Warning: Spoilers for Psylocke #1!Even as a X-Men fan, falling in love with Psylocke The debut issue might be the biggest surprise I’ve experienced in 2024. When news broke that Psylocke would be getting her own solo series, I was eager to read it, but expectations were admittedly low. I don’t want to offend Kwannon; She was always a cool character to me, and she was my main rushplay character in Marvel 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. Perhaps it helps that my expectations were low at the start of this first issue, but they have skyrocketed as I eagerly await future issues of Psylocke already.
I’ll be honest and go one step further: Psylocke may have moved up my rankings of favorite X-Men charactersall because of this problem.
Psylocke #1 had me hooked from start to finish, becoming one of my favorite X-Men issues of the year
And here’s what happened
Psylocke #1 begins with the title character walking into an X-Men meeting eager to take on her next mission, just hours after completing a solo covert mission in Palmdale, California. Like someone dealing with his own post-Krakoa anxieties, X-Men leader Cyclops puts Kwannon on the bench, encouraging her to rest up and take time off on her mandatory vacation. This is easier said than done, as Kwannon’s nightmares haunt her even when she sleeps next to her lover, John Greycrow. Shortly after her vacation, she gets a call from Devon, who to me seems poised to be her Oracle-like character.
Deep in the dark web, the college technician receives an anonymous tip about AIM working on a new variant of mutant growth hormone, sending coordinates for a housewarming party to Psylocke. This clue leads Kwannon undercover at the Gila Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona, where she discovers that trafficked mutant children from around the world are being auctioned off as ingredients to fuel the MGH drugs. Horrified, she blows her cover and immediately springs into action. The issue ends with Kwannon questioning his propensity for murder after killing a Skullbuster, who injected himself with MGH to become a monster.
Psylocke #1 Makes the Fall of Krakoa Actually Mean Something
Psylocke’s PTSD and Krakoa’s presence are practically characters
What caught my attention the most Psylocke #1 is that it’s too much a character study of Kwannon based on two main factors: the loss of Krakoa and the grief that followed. The series directly follows the end of the Krakoa era. Younger X-Men The relaunched From the Ashes-era series finds the X-Men dealing with a post-Krakoa world, but for the most part, the effort follows the X-Men trying to move forward within a new status quo. Psylocke #1 is about the title character struggling to move on.
Kwannon is not sleeping and is not slowing down, because Psylocke is struggling to find purpose now that Krakoa no longer exists. She herself says this in her inner monologue: “I don’t like being alone with my thoughts.” She doesn’t take the time to mourn or even contextualize what happened, nor understand how she’s feeling about losing Krakoa. She’d rather move on and not think about it, but trying to do so is doing her more harm than good – hence the nightmares.
I absolutely adore character-driven stories that delve into a character’s psyche and Psylocke Number 1 is exactly what I’m looking for. The story uses subtle nuances and an internal monologue to get to the root of who the title character is, which I think is a clever way for the creative team to work around a character who hates allowing herself to be vulnerable. It also makes me even more excited to see how her dynamic with John evolves, since he’s the only person in the story she really opens up to.
Classic X-Men action is one of the highlights of Psylocke #1
Full of action – and the action is really exciting
Given her experience of being a former instrument of the Hand and being a real ninja because of it, I figured the action would be part of the story, but Psylocke #1 still manages to speed up this action. The action is not only thrilling to witness from page to page, but also the way Carratù draws Psylocke in action is what makes the action as captivating as Wong’s narrative. For example, the opening panels that highlight Psylocke’s scattershot movement, speeding up and cutting down one person after another, are simply mesmerizing.
I’m excited to see how Psylocke tries to find herself without an island to call her own.
The same can be said of the partisan fight in which Psylocke takes action against Skullbuster and Donald Pierce. Even before Skullbuster uses MGH patches to transform into some kind of dinosaur-monster hybrid, seeing Psylocke attack is wonderful to experience in real time. Carratù’s Psylocke in action reads as graceful but chaotic. She is portrayed as a ballet dancer in her movements, whose next move cannot be predicted, especially when her speed sends her across the room – before her next move is to slash someone’s face.
Psylocke #1 Sets the Stage for a Must-See X-Men Series
It could surprise a lot of people
It’s funny – I mentioned that Psylocke was my main character in Rushplay Marvel vs. Capcomand in retrospect, this is how it seems to read Psylocke #1. It’s like watching a fighting game on the page. Or perhaps more appropriately, it’s a classic “beat ’em” game like Sifu, Assassin’s Creed, or Ghost of Tsushima, where you will see the main character be the ultimate ass kicker. Psylocke is exactly that killer. Not only does the character rock, but so does the debut edition 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’m biting my nails, waiting to see what the action sequences will be like in future installments. Finally and most importantly, I can’t wait to read the next issue of Psylockebecause it’s something X-Men fan would like it.
Psylocke #1 is now available from Marvel Comics.