PHALANX

 

PHALANX

 

First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1) #305, October 1993 (prototypes); The Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1) #306, November 1993 (Earth Phalanx)

History & Traits: The Phalanx are techno-organic beings created by infecting organic life forms (whether humanoid, animal, or plant) with the extraterrestrial Technarchy’s Transmode Virus. When the Technarchy feed on organic life-glow, they expose living matter to their Transmode Virus (which is part of their physiology) before consuming it. If all of the techno-organic matter is not consumed, it may survive after the Technarch moves on. Because Transmode-infected matter is highly contagious, infestations of techno-organic matter and beings may grow unchecked, often forming a collective "hive" mind known as the Phalanx.

On Earth, the Phalanx were created deliberately through artificial means. Following Warlock's death at the hands of Cameron Hodge during the events of “The X-Tinction Agenda”, the Genoshan government (desperate for funds after the collapse of their economic infrastructure due to the liberation of their Mutate population) sold some of his remains to a group of American scientists. These scientists wanted to study Warlock’s remains as the basis for the creation of a new breed of sentient “living Sentinels”. Upon being able to duplicate the Transmode Virus, the scientists tracked anti-mutant scientist Dr. Steven Lang to a convalescent home to recruit him. Being partially infected with the Transmode Virus, Lang’s involvement was meant for him to monitor and control the actions of the hundreds of Phalanx, needing his mind to act as an interface with the techno-organic collective intelligence. The Phalanx assimilate the sentience of its victims in a manner that unifies everyone infected by their Transmode Virus into a collective intelligence (a vast hive mind where every memory, viewpoint, and sensory experience could be sampled and revisited by any parts of the whole, maintaining constant and direct telepathic communication between all parties).

Lang created the earliest Phalanx prototypes, but they were inherently unstable. He created further Phalanx based on the genetic and cerebral engrams of dead associates of the X-Men, however their decayed genetic structure also proved too unstable to ensure the viability of Lang’s operation. His real success came when he recruited human volunteers, recruits were found among the radical fringe of groups such as the Friends of Humanity.

Visually, the Phalanx are not dissimilar from the Technarchy. They have similarly black bodies with yellow outlined sensors, cables and machine-like surface structures. The Phalanx are also able to change their shape and appearance, allowing them to disguise themselves. Unlike the Technarchy, they don't seem to be able to change their size while shapeshifting, or at least not as much. However, the Phalanx can compensate for that as they are able to infect and assimilate inorganic matter to increase their size or replace mass that they have lost during a fight. The Phalanx are also able to merge with each other and to separate again, as needed. This is something the Technarchy have never been shown to do and, given their aggressive nature, they probably wouldn't want to merge, even if they were capable of it. While the Phalanx are apparently not capable of traveling through hyperspace, some of them have been shown to teleport. A range limit has never been stated, though it's safe to assume that they can't teleport across inter-planetary distances.

With their hive mind, each Phalanx is equipped with a specific device or component in their bodies providing the link to that collective. Through this group mind, the Phalanx can share and distribute information. Whereas each Phalanx keeps the memories of their prior existence as an organic life-form, and they also display their original personality traits to a certain degree, they are unable to resist the will of collective. Only after the link to the hive mind is severed are they able to regain full individuality. As with the Technarchy, the Phalanx infect other beings with the Transmode Virus, though it's not to feed on them but to add them into their collective. For some unknown reason, though, the Phalanx have found themselves unable to assimilate mutants.

If left unchecked, the Phalanx continue to grow and assimilate organic life-forms into their collective until they reach critical mass. At that point, a base-program (from the Technarchy) buried deep within their cells is activated and takes over the collective. Unable to resist their new imperative, the Phalanx twine themselves into the Babel Spire, a huge transmission tower that sends a beacon call deep into space, to the Technarchy. When the call is received, they follow the transmission to its source and drain the entire planet of its energies, for they consider the Phalanx to be abominations that can't be allowed to continue to exist.

