Full spoilers for X of Swords to follow! Marvel’s X of Swords is officially over and the final three issues released this week made for an explosive finale in the twenty-two part crossover. Though the bodycount for the event wasn’t as high as we might have expected, it did end with some major new shifts in the Marvel Universe including Apocalypse staying with his wife in Amenth and leaving Krakoa behind, Wolverine perhaps having a major antagonist waiting in the wings for him, and Mister Sinister remains tricky. There was also one minor thing…. as Jonathan Hickman picked up a plot thread that he started in his 2013 run on New Avengers as he brought back the Captain Britain Corps!
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The Captain Britain Corps is the multiversal army led by Queen Saturnyne out of the Starlight Citadel and they were wiped out in Marvel continuity by the Incursions in Hickman’s New Avengers run and lead up to Secret Wars. As the final issue of X of Swords revealed however the entire event was seemingly set up by her so that she could reassemble the Captain Britain Corps and reunite her with her one true love, Brian Braddock. The twist of course is that his sister Betsy Braddock was the wielder of the Starlight Sword and previously established as the rightful Captain Britain, so when the call went out and the Corps was assembled, its membership was made up of various versions of Betsy, much to the chagrin of Saturnyne.
As fans might recall, Betsy was the first victim of the X of Swords tournament, shattering into a million pieces almost like stained glass during her fight. Saturnyne reassembled the pieces of Betsy holding the sword together, which triggered the return of the Captain Britain Corps, but as the issue confirms she remains missing in action.
Confirms members of the new Captain Britain Corps, as seen in the issue and spotlighted in one of its final pages include: Captain Amphibian of Earth-22, Sister Britain of Earth-65 (the universe of Spider-Gwen), Captain Albion of Earth-523 (one of the original Captains seen in their inaugural issue), Captain Granbretan of Earth-1812 (a literal dragon), Captain Baboon of Earth-8101 (a literal Baboon), The Violet Swan of Earth-8311 (a literal swan), Elspeth Braddock of Earth-13059 (A Tolkein like universe), and Britannica Rex of Earth-99476 (a literal T-Rex). You can find their big splash page above.
The final pages of X of Swords revealed that the Corps is back in its full form, awaiting the beck and call of Queen Saturnyne, who is miserable because this corps isn’t made up of various alternate versions of her one true love. Long may she reign.
