Welcome, X-Fans, to another uncanny edition of X-Men Monday at AIPT!
It’s Psylocke’s long-overdue time to shine. Not only does Kwannon have a prime spot on Cyclops’ X-Men team, but come November 13, 2024, the lethal mutant will headline her very own “From the Ashes” ongoing series. Based on all the questions I received, X-Fans are ready for it — but also incredibly curious about the still-mysterious Psylocke.
Fortunately, writer Alyssa Wong was willing to return to X-Men Monday to shed some light on their upcoming Psylocke series. Let’s see what Alyssa has to say (and keep your eyes peeled for this week’s X-Men Monday eXclusives throughout the conversation)!
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: Welcome back to X-Men Monday, Alyssa! Before we dig into X-Fans’ questions (and we got a lot!), how did the chance to helm the “From the Ashes” Psylocke series come about?
Alyssa Wong: So, when I was wrapping up my 40-issue run of Doctor Aphra, editor Darren Shan approached me about this project. I’ve worked with Darren before on some Shang Chi projects. I love Darren. I think he’s got a really keen, insightful editorial eye. So I was excited to get to work with him again. We talked about Psylocke as a character, who has a long history in comics — but it’s Betsy Braddock. We’ve barely scratched the surface of who Kwannon is as a person.
That was something Darren brought up to me. He said, “I really want to do a dark character story exploring who Kwannon is as a person.” To me, that really sounded exciting. Kwannon was raised from childhood by an assassin cult, right? She was groomed to be a killer. She has a tragic past that’s marked with death and loss, and she’s been robbed of her autonomy — and especially her body. And all of these things set her up to be a villain. So Darren’s question that I found really interesting was, if she was set up to be a villain, then why does she choose to be a hero? And the thing that I thought of from there was, what does being a hero cost her?
Exclusive art by Vincenzo Carratù, courtesy of Marvel Comics
So again, we’re exploring not just who she is, but also who she wants to be going forward. I also haven’t done a lot of dark stories for Marvel, but my roots are in character-centric horror short fiction. So I’m excited to flex those muscles again. Expect body horror. In advance, I am both sorry and excited for what I’m about to put everybody through with Psylocke. (Laughs)
AIPT: Let’s talk about your relationship with Kwannon. X-Fan Stiles said we all love a powerful, deadly, fearless woman — but apart from that, what do you find so special about Kwannon?
Alyssa: Stiles is right. I love a powerful, deadly, fearless woman. They’re so fun to write. But I realized I’m a sucker for survivors and tragic characters. The question I always think of is, how do you find hope after everything in your life has done its best to destroy you? When everything feels hopeless, how do you rebuild and grow? Do you give in, or do you push forward? And I see Kwannon as somebody whose upbringing did its best to crush every splinter of mercy out of her.
Exclusive art by Vincenzo Carratù, courtesy of Marvel Comics
But I also see her as someone who’s capable of great compassion. She’s an X-Man. She wants to protect people. She’s haunted by her past, but her future lies open before her. And whatever it’s going to be, it will be shaped by her actions. So it’s full of potential.
Kwannon’s died before, but there’s also something I think is unkillable about her inner strength. And to me, that’s what she represents. She is somebody who is on that path to becoming, as I think we all are at every point of our lives. I admire that kind of strength more than the ninja skills and the psychic powers. I think it’s that enduring core of her that really speaks to me.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: X-Fan Dylan Carter was wondering if there’ll be an explanation for why Kwannon kept the “Psylocke” codename. Dylan said he loves it, but some fans yell at Kwannon for keeping Betsy’s codename. (Poor Kwannon, she doesn’t deserve that!)
Alyssa: I mean, I think it’s her turn to be Psylocke, you know? Like, her body has been Psylocke for a long time, but that was Betsy at the wheel. Kind of like Psylocke cosplay. But now that they’ve both got their individual bodies back, we can explore who Kwannon is as Psylocke. She hasn’t had that much time to be Psylocke, even though it’s been her body for the longest time. But now is her time. So I’m excited to see what that’s going to look like.
AIPT: X-Fan Psycho Ninja asked about Psylocke’s psychic weapons. Any chance we’ll see her making more ninja weapons beyond the psychic katana and knife? Or just other weapons, in general?