This base-program seems to act as a failsafe. The Technarchy do not want to lose the advantages that come along with their techno-organic status, and they certainly do not wish for other species to gain access to their powers and abilities. Therefore, they are alerted to larger groupings of Phalanx creatures before they become sufficiently large that they could become a serious danger to the Technarchy. Additionally, it seems to be an efficient way to improve the Technarchy's feeding process. Instead of having to hunt down and transform organic life-forms one by one, they happen upon entire planets that have already been partially transformed and are awaiting to have their energies being drained by them.

STEVEN LANG

 

STEVEN LANG

Real Name: Steven Lang

First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1) #97, February 1976

Powers: Dr. Steven Lang was a baseline human with no superhuman powers, as well as an expert in robotics and genetics and the creator of the Mark III Sentinels. Later, he cybernetically linked himself to the artificial intelligence of his Mastermold Sentinel. However, the process of a mental connection for the two left Lang a mindless shell, while copying his personality and memory engrams into the Mastermold itself. While recuperating in a convalescent home, Lang was recruited to become part of the Earth-based faction of the techno-organic beings known as the Phalanx.

The Phalanx exist as incidental biological refuse created by Technarchy life cycles. When the Technarchy feed on organic life energy, they expose living matter to a Transmode Virus (which is part of their physiology) before consuming it. If all the techno-organic matter is not consumed, it may survive after the Technarchy moves on. Because Transmode-infected matter is highly contagious, infestations of techno-organic matter and beings may grow unchecked, often forming an offshoot known as the Phalanx. On Earth, the Phalanx were created deliberately by the Friends of Humanity in an effort to forge a new breed of living Sentinels to exterminate mutantkind. The original Phalanx drones and agents were created through exposure to the Transmode virus harvested from the ashes of the Technarch known as Warlock. The Phalanx assimilate the sentience of its victims in a manner that unified everyone infected by the Transmode virus into a collective intelligence (a vast hive mind where every memory, viewpoint, and sensory experience could be sampled and revisited by any parts of the whole, maintaining constant and direct telepathic communication between all parties). Lang's recruitment was meant to monitor and control the actions of the hundreds of Phalanx, needing his mind to act as an interface with the techno-organic collective intelligence.

As the human host of the Phalanx collective and a partial Transmode-infectee, Lang could manipulate the techno-organic matter of the entire race, communicate telepathically, and translate computer languages. He provided the collective with focus and direction and had access to all of the thoughts and actions of each Phalanx linked to the collective. The various "individual" Phalanx had only limited capacity for creative thinking beyond following the directives of the collective. Lang gave the Phalanx guidance and helped coordinate and update their mission parameters.

WARLOCK

 

WARLOCK

Real Name: Warlock (English approximation of his real name)

First Appearance: The New Mutants (Vol. 1) #18, August 1984

Powers: Warlock is a member of the Technarch, an alien race from the planet Kvch. They utilize a transmode virus as part of their physiology, giving them techno-organic bodies that are black with cables, sensors and other surface structures outlined by glowing lines. An immature mutant by Technarcy standards, Warlock experiences a greater range and variety of emotions than other members of his race do.

Warlock's bio-mechanical body can be reconstructed into any organically or technologically-appearing shape he can imagine, as well as energy projectors, sensory equipment, and to increase his physical size and strength, merge with computer systems to download information and schematics, deciphering protocols that allow him to intuit spoken, written and binary languages, and natural adaptability which helps his systems reconfigure to deal with new threats or opponents. When he takes the form of a machine, he retains his intelligence and uses his own life energies to empower himself in machine form (Hence, if he assumed the shape and form of a helicopter, his own energies would enable lift, flight, and mobility, not gasoline). He can exist in the vacuum of space without protection, as well as enter hyperspace and travel through it at great speeds. Warlock's shape-changing powers allow him to reduce himself to liquid form and then change back to solid form.

Warlock replenishes his life-energies by drawing electrical current from an outlet or by transforming living creatures into techno-organic beings. He accomplishes this by infecting an organic matter with his transmode virus, transforming the being or matter into a techno-organic being like himself, and then siphoning their life energy, killing them in the process. Though he can transform a living being to into techno-organics without draining their life energy, he cannot reverse the transformation. The circuitry in his body emanates a white glow when his power is at its peak, a yellow glow under normal circumstances, and a blue glow when he is low on energy.

