WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Excalibur #14 by Tini Howard, Phil Noto, VC's Ariana Maher, & Tom Muller on sale now
X of Swords has been set to see many of Krakoa's most beloved heroes pitted against fearsome foes -- with their lives at genuine risk due to the inability of being able to be restored if killed in Otherworld. Those stakes were solidified in Excalibur #14 when Captain Britain became the first casualty of the battle.
There's one upside to Captain Britain's unexpected demise in X of Swords -- her brother, Jamie, wagered heavily against her and ended up with a huge payday for it.
The X-Men have already suffered a devastating loss in the opening duels of X of Swords: Captain Britain was charged with defeating Isca the Unbeaten, arguably the most fearsome of Arakko's Champions. Although Captain Britain proved herself a warrior and went down swinging, Isca was able to shatter the Starlight Blade with a strong strike, leading the sword -- and Betsy Braddock herself -- to shatter like glass and fall to the ground in pieces. Saturnyne was quick to announce that Isca was the victor and to have her priestesses recover the pieces of the slain Braddock to be dealt with. No matter how angry Brian Braddock is, no matter how grieved Storm is, the X-Men have lost Betsy -- which comes with the added pain of knowing she can't be restored by the Five due to Otherworld's mystical properties.
However, there's one ally to Krakoa who actually finds some solace in what's happened: Jamie Braddock, Betsy and Brian's eldest brother and King of Avalon. Jamie has always had a difficult relationship with his siblings. His cruel side, darker impulses, and schizophrenic were only exasperated by his reality-altering powers, giving him the ability to shape the world around them. Brian and Betsy have battled their brother multiple times over the years, contending with his machinations over and over again. Betsy was even forced to kill Jamie during the events of Uncanny X-Force to stop a marauding mystical force known as the Goat -- and in reality was a corrupted Jamie from the future, only for Jamie to be resurrected not long after. But as with most mutants, Jamie has found a home on Krakoa.
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Soon, word spreads through the entirety of Otherworld of her defeat. Many in Avalon find themselves without any more gold as they'd bet it on one of their known champions. However, it turns out Jamie had actually wagered heavily on his sister to lose the battle against Isca. The Crooked Caller -- the newspaper of the Crooked Market -- even quotes Jamie as admitting he didn't want to be mourning his sister AND be without easy cash.
Jamie set it up so that no matter how the battle ended, he'd be earning a victory. If his sister survived, then Krakoa (and Avalon) gain a point in the tournament. If Betsy failed, then at least he has a new fortune to ease the pain. Jamie claims to still be heartbroken by her disappearance -- which hints that he may not be entirely convinced that Betsy is really dead. He says that if she were to be able to return -- likely through Saturnyne's magic or potentially even a new Betsy being created by the Five -- he'll even buy her "something very nice" with the money he earned from her defeat.
It's a very fitting action from the King of Avalon, with the Mad King Jamie oftentimes playing loose with morality, loyalty, and decency. But it's also a good clue that Jamie suspects there may be more to Betsy's death than may initially appear. Perhaps Captain Britain is still alive in some form, and Jamie just earned a massive amount of cash in the process.
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