M

Biography

M, or Penance (Monet Yvette Clarisse Maria Therese St. Croix), is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. First appearing in The Uncanny X-Men #316 (September 1994), the character was created by Scott Lobdell and Chris Bachalo. Monet St. Croix is a mutant with a variety of superhuman abilities, including enchanced physical and mental capabilities, flight, and telepathy. The character is primarily depicted in association with the X-Men, also having joined superhero teams such as Generation X and X-Factor Investigations. The character and her siblings have a complicated history in the comics, with her brother Emplate transforming her into the mute Penance and her sisters taking her place, before being freed.

== Publication history == Monet St. Croix (Nicole and Claudette merged) first appeared in X-Men #316 (September 1994), created by Scott Lobdell and Chris Bachalo. Monet in the form of Penance first appeared in Generation X #1 (September, 1994). The twins merged into Penance in issue #40, and all three girls were freed from Penance in issue #57. The form left behind, now known as Hollow, also operated normally after this. Monet appeared as a member of X-Corps in Uncanny X-Men #403-406, and in #410-412. Monet joined the cast of X-Factor (vol. 3), beginning with issue #2. She joined an all-female X-Men team in X-Men (vol. 4) #7, which one survey of Muslim representation in comics credited with helping open the door for further women-of-color-led titles. The series ended with issue #26, from which Monet joined Uncanny X-Men (vol. 4). She appeared in Generation X (vol. 2) and Weapon X (vol. 3). During the Krakoan Age, Monet appeared in a number of different titles, notably X-Corp (vol. 1), Uncanny X-Men (vol. 4), and X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #50-54 as a candidate for the X-Men vote. She was also part of the Heir of Apocalypse storyline after the Fall of X.

== Fictional character biography ==

=== Early life === Monet St. Croix was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia, and is the second child of Afro-Monégasque ambassador Cartier St. Croix and his Algerian wife. Monet was raised Muslim and grew up pompous and spoiled as a result of being the favored child of her father. Monet's brother Marius, also known as Emplate, is banished from the St. Croix home shortly after his mother's death, but returns after learning dark magic and requests that Monet join him in conquering another dimension. Monet rejects Marius' offer, leading him to transform her into a creature dubbed Penance. Monet's younger twin sisters, Nicole and Claudette, banish Emplate to another dimension. Monet follows Emplate in an attempt to return herself to normal, but is enslaved, becoming a regular source of bone marrow for Emplate. Afraid their father would break down after the loss of his favorite child, Nicole and Claudette decide to impersonate her in their fused form. This version of Monet would have been identical to the original, but shares Claudette's autism, occasionally leaving her in catatonic stupors. While the twins are impersonating their sister, they are among the mutants captured by the alien Phalanx.

=== Generation X === After being rescued from the Phalanx by Banshee and Emma Frost, the mutants form the team Generation X, with Banshee and Frost training them. Shortly after the school opens, Emplate attacks some of the students at the airport, but is chased away by the newly formed team. Shortly after returning to the school, Gateway reappears on the front lawn with Monet, still trapped in the form of Penance. Beast later diagnoses "Monet" with autism.

=== M/Penance/M-Twins ===

Monet, alongside most of Generation X, are later attacked by Operation: Zero Tolerance. Banshee, Emma Frost, and Penance meet Emplate's henchman D.O.A., who arranges a deal: Monet's location in exchange for Penance. After being attacked by Prime Sentinel forces, Synch synchronizes with Monet and learns her nature as a gestalt being. Skin's cousin Gil sets off a huge explosion to destroy the Sentinels, which separates Nicole and Claudette and leaves them comatose. Soon after, Emplate returns and fuses with the M-twins, creating a new persona called "M-Plate". When the three of them separate, the twins finally learn what their brother did to Monet. Synch convinces Nicole to reveal the truth to the rest of the team. The twins merge with Monet, restoring her human form and trapping the twins inside Penance. Returning to normal, the traumatized M becomes self-reliant, harsh and defensive, causing her to clash with many of her teammates, except for Synch, with whom she starts a brief romantic relationship. When Emplate returns, Jubilee causes an explosion which separates the twins and makes Penance a separate entity.

=== Final days of Generation X ===