Skin (comics)

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caption=Cover from "Generation X" #33
Art by Joe Madureira
comic_color=background:#ff8080
character_name=Skin
real_name=Angelo Espinosa
species=Human Mutant
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut=Uncanny X-Men #317
creators=Scott Lobdell
Joe Madureira
alliance_color = background:#ffc0c0
alliances=Generation X
aliases =
powers = Six feet of extra, malleable skin which can be stretched or reshaped at will

Skin is a fictional mutant in the Marvel Universe of comics. The character first appeared in "Uncanny X-Men #317". (1994)

Fictional character biography

Angelo Espinosa was a former gang member from the Los Angeles area who faked his own death 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.

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 developed a crush for fellow student M and became close friends with Chamber because both couldn't pass for normal humans in public. However, he 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 and Chamber succeeded in defeating the vigilante, but kept the secret.

After the Academy closed due to the machinations of Adrienne Frost, Skin returned to Los Angeles with Jubilee in tow. 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 neither Bedlam nor Skin survived.

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 Angelo 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 Angelo's remains and give them to the girls, which he ultimately did.

Powers and abilities

Skin possessed approximately six feetclarifyme 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 boy 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 protegés 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. He was killed in the subsequent attempt to escape from the Core.

Ultimate Universe

In the Ultimate Marvel universe, Skin was mentioned to receiving a beating nearly to death from humans by Sunspot.issue

In other media

* Skin appeared in the made-for-TV Generation X film. In the film, his powers were closer to true elasticity, similar to Mister Fantastic. However, it caused him pain to use this power.
* In the film "X2", his name appears on a list of names Mystique scrolls through on Stryker's computer while looking for Magneto's file.

Trivia

* Throughout the issue "Uncanny X-Men" #427, Angelo is referred to mistakenly as "Angelo Torres" by author Chuck Austen. Many fans were upset with this flagrant disregard for the 'deceased'.Fact|date=December 2007

External links

* [http://www.uncannyxmen.net/db/spotlight/showquestion.asp?faq=10&fldAuto=124 UncannyXmen.net Spotlight On... Skin]
* [http://uncannyxmen.net/db/characters/showquestion.asp?fldAuto=973 UncannyXmen.net Character Bio-Skin]
* [http://www.mutanthigh.com/skin.html Mutant High Character Bio-Skin]
* [http://marvel.com/universe/Skin Skin on the Marvel Universe Character Bio]