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Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 256

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 A guild of assassins needs employment. Just as a great lord, Mandarin, needs spies to seek out his enemies. And executioners to deal with them. In Psylocke, you have both. 
—Matsu'o Tsurayaba

Appearing in "The Key That Breaks the Locke"

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Vehicles:

  • Jamie Braddock's Ferrari Testarossa (Dream)

Synopsis for "The Key That Breaks the Locke"

In Hong Kong, Matsu’o Tsurayaba breaks into the Mandarin’s mansion, kills his guards, and offers the Hand’s services as assassins to help him build an empire. Elsewhere, young Betsy Braddock rides a carousel and pretends she is a fighter pilot while her twin brother Brian reads a book. Afterward, the carousel operator gives her one of the Mandarin’s rings to wear. As Betsy and Brian walk home, she steals his book, and they briefly fight. Once she gives it back, he gives her another ring. Their brother Jamie pulls up in his new Ferrari and lets Betsy drive. She drives as fast as she can until Jamie’s girlfriend begs her to stop. Reluctantly, Betsy does and gets out of the car, now a beautiful adult woman. When Cypher appears and criticizes her recklessness, she coldly dismisses him. Mojo invites her into the Body Shoppe where Storm greets her. Mojo and Spiral grab Betsy and alter her features to look East Asian to facilitate her takeover of the Hong Kong underworld. In the real world, Matsu’o and the Mandarin view Psylocke suspended in a sensory deprivation tank as a Hand telepath monitors her progress through the dream-like conditioning process she is experiencing. She tells Storm about her brief stint as Captain Britain and declares she was too soft and weak. She forces Storm to give up another ring then incinerates her. Next, Psylocke finds Colossus in a Soho art studio, kills him, and takes a ring. In a Hollywood club, she slays Dazzler to get the next ring. In Genosha, she kills Havok for another. Then, she comes upon the bodies of Rogue and Carol Danvers, who have just killed each other, and finds one more ring. Suddenly, Slaymaster attacks, blinding her. She fights back, shattering his face to reveal the Mandarin inside, and kills him. Mojo and Spiral applaud her and give her new eyes. In the real world, Psylocke returns the rings to the Mandarin and kneels before him, pledging her loyalty.

Notes

  • This issue is part of the "Acts of Vengeance" crossover event.
  • This issue is reprinted in:
    • X-Men: Mutations trade paperback (1996);
    • X-Men Visionaries: Jim Lee trade paperback (2002);
    • Essential X-Men vol. 9 trade paperback (2009);
    • Acts of Vengeance Crossovers Omnibus hardcover (2011);
    • X-Men by Chris Claremont & Jim Lee Omnibus vol. 1 hardcover (2011);
    • X-Men Epic Collection vol. 17: Dissolution and Rebirth trade paperback (2019);
    • X-Men XXL by Jim Lee hardcover (2019);
    • Acts of Vengeance: Spider-Man and the X-Men trade paperback (2021).

Trivia

  • The truth about Psylocke's transformation from British-born mutant to Japanese-born telepath would not be told until X-Men (Vol. 2) #20-24 and 31-32. It would be revealed that Psylocke's mind was transferred into the body of a Japanese mutant known as Revanche and vice versa, but that due to Psylocke's lashing out at Revanche when the latter found the former's body, their minds briefly merged and caused each to absorb personality traits of the other. Furthermore, it was revealed that Spiral orchestrated the mind swap and helped Revanche's lover kidnap the mutant (now in Betsy's body) away from his romantic rival Matsu'o prior to him presenting Psylocke to Mandarin.
  • This issue is part of the Acts of Vengeance crossover event, though not tied directly towards the main plotline of the event as far as Matsu'o and Mandarin's alliance taking place without Loki's involvement or knowledge.
  • The dream version of Havok in Genosha as well as Rogue and Ms. Marvel fighting each other foreshadows their fates upon emerging from the Siege Perilous as shown in "X-Tinction Agenda" and Uncanny X-Men #269, respectively.
  • The concept of becoming a thrall of the Hand was originally intended for Wolverine; the notion of Wolverine as a brainwashed assassin would be resurrected several years later with the twelve-part "Enemy of the State"/"Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D" storyline in Wolverine Vol 3 #20-31.

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