WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Excalibur #15 by Tini Howard, Mahmud Asrar, Stefano Caselli, Sunny Gho, Rachelle Rosenberg and VC's Clayton Cowles & X of Swords: Destruction #1 by Jonathan Hickman, Tini Howard, Pepe Larraz, Marte Gracia, & and VC's Clayton Cowles, on sale now
The Captain Britain Corps used to be one of the most dedicated fighting forces of heroes in the entire Marvel Multiverse. Featuring a huge number of heroes and several multiversal versions of the Brian Braddocks from across various realities, the Captain Britain Corps was one of the first casualties in the lead-up to 2015's Secret Wars, and they've remained largely defunct since then.
But in the final act of Marvel's X of Swords crossover event, the Captain Britain Corps is restored as the chief defender of the Omniverse and the personal army of Saturnyne, its ruler. Thanks to a spell by the Omniversal Majestrix, the Captain Britain Corps is back, but now they were quite literally made in Betsy Braddock's image.
When Genesis loses her duel against Apocayplse, Krakoa technically wins the tournament that's been happening throughout of X of Swords. This leads Annihilation to extend its control over Genesis once again and bring its demonic and corrupted armies to Otherworld. This forces Saturnyne to enact her endgame: reconstructing the stained glass remains of Captain Britain. Betsy Braddock -- who'd taken over the Captain Britain mantle from her brother Brian -- was the first casualty of the tournament, shattered into stained glass during her duel against Isca the Unbeaten. Her weapon, the Starlight Sword, was also broken along with her, but Saturnyne's real intention behind Betsy's demise is revealed to be part of a massive spell.
Reassembling the stained glass remains of "a pure heart shattered in time of great need," Saturnyne uses it as part of a spell to try and recreate the Captain Britain Corps. The Captain Britain Corps was formed by Merlyn when he served as lord of Otherworld. The army is from across the multiverse, with each soldier being a Captain Britain from a different universe. They are sworn to protect the Starlight Citadel, the seat of Saturnyne's power. Their impressive power and sheer numbers make the Captain Britain Corps one of the most powerful organizations within the Marvel Multiverse. However, the Corps was decimated during the build-up to Secret Wars, with the Ivory Kings, the Beyonders, turning their full attention to the Captain Britain Corps and wiping them all out except for the Marvel Universe's Brian Braddock, who was saved by Saturnyne.
Initially, the spell is part of a bid by Saturnyne to turn her Brian Braddock into her lover as well as her champion. However, due to the circumstances of the Starlight Sword being broken while being wielded by Betsy Braddock, the restored Captain Britain Corps is instead built around the idea and image of Betsy. This new COrps includes several versions of the character from across the multiverse, including versions who are men or animals. However, all of these heroes are Captain Britain in their own right. Although this wasn't her intent, the newly rallied Captain Britain Corps quickly go to war, fighting alongside the Krakoa Champions and the X-Men to help protect Otherworld and protect the Starlight Citadel.
It's an impressive show of force from the team that marks their return in dramatic fashion. This also positions Betsy Braddock as a major figure in the cosmology of the Marvel Multiverse in the way her brother used to be. But notably, the main Marvel Universe Betsy Braddock is still missing after the spell is cast, and her disappearance seems to be considered a genuine tragedy for the Corps. It remains to be seen if she was also restored by the spell, her all-powerful brother or through the X-Men's increasingly flawed ways to revive their dead. But even if Betsy is gone for the moment, the Marvel Multiverse just got a new generation of champions cast in her image