Warning: Spoilers for Psylocke #1!Even as anX-Menfan, falling in love withPsylocke’sdebut issue might be the biggest surprise I experienced in 2024. When news broke aboutPsylocke getting her own solo series, I was looking forward to reading it, but expectations were admittedly low. I mean no offense to Kwannon; she was always a cool character to me, and she was my main rushplay character inMarvel vs. Capcom- but not my favorite X-Man.
Boy,Psylocke#1 by Alyssa Wong, Vincenzo Carratù, Fer Sifuentes-Sujo, and Ariana Maher really makes me eat my words. Maybe it helps that my expectations were low going into this first issue, but they have skyrocketed, as I’m eagerly anticipatingfuture issues ofPsylockealready.
I’ll be honest and go a step further:Psylocke may have just shot right up my rankings of favorite X-Men characters, all because of this issue.
Psylocke#1 Gripped Me from Start to Finish, Making It One of My Favorite X-Men Issues of the Year
And Here’s What Happened
Psylocke #1opens with the title character heading into anX-Menmeeting eager to take on her next mission, mere hours after completing a solo covert mission in Palmdale, California. As someone dealing with his own post-Krakoa anxieties,X-Men leader Cyclopsbenches Kwannon, encouraging her to rest and take some time off on a mandatory vacation. That proves easier said than done, asKwannon’s nightmares haunt hereven as she sleeps next to her lover, John Greycrow. Not long into her vacation, she gets a call from Devon, who to me seems primed to beher Oracle-like character.
See more of Psylocke as a part of Cyclops' X-Men team in Jed Mackay and Ryan Stegman’s ongoingX-Menseries!
Deep into the dark web, the college techie receives an anonymous tip about A.I.M. working on a new Mutant Growth Hormone variant, sending coordinates for an unveiling party to Psylocke. This lead takes Kwannon undercover at the Gila Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona, where she discovers that mutant children trafficked from around the globe are being auctioned as ingredients to power MGH drugs. Horrified, she blows her cover and immediately springs into action.The issue ends with Kwannon questioning her penchant for murderafter killing a Skullbuster, who souped himself with MGH to become a monster.
Psylocke#1 Makes the Fall of Krakoa Really Mean Something
Psylocke’s PTSD and Krakoa’s Presence are Practically Characters
What stood out most to me aboutPsylocke#1 is that it’s very mucha character study of Kwannon based on two key factors: the loss of Krakoa and her ensuing grief. The series directly follows up onthe end of the Krakoa era. MostnewX-Menseries within the relaunchedFrom the Ashes era showcase the X-Men dealing with a post-Krakoa world, but for the most part, the initiative follows the X-Men trying to move on within a new status quo.Psylocke#1 is all about the title character struggling to do that moving on.
Kwannon is not sleeping, and she’s not slowing down, becausePsylocke is struggling to find a purpose now that Krakoa no longer exists. She says it herself in her inner monologue:“I don’t like being alone with my thoughts.“She’s not taking time to mourn or even contextualize what happened, nor understand how she’sfeeling about losing Krakoa. She’d rather push forward and not think about it, but trying to do so is doing her more harm than good - hence the nightmares.
“I Think Every X-Man Needs Therapy”: Marvel Writer Explains How the X-Franchise is Haunted By its Past
According to author Alyssa Wong, it’s no stretch to say “every X-Man needs therapy,” as she explained how trauma informs her new “Psylocke” series.
I absolutely adore character-driven stories that delve into the psyche of a character, andPsylocke#1 is exactly what I’m looking for. The story uses subtle nuances and an inner monologue to get to the root of who the title character is, which I think isa clever way for the creative team to work around a character who hates allowing herself to be vulnerable. It also makes me all the more excited to see how her dynamic with John evolves, as he’s the only person in the story she actually opens up to.
Classic X-Men Action Is One of the Highlights ofPsylocke#1
Action-Packed - and the Action Is Actually Exciting
Given her background of being a former instrument of the Hand and being an actual ninja because of it, I figured that action was going to be a part of the story, butPsylocke#1 still manages to kick that action into high gear. Not only is the action thrilling to witness from page to page, butthe way that Carratù draws Psylocke in action is what makes the action just as captivating as Wong’s storytelling. For instance, the opening panels highlighting Psylocke’s scattered motion, speeding and slicing through one person after another, are just mesmerizing.
I’m excited to see how Psylocke tries to find herself without an island to call her own.
The same can be said for the party fight where Psylocke springs into action against Skullbuster and Donald Pierce. Even before Skullbuster uses MGH patches to transform into some sort of dinosaur-monster hybrid, seeing Psylocke on the attack is just so wondrous to experience in real-time. Carratù’s Psylocke in action reads asgraceful, yet chaotic. She’s depicted like a ballet dancer in her movements whose next move can’t be predicted, especially when her speed sends her all over the room - before her next move happens to be slicing into someone’s face.
It Could Surprise a Lot of People
It’s funny - I mentioned that Psylocke was my main rushplay character inMarvel vs. Capcom, and in retrospect, that’s kind of what it feels like readingPsylocke#1. It’s likewatching a fighting game play out on the page.Or perhaps more appropriately, it’s a classic “beat ‘em” game likeSifu, Assassin’s Creed,orGhost of Tsushima,where you get to see the main character be the ultimate ass-kicker. Psylocke is exactly that ass-kicker. Not only does the character kick ass, but so does the premiere issue of her new book.
I’m excited to see how Psylocke tries to find herself without an island to call her own, finally making peace with what she’s lost. I can’t wait to see how her relationships with supporting characters like John and Devon develop over time. I am biting my nails, waiting to see what the action sequences will look like in future issues. Finally and most importantly, I already can’t wait to read the next issue ofPsylocke, as it’s something anyX-Menfan would enjoy.
Psylocke#1is available now from Marvel Comics.
Psylocke
A Mutant telepath and former Hand assassin, Kwannon’s history was entangled with that of Betsy Braddock via mind swap. Now restored into her own body, Psylocke has full mastery of deadly martial arts skills and psychic weaponry, and a new role as a member of the X-Men.
