Excalibur #20 teases big ramifications for Betsy Braddock and Psylocke

(Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Marvel Comics has released the cover and advance solicitation for April's Excalibur #20 by writer Tini Howard and artist Marcus To, which continues the team's post 'X of Swords' adventures into the 'Reign of X' era.

The cover of Excalibur #20 may offer some clues as to the eventual fate of Excalibur's currently missing-in-action leader Betsy Braddock/Captain Britain, who was transported to an alternate reality in 'X of Swords' and is presumed dead by her teammates.

The image, by Mahmud Asrar, shows Rogue, Betsy, and Psylocke/Kwannon struggling against a silhouetted foe – potentially Saturnyne, the ruler of Otherworld, who holds a grudge against Betsy.

"The phantom menace!" reads Marvel's official solicitation for Excalibur #20, invoking a certain other Disney-owned franchise. "An invisible threat is loose on the island of Krakoa — unseen, unheard, undetectable by any...except Excalibur."

Psylocke's inclusion is particularly interesting, as she hasn't been a part of Excalibur yet. However, Psylocke and Betsy share a special connection, as Betsy's consciousness inhabited Kwannon's body for years as the classic Psylocke – a name now used exclusively by Kwannon since her return to her own body.

As for Betsy and Saturnyne's rivalry, that all comes down to Betsy taking the mantle of Captain Britain from her brother Brian Braddock, Saturnyne's longtime champion and preferred Captain Britain.

During 'X of Swords,' both Betsy and Brian defied Saturnyne's will, with Brian taking the new mantle of Captain Avalon and Betsy refusing to give up the mantle of Captain Britain. Saturnyne engineered the 'X of Swords' fight to seemingly kill Betsy, resurrecting the Captain Britain Corps in the process – albeit with Betsy's influence still present, much to Saturnyne's chagrin.

Excalibur #20 is due out in April. Watch for Marvel's full April 2021 solicitations later this month on Newsarama.

Stay tuned in to the burgeoning 'Reign of X' era with our always-updating list of all the new X-Men comic, graphic novels, and collections in 2021 and beyond.

I've been Newsarama's resident Marvel Comics expert and general comic book historian since 2011. I've also been the on-site reporter at most major comic conventions such as Comic-Con International: San Diego, New York Comic Con, and C2E2. Outside of comic journalism, I am the artist of many weird pictures, and the guitarist of many heavy riffs. (They/Them)