History
The Soul Skinner was a Russian mutant with powerful psionic abilities. However, he apparently never used them until the day when his young daughter was dying, and he tried to enter her mind to ease her pain. He failed, and instead only felt the agony of her death himself.
Soon after, he discovered his own wife had been a secret agent of the Russian government, assigned to monitor him and his abilities, and that she had made no effort to use her government connections to get help for their daughter. Furious, he used his psychic abilities to make her feel the pain and betrayal that he had suffered, killing her.[1]
Maddened by guilt, the Soul Skinner took it upon himself to make others feel the same pain he experienced. In the isolated Siberian town of Neftelensk, he used his powers against the entire adult population, leaving them frozen in place, their minds consumed by their deepest fears and worst memories. The Russian mutants Darkstar and Blind Faith tried to investigate the unusual psychic energies, only to themselves be trapped by the Soul Skinner and rendered unconcious.[2]
Now aware of the potential threat, the Russian government dispatched Omega Red to investigate, but the powerful mutant proved just as vulnerable to the Soul Skinner's powers. In a panic, the Russians turned to more unorthodox techniques, persuading the X-Men to investigate, while drawing up their own plans to abduct Illyana Rasputina and use her powers to neutralise the Soul Skinner.
When the X-Men arrived, the Soul Skinner turned the mind-controlled Omega Red against them, distracting and weakening them while his psionic attacks overwhelmed them. Only Colossus and the Russian agent Alexei Vazhin were able to escape, finding shelter with the children of the town, who were apparently immune to the Soul Skinner's powers.[3]
The Soul Skinner tracked down Colossus, taunting him with the news of his parent's death and his sister's abduction, but Colossus was able to defy him long enough to put his own strategy into action. He convinced Psylocke to use her psychic blades to connect with the children of the town, and then release their combined energy directly into Soul Skinner's mind. The Soul Skinner, confronted with the innocence of the children, could not maintain his hate or anger, and his mind effectively shut down.
Now helpless, he was shot and killed by Vazhin, who felt he was too dangerous to be kept alive.[1]Attributes
Powers
See Also
- 3 appearance(s) of Soul Skinner (Earth-616)
- 1 mention(s) of Soul Skinner (Earth-616)
- 1 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Soul Skinner (Earth-616)
- 2 image(s) of Soul Skinner (Earth-616)