Trained as an assassin since birth, the woman called Kwannon was meant to be a soulless killer. However, fate and her own choices allowed her to choose her own path. Now, as Psylocke, Kwannon uses her psychic powers and ninja skills in the service of a better tomorrow. Though now one of the X-Men, she often works alone, taking on those missions too dirty for her more idealistic teammates.
Written by Alyssa Wong with art by Vincenzo Carratù, Psylocke #1 centers around one such mission. Kwannon takes it upon herself to rescue a kidnapping victim. Though her client may be an anti-Mutant politician, Kwannon has little liking for seeing any woman in a helpless state, for obvious reasons.
The first five pages of Psylocke #1 may be viewed below.
(Image Source: Marvel / Vincenzo Carratù)
Even by the standards of X-Men, Psylocke has a fairly strange background. Originally, the body of the assassin Kwannon became possessed by the psychic Betsy Braddock. When Braddock was later able to reclaim her original body and became Captain Britan, Kwannon adopted the Psylocke name. Since then, she served the Mutant government of Krakoa with distinction, and joined the new X-Men team established by Cyclops and Beast.
In an interview at Marvel.com, Alyssa Wong spoke of why Kwannon was so personally fascinating. “Everything in her history points her to the path of a villain,” Wong explained. “Her background is so full of tragedy. So why does she choose to be a hero?”
Wong will explore this question, further promising the new series will not shy away from Kwannon’s past. “This is a dark emotional character story,” they continued. “But it will also be a ton of fun as well. I’m excited to do something super dark”
Psylocke #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on November 13, 2024.