While Psylocke’s general aesthetic and powers have remained relatively consistent throughout the persona’s comic history, the woman underneath the proverbial mask has changed considerably. While the ninja assassin Kwannon currently claims the title as the X-Men’s only Psylocke in Earth-616, which of the two mutants has traveled through the Multiverse to restore the broken timestream in Marvel Rivals? In truth, the answer isn’t as straightforward as one or the other.

In Earth-616, the title “Psylocke” has become more of a title and less of an individual identity, much like other mutant heroes like “Wolverine.” Betsy Braddock, the original Psylocke, adopted the name in New Mutants Annual #2 (1986) - by Chris Claremont and Alan Davis - from Mojo before he made her the star of his sick interdimensional television program.

Years later, a ninja assassin in service to the Hand known as Kwannon took the title after swapping bodies with Betsy, ultimately claiming the name for good. However, another more recent version of the character serves as Marvel Rivals’ true inspiration.

Betsy Braddock: The Original Psylocke

Introduced As Psylocke In: New Mutants Annual #2 (1986) - Written by Chris Claremont; Art by Alan Davis; Color by Glynis Oliver; Lettering by Tom Orzechowski

Betsy Braddock and her twin brother Brian, the original Captain Britain, were born in the hopes of siring the next Captain Britain and the undisputed champion of Otherworld. While Brian was the one to inherit the title, Betsy began to manifest severe psychic mutant abilities, including the power to manifest physical weapons from psychic energy. Betsy first used her powers as an agent of STRIKE until she was asked to replace her brother as Captain Britain. Soon after, Betsy was kidnapped by Mojo but liberated by the New Mutants, who offered Betsy a place on the X-Men as she permanently adopted the name “Psylocke.”

However, Betsy’s was relatively short-lived. In 1989, only three years after the character was dubbed “Psylocke,” an amnesiac Betsy was kidnapped by a member of the Hand, Matsu’o Tsurayaba, who wished to use Betsy’s body to heal his lover and fellow member of the Hand, Kwannon. Kwannon also possessed mutant psychic abilities, albeit significantly weaker compared to Betsy’s. Still, Tsurayaba forced Betsy and Kwannon to swap bodies, restoring both mutants but unintentionally merging their psyches. Betsy almost completely abandoned much of her old persona, now adopting Kwannon’s expertise in martial combat in addition to her own phenomenal power.

Kwannon: The Modern Psylocke

Introduced As Psylocke In: Excalibur #1 (2019) - Written by Tini Howard; Art by Marcus To; Color by Erick Arciniega; Lettering by VC’s Cory Petit; Cover Art by Mahmud Asrar and Matthew Wilson

Betsy and Kwannon would remain in each other’s bodies for many years. This caused frequent schisms between the two women when Kwannon defected from the Hand and ed the X-Men under the new name “Revanche.” Forced to work together, while the two quite literally shared bodies and mind, Betsy and Kwannon faced frequent identity crises as their memories continued to bleed under Betsy’s psychic powers. Some years later, Kwannon tragically ed away, leaving Betsy behind, still stuck in Kwannon’s body. Serendipitously, 24 years after Kwannon’s ing, Betsy unintentionally revived Kwannon and restored both bodies back to their original owners.

With both women restored to their original forms but still sharing Betsy’s overwhelming psychic powers, Betsy relinquished the “Psylocke” persona, which had become synonymous with Kwannon’s image.

Following a battle with the psychic-vampire Sapphire Styx on the astral plane, which subsequently stripped the life from Kwannon’s borrowed body, Betsy used her powers to reconstruct her original form, thus allowing Kwannon’s soul to return to its original body. With both women restored to their original forms but still sharing Betsy’s overwhelming psychic powers, Betsy relinquished the “Psylocke” persona, which had become synonymous with Kwannon’s image. Instead, Betsy soon re-adopted the Captain Britain identity and took her brother’s place as Otherworld’s champion. Today, Kwannon continues to honor the Psylocke legacy, now serving on Cyclops’s Alaskan X-Men team.

Peach Momoko’s Psylocke Serves as Marvel Rivals’ Biggest Inspiration

Introduced As Psylocke In: King in Black #4: “Demon Days” (2021) - Written by Peach Momoko and Zack Davisson; Art by Peach Momoko; Lettering by Ariana Maher

In truth, the Psylocke featured in Marvel Rivals isn’t either Betsy or Kwannon, but rather a character based on their shared ninja-like identity. In 2021, author and artist Peach Momoko introduced a new variant of the character known as Sai as an addition to the creator’s Demon Days series of Marvel stories. The Demon Days universe is set in a fantastical version of feudal Japan and fully capitalizes on the long-standing aesthetic that Kwannon brought to the Pslocke persona. While Sai shares many similarities to Kwannon’s looks, her personality is significantly closer to Betsy’s.

On the surface, Kwannon’s personality reflects the trauma of having been brought up by the Hand. She is cold and stoic on the surface but molded by her intense sense of loyalty and honor toward her allies. In contrast, Betsy, much like Sai, is both elegant and brash. The two variants of Psylocke are strong-willed women who are quick to vocally stand up for others, even if it makes them unpopular. That said, both Betsy and Sai’s extreme comion for others often breaks through the greatest of barriers as the heroes work toward overall peace rather than quick victories.

Ultimately, Marvel Rivals' Psylocke Takes Inspiration From All Three Variants

Betsy Braddock, Kwannon, and Sai Are All Equal Influences

So, in short, Peach Momoko’s Sai is the direct inspiration for the version of Psylocke that appears in Marvel Rivals. Her description in the game directly confirms that Sai is either the exact version of the character featured in the video game or an incredibly identical variant:

“A wandering warrior in feudal Japan, the telepathic ninja known as Sai has devoted herself to striking down ancient demons and monsters. With her wolf Logan by her side, Psylocke won't rest until all Yokai have fallen by her psychic blade.

Sai was ripped from her reality by the Timestream Entanglement and put on display by the Collector. Alongside newfound allies, she escaped her cage and learned that other familiar warriors might still be out there. Her new quest is to gather those heroes, end this conflict, and return home.”

However, while the immediate answer is obvious, it’s still accurate to say that all three versions of the character serve as Marvel Rivals’ ultimate inspiration. Peach Momoko’s Sai is a meriful blend of both Betsy Braddock and Kwannon. Sai possesses significant similarities to Kwannon’s visual aesthetic but more closely aligns with Betsy’s personality.

All that to say, Kwannon still deserves the greatest credit for her contribution to Psylocke’s persona, even during death. After swapping bodies and merging minds with Betsy, Psylocke, as a costumed character, became intrinsically linked with Kwannon’s ninja abilities and physical demeanor. Nearly every variant of Psylocke has since leaned into Kwannon’s Japanese roots rather than Betsy’s English ones. Betsy may have been Psylocke the longest, but Kwannon established the characterization that is still synonymous with “Psylocke” today. So, while Momoko’s Sai may be the direct inspiration for Marvel Rivals’ Psylocke, the real answer lies somewhere between all three variants.

Without Betsy Braddock, or technically Mojo, there would never have been a Psylocke to begin with. Her overwhelming Omega-level adjacent powers established Psylocke as a formidable X-Man. Without Kwannon’s design and martial talents, Psylocke might not have remained as popular a character in the comics as she is now. Both characters and what they have mutually brought to the Psylocke persona directly inspired Peach Momoko’s take on the character, thus giving way to Marvel Rivals’ variant. Regardless of her form or original universe, Psylocke remains one of the X-Men’s most versatile allies and one of Marvel Rivals’ more entertaining Dueslists.