Skin (Marvel Comics)

Last updated
Skin
Skin(Comics).jpg
Panel from Generation X #63 (May 2000)
Art by Steve Pugh
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance The Uncanny X-Men #317 (October 1994)
Created by Scott Lobdell (writer)
Joe Madureira (artist)
In-story information
Alter egoAngelo Espinosa
Species Human mutant
Team affiliations Generation X
AbilitiesSix feet of extra, malleable skin which can be stretched or reshaped at will

Skin (Angelo Espinosa) is a fictional character (a human mutant) appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #317 (October 1994).

Contents

Fictional character biography

Angelo Espinosa was a former gang member from the east Los Angeles area who faked his own death for numerous reasons; to make sure that his friend Tores was not blamed for murder, to hide his newly manifested mutation from his family, and to leave that part of his life behind. Skin was one of four young mutants (including M, Husk, and Blink) abducted by the Phalanx, a techno-organic alien race. The reason behind the abductions was so that the Phalanx could uncover the secret behind their inability to assimilate mutants into their collective. Through their combined efforts and those of Banshee, Emma Frost, Sabretooth, Synch, and Jubilee, the four young mutants managed to escape their confines; although, Blink sacrificed herself by using her powers to destroy the Phalanx that had captured them. [1]

Afterwards, Skin accepted an invitation to enroll in the Massachusetts Academy, a school for mutants owned by Emma Frost. As a member of Generation X, Skin was joined by Synch, Jubilee, Husk, and M (and later by Chamber, Penance, and Mondo). During his stay at the Massachusetts Academy, Skin became close friends with Chamber because neither could pass for normal humans in public, and he always found time to playfully flirt with Husk, Jubilee (whom he nicknamed Jubecita), and M. Skin was also hunted by a mutant-killing vigilante known as the X-Cutioner who believed Skin responsible for the death of Angelo Espinosa. The X-Cutioner did not know that Skin, in fact, was Angelo Espinosa. Skin succeeded in defeating the vigilante, but kept his identity secret. [2]

During Operation: Zero Tolerance, Skin and his teammates found themselves transported to his hometown by Glorian. [3] While searching for Skin's cousin Gil, they were captured by Skin's ex-girlfriend Tores, a gang leader who wanted to kill him for making her believe he was dead. Before she got the chance, Prime Sentinels attacked both Generation X and her gang, forcing them into a reluctant temporary truce. Skin and Tores acted as bait to lead the Sentinels into an ambush, and Gil completed the trap by starting a huge explosion, allowing Generation X to escape. [4]

After the Academy closed due to the machinations of Adrienne Frost, Skin returned to Los Angeles with Jubilee in tow. [5] Some time later, Skin and Jubilee, along with Magma, Bedlam, and a handful of other unknown mutants were found crucified on the lawn of the X-Mansion. This action was done by the Church of Humanity, a militant, religious anti-mutant organization. Archangel used his blood's healing properties to revive Jubilee and Magma but Bedlam and Skin didn't survive. [6]

Jubilee, Husk, and Archangel went to visit Skin's grave after Jubilee had recovered only to find that the owner of the cemetery was about to dig Skin up and remove him because of his status as a mutant. The girls argued with the foreman, but he insisted that it was against the religious convictions of the cemetery to bury mutants. He offered to cremate Skin's remains and give them to the girls, which he ultimately did. [7]

Skin was later resurrected by means of the Transmode Virus to serve as part of Selene's army of deceased mutants. Under the control of Selene and Eli Bard, he takes part in the assault on the mutant nation of Utopia. [8]

Years later, Skin was resurrected on Krakoa through The Five, his resurrection pushed forward on the schedule because his former teammate Synch was needed to act as a back-up for The Five and they believed the two young mutants would help each over re-adjust. [9] He was seen arm in arm with Synch and standing next to Broo at a party following the first meeting of the Quiet Council. [10] He was later approached by Madison Jeffries manifesting himself through the land, who explained to him that he was thrown in the Pit of Exile for trying to create a place for Danger to live, which was deemed a violation of rule three by the Quiet Council. [11] He later told Blob about this, unsure if it really happened, Blob assures him he's seen enough weird things to believe his story and remarks there's going to be a power-vacuum soon and that "it's good to have a brotherhood. [12]