Alyssa: Oh, for sure. I mean, she’s got psychic powers, we should go wild with it. But in terms of other weapons, we’re actually going to be introducing some fun new Psylocke tech, courtesy of a brand new character named Devon Di Angelo, who’s sort of her like man in the chair during her missions — the Q to her agent Bond.
Exclusive art by Vincenzo Carratù, courtesy of Marvel Comics
Devon’s a college student who Psylocke saved in the past, and they’ve got this kind of late-night-Ramen-noodle-energy-drink-inventor energy, and I think it’s a great foil for Psylocke, who’s very intense and serious. So they’re brand new. I think they’re going to be making some really interesting, fun stuff for Psylocke to play with. And I think they’re a delightful addition to this book’s new cast. So yeah, I’m excited about them and I’m excited about the new stuff that Psylocke’s going to get to play with.
AIPT: X-Fan Cyke7 loved your Doctor Aphra work and was curious to learn if there are previous Kwannon storylines your Psylocke series will draw from. Perhaps the Krakoan era or even earlier?
Alyssa: So, the answer is yes, but if I tell you anything more, Darren’s going to pop out of my mirror like Bloody Mary and whack me on the head with a rolled-up newspaper. What I can tell you is that I’ve been thinking a lot about Kwannon’s past. We’re going to see it come into play and we’re going to learn new things about it too — stuff we’ve never seen before, including people who are or were important to Kwannon but aren’t in the picture now for whatever reason. More ghosts. So the answer is yes, but don’t tell Darren.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: You better not be reading this interview, Darren! OK, X-Fan rutosluv said Kwannon has existed in the comics for a long time, but most of her story was interrupted due to the legacy virus, and in Krakoa, she didn’t have much time to develop her individuality. Do you intend to explore more of her past, such as her family, her deceased daughter, and perhaps even her surname and real name?
Alyssa: Definitely. This book is all about identity and I think you can’t push forward into the future without exploring the past, healthily. I think every X-Man needs therapy. (Laughs) I don’t think it’s a controversial opinion. But, you know, you can never really bury your past or deny it no matter how hard you try. I feel like the more you try to suppress it, the bigger it looms in your mind and the worse it’s going to be when that dam breaks. And I love it when a dam breaks. (Laughs)
Exclusive art by Vincenzo Carratù, courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: X-Fan Allan X thinks Kwannon has the potential to be a great character, but Allan X believes what holds her back is she’s always tied to the visual aesthetics and characterization of Betsy Braddock. It’s like she’s constantly in Betsy’s shadow. Will this series explore different aspects of Kwannon that help further distinguish her from Betsy?
Alyssa: Yeah, I mean, on the aesthetic side, I’m a big fan of her adjusted costume. I’m a sucker for a cool jacket and sword, (Laughs) which should be no surprise to anyone who knows me. And the fiery purple psychic energy that we’ve seen around her sword in the X-Men book… I fell in love with it instantly.
AIPT: Oh yeah, I praised Ryan Stegman for that sword effect.
Alyssa: It’s so cool. I saw that and I was like, “I’m in.” (Laughs) I also think that this is a complex question because for a long time, a big part of Betsy’s visual aesthetic as Psylocke was Kwannon’s face and body. So going forward, how does Kwannon reclaim her identity? What are the visual cues of Psylocke’s powers that she ends up keeping? I think Betsy and Kwannon are tied together forever because of their past, which is how it works in real life too. You know, you’re influenced by the people you spend a lot of time with. So figuring out which pieces are her and which pieces are Betsy is a quandary that Kwannon is going to have to eventually work through.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: Is there any chance we’ll see Betsy in this series? X-Fan D wanted to know.
Alyssa: We’ll have to see. I can’t say or else Darren’s going to appear.
AIPT: Unless “D” is Darren. Hm… Anyway, X-Fan Nash wanted to know what Greycrow’s role will be in the series.
Alyssa: I think he and Psylocke have this really interesting relationship dynamic that I love. It’s based on this mutual understanding of what it means to be used by other people. To have to commit these horrific great acts of violence. And then the burden of carrying that and the guilt that comes from it and finding someone who can understand what you’ve gone through and your trauma is really hard, especially if it’s something like this. So the fact that they have that in common means they can be understanding and patient with each other on that front, which I love.
