Phalanx (comics)

The Phalanx are a fictional cybernetic species appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They have come into conflict with the X-Men as well as other groups on several occasions. They form a hive mind, linking each member by a telepathic system.

Phalanx
The Phalanx. Art by Mike Perkins.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Uncanny X-Men #305 (April 1994)
Created by	Scott Lobdell Joe Madureira Chris Claremont Bill Sienkiewicz
Characteristics
Notable members	Steven Lang Cameron Hodge Candy Southern Warlock/Douglock Harvest Ultron
Inherent abilities	Transforms sentient beings into techno-organic lifeforms and assimilates them into its collective. Superhuman strength, stamina, and durability, teleportation, shapeshifting

Publication history

The Phalanx were co-created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Joe Madureira but owe much in concept and appearance to the original Technarchy by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bill Sienkiewicz. Appearing in prototype variations in earlier issues, the Phalanx are featured in Uncanny X-Men #312 (May 1994). ^{[citation needed]}

Fictional history

Origins

The Phalanx are a mechanical species of unknown origin. However, they are believed to have been created by the Titans, a group of advanced disembodied consciousnesses.^[1][2][3]

The Phalanx wield various advanced ships and use techno-organic viruses to create drones and infect civilizations.^[2][4][5][6] The virus compels its victims to build a "Babel Spire" to attract the Technarchy, who consume the planet. If the Phalanx find the society worthy or of great interest to them, they instead assimilate its members into their hive mind.

Phalanx on Earth

Main article: Phalanx Covenant

The Phalanx on Earth were initially formed by a group of human mutant haters who voluntarily infected themselves with the Transmode virus, taken from the remains of the renegade Technarch Warlock. Steven Lang, who had used the Sentinels against the X-Men many years before, was recruited from a mental hospital to become an "interface". Uninfected by the Transmode virus, Lang was meant to be a buffer, keeping the Phalanx "on track" for its intended purpose.^[7] Lang was assisted by Cameron Hodge, a fellow anti-mutant with immortality obtained from the demon N'astirh. Years ago, in a failed effort to contract the Transmode virus, Hodge had killed Warlock. In an attempt to destroy Archangel, Hodge used a Phalanx construct of Candy Southern.^[8]

Phalanx' initial attempt to assimilate mutants into its collective was thwarted by the natural resistance of mutants to the Transmode virus. In a scheme to subvert the X-Men's mutant genome knowledge base, Phalanx attacked the X-Mansion, kidnapped most of the X-Men and replaced them with disguised Phalanx members. Banshee returned to the school after the attack and kidnappings. The imposters' ignorance of Professor X's inability to walk alerted Banshee to their deception. Sabretooth, recruited from a cell in the complex, joined with Banshee to save Emma Frost and Jubilee. When Banshee discovered the Phalanx had accessed the location of several young mutants for use in further study, he alerted Wolverine and Cable. In turn, they recruited Cyclops and Jean Grey. Professor X, Excalibur, X-Factor and X-Force sought the location of a third, unknown, group of Phalanx. To prevent the Phalanx from accessing any further information, Banshee destroyed the knowledge base.^[9]

While Banshee's group scramble to save the young mutants, the Phalanx secretly follow them and impersonate various people.^[10][11] Eventually, the group save all the targeted mutants except for Blink, who sacrifices herself to save the rest and kill Harvest.^[12]

The rest of these young mutants went on to become the core of Generation X, tutored by Banshee and Emma Frost. Meanwhile, the other mutant teams found a group of Phalanx attempting to follow their genetic instruction to construct a Babel Spire to contact the Technarchy. Douglock led a small team consisting of Forge, Wolfsbane and Cannonball in destroying the spire. Cyclops' group, covertly assisted by Lang, assault the core Phalanx base on Mount Everest to rescue the X-Men.^[13]

Clones of the Phalanx (and others) remain captive in Mister Sinister's prize collection.^[14] Despite Sinister's best efforts, they were wiped from existence by the Phoenix Force.^[15]