Powers and abilities

Skin possessed approximately six feet [13] of extra skin. He was capable of stretching, deforming, wrapping, expanding, and compressing this extra amount of epidermis. When Skin is performing any of these stunts, it is only the epidermis that was manipulated; Skin's skeletal structure was the same as any normal, average person of his age and height. Skin's skin had a greyish tone and, because of the extra amount, gave him the appearance of a melted candle. At one point, along with compressing his skin tighter against his body, Skin was learning to manipulate the pigment melanin in his epidermis in order to appear normal. However, performing these two stunts together caused him to have migraines and he soon gave up on the idea of being normal.

Other versions

Age of Apocalypse

In the alternate timeline of the Age of Apocalypse, Skin was featured in Generation Next as one of the protégés tapped by Colossus and Shadowcat to rescue Illyana Rasputin from enslavement at the Sugar Man's Core. Due to their more militant training, Skin was depicted as using his powers in a much more aggressive fashion, including impaling opponents with skin protrusions. Colossus abandoned the team to ensure Illyana's rescue, and as a result, only he, Shadowcat, and Illyana managed to escape from the Core. Skin and the rest of his teammates were overwhelmed and killed by the Core's guards. [14]

Ultimate Marvel

In the Ultimate Marvel universe it was mentioned by Sunspot that Skin had nearly been beaten to death by humans. [15]

In other media

Skin appears in Generation X , portrayed by Agustin Rodriguez. This version possesses full elasticity akin to Mister Fantastic, though using the ability causes him great pain.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">X-Men</span> Comic book superhero team

The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist/co-writer Jack Kirby and editor/co-writer Stan Lee, the team first appeared in The X-Men #1. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to low sales, following its 1975 revival and subsequent direction under writer Chris Claremont, it became one of the most recognizable and successful franchises of Marvel Comics. They have appeared in numerous books, television shows, Disney's 20th Century Studios X-Men films, and video games. The X-Men title may refer to the superhero team itself, the eponymous comic series, or the broader franchise including various solo titles and team books such as the New Mutants, Excalibur, and X-Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colossus (character)</span> Fictional character

Colossus is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kitty Pryde</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. The character first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #129 and was co-created by writer-artist John Byrne and writer Chris Claremont. A mutant, Pryde possesses a "phasing" ability that allows her to pass through objects, hence she is intangible while using this ability. This power also disrupts any electrical field she passes through, and lets her simulate levitation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magik (Illyana Rasputina)</span> Comic book superheroine

Magik is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted most often in relation to the X-Men, and first appeared in the comic book Giant-Size X-Men #1.

Several fictional groups of mutants have used the name Hellions in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Hellions have always been portrayed as rivals of various teams of younger mutant heroes in the X-Men franchise, initially as actual villains and later on a team that was more of a school rival than actual enemies of the X-Men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Generation X (comics)</span> Fictional comic book heroes

Generation X is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A spin-off of the X-Men, the team was created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Chris Bachalo. Generation X debuted during the 1994 "Phalanx Covenant" storyline, and appeared in their own monthly series in September 1994 with Generation X #1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blink (character)</span> Superhero from Marvel Comics

Blink is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Joe Madureira, Blink is the pink-skinned mutant leader of the Exiles, a group tasked with correcting problems in various alternate worlds and divergent timelines in the Marvel Multiverse. "Redefined" from an Earth-616 variant of the character previously created by Lobdell and Madureira for the crossover event "The Phalanx Covenant" as a member of Generation X killed by the Phalanx, who first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #317, the "Pink Blink" of Earth-295 is considered a breakout character, serving as the protagonist of the ongoing series Exiles and limited series Blink.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chamber (character)</span> Comics character

Chamber is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually associated with the X-Men and the New Warriors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Husk (comics)</span> Marvel Comics superhero

Husk is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Guthrie is a superhero associated with the X-Men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marauders (comics)</span> Group of fictional characters

