Cerebra's Files

Fantomex

Real Name: Unknown
Affiliation: None
Previous Affiliations: Weapon Plus Program
Aliases: Weapon XIII, Jean-Phillipe
Alternate-X Versions: None
Codename Etymology: Pronounced făn'təmĕks [From Greek, phantasma]; A ghost (French spelling).
Powers & History: A true international man of mystery, Fantomex's true powers are still hard to describe. According to his own admission, he is a product of secret human-technological cross-breeding done by the Weapon Plus Program at The World, a self-contained facility that has its own time-manipulation engines. Fantomex's "mutation" is E.V.A., a seemingly sentient techno-organic ship that can seat 3-4 people and has insect-like legs for landing. E.V.A. can fly "herself" and can also generate electrical charges as a weapon. She is effectively Fantomex's nervous system, so the two share an important symbiotic relationship, similar to Maggott and his slugs. Fantomex does have an internal backup nervous system, but it is limited and he can only see in black and white. Fantomex has said that E.V.A. emerged from his mouth when he was in puberty, and she started off about the size of a small ball, and grew from there. Fantomex wears telepathy-blocking ceramics in his ski-mask-like hood, and has the ability to hypnotize himself and perform certain critical tasks, such as surgery, even on himself. Finally, Fantomex apparently has mental abilities of a level that was able to escape detection by and fool even Professor X and Phoenix IV.

Upon escaping from The World, Fantomex chose his nom de guerre and (supposedly) began a rash of robberies across Europe, becoming one of the most wanted men in Europe in a short period of time. He was being chased by the authorities when he broke into the X-Corporation HQ in Paris and confronted Professor X and Phoenix IV, who were staying there. Fantomex asked for asylum, and Xavier accepted, because Fantomex had critical information about the Chunnel disaster Xavier had just sent a team to investigate. Fantomex brought the telepaths to a house in the south of France, complete with all of his stolen goods and an old blind mother who knew nothing of his activities. Fantomex wanted a billion dollars from Xavier for the information. While Xavier debated, Fantomex operated on himself to patch up his wounds. Eventually they struck a different bargain: Fantomex's knowledge of Weapon XII to save the X-Team operatives in return for Xavier and Jean's help in killing Weapon XII.

Fantomex led Xavier and Jean to the Chunnel, already swamped by people XII had made into mindless slaves. Fantomex attacked Weapom XII, and killed Darkstar and other people to do it, as they were already possessed by Weapon XII and effectively dead anyway. He seemed to be using bullets with faces on them, similar to the ones created by Brian Braddock's father from a mutant skin and later used in Genosha. Meanwhile, Jean noticed two storage units in the train that was carrying Weapon XII. Putting it all together, she realized that Fantomex was part of the Weapon Plus program as well. Fantomex confesseed, but explains that he escaped the program and refuses to be anyone's soldier. He asked her for the chance become the mutant thief he told her he was, and revealed that there was no house or old mother, it was an illusion. Then Fantomex pushed the detonator which exploded Weapon XII's head, and Jean provided him with cover while he escaped.

Shortly thereafter, Wolverine encountered Fantomex in Afghanistan, where the X-Men were searching for a distressed mutant. Fantomex had the mutant girl Sooraya (Dust) in his arms, but was really there for a ledger containing information on the Afghani slave trade, which he intended to use as blackmail. Fantomex taunted Wolverine with the idea of finding out his true past from the Weapon Plus program, then disappeared in a fine mist. This was perhaps a mental projection, as Fantomex is not known to have teleportation abilities.

Months later, Fantomex contacted Wolverine and offered the information about his past in return for helping him assault The World and stopping the latest creation, Weapon XV. Wolverine met Fantomex in the Hellfire Club and brought Cyclops along with him on the mission. Together they infiltrated The World and stood up to Weapon XV, but XV escaped. Fantomex has eventually gave Wolverine access to the information on his past, and it messed Logan up for a while. On this mission E.V.A. appeared to have been destroyed by the World's defenses, causing Fantomex to revert to his backup nervous system. E.V.A. seems to have recovered.

Months later, Fantomex was contacted by Shortpack, who wanted to learn how to kill. Fantomex refused to help the diminutive Shortpack on his suicidal mission, but did take him by boat to his destination. Later, Mystique ran into Fantomex in her hunt for the Quiet Man, and he told her of Shortpack's actions. Fantomex was disabled by Mystique, but later assisted her in capturing the Quiet Man's agent, Shepard.
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