:Phalanx (comics)

{{Short description|Fictional extraterrestrial species in Marvel Comics}}

{{Multiple issues|

{{In-universe| subject = comics| category = comics| date = December 2014}}

}}

{{Infobox comics species

| species = Phalanx

| image = Phalanx Marvel.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = The Phalanx.
Art by Mike Perkins.

| publisher = Marvel Comics

| debut = Uncanny X-Men #305

| debutmo = April

| debutyr = 1994

| creators = Scott Lobdell
Joe Madureira
Chris Claremont
Bill Sienkiewicz

| deities =

| homeworld =

| members = Stephen Lang
Cameron Hodge
Candy Southern
Warlock/Douglock
Harvest
Ultron

| powers = Transforms sentient beings into techno-organic lifeforms and assimilates them into its collective. Superhuman strength, stamina, and durability, teleportation, shapeshifting

| subcat = Marvel Comics

| altcat = Marvel Comics alien species

| sortkey = Phalanx

}}

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.

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|date=January 2012}}

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.Marvel Fact Files #19Powers of X #2{{Cite web |last=Webber |first=Tim |date=March 22, 2023 |title=X-Men: What Is Dominion? |url=https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/x-men-dominion-explained |access-date=June 7, 2024 |website=Marvel}}

The Phalanx wield various advanced ships and use techno-organic viruses to create drones and infect civilizations.Powers of X #2X-Men (Vol. 5) #9Uncanny X-Men #343Annihilation: Conquest - Wraith #1{{Cite web |last=Bailey |first=Caleb |date=September 1, 2019 |title=10 Reasons Why The Phalanx Are One Of The Biggest Threats To The X-Men |url=https://www.cbr.com/marvel-comics-phalanx-x-men-scariest-most-dangerous-threats/ |access-date=October 1, 2024 |website=CBR |language=en}} 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=

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.Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #291 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.Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #306

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.Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #316

While Banshee's group scramble to save the young mutants, the Phalanx secretly follow them and impersonate various people.X-Men (2nd series) #36Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #317 Eventually, the group save all the targeted mutants except for Blink, who sacrifices herself to save the rest and kill Harvest.{{Cite web |last=Allan |first=Scoot |date=April 28, 2022 |title=10 New X-Men Characters Who Debuted During The Phalanx Covenant Event |url=https://www.cbr.com/new-x-men-characters-phalanx-covenant-event/ |access-date=October 1, 2024 |website=CBR |language=en}}X-Men #37

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.Cable (2nd series) #16

Much later, it is revealed that Mister Sinister captured a Phalanx and experimented on it to replicate its abilities. Eventually, it is disconnected from the Phalanx hive mind and loses most of its body, but manages to regrow by assimilating humans before the X-Men defeat it.Uncanny X-Men (2011) #4

Clones of the Phalanx (and others) remain captive in Mister Sinister's prize collection.Extraordinary X-Men #4 However, despite Sinister's best efforts, they were wiped from existence by the Phoenix Force.Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 2) #17

=The Shi'ar Massacre=

Another group of Phalanx later almost decimated the Shi'ar Empire in the absence of the Imperial Guard. With their bodies now pitch-black, except for a few red and blue glowing sensor slits, this new breed only displayed the basic Phalanx and Technarchy features while shapeshifting or when individuals were damaged. These Phalanx also considered themselves as "pure" Phalanx compared to such sects like the one on Earth and hadn't any reservations about infecting mutants with the transmode virus as they almost transformed Rogue.Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #343 The Phalanx made their way to Chandilar, the throneworld of the Shi'ar Empire where they tried to assimilate the "Nest", actually the hatching 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, causing all Phalanx within its range to dissolve but not before thousands or more Shi'ar were massacred.Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #344 The rest of this group later conquered another planet,Warlock #7 but were destroyed by the Magus after the construction of a Babel Spire.Warlock #8

=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, fully under their control and members of their single-minded matrix. 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 didn't fall under control fought back against their oppressors as well as Quasar (Phyla Vell), Moondragon, Adam Warlock, Star-Lord and the Dirty Half Dozen only to discover that they were under Ultron's control.Annihilation Conquest: Quasar #1-4 (Jul.-Oct. 2007)

Experimentation

Given the powerful nature of the Phalanx, different individuals and governments attempted to experiment with the alien race.

British intelligence group Black Air acquired several Phalanx specimens, and determined how to control them. They used at least one Phalanx (which had a Brood as its template) as a guardian "warliquid" at their London headquarters, the Blackwall. They kidnapped and manipulated Douglock as part of a plot to gain outright dominion over the earth by the channeling of demonic energy.
After a battle with the Silver Surfer, Cable was partially lobotomized to save him from Galactus. Now trying to save him, Deadpool tracked down the Fixer to save Cable. Deadpool comes into possession of a Phalanx fetus which Cable later subdues.
Before the Phalanx Covenant event started, it was revealed that Mister Sinister was able to capture a Phalanx which he kept experimenting until he was capable to replicate their hive mind form which he then used to link himself with every clone of him by a telepathic system.

Attributes

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.

Any organism infected by the Phalanx is automatically inducted into the group mind. Certain individuals with exceptional powers and/or abilities retain their identity.

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. On a hunch, Morph was able to contact the Asgardians whose divine blood was able to heal the victims after they received a transfusion.

=Marvel 2099=

In the possible future known as 2099, the Phalanx tried to invade the planet Earth a second time. To prevent Earth from being converted by the Transmode Virus, Spider-Man (Miguel O'Hara) forms an uneasy alliance with Doom 2099, who had encountered the Phalanx in their first attempt to invade Earth in the 20th century. Doom knew that the Phalanx would have a "scout program" so he added his own subroutine to the coding called subroutine Cynthia which would erase the scout program. When Doom jumped to the future he lost track of the scout program and therefore created the Mutant Messiah myth to track the carrier down again.

When, during a mission, the mutant Nostromo becomes sheathed in a strange cocoon, he reveals himself to be the carrier when he "hatches" as a Phalanx. Doom sends some operatives to bring the boy to him, however, some of the operatives turn out to be Phalanx themselves and begin attacking the group.

Nostromo is eventually delivered to Doom, who then activates the subroutine within Nostromo and, bidding Spider-Man to take him to safety, blows up his castle, while Twilight brings reinforcements of aboriginal Martians to destroy the Phalanx in orbit.

In other media

=Television=

The Phalanx appear in the X-Men: The Animated Series two-part 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.{{Cite web |last=Sims |first=Chris |date=August 18, 2014 |title=X-Men Episode Guide 5x01: The Phalanx Covenant, Part 1 |url=https://comicsalliance.com/x-men-episode-guide-5x01-the-phalanx-covenant-part-1/ |access-date=October 1, 2024 |website=ComicsAlliance |language=en}}
The Phalanx appears in the Ultimate Spider-Man episode "Home Sick Hulk", voiced by Fred Tatasciore.{{cite episode|title=Home Sick Hulk|series=Ultimate Spider-Man|network=Disney XD|season=1|number=19|airdate=September 9, 2012}} Taking inspiration from the Annihilation Conquest design, these versions are metallic dwarfish insectoids who can infect organic lifeforms and absorb organic matter.
A variation of the Phalanx appears in Avengers Assemble, voiced by Jim Meskimen.{{cite episode|title=The Ultron Outbreak|series=Avengers Assemble|network=Disney XD|season=2|number=18|airdate=May 17, 2015}} This version resembles the Annihilation Conquest design, serving as Ultron's nano-virus through corrupted Life Model Decoys that assimilate humans.