Phalanx (comics)

Phalanx
The Phalanx. Art by Mike Perkins.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Uncanny X-Men #305 (April 1994)
Created by	Chris Claremont Bill Sienkiewicz Scott Lobdell Joe Madureira
Characteristics
Notable members	Stephen Lang Cameron Hodge Warlock/Douglock Candy Southern Harvest Ultron
Inherent abilities	Transforms sentient beings into techno-organic lifeforms and assimilates them into its collective. Superhumanly strong, also possess ability to teleport and shapeshift - molding their limbs into weapons or mimicking the appearance of others.

The Phalanx are a fictional cybernetic species in the Marvel Comics Universe. They have come in conflict with the X-Men and related groups on several occasions. They form a hive-mind, linking each member by a telepathy-like system.

The Phalanx were co-created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Joe Madureira. They owe much in concept and appearance to the original Technarchy (by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bill Sienkiewicz). Although appearing in prototype variations in earlier issues, the Phalanx first appeared in their full form in Uncanny X-Men #312 (May 1994).

Phalanx are formed when organic lifeforms are infected with the Technarchy's techno-organic transmode virus. They pass through a lifecycle attempting to infect others before reaching critical mass. At that time, by instruction, they build a "Babel Spire" to contact the Technarchy. The Technarchy consider Phalanx to be . They invariably destroy the Phalanx "nest", usually by converting the entire planet into techno-organic matter and draining its energy.

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 ashes of Warlock, a renegade Technarch who had joined the New Mutants, in an attempt to turn themselves into "living Sentinels". Steven Lang, the man who had used the Sentinels against the X-Men many years before, was recruited from a mental hospital to become an "interface". Not actually infected with the transmode virus himself, Lang was intended as a buffer to keep the Phalanx "on track" for their intended purpose. He was assisted by Cameron Hodge, a fellow anti-mutant individual who had obtained immortality from the demon N'astirh, and who had been the one to kill Warlock some years before in a prior attempt to infect himself with the virus. Hodge also used a Phalanx construct of Candy Southern in an attempt to destroy Archangel.