So, you’re probably here because you’re a little confused about who Psylocke is. Sometimes she’s called “Betsy,” and sometimes she’s called “Kwannon,” so who is she? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Many people before you have been confused about what’s going on with her, and many more after you will be confused. 

Let’s start from the beginning. There was a white British girl with telepathic powers named Betsy Braddock who dyed her hair purple, created back in 1976's Captain Britain #8 by artist Herb Trimpe and the British-born writer Chris Claremont. Betsy became one of the X-Men in 1986 when she joined under the code name Psylocke in the New Mutants Annual #2 by Claremont and Alan Davis. So, initially, Psylocke is a white British lady named Betsy in her original body.

Then, beginning with 1989’s Uncanny X-Men #256 by Claremont, Jim Lee, and Scott Williams, Betsy became amnesiac and was kidnapped by the ninja organization known as the Hand. And for lack of a better word, Betsy was given a 'makeover' that transformed her physical appearance into that of a Japanese woman’s (with purple hair and eyes), because “we can’t have a Westerner running the Hong Kong underworld" according to her then-boss, the Mandarin. With her new look, Betsy was trained by the Hand and became a ninja assassin. 

Not surprisingly, this would later be retconned in 1993 in an X-Men storyline by Fabian Nicieza and Andy Kubert, where it was revealed that Betsy’s new look/appearance was actually the result of a body swap with a Japanese ninja named Kwannon. So in effect, Betsy’s mind was placed within the body of Kwannon, while Kwannon’s mind was put in Betsy’s body by the villain Spiral. 

Kwannon, in Betsy’s body, was understandably confused and experienced amnesia. But she still became a member of the X-Men. Unfortunately, Kwannon in Betsy’s body died not long after, and she would stay dead until the Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor mini-series in 2018 by Jim Zub, Leonard Kirk, and Thony Silas, where she was reborn in her own body, finally. Kwannon’s mind being returned to her body coincided with Betsy being reunited with her original body in the Mystery in Madripoor mini-series. So good for them! 

It’s during the X-Men’s Krakoan Age the next year that Kwannon and Betsy got to finally live separate lives in their original bodies. Kwannon took on the codename Psylocke while Betsy became Captain Britain. And the two have remained separate in comics ever since. 

Now, in terms of their powers, the body swap introduced some changes. Before the body swap, Kwannon had “low-level telepathic abilities,” but once her mind was placed in Betsy’s body, she could create psionic bladed weapons. When Betsy was in Kwannon’s body, she learned to be a ninja from The Hand, making her an expert martial artist. So as odd and probably distressing the whole body swap thing was for both women, at least they came out of the whole ordeal with new abilities that have made them formidable warriors.

To me, my X-Men fans. Want more about Marvel's mutants? You don't need Cerebro to find what you should read next... we made a list!

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• How to read the Marvel Comics' X-Men in order following the Krakoa era
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• How to watch the X-Men movies in order