The Marauders refers to one of two teams of fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The original Marauders team included mutant warriors and assassins employed by the X-Men's enemy Mister Sinister, a mad scientist villain often intent on creating a perfect race of superhumans. At different times, the Marauders have been tasked with Sinister to perform kidnappings, assassinations, mass murder, or to simply fight Sinister's enemies. At different times, Marauders have been killed in combat, but often Mr. Sinister later uses his cloning technology to re-create them. This team of Marauders has appeared in many different stories of the X-Men franchise, as well as stories featuring other Marvel Comics heroes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phalanx (comics)</span> Fictional extraterrestrial species in Marvel Comics

The Phalanx are a fictional cybernetic species appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They have come into conflict with the X-Men as well as other groups on several occasions. They form a hive mind, linking each member by a telepathic system.

<i>Fatal Attractions</i> (comics) Comic book crossover event

"Fatal Attractions" is a major X-Men crossover written by Fabian Nicieza and Scott Lobdell, published by Marvel Comics in 1993. Spanning the entire line of books, it served to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Marvel's X-Men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M (Marvel Comics)</span> Comic book superheroine

Penance is a mutant superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is primarily depicted in association with the X-Men. She was created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Chris Bachalo and first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #316. She was a member of the teenage mutant group Generation X (1994), and later X-Factor and X-Men. Monet is a Muslim superhero and has illustrated the struggle of accepting "different" people central to X-Men stories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">X-Mansion</span> Fictional mansion in the X-Men comics

X-Mansion and Xavier Institute are the common names for a mansion and research institute appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The mansion is depicted as the private estate of Charles Francis Xavier, a character in X-Men comics. It serves as the base of operations and training site of the X-Men. It is also the location of an accredited private school for mutant children, teenagers, and sometimes older aged mutants, the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, formerly the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. The X-Mansion is also the worldwide headquarters of the X-Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Synch (comics)</span> Comics character

Synch is a fictional character and mutant superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Scott Lobdell, he first appeared in X-Men #36.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phalanx Covenant</span>

"Phalanx Covenant" was a crossover storyline that ran through Marvel Comics' X-Men family of books in September and October 1994. One of its unique aspects was that the X-Men themselves only played a minor role in the story.

<i>Generation X</i> (film) 1996 American TV series or program

Generation X is a television pilot directed by Jack Sholder that aired on Fox on February 20, 1996. It was later broadcast as a television film. It is based on the Marvel comic book series of the same name, a spin-off of the X-Men franchise. It was produced by New World Entertainment and Marvel Entertainment Group.

Cerebro's X-Men are a team of supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are a nanotechnology version of the X-Men created by Cerebro when the supercomputer briefly goes rogue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jubilee (character)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Marc Silvestri, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #244. Jubilee is a member of the human subspecies known as mutants, born with superhuman abilities. She can generate pyrotechnic energy blasts from her hands. Introduced as an orphaned "mall rat" from Beverly Hills, Jubilee joined the X-Men in the early 1990s, becoming the team's youngest member and often playing a sidekick role to her father-figure, Wolverine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">X-Men: Regenesis</span> Comic book

X-Men: Regenesis is a comic book branding used by Marvel Comics that ran through the X-Men family of books beginning in October 2011, following the end of the X-Men: Schism miniseries. This realignment of the mutant population is ahead of the 2012 Marvel event Avengers vs. X-Men which begins during Regenesis with the mini series Avengers: X-Sanction and brings back Cable, who was previously thought to be dead following the events of X-Men: Second Coming.

References

  1. The Uncanny X-Men #317, X-Men (vol. 2) #37
  2. Generation X #17
  3. Generation X #28
  4. Generation X #29–31
  5. X-Men Unlimited vol. 1 #34
  6. The Uncanny X-Men #423
  7. Uncanny X-Men #427
  8. X-Force (vol. 3) #22. February 2010
  9. X-Men (vol. 5) #5
  10. House of X #6
  11. Sabretooth vol. 4 #3
  12. Sabretooth (vol. 4) #3-4
  13. Generation X #1
  14. Generation Next #4
  15. Ultimate X-Men #48 (August 2004)