Kwannon is a trained assassin who found her identity in Krakoa. After the fall of the nation, Psylocke rejoined the X-Men. Check out her story in Psylocke #1 by Marvel Comics!
PSYLOCKE #1
Writer: Alyssa Wong
Artist: Vincenzo Carratù
Colorist: Fer Sifuentes-Sujo
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Editor: Darren Shan
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: December 13th, 2024
Previously in Psylocke: Kwannon’s telepathic powers made her a killer for the Hand. After a body swap with Betsy Braddock and her return to her own body, she took on the legacy of Psylocke. Wielding her iconic psy-blade, she became a deadly and versatile member of the X-Men.
Psylocke #1 begins with Kwannon feeling overworked. Between her X-Man duties, she rescues mutants and takes odd jobs. Because of this, Cyclops benches her and tells her to take a vacation. She visits John Greycrow, and they share a romantic moment interrupted by nightmares from Psylocke’s past. She eventually takes on another job, working with a tech sidekick named Devon, who helps her infiltrate a party hosted by A.I.M., where a new variant of the mutant growth hormone is being developed.
Dressed in a sleek outfit, she infiltrates the party and discovers an auction for this drug that grants temporary powers. However, she also learns that mutant children are being auctioned off, triggering something deep within her. She battles A.I.M., Donald Pierce, and Skullbuster to free the children. Skullbuster ends up overdosing on multiple mutant hormone patches, transforming into a monstrous form, forcing Psylocke to kill him. The issue ends with a bloodied Psylocke rescuing the children.
To me, Psylocke is one of the prominent East Asian characters in comics, though her representation is sometimes oversimplified. Initially hesitant to pick up Psylocke #1, I was pleasantly surprised to see the character gaining more depth as she confronts her trauma. Psylocke is no longer just the “ninja mutant” but a complex character with faults. She feels dynamic on the page, especially during the scene where she disrupts the auction to save the children, falling back into her killer instinct. While this trope is common in X-Men characters (I’m looking at you, Wolverine), it was refreshing to see Psylocke portrayed with real depth and holding her own in a solo title.
The art style is engaging from the first page. The character design of her X-Men outfit and dress is visually appealing, thanks to vibrant color choices. While I sometimes questioned some of the angles used, the colors enrich the comic.
This is one of the standout titles in Marvel’s new run. Although it is tonally a bit dark compared to other series, Psylocke #1 is worth reading. With that in mind, I’d give this comic 4.5 out of 5 stars. I’m curious to see if she’ll fully return to heroism or embrace her killer instincts. I hope the series continues to explore her identity as more than just a title.
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Psylocke #1
Psylocke #1 offers an engaging story of trauma and self-discovery, handled compellingly.
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Christopher Rondeau is a storyteller based in Tulsa, OK. Finding himself with little work, he ended up creating a job as a Game Master full time on the internet. Chris spends most of his days reading everything he can, writing bad fiction, and watching old Digimon cartoons with his daughter. Sometimes you can find him Dungeon Mastering a podcast or streaming on twitch. Recently, he has completed his Master's degree with a focus on collaborative storytelling. Find out more at https://rondeaucreator.com