Origin
Paige is the second child of the Guthrie family in Cumberland, Kentucky. When her brother Sam (Cannonball) left home to become a member of the New Mutants, Paige developed an inferiority complex and became obsessed with the possibility that she could be a mutant. At the age of thirteen she tested herself with a wide range of challenges to try and discover her mutant powers. Unfortunately, Paige's trials only led to depression and frustration. At last her temper broke and she begged God to let her find her powers, threatening that she would tear her skin off if she was not a mutant. She made good on her threat and thus discovered that her mutant powers would allow her to produce additional layers of her skin. So overwhelmed by the discovery of her gifts, Paige dropped to her knees and cried for joy. She had finally become what she always wanted to be. A mutant.
Creation
Husk was created by Fabian Nicieza and Tony Daniel and first fully appeared in X-Force #32 in 1994, although she had appeared unnamed in the background in New Mutants Issue 42 (1986).
Character Evolution
Paige's journey from girl to superhero has been shown from the very beginning. Her first appearance's showed Paige to be one of Cannonball's many siblings, initially shown as powerless, Paige gained mutant powers, the ability to 'husk' a new layer of skin, and started training to become the superhero she so desperately wanted. Saving the X-Force team from the Gamemaster, Paige wasn't allowed to join because she was still an amateur. She then received training at the Xavier institute and eventually joined Generation X, a new team of young, trainee mutants. Paige stayed with the team for it's entire run, having a complicated relationship with fellow member Chamber, but eventually breaking up after he was invited to join the X-Men. After the teams disbandment, Paige joined the short lived X-Corps with some of her ex teammates. Paige returned to the institute and eventually realized her life long dream of becoming an X-Man. During her time with the team, Paige started a relationship with Archangel.
However, Cyclops stationed them in Genosha but it was short lived after M-Day. Paige retained her powers and helped the X-Men on various adventures, most notably Necrosha and Second Coming, but didn't re-join any of the team's in any official manner. However, after the Schism, Paige took Wolverine's side and joined the Jean Grey Institute of Higher Learning as a Junior Faculty member, teaching Mutant Literature and Art. However, Paige's powers have been shown to be malfunctioning, and in a constant cracked and molting state, which is shown to not only be effecting her physical state, but also her mental one.
Major Story Arcs
Younghunt
Paige followed in Cannonball's footsteps and joined the ranks of the New Mutants where she spent months on learning more about her powers. Page was present when during the Young Hunt arc when the New Mutants fought Siena Blaze with the help of the Hellions. Husk attempted to save her teammates, but her powers were not enough. Still mourning the loss of her friends, Page met Cable and told him her story. Cable forbade Paige from joining X-Force since Paige was still considered a novice, but Paige proved to be as stubborn as ever. Ignoring Cable's orders, Paige followed Cable by leaping into his portal before it fully closed. She husked herself into a form that allowed her to go undetected by the Gamesmaster. When both teams were defeated by the Upstarts, she confronted the Gamesmaster and convinced him to spare the lives of the defeated mutants by insisting that the world would be better off if he would train the next generation of mutants instead of killing them. Thanks to her actions, both teams were saved.
Paige remained with the X-Force, and asked Cable to help train her to better use and understand her mutant powers. Cable responded that he did not have the time nor the means to train her properly. Rather than accept this answer, Paige suggested that she leave X-Force to be trained by Professor X like her brother. Boom Boom and Cannonball brought her back to Xavier's and reinforced to her the dangers of both being a mutant and the path she had chosen. Cannonball wanted to discourage his sister from this life, but Paige refused to back down, citing that so long as she was a mutant she felt this was required of her, and joined Xavier to further her training as a super hero.
Generation X
Determined to be the best the next generation of X-Men has to offer. She was probably not quite as close to that goal.
Shortly afterward, she was captured by Phalanx, an alien collective intelligence, along with several other young mutants. Its effort to assimilate them into its consciousness was foiled by Blink, and Paige was invited to join the Xavier Institute's new school, Massachusetts Academy, and become a member of Generation X, with the hope that it would lead to her becoming an X-Man. Husk tried to be the best she could whilst a part of Generation X, both physically, academically and socially. However, Husk