Exclusive ‘Psylocke’ #3 cover by Mahmud Asrar, courtesy of Marvel Comics
But there’s also this fissure between them — they want different things. She’s an X-Man, he’s still pulling cons. She lives at the Factory, the X-Men’s base, and he lives in the isolated Alaskan wilderness, by choice. She has a duty and he has freedom. How do you bridge that gap? And most importantly, do you want to, or are you OK living these separate lives? As Jed MacKay said when we were talking Psylocke a while ago, she can’t stay and he can’t go.
I’m also a big fan of love triangles and relationship drama. There’s a certain character who I’ve never written before, who I’m very excited to write who’s going to be stirring up a lot of trouble on that front.
AIPT: X-Fan Stephen asked if there are characters you’re interested in having Psylocke interact with.
Alyssa: It’s definitely that one I just mentioned. I’m surprised more people haven’t pushed this one harder, but there is definitely somebody who’s going to be showing up very soon in this first arc. I’ve definitely been lucky enough to get a handful of characters that I am very excited about. But again, I fear Darren’s newspaper. (Laughs)
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
I think there’s also something special about crafting something new for characters with a lot of history. So expect a lot of new stuff, too. Yes, definitely characters from the past, but also lots of stuff we’ve never seen.
AIPT: And how has it been collaborating with artist Vincenzo Carratù? What can readers expect from the series’ visuals?
Alyssa: Readers can’t see the face I just made, but I was delighted. God, I love Vincenzo’s art. It’s stunning, it’s dynamic, and it’s so, so thoughtful. Vincenzo mentioned he was watching a lot of videos and studying dance so he could meld it with martial arts to establish Kwannon’s fighting style, which I thought was fantastic. I love research and it’s always a pleasure to get to work with somebody who does too.
Exclusive art by Vincenzo Carratù, courtesy of Marvel Comics
He’s also made these really incredible, really cool visual choices in this book. I’m so stoked for everybody to see them. The first time I saw the inks for Psylocke #1, it took my breath away and I knew what happened in the issue. It’s a gorgeous book. Working with him is not just a privilege, it’s a treat. And I know he loves Psylocke. We’re so lucky. And specifically, I’m so lucky to be on a creative team with Vincenzo.
AIPT: Finally, X-Fan Jitou wanted to know if we’re going to see some ninja shit.
Alyssa: Yeah, of course. There’ll be ninja shit. It made me think I should have played more ninja-themed video games just to study how things move in space. But yes, TL;DR: Expect ninja shit.
AIPT: Perfect. Is there anything else you’d like to add we didn’t discuss?
Alyssa: I love Kwannon. I find the more that I love a character, and the more I’m invested in a character, the deeper I want to go. And to dig in, you have to go at it with a pickax. You have to get to the ugly stuff and it’s painful to get to the ugly stuff, but ultimately, it’s more satisfying. I feel this pain too as I’m writing. But with Kwannon, there’s so much rich, emotional depth and material there. I just want to know everything about her.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
One bit of research I did a lot of for this series was I did a lot of cult research. When I was thinking about Kwannon, she reminded me of a cult survivor. She’s escaped, but she also has all of these things that have been programmed into her, and she has to deprogram herself. What are the things that are so ingrained in her that they’ve become like reflex — like instinct — and what are the things she has to deliberately push against? Who am I going to be today? What choices am I going to make that make me this person today so you don’t backslide? Darren referred to her almost like a recovering addict.
She’s an assassin. It’s easy to kill. And when it comes to solving certain problems, that’s the first thing and the easiest thing to do. So how do you fight that impulse? What does it look like to be that person? And what does it cost her?
Exclusive art by Vincenzo Carratù, courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: An ominous note to end on, but perfect for a series like Psylocke. Alyssa, thanks for stopping by X-Men Monday!
Remember, X-Fans, Psylocke #1 goes on sale November 13, 2024. And, if you didn’t realize it, this week’s X-Men Monday eXclusives (interior art by Vincenzo Carratù and the cover to Psylocke #3 by Mahmud Asrar) were sprinkled throughout the interview.
In the next edition of X-Men Monday: Writer Alex Paknadel returns to discuss his upcoming Sentinels mini-series.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Until next time, X-Fans, stay exceptional!
