Marvel Comics has unveiled a preview of interior pages from Excalibur #16 from writer Tini Howard and artists Marcus To, the series' first post-'X of Swords' issue. In the now-wrapped 'X of Swords' crossover, Betsy Braddock, who has led the team since the start of 'Dawn of X' seemingly died – though her fate remains somewhat uncertain.
"The sword is sheathed!" reads Marvel's sparse solicitation for Excalibur #16.
"The team is left changed in the aftermath of 'X of Swords'... and some things lost cannot be replaced."
In the first fight of the 'X of Swords' tournament, fought between the X-Men of Krakoa and the Swordbearers of Arakko, the unbeatable mutant Isca the Unbeaten literally shattered Betsy into shards of glass with a single blow, apparently killing her. But the magic of Otherworld may have another fate in mind for Betsy Braddock, with Saturnyne, Otherworld's ruler, seemingly caught in a struggle between her own desires, and the power wielded by Betsy.
In the climax of 'X of Swords,' Saturnyne cast a ritual that restored the Captain Britain Corps, of which Betsy was the sole member prior to her apparent death. But the ritual may have also inextricably bound Betsy to the magic of Captain Britain, and perhaps even to the role of Captain Britain itself.
Here's the gallery of pages:
Future solicitations for Excalibur, as the title heads into the newly christened 'Reign of X' era, also seem to show an upcoming conflict between Saturnyne and the rest of Excalibur, potentially over the ultimate fate of Betsy Braddock.
Excalibur #16 goes on sale on December 23.
Keep up to speed on what's coming for Marvel's mutants with our guide of all the new X-Men comics, graphic novels, and collections in 2020 and beyond.
