Marvel Reveals New Name for X-Men’s Most Complex Character

Betsy Braddock has one of the most intricate backstories of any X-Men character, dating back nearly 50 years to her introduction in Captain Britain. Known primarily as Psylocke, she’s been through a whirlwind of identity changes and body swaps, particularly with another key character.

To streamline things, Marvel is giving Betsy a fresh codename, and fingers crossed, this one will stick.

Earlier this year, Marvel announced Maximum X-Men, a new series set in the wake of Avengers: Armageddon. This book will feature a team led by Storm, including Wolverine, Colossus, Bishop, Iceman, Firestar, Justice, and Betsy Braddock. Initially, Betsy was introduced as Psylocke in the series announcement, which led to some confusion since the Psylocke name has recently been associated with another character, Kwannon.

For those who might not know, Kwannon and Betsy share a complicated history, having swapped bodies for years. This meant that Betsy, a British woman, was in the body of Kwannon, an Asian woman, for a significant time in the comics. Eventually, this was resolved, and Kwannon adopted the Psylocke name that Betsy once held. Most recently, Betsy has been known as Captain Britain, a title that has been passed around among various characters, adding to the confusion in Maximum X-Men.

Marvel’s executive editor Tom Brevoort shared on Substack that Maximum X-Men will address Betsy’s naming dilemma by assigning her a completely new codename: Butterfly. This name is inspired by the purplish energy that surrounds Betsy when she uses her powers, resembling a butterfly. Interestingly, the character Layla Miller has previously used the codename Butterfly, but she’s not a major player and hasn’t used it in a while.

Maximum X-Men positions Storm’s team as Earth’s final defense, stepping in for the Avengers after the events of Avengers: Armageddon. This is significant given the often strained relationship between humanity and mutants, which can overshadow the X-Men’s contributions compared to their non-mutant counterparts. The first challenge the team will face originates from the Negative Zone, with hints suggesting an even greater threat than Annihilus.

Christopher Yost will be writing the series, with Tony S. Daniel handling the art. Both are seasoned X-Men creators. Yost expressed his excitement about the new series, stating:

“I’ve worked on my fair share of X-Books over the years, but MAXIMUM X-MEN is everything I love about comics rolled into one— it’s underdog heroes saving the world from the biggest Avengers-level threats imaginable, it’s mind-breaking action and drama and everything people expect from X-Men, all with a classic Claremont vibe.”

The first issue of Maximum X-Men is set to hit shelves on December 2.