Appearing in "Why do we do these things we do?"
Featured Characters:
-
- Cypher (Doug Ramsey)/Douglock (Merges with Warlock)
Supporting Characters:
- Psylocke (Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock) (First appearance as Psylocke)(First U.S. appearance; previously appeared in Marvel UK)
- Bratpack (First appearance)
- Leong Cao Mạnh (Joins and quit)
- Nga Cao Mạnh (Joins and quit)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Unnamed Swiss
- Unnamed children across the world
- Unnamed New Yorkers
- Magneto (Magnus) (Mentioned)
- Beyonder (Mentioned)
- Longshot (Mentioned)
- X-Men (Mentioned)
- Legion (David Haller) (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
- Norses Gods (Mentioned)
Locations:
Items:
Synopsis for "Why do we do these things we do?"
The blind telepath Betsy Braddock is kidnapped by Spiral and Mojo and remade in Mojo’s image. With her help, Mojo creates a TV show called the Wildways, meant to ensnare innocent youngsters. Amongst those caught (and replaced) are Wolfsbane,
, Karma's siblings and several kids, who befriended Longshot. At Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Cypher is unhappy with his life as a New Mutant and wonders about their reason for existence. Later, as he, Warlock and Sunspot clear out some trees, Sunspot has a fatal accident. Cypher and Warlock examine the corpse and learn that this is a double. Warlock leads them to the place where he senses the real Sunspot, an abandoned building in Alphabet City. However, once they are there, the New Mutants fall prey to Mojo’s agents, the enslaved kids now adult and with superpowers. The New mutants are brainwashed and also changed by Template (Karma’s siblings), save for Warlock and Cypher, who flee, and Magma, who is too headstrong and is reduced to childhood as a result. Cypher and Warlock run into a super-strong boy, another victim of Template - Betsy’s brother,
, who had tried to save her. He reveals that Betsy is the villain and where they can find her. Captain Britain leaves to help Magma, while Cypher and Warlock sneak into the principal’s office, where they find a horribly altered Betsy. The boys merge in an attempt to pool their powers and save Psylocke’s psyche. Instead, she notices them and draws them into her head. Once inside, Cypher and Warlock realize that the true villain is Spiral, who intends to obliterate Betsy’s mind. Working together, Cypher and Warlock save and restore Betsy’s psyche and save the others. The reawakened Psylocke does the rest.
Back in reality, Psylocke realizes that she now has Mojo’s artificial eyes and finds she cannot bring herself to destroy them. Later, she decides to stay at Xavier’s School to better learn to use her powers. Cypher has finally found an answer to his question. He believes the New Mutants are there to protect the children.
Notes
- This story takes place between New Mutants #44 and Vol 1 45.
- This is a continuation of issues Captain Britain (Vol. 2) #13 and Vol 1 14 of Captain Britain (Vol. 2) series, where Betsy loses her sight and then leaves for Switzerland. However, she went there with her friend, Alison Double, and her fiancé, Agent Gabriel. Neither character is heard from in regards to Psylocke again (or in Alison’s case at all), which is rather odd.
- The New Mutants were killed by the Beyonder in New Mutants #37 and resurrected in Secret Wars II #9.
- The 'Bratpack' are a group of kids who befriended Longshot in his own limited series (Longshot #4-Vol 1 5). The New Mutants' battle with Legion that Doug alludes to occurred in New Mutants #44.
Trivia
- First mention of the name 'Psylocke,' which is probably meant to be a play on the 'psyche' (Psy- key and therefore 'Psylocke' – a key to unlock the psyche).
- As New Mutants #53 reveals, Cypher was indeed infected with the transmode virus, but nothing came of this plot-line, as he died soon after that.
- The role of Betsy’s new eyes, Mojo’s involvement with the X-teams, and even Longshot can be seen in X-Men Annual #10.