Warlock can physically and mentally merge with another living being and thereby creating a single being that operates as a gestalt, he he has done with his teammate Doug Ramsey (Cypher). When they would merge, they took the form of Ramsey's body, but covered with Warlock's organic circuitry. Ramsey could perceive his environment as Warlock could. At first, their minds would remain separate within the body, but eventually their consciousness rapidly began to exhibit traits from both beings. The Cypher-Warlock gestalt could change its form so that both bodies were separate, but linked at certain points. The danger in creating the merger was that Warlock could infect Cypher with the transmode virus. Additionally, the longer the merger lasted, the greater the risk that his and Cypher's minds would so closely resemble one another that they would not want to regain separation.

After his death at the hands of Cameron Hodge, Warlock was later repowered and programmed with the engrams of Cypher as well as infected with Phalanx techno-organics derived from his own form. Warlock's genetic make-up is once again primarily Technarch, but with elements of both Phalanx and human genetics.

CYPHER

 

CYPHER

Real Name: Douglas Aaron Ramsey

First Appearance: The New Mutants (Vol. 1) #13, March 1984

Powers: Cypher’s mutant power is an intuitive capacity for interpreting the context and subtext of behavior and activity to read the intent behind it. The most commonly seen aspect of this power is his ability to translate and internalize languages. His power generated a field of psionic energy that classified the syntax and meaning of language into a manner understandable to an individual mind. Using his power, he could understand and decipher any language or code, be it written or spoken, human or alien in nature. He could even read body language and gestures to instinctively understand what they mean within the context of that culture or the individual person using them. This makes him an excellent poker player, as he can instinctively recognize and understand “tells” his opponents make. His skill with computer languages makes him an excellent intuitive programmer and hacker. Only a small amount of exposure was necessary for him to completely and permanently internalize the language in his linguistic center.

Originally, he couldn’t extend his translation field beyond the limits of his own mind. An alternate reality’s version of Cypher showed that he could expand his power over an area of miles, allowing everyone within range to process languages into a form they can personally understand. This version of Cypher could sense all the minds affected by his field effect, including disembodied astral forms.

The scope of his power expanded much further after his resurrection using a techno-organic virus. His ability now enables him to read subtle cues in body language, tone, and other behavior to identify the true feelings and meaning behind anything someone says or does. Naturally, this makes him an innate lie detector, but it also allows him to anticipate movement and fighting styles as they're being put into motion. The more ingrained those particular movements are for a person, the easier it is for Cypher to recognize the cues their body gives off. On the other hand, his power fails him when dealing with people possessed by an outside source, like mind control, as they now move and act under the direction of a mind whose "language" is completely foreign to that body.

Cypher can not only read people, he can also read the intent behind things people have done. This could be something simple such as divining an artist's intent for a painting, or something more complex like translating the scope of a building's architecture. By looking at the X-Men’s Utopia headquarters' design aesthetic above ground, he was able to read the manner in which the rest of the structure was built outside his line-of-sight, and located an access-way into a former space station underwater. He can understand and decipher geography, quantum cryptography, pheromones, numeric systems, force-field harmonics, binary, hieroglyphs, micro-expressions, and he can even determine recipes by sampling food.

He can create new languages, teach himself to speak in a subconscious dream language, and can read magical skills, though the constant shifting of syntax presents him with great difficulty. He has detected shifts in reality and, when in contact with sentient alien technology, can decipher cosmic-level languages such as dimensions and genetics. To avoid missing information, Cypher barely blinks. He is vulnerable to being mentally overwhelmed by input (such as when he tried to decipher the entire Internet), and mutated languages (such as magical tomes) can control his mind.

Additionally, Cypher’s teammate Warlock often takes the form of sophisticated battlesuits or armor in order to protect Doug during combat. To which extent this remains true after Cypher's T-O virus resurrection remains to be seen.