The new year is going to be a big one for the X-Men with three, brand-new series coming up for some of Marvel’s best characters. It was previously announced that both Cyclops and Deadpool would be getting their own series, but for fans of Betsy Braddock, it’s one specific book that might just be the most exciting. Psylocke: Ninja is set to debut this January with the five-issue series heading into a lost chapter of X-Men history as it explores Betsy’s transformation into deadly assassin and her first encounter with none other than Elektra.
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And if the upcoming book wasn’t exciting enough on its own, ComicBook has an exclusive reveal of a special variant cover of Psylocke: Ninja #1 by Artgerm. The stunning cover will be available when the issue arrives January 21st and joins main cover from Derrick Chew, foil variant from Dike Ruan, and variants from Juan Frigeri and Nogi San in rounding out the stunning covers for this exciting new title.
Psylocke: Ninja As a “Spiritual Successor” to Rogue: The Savage Land
Written by Tim Seely with art by Nico Leon, Psylocke: Ninja is described as a flash back to a time when Psylocke was reborn into the ultimate killing machine. What sacrifice did Betsy make to save the X-Men? Why did the Hand choose Psylocke to be their weapon? And what does it have to do with their former assassin…Elektra? The book will dig into a lost story from the X-Men’s past, something Seely has previously teased as being a successor of sorts to another series that did much the same.
“Psylocke: Ninja is a sort of spiritual successor to Rogue: The Savage Land — essentially, taking an iconic moment from X-Men history, finding unexplored avenues, plots, and character relationships to dive deep into — and then dressing it up in the sexiest art and X-uniforms,” Seely said. “For Psylocke, the story of her forced servitude to the Hand, and how that might tie nicely into concurrent Daredevil stories from the same era was real interesting, because my god, it all fits.”
Psylocke: Ninja Is Set to Tell An Important Part of Her Story
While the idea of how Psylocke’s Hand era ultimately fits into Daredevil’s story and Elektra’s for X-Men fans the series is set to be a little larger than that. As fans of Psylocke recall, an amnesiac Betsy is taken by the Hand who brainwash her, turning her into their supreme assassin, complete with a new ninja body. While Betsy is later rescued and rejoins the X-Men — and overcomes her brainwashing — that time of her life is one ripe for exploration. Pitting her against Elektra is set to be Betsy’s most brutal test, and it’s something that Leon says was a joy to get to draw.
“I’ve always loved ninjas — the study of action, rhythm, and movement,” he said. “Diving into Psylocke and Elektra’s martial arts roots feels like being a kid again, sword in hand. Every panel is a joy to draw.”
Psylocke: Ninja #1 goes on sale January 21st.
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