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Skin is a fictional mutant character in the Marvel Universe of comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #317.
History
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 where she taught the first group of Hellions and now was a branch of the Xavier Institute. 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. The X-Man Archangel used his blood's healing properties to revive Jubilee and Magma but neither Bedlam nor Skin survived.
Powers
Skin possessed approximately six feet 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.
Age of Apocalypse
In the alternate timeline of the Age of Apocalypse, Skin was featured in Generation Next as one of Colossus's and Shadowcat's protegés tapped 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.
External links
Marvel Comics mutants | Marvel Comics Generation X members | Xavier Institute student body | Fictional Mexican-Americans | Hispanic superheroes | X-Men
"Skin (comics)"