #133 in which Wolverine has to fight his way solo to the top of the Hellfire Club - an issue that is widely considered the emergence point of Wolverine as a character, and in 272, Betsy gets to play that role herself. 2/7
Interestingly, Psylocke is first scene used by Cameron Hodge in a hostage role to thwart a team escape attempt, placing Betsy quite firmly in the damsel in distress category opposed to a pair of masculinist heroes in Cable and Gambit. 3/7
Instead of opposing that role, she subverts it, first by acting appalled and horrified by Hodge's violence and second by begging to submit herself to the Genegineer’s mutate-making process (the alternative to Hodge’s torture). 4/7
Once in transition, Psylocke escapes her captors and Claremont is careful to highlight the abject joy with which she conducts her violent one-person mission against all odds, even comparing herself to Bruce Willis from Die Hard as she crawls through a vent. 5/7
Having established her cleverness, combat efficiency, and all-around resourcefulness, Claremont next reminds us of Betsy’s pragmatic callousness as she is unapologetically willing to let the Chief Magistrate die for her war crimes. 6/7
When Betsy returns for the other X-Men, she’s single-handedly engaging with Hodge by dual-wielding machine guns. It’s a badass moment for a badass character who’s been in a transitory enigmatic state recently. Here, Claremont reminds us who Psylocke is. 7/7