The Shi'ar Massacre

Another group of Phalanx later almost decimated the Shi'ar empire in the absence of the Imperial Guard. These versions have dark coloration and consider themselves "pure" Phalanx compared to such sects like the one on Earth.^[5] The Phalanx made their way to Chandilar, the throneworld of the Shi'ar empire where they tried to assimilate the chamber where all Shi'ar eggs were being nurtured. Had they succeeded, the entire next generation of Shi'ar would have become part of the Phalanx collective. However, Beast developed a device that would emit a certain frequency to separate the organic from the technological part, killing all Phalanx within its range.^[16]

Annihilation: Conquest

Main article: Annihilation: Conquest

A new breed of Phalanx is the primary villain with the Super-Adaptoid as an enforcer. They tried to begin where Annihilus left off. When the Kree began the test of the new defensive network, the Phalanx managed to corrupt the system directly through the Kree homeworld of Hala, surrounding the entire Kree Empire in an inescapable energy barrier. They also spread their Transmode Virus, turning all organic life forms into Phalanx under their control. High-powered beings such as Ronan the Accuser were made into their group Select, used to cut off any attempts to stop the spread and control of the Phalanx. The Kree who did not fall under the Phalanx's control fought back against their oppressors, only to discover that they were controlled by Ultron.^[17]

Powers and abilities

In contrast to the fiercely independent Technarchy, the Phalanx exhibit a hive mind reminiscent of insects. Although individual members retain memories and some aspects of their personalities from before assimilation, they are typically unable to act against the collective will without first being disconnected from the group consciousness, as was the case with Douglock.

Phalanx, like the Technarchy, can infect other organisms with the transmode virus with any physical contact - the only known exception being Earth mutants who possess a degree of immunity to the transmode virus. This seems to be a limitation of the Phalanx which their Technarchy progenitors do not have, as Warlock had no problems infecting his future teammate Magik (accidentally) when they first met and repeatedly infecting Cypher to form the Douglock entity on multiple occasions. In Cypher's case the effect was reversed without apparent incident, though Warlock was constantly worried that a time would come when the reversal would not take.

Phalanx possess the Technarchs' abilities to shapeshift and teleport, but cannot grow in size and mass without absorbing external matter. Over time, they can adapt to attacks used against them.

Other versions

Cable

In yet another alternate reality, the Phalanx has overrun Earth, assimilating every lifeform. The mutant Cable serves as its central consciousness.

Exiles

In the Exiles series, the dimension-hopping team visited a world infested by a mutated version of the Phalanx. On this world, Cypher fell ill with the Legacy Virus and in an act of desperation Warlock infected him with the transmode virus to try and save his life. Unfortunately the two diseases combined and mutated into something far worse. Within the year, almost all of the world's population were transformed into Phalanx drones, calling themselves the Vi-Locks. The group was led by Forge, whose innate understanding of machinery made him a prime candidate for leadership. In the course of the team's mission, Blink was infected and slowly started succumbing to the virus. Morph contacted the Asgardians, whose divine blood was able to heal the victims after they received a transfusion.

Marvel 2099

In the possible future of 2099, the Phalanx tried to invade Earth a second time. To prevent Earth from being converted by the Transmode Virus, Spider-Man 2099 forms an uneasy alliance with Doom 2099, who had encountered the Phalanx during their first attempt to invade Earth.

In other media

Television

• The Phalanx appear in the X-Men: The Animated Series episode "Phalanx Covenant", with the Phalanx Nexus voiced by Lally Cadeau and additional forms voiced by Stephen Ouimette and Don Francks. An amalgamation of the original comics version and the Technarchy, this version of the species can change their appearance at will and assimilate humans.^[18]
• The Phalanx appears in the Ultimate Spider-Man episode "Home Sick Hulk", voiced by Fred Tatasciore.^[19] Taking inspiration from the Annihilation Conquest design, these versions are metallic insectoids who can infect organic lifeforms and absorb organic matter.
• A variation of the Phalanx appears in Avengers Assemble, voiced by Jim Meskimen.^[20] This version resembles the Annihilation Conquest design, serving as Ultron's nano-virus through corrupted Life Model Decoys that assimilate humans.

Video games

The Phalanx appear in X-Men 2: Clone Wars.