Appearing in "The Phalanx Covenant - Life Signs part 1"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Excalibur (Flashback and main story)
- Britanic (Flashback and main story)
- Daytripper (Flashback and main story)
- Douglock (Flashback and main story)
- Lockheed (Cameo) (Only in flashback)
- Nightcrawler (Flashback and main story)
- Meggan Puceanu (Flashback and main story)
- Shadowcat (Flashback and main story)
- Moira MacTaggert (Flashback and main story)
- Professor X (Flashback and main story)
- X-Force
Adversaries:
- Phalanx (Origin revealed) (Flashback and main story)
- Harvest (Cameo) (Only in flashback)
- Cameron Hodge (Flashback and main story)
- Steven Lang (Flashback and main story)
- Shinar (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Candy Southern (Cameo) (Only in flashback)
- Everett Thomas (Cameo) (On a TV or computer screen)
- X-Men
- Cyclops (Cameo) (On a TV or computer screen)
- Phoenix (Jean Grey-Summers) (Cameo) (On a TV or computer screen)
- Rogue (Cameo) (On a TV or computer screen)
- Yukio (Cameo) (Only in flashback)
- Zero (Cameo) (Only in flashback)
- Giuseppe Russo (Only appearance; dies)[1]
Locations:
- Marvel Universe
- France
- Italy
- United Kingdom
- Muir Island, Scotland
- Mutant Research Center (Only in flashback)
- Muir Island, Scotland
Items:
Vehicles:
- Excalibur's hover craft (Destroyed in this issue) (Only in flashback)
Synopsis for "The Phalanx Covenant - Life Signs part 1"
At Professor X’s request, Polaris uses her powers to bring X-Factor to the Mont St. Francis monastery in France with no technology. Upon arriving, they are met by members of Excalibur and X-Force who order them to wait until their identities can be verified. Insulted, Strong Guy scuffles with X-Force until Professor X breaks up the fight. Shatterstar points out Forge’s bionic hand and leg, but Xavier vouches for him and the rest of X-Factor. Once everyone is inside, Xavier recounts the Phalanx’s recent assault on Muir Island: during a videocall with Xavier’s School, a techno-organic Phalanx emerged from Nightcrawler’s computer console and attacked. Xavier telepathically kept it at bay and sent Kurt to shut off the facility’s power. Shadowcat neutralized the Phalanx by phasing through it, and ex-Phalanx Douglock confirmed what it was. As more Phalanx absorbed the facility, Xavier and Excalibur fled in an aircraft, but Xavier’s hoverchair transformed into a Phalanx. Daytripper magically shielded the team as Moira MacTaggert activated the plane’s self-destruct program, and they made their way to the monastery. While Havok and Shatterstar argue over what to do, Wolfsbane sneaks away and finds Meggan guarding Douglock in a cell. Struck by his resemblance to her late boyfriend Cypher, Rahne thinks he is Cypher back from the dead. Cannonball, Xavier, and Forge soon join her, and Forge’s powers leave him awestruck by Douglock’s anatomy. In the Italian Alps, a wolf-headed Phalanx named Shinar absorbs a local shepherd. Elsewhere, Phalanx leader Steven Lang monitors Shinar but cannot read his thoughts. Infuriated by his independence, Lang summons Cameron Hodge to explain, but Hodge dismisses it as a glitch. Back at Mont St. Francis, Forge realizes Xavier’s telepathy is interfering with his own powers and has Xavier leave Douglock’s cell. Cannonball demands Douglock explain who the Phalanx are and what they want. He reveals that scientists used the techno-organic remains of the New Mutant Warlock to create the Phalanx. To direct the Phalanx’s collective intelligence, they employed mutant hater Steven Lang and then recruited volunteers to be transformed into Phalanx. Patterned after Cypher, Douglock was contacted by the android Zero, stirred to rebellion, and expelled from the collective. Now, Douglock warns the Phalanx have become a threat to all organic life. Suddenly, he knocks out Forge then Cannonball and says they must leave immediately; Wolfsbane insists on joining him. Britanic, Nightcrawler, Polaris, and Strong Guy try to stop Douglock, but he fends them off, blasts a hole through the wall, and declares “Babel” must be stopped. Shadowcat wants to pursue him, but Xavier has her stand down, and Douglock teleports away with his captives.
Notes
- This issue is part one of the three-part "Life Signs" crossover with Excalibur and X-Force, part of the "Phalanx Covenant" event. The story continues in X-Force #38.
- This issue is reprinted in:
- The Origin of Generation X trade paperback (1996);
- X-Force: Phalanx Covenant hardcover (2013);
- X-Men: Phalanx Covenant hardcover (2014);
- Cable and X-Force Omnibus hardcover (2019);
- X-Men Milestones: Phalanx Covenant trade paperback (2020);
- X-Factor Epic Collection vol. 9: Afterlives trade paperback (2022).
- This issue included bonus pinups, featuring:
Trivia
- Professor X mentions the Phalanx have captured the X-Men and that he has sent Cable and Wolverine to rescue them. That mission is portrayed in Wolverine Vol 2 #85 and Cable #16.
- Cameron Hodge killed Warlock in New Mutants #95.
- Steven Lang was chosen to lead the Phalanx because of his past link with the Sentinel Master Mold in Incredible Hulk Annual #7.
- Steven Lang expelled Douglock from the Phalanx in Uncanny X-Men #313. Douglock then met up with Zero in Excalibur #78.
See Also
- Write your own review of this comic!
- Discuss X-Factor Vol 1 106 on the forums
- Images from X-Factor Vol 1 106
Recommended Reading
Links and References
- X-Factor at Wikipedia
- X-Factor at Marvel Subscriptions
- X-Factor series index at Comicbookdb.com
- X-Factor series index at Uncanny X-Men.net
- X-Factor series index at the Grand Comics Database Project
- The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators - accessed on 11/16/2010
Footnotes
- ↑ First and only known appearance to date besides flashbacks
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