X-Men #36
X-Men (vol. 2) #36 is the debut issue of Everett Thomas, a.k.a. Synch — the first fully introduced member of what would become the Generation X roster — making it ground zero for Marvel's next wave of mutant protagonists. As the second chapter of the 'Generation Next' arc within the 1994 Phalanx Covenant crossover, the issue also presents the first in-story appearance (in cameo form) of Blink, Skin, and the character posing as M, who would all go on to lead Generation X #1 just two months later. Beyond its debut count, the issue resolves a long-dangling subplot by revealing the fate of Sara Grey — Jean Grey's sister, missing since X-Factor #12 — as a Phalanx assimilate, closing a thread that had been open for years. Together, these elements make it one of the most consequential single chapters of the mid-1990s X-Men publishing line.
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The issue was written by Fabian Nicieza, penciled by Andy Kubert, and inked by Matt Ryan, with Bob Harras as editor and Tom DeFalco as editor-in-chief. It was published with a September 1994 cover date and released in July 1994, formatted as part of a deliberate publishing strategy to launch Generation X: the 'Generation Next' sub-arc of the Phalanx Covenant was designed specifically to introduce the incoming teen cast before their own ongoing series debuted. Nicieza handled the X-Men title chapters of the crossover while Scott Lobdell wrote the companion Uncanny X-Men chapters, with Joe Madureira on the Uncanny side and Andy Kubert on the X-Men side — two stylistically different artists whose alternating chapters gave the arc an uneven but kinetic visual texture that contemporary reviewers noted even at the time. The direct-market edition carried a wraparound holofoil cardstock cover, a premium format common to Marvel's '90s event chapters.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Everett Thomas (Synch), a St. Louis teenager whose synchronistic aura allows him to duplicate nearby mutant powers — he debuts being surrounded by Phalanx-infected police officers before being rescued by Banshee, Emma Frost, Jubilee, and Sabretooth.
- First cameo appearances of Blink (Clarice Ferguson) and the character presenting as M (Monet St. Croix) alongside Skin (Angelo Espinosa) and Paige Guthrie, shown as Phalanx captives; their full introductions follow in Uncanny X-Men #317 and X-Men #37.
- Written by Fabian Nicieza with pencils by Andy Kubert and inks by Matt Ryan; part 2 of 4 of the 'Generation Next' sub-arc, continuing from Uncanny X-Men #316 and leading into Uncanny X-Men #317.
- Sara Grey — Jean Grey's sister, who had been missing since X-Factor #12 — is revealed to have been forcibly assimilated by the Phalanx, closing a subplot left unresolved for years.
- Paige Guthrie (Husk) is captured by the Phalanx at her Kentucky farmhouse during this issue, briefly shifting the balance in the Phalanx's favor against Banshee's team.
- The climax hinges on Emma Frost telepathically linking her mind with Synch and Jubilee, allowing Synch to amplify Jubilee's plasmoid powers and destroy a Phalanx unit — demonstrating his ability in action on his very first appearance.
- The issue ends with Sabretooth having broken free of Banshee's detonator-based control after the device was damaged in the fight, setting up ongoing tension for the remainder of the crossover.
- Reprinted in the trade paperback X-Men: Origin of Generation X (ISBN 0-7851-0216-7), which collects the complete 'Generation Next' arc alongside Generation X #1.
Cast · 20 characters
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Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
The X-Folk try to save the next generation of mutants from being assimilated by the Phalanx.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).