Merge:Husk

Husk (Paige Guthrie) is a Marvel Comics superhero associated with the X-Men. She first appeared in X-Force #32 (1993).

A mutant, Husk has the ability to remove - or "husk" - one layer of skin revealing an epidermis of a different composition beneath. She often changes into metal or stone form, but can shift into a variety of substances.

Husk is from a Kentucky coal mining family and is the younger sister of the X-Men's Cannonball. Unlike her brother, Husk is self-conscious of being seen as a "hick" (Jubilee often called her 'hayseed'). As a member of the X-Men's 1990s-era junior team Generation X, she established herself as an overachiever. She later joined the X-Men.

Husk was created by Fabian Nicieza and Tony Daniel but Generation X creators Scott Lobdell and Chris Bachalo defined much of her character and abilities.

Character biography
The sister of the X-Man Cannonball, Paige Guthrie was born to a large Kentucky]coal miner's family. As a teenager, she discovered her inborn mutant ability to shed her skin, metamorphosing into a different composition beneath. She has used this power to turn her body into stone, glass and an acid-like substance, among other materials. She can also use her power to heal herself by shedding a damaged form in favor of an intact one. She normally cannot change the shape of her form, only its composition, although an issue of X-Force, written before her powers had been fully defined, depicted her transforming into a bird.

From the series' beginning in 1994 until its cancellation at issue #75 in 2001, Husk was a member of the junior X-Men team Generation X, where she earned a reputation as a workaholic, constantly trying to prove herself fit for the main team. She also developed a troubled relationship with her antisocial teammate Chamber. Towards the end of the team's existence, Paige became the group's computer expert and developed an interest in environmental issues.

After the break-up of Generation X, Husk joined Banshee's militant X-Corps to keep an eye on him. She later joined the X-Men in Chuck Austen's 2001 revamp of Uncanny X-Men and was placed in a controversial relationship with the long-time X-Man Archangel, Husk being 19 years old and roughly 10 years Archangel's junior.

The two took an extended leave of absence. Archangel launched a charity called "Mutantes Sans Fronti&egrave;res" in Zanzibar, an oblique reference to Doctors Without Borders, where the two proceeded to help stop a coup with the aid of Professor X's newest charges from nearby Genosha.

Her younger brother Josh later joined the new New Mutants team under the codename Icarus. Her sister Melody also joined the school as Aero after discovering she could fly, but has since been depowered by House of M, although Paige herself retains her powers.

It is unknown what the future will have next in store for Paige Guthrie, but for now she seems to have put the X-Men behind her she is enjoying being in a happy relationship with Warren, although she is not above some occasional jealousy.

Alternate versions
In the Age of Apocalypse, Paige was a member of Generation Next. Originally Husk was found by Sinister along with her sister, Elizabeth, and brother, Sam. However, unlike them, Paige chose to rebel against Apocalypse and joined Magneto's cause. She also had greater control over her abilities, as she was able to transform only parts of her body, and even capable of adopting liquid and gaseous states.

Powers
Transitional bodimorph able to shed the outer layers of her flesh at will, revealing a new skin underneath formed of different materials such as rubber, glass, diamond, and various forms of metal, or to achieve metabolic changes in her template form, such as removing caked up dirt and grime or shedding wounded layers of tissue.