Posted in: Comics, Marvel Comics, X-Men | Tagged: Betsy Braddock, gambit, Knights Of X, krakoa, marvel, rachel summers, Tini Howard, x-men

Tini Howard On Betsy Braddock And Rachel Summers As Girlfriends

Tini Howard and Bob Quinn's Knights Of X #4 began dealing with the death of Gambit in Otherworld – which means if he gets resurrected, he will come back wrong. We are told to look forward to the final issue, Knights Of X #5 in four weeks' time for the conclusion of that particular strand.

But you also might get something on another event in Knights Of X #4, Betsy Braddock, the current Captain Britain, and Rachel Summers – or Rachel Askani – Phoenix or Prestige, getting together.

Set up through the last couple of series, this issue also showed how deep Tini Howard had gone into Excalibur research, with both Chris Claremont setting up that Rachel Summers was a unique individual in the Multiverse – even though she wasn't – as well as Alan Davis's gathering all the Excalibur plotlines in created one amalgam creation combining all the members of the team together, as if it had been intended all along.

On her Substack, Tini Howard writes;

"Knights of X #4 confirms the long-simmering feelings between Betsy Braddock and Rachel Summers with a big, deep, wet kiss. Captain Britain has a girlfriend and her girlfriend has started going by Askani. And all it took was for each of you to have a deeply personal quest to the center of your souls. JEEZ girls are frustrating."

"Siege Perilous, man! What a hell of a place!"

"I clearly have reasons to be emotional about this, and a lot of you have told me that you do, too. And that's why I did it. I talked a bit to Christian Holub at EW about it, but ultimately I wanted this to feel the way the Rictor and Shatterstar kiss felt for me as a reader. Natural, but surprising. Shocking, but affirming. A great big I knew it for the girls, gays, theys, and our allies who love a good romance.

And what did she say in the EW? 

"The biggest difference between Betsy and Brian is that Betsy is too smart to trust the narratives because she understands they weren't written for her… They were written for people like Brian. The fact that she knows that, and isn't afraid to change the story, is what scares the people in power… if you're Brian Braddock and you are a straight white man that lives in England, and a magical man appears to you and says, 'I have a quest for you,' you're more likely to trust that. Yeah. But if you are a queer woman and mutant, and a man appears to you and tells you that he has something for you to do, that carries a different charge and a different level of trust."

"One of the most exciting and affirming moments I can remember as a comics reader was reading Peter David and Valentine De Landro's X-Factor #45, turning the page and being completely surprised by a kiss between Rictor and Shatterstar… It was just such an incredible thing, how it was treated like any other awesome surprise kiss, and so exciting. Also, I think kissing is very important to good X-Men stories. There's such a thrill when two characters you like kiss, it's like winning the Super Bowl…I imagine. I've spent three years working behind the scenes to create that feeling for others that I so loved myself. That's what making art is all about, to me."

Back to the Substack, Tini Howard continues;

"It took work, I won't lie! There were a lot of supportive people along the way – my editors, Annalise Bissa and currently Sarah Brunstad have always been in support of exploring these topics – Betsy's sexuality, Rachel's sexuality, and them as a relationship – as has Jordan D. White, the X-Office's incredible lead editor. I couldn't and wouldn't ever do shit without my posse, Leah Williams and Vita Ayala, who have also been in the trenches with me every step of the way. Connor Goldsmith (who is in the NEW YORK F-CKING TIMES today, let's just get that out of the way) is my agent, dear friend, and keeper of my sanity in ways that I can never pay back. And our queer brothers, others, and sisters in the office and in the industry who helped me guide the conversations, express my frustrations, and cheer me on. We're doing it. We're gonna keep doing it."

Connor is indeed in the New York Times, and talks about his X-Men podcast Cerebro;

"I was inspired by the Krakoan era that Jonathan Hickman, my friend and client Tini Howard, and a number of other incredible writers had jump-started. It was a bold new era for the "X-Men" after the franchise had been downplayed for a long time. There's lots of theories as to why, but I think fans did agree that it was not a great time for the "X-Men." I think even writers and editors who worked on it during that time would agree that it wasn't the peak. Now we're in a golden age."

We know why.

"Having Black guests on who can talk about what it felt like to read "God Loves, Man Kills" as a kid in the '80s — that is really meaningful. I've had several trans guests on, and those are some of the most interesting episodes to me, because the trans experience and the gay experience are similar in some ways. They're very different in other ways. I have a lot of trans friends, and I think that if we're looking at the minority metaphor of the X-Men, the issue right now that is being litigated in public in the most X-Men-style way is the rights of trans people."

So back to Tini's Substack.

"There's been some very kind recognition of that, and I just want to express my gratitude. I'm not exactly the type to gas myself up, and I have a hard time celebrating my accomplishments, but I've been able to celebrate this one as an accomplishment through all of you. Your joy is my joy here. Thank you for sharing it, so, so much."

"Real talk, this book is one of the rare times in my life where I think every issue just gets better and better. It's part of why I'm so comfortable with our final issue coming next month with Knights of X #5. Read beginning to end, it feels like a perfect little 2.5 hour superhero movie. And oh boy…the sequel. What's coming next is taking Betsy to whole new heights. She's been finding herself for 31+ issues of comics, and now she's come back through the Siege."

The last time Betsy Braddock went through the Siege Perilous, it transformed her into a memorable bit problematic trope. What will happen this time? And will Rachel Summer approve?

"We'll see what happens in Knights of X #5. Hope everyone survives the experience. All this kissing is great but is Gambit going to be okay!!?!? (Saw a lot of this kind of worrying about Gambit? You're absolutely not wrong, the man is dead!! I'm very excited for you to read the next issue*.)"

Oh yes, and an asterisk.

"* where I reveal he's dead forever no takesies backsies oops spoiler tini delete this before you post"

Gambit is dead, wrapped in CGC slab. Knights Of X #5 is published on the 31st of August.

KNIGHTS OF X #5
MARVEL COMICS
JUN220979
(W) Tini Howard (A) Bob Quinn (CA) Yanick Paquette
THY CUP RUNNETH OVER!
Merlyn has finally tipped into full-blown madness: He's sent his Furies on a campaign across the realm to burn everything in sight, and only those who swear fealty to the mad king will be spared. But there is still hope! A bargain between a powerful new ally and the Knights of X may just secure the Siege Perilous and the future of Avalon. Elsewhere, Saturnyne forges an alliance with a former enemy. But trust is a fickle thing. Will these new allegiances bring triumph or ruin for the mutants of Otherworld?
RATED T+In Shops: Aug 31, 2022
SRP: $3.99

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