X-Men #36

Banshee, Sabretooth, Emma Frost, and Jubilee are all that's left to protect the next generation of mutants!

Notes:

• Monet does not appear in this issue. She is actually the combination of her twin sisters in this issue.
• Story continued from Uncanny X-Men #316 and continues in Uncanny X-Men #317.

Synopsis

Somewhere, Monet observes the Phalanx crawl all over his body in an attempt to assimilate her. The Phalanx, however, cannot do so. A Phalanx template of Cameron Hodge announces that the Phalanx must catch the other young, up-and-coming mutants to learn how to get past the mutant assimilation barricade. He commits to assimilating all of mankind in order to destroy all mutants. Dr. Steven Lang, who has allowed himself to become a part of the Phalanx collective, is concerned that his desire to use the Phalanx to destroy mutants will also endanger the human race.

In St. Louis, a young man named Thomas Everett is confronted by the police - for some reason, they cannot tell what happened, only that Thomas seemed to be the epicenter once a bunch of windows shattered. A trio of Phalanx attackers pounce the police, but Banshee and Sabretooth arrive in time to save Thomas, who is a young mutant. Banshee lets loose and melts the Phalanx with his scream.

At the Guthrie farm, a Phalanx contingent attacks and seizes Mrs. Guthrie. The plan was to use her as bait to draw out Paige, a young mutant. The plan works and the Phalanx grab Paige and disappear into the night sky, leaving Mrs. Guthrie and her remaining children behind.

In another part of St. Louis, Emma Frost does her best to shield she and Jubilee from detection. The ruse quickly fails, however, and the Phalanx attack. Again, Banshee and Sabretooth arrive to save the day. The Phalanx stop Banshee's cries by invading his throat and Emma has to work fast to stave off the aliens. She links minds with Jubilee and Thomas and tells Thomas, a mutant with the power to synch with another's powers, to tap into Jubilee's powers and fry the Phalanx at a sub-atomic level. Thomas does so and is amazed at what he can do. A form of Dr. Lang arrives and congratulates the mutants on the slight victory, but then boasts that their efforts are in vain, as the Phalanx has already captured another young mutant. Lang shows off Paige Guthrie, which gives Emma time to plant a subconscious tracker in Paige's mind. Lang leaves and the small team decides to find where the young mutants are being kept and to free them at any cost.

Then they realize that Sabretooth has escaped, his shackles having been damaged by the fight.