(Psylocke Short Story: Frustration)***
Set in-between Uncanny X-men 231 and 232
Psylocke awakens to the sound of combat ending after having been knocked out. She is only shaken and sore, but Dazzler informs her that her plan to capture the bad guys has worked. A few days later during a training session she is quickly defeated not even two minutes into the start. She grows flustered with each passing day.
During another training session she performs well, but as team support and not a combatant. Taken aside by Wolverine later, he asks her what's going on. She tells him of her desire to be a warrior not a liability or team support. Stating that even Madelyne is a better fighter than she is. Wolverine confides in her, that he knows she's not a fighter, but more of the leader type, and wanted her to lead the team when Storm was gone, as he didn't want to do it.
He tells her that her heart and courage, and her ability to keep the team together is what he respects, not her ability to punch somebody. She's on a team and they all have some weakness, but that's why they work together to get each others back.
A few days later she is laying in bed and doing a sketch of another costume. When Colossus comes to paint her in the nude, she studies his body and asks him how it feels to be armored. He tells her, and she shows him the sketches, asking him his opinion. He agrees that she may need some form of protection if he or Rogue aren't close by, but that's for another time.
Later still Betsy is on monitor duty when a call for help comes in over the Sydney radios, a group of superhuman's is attacking the marina and putting the police in a bad spot. She asks Storm to be apart of the team, but after her last few adventures, Storm is concerned about her in the field. Psylocke protests, and is allowed to go along with Havok, Rogue, Dazzler, and Longshot. But during the fight she is knocked out twice.
Later she Asks Wolverine does he know anyone who can procure a suit of Armour for her. He says yes, and while in madripoor he obtains one due to her specifications with designs by her and Colossus. When he returns a few weeks later, he has the suit and two additional suits in case she needs replacements. She loves it, and although she realizes it won't do anything to make up for her lack of prowess, it would give her the protection she needed if a foe got their hands on her.
(Uncanny X-men #232)
Sometime later Betsy and the others arrive in Denver Colorado tackling a cold case of Havoks. She and Colossus are sent to locate the driver that drove Havok and Lorna off the road the previous year. Since it involves the Brood. In his home Harry palmer arrives home to find Psylocke and Colossus waiting. After a brief questioning, he quickly grabs the armored X-man and tosses him directly into a screaming Psylocke. The two go through the wall and fall 3 stories.
Colossus awakens within minutes, but Psylocke is shaken by the fall. She had been reading his mind, but saw no awareness of his power or his coming attack. As she is helped to her feet, she is thankful that she decided to exchange her pink bodysuit for the Armour as it took the impact of his hit and the fall. She is also wondering if they are hounding an innocent man.
Arriving later at the scene of a bus crash in which Rogue fought Harry Palmer, they find that Wolverine has just killed a police officer and think Wolverine has lost it. But Psylocke tells them that he hasn't. The people he killed weren't cops,, but Brood. As they become surrounded in the alley, she puts her hood back on her head as they prepare to fight the brood.
(Uncanny X-men #233)
Surrounded by the brood the X-men must engage them quickly to retain leverage. But realize that the Brood now have super powers also.
Colossus shields Psylocke from the attack of a brood with flame powers.
They X-men quickly try to gather their wits. Storm leaps into the sky to get a better look and is brought down by Tension. Temptress attempts to flood her system with Pheromones, but Storm resists flying off. Psylocke tries to establish a mind link but is ignored as she calls after Storm. Rogue tackles Temptress but her bare skin accidently touches a tentacle, and Temptress' willpower overwhelms Rogues. Who then uses her abilities to Dominate a distracted Psylocke.
Only minutes into the fight the X-men are on the ropes as Rogue/Temptress goes after Wolverine, knocking him around. Psylocke joins the attack seconds later, stating hat she wanted a shot at Wolverine also. Wolverine gives her a warning about wishing for things. He goes back into the attack, but can't use his claws against his team mates. This allows Rogue to knock him down.
Psylocke moves next to Rogue attempting to use her powers to dominate the weakened Wolverine. But he slips into a berserker rage, he charges them and quickly knocks the Armoured Telepath unconscious proving his point. She is later seen after awakening from Wolverines attack dragging his unconscious body away, as the Brood fall back after an X-men counter attack. But she is still under temptress' control.
(Uncanny X-men #234)
Psylocke is still a prisoner of the Brood, and still under the control of Temptress. But as the sun comes up, things begin to change. As Wolverine in the process of converting into Brood, is able to Kill Temptress. Psylocke who is mentally locked onto them feels Temptresses death and begins thrashing about in the car. Which then has a run in with Colossus. Her Armour protects her from the brunt of the impact. She crawls from the car weak and shaken as Harry Palmer orders her to Use her powers to strike Storm down. But with Temptress dead, and the accident, She is able to shake the mind control. ***Later she apologizes for being taken so easily by Temptress and turning on her friends. Logan apologizes for striking her unconscious. But he tells her the Armour is impressive, and stopped her from becoming Brood. She too is impressed with her new suit.
(Uncanny X-men #235)
Some months after the events in Denver Madeline goes missing. When Rogue goes to investigate, Psylocke provides the link between her and the team. She informs Wolverine of the woman Jenny Ransome. At dusk she and the others join Storm, Wolverine, and Rogue at the airport. That night as they search for clues, Wolverine and Rogue are defeated and Ko'ed. Psylocke loses contact with them, but also picks up the mental signatures of the Genoshans, who are hunting for them.
Storm tells her to take Havok and lead the soldiers away from the hospital and read their minds. Psylocke informs her that their minds are shielded from her probes, but are still able to be influenced by her psychic illusions, which she puts to good effect. As the X-men gather they go on the offensive, and Psylocke uses her Psychic Illusions once again against their foes.
(Uncanny X-men #236)
With Wolverine and Rogue taken, Storm and the others go searching for them. They visit the Genoshan soldiers in jail. Psylocke probes their thoughts, but becomes enraged at what they have done to mutants. Her anger getting the best of her, she lashes out with her psychic bolts, but Colossus grabs her, shaking her from her anger. She informs them that she has gathered all they need, and time is of the essence. She warns the Genoshans to pray they are not late saving their friends.
(Uncanny X-men #237)
The X-men arrive on Genosha, and immediately run into a Genoshan patrol. Psylocke ducks behind Colossus, even though her Armour can take the hits from the fire. As the X-men counter attack some of the Genoshans try to flee for reinforcements, Psylocke splits her concentration and uses a Psi-bolt to stun them. With the Genoshans defeated, Storm tasks Psylocke to probe their minds, then scramble their memories of the X-men's arrival.
But as Psylocke begins to bypass their mental shielding, she screams in shock before keeling over unconscious. Minutes later she comes to, explaining it was a Psychic Shockwave of immense power, and she feels for anyone too close for their own good. The wave hit her like she was cast into the molten heart of a star. She was unable to sense WHO it was, and tells them she is not at all sure she wants to find out.
(Uncanny X-men #238)
The X-men breach the citadel, Psylocke and Colossus are flying thanks to Storm's generated winds. Landing she takes up a support position as the others begin their combat. She attempts to locate Madelyne, Rogue, and Wolverine. But her efforts are stopped by the buildings Psychic Shielding.
Later after rescuing their team, Psylocke has Wipeout restore their powers. Saving Wolverines life. As they leave Psylocke tells Storm she's been busy obscuring their prisoners perceptions of the X-men. So they'll not know who exactly it was they were fighting.
