Thread by @stealthisplanet

Ahead of Knights of X starting, I’ve re-read Excalibur from start to finish to refresh myself on all things Otherworld. I’ve created a primer for new or ongoing readers in the form of the 13 most vital plot points from issues 1-26. Roll on next Wednesday! #xspoilers 🧵 (1/14)

Excalibur begins with Morgan le Fay discovering the existence of Krakoa through a scrying pool in Otherworld. Determined to establish a mutant presence there through mutant ‘Superior’ magic, Apocalypse enlists the aid of Betsy Braddock who founds Excalibur. (2/14)

When the incumbent CB Brian Braddock falls victim to Morgan’s mind control, he relinquishes the amulet to Betsy making her de facto protector of the realm. After Betsy defeats him in battle, Brian’s choice of the Sword of Might renders him unworthy & the mantle is passed. (3/14)

Betsy attracts opposition in her new role from Coven Akkaba, a powerful organisation of witches. Not even a royal decree is enough to win national support & the veneer of civility associated with Britishness is slowly peeled away to reveal its latent anti-mutant bigotry. (4/14)

Apocalypse manipulates events to gain access to Otherworld, including inciting Rogue to provide the energy to open a gate, crowning Jamie Braddock to break open multiple realities and using Rictor’s earth powers and the bones of Externals to complete the connection. (5/14)

This draws the attention of Opal Luna Saturnyne, bringing Excalibur into conflict with Otherworld. Saturnyne rails against Betsy’s ‘heretical’ Capt Britain Corps, created by Jamie’s reality incursion, and attempts to displace her but Brian remains true to his family. (6/14)

Betsy is defeated in the contest of champions, shattered into pieces. Battle raging out of control, Saturnyne pieces the starlight sword back together in the hope of restoring her ego’s desire. To her shock, the multiversal CB Corps are resurrected to defend the Citadel (7/14)

With 616 Betsy dead and A gone, the team are in mourning. They investigate in Otherworld, creating a mutant circuit to conjure the CB Corps who in turn locate CB in an alternate reality in the body ‘Queen Betsy’. Betsy escapes to Krakoa but is an empty shell on arrival. (8/14)

An alternate Cpt Britain locates Betsy’s soul flickering through realities and captures it. After Saturnyne refuses to help, she takes it to Krakoa. When Rictor’s attempts at a mutant ritual fail to restore Betsy, Kwannon steps in to restore her soul back to her body. (9/14)

Betsy’s apparent return briefly keeps Coven Akkaba at bay as they look to take advantage of her absence. Now acting as state representatives, they withdraw GB from its alliance with Krakoa at the gala before sacrificing Pete Wisdom in order to free Morgan le Fay (10/14)

Also at the gala, Rictor falls back into depression as he mourns A’s departure.. After initially rejecting him, Julio reunites with Shatterstar after conjuring Druid magic to repatriate the lighthouse to Krakoa. Shatterstar and Bei the Blood Moon join the team thereafter. (11/14)

Merlin returns to Otherworld, declaring war on Saturnyne & mutantkind. He releases Arthur from psychic incarceration and fosters anti-mutant sentiment across the nine realms, leading to a series of attacks on Excalibur. Arthur eventually arrives in the citadel for battle. (12/14)

Merlyn casts an anti-magic spell, leaving Betsy without the powers of Capt Brit. She uses her telepathy to defeat Arthur but unable to quell Merlyn’s forces, she rescues Saturnyne, who shares details of a weapon hidden on Blightspoke that was once used to usurp Merlyn. (13/14)

Excalibur fight on in vain against Merlyn & Arthur. As they retreat towards the gate, Coven Akkaba close the gate from Otherworld to Krakoa. Narrowly escaping, Betsy holds the gate open with the Starlight Sword, re-entering the fray on her own to fight for mutantkind. (14/14)