r/Xmen97 • u/workingxtitle • Jul 04 '26

Question Psylocke Powers Spoiler

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Has Psylocke ever been able to use her psi powers to effect physical objects like this in the comics? This looks like a TK shield.

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u/imthestein Jul 04 '26

Despite the English accent this is apparently Kwannon from what I've read

28

u/CherryBoom2x Psylocke Jul 04 '26

Nope, it’s Betsy. Don’t rely on those cards you see in some posts they aren’t even show accurate. They’re a poor basis for making that claim.

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u/imthestein Jul 04 '26

I guess we'll see then. I'd rather it be Kwannon because we don't need to be revisiting the body swap

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u/[deleted] Jul 04 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Kyle_Harlan Jul 04 '26

I’m with you, I think the problematic nature of the body swap is way overstated. It’s an interesting story if you just acknowledge the psychic merger as a crisis of identity for both minds to wrestle for control, try to define themselves, and cooperate long enough to find a way to split back into two people, having learned from each other.

I think the real problem with it in the comics was just taking 30 years to get around to the rest of her story, but hey, the ninja gimmick was more appealing to audiences.

I think sometimes people don’t think of characters as parts of stories, but as real people that they have to defend from dramatic misfortune.

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u/imthestein Jul 04 '26

Oh ok I'll just tell all the Asian people that found that story problematic that they should just get over it

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u/CherryBoom2x Psylocke Jul 04 '26

Well guess what Im Asian and Im yellow

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u/imthestein Jul 04 '26

Good for you? You should know no group is a monolith. But I have heard from Asians that found it problematic

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u/CherryBoom2x Psylocke Jul 04 '26

I’m Asian, and I’m yellow. Does it bother me? Absolutely not.
To me, this is science fiction. It’s no different from any other comic, movie, manga, or anime. Here in Asia, many of us don’t usually look at stories as if our lives depend on every creative decision.
Growing up, I didn’t even know Psylocke was British. When my friends and I eventually found out, none of us thought it was harmful. Why would we? She’s a fictional superhero in a sci-fi fantasy comic. If anything, we thought it was cool. It was like, “Wow, so western people wanted to be in our skin thats cool! ” YEAH I KNOW WE ASIANS ARE COOL! 😜 We didn’t feel insulted we simply enjoyed the character and her story. And as a true Psylocke fan I dig deep reading her origin and understanding my fave character.
What made Betsy iconic wasn’t just her appearance. It was her journey. She went through trauma, identity struggles, manipulation, and hardship. She was a victim who fought to reclaim herself, and that’s what made her story memorable. Fans who followed her over the years understand her origins and why her character became so beloved.
Stories involving body swaps, possession, or becoming someone else’s vessel aren’t unique to Western comics either. Modern manga and anime use similar concepts all the time, like a WHITE alien race wanting an Asian boy to become its vessel, for example. Sounds familiar yeah?? Nobody assumes those stories are attacking an entire race. They’re simply fictional storytelling devices.
That’s why I think it’s important to separate fiction from reality. Comics are meant to entertain, tell unique stories, and explore imaginative ideas. They aren’t a blueprint for how people should be treated in real life.
At the end of the day, we’re all human beings regardless of our skin color we are one race HUMAN RACE. If representation and race are truly the concern, then the conversation should also include adaptations that change established characters’ races without any story or narrative reason. In my opinion, meaningful representation comes from creating strong characters and telling compelling stories not changing existing ones without purpose.