Psylocke

Psylocke 1-4

I grew up with the Jim Lee Psylocke, the Japanese ninja.  I wouldn’t learn about the British telepath all dressed in pink until much later.  To me, she was the female equivalent of Gambit - mysterious with a super sweet costume and a badass martial artist with complementary mutant powers to back up her physical prowess.  Also, admittedly, she was super hot.

This was like the Farrah Fawcett poster for me.

This miniseries provides closure to a number of longstanding X-plots.  The first is the Betsy Braddock/Kwannon mess that Fabian Nicieza dropped on the readers seventeen years before this, following the creation of ninja Psylocke during the Acts of Vengeance four years before that.  The other is the assassination of Mariko, Wolverine’s beloved, which also happened almost two decades prior to this title’s publication.

Both storylines featured Matsuo Tsurayaba as the antagonist, so it’s hardly a surprise that he’s the one that ties everything together here.  Psylocke wants to kill him after he destroys the body of Betsy Braddock. (Betsy’s mind, of course, is currently residing in Kwannon’s body. Naturally.)  Wolverine wants to keep him alive. Not because murder is wrong, but because he’s been slicing off bits of Matsuo every year ever since Mariko’s death, and wants the punishment to continue for years to come.  Is it any wonder that these two would go on to form the ethically deficient X-Force later that year?

Talk about Acts of Vengeance.

After much fighting, Wolverine lets go of his hate and Psylocke mercy kills Matsuo, granting both X-Men at least a temporary measure of peace.  I enjoyed it, nice writing by Chris Yost and some really nice art by Harvey Tolibao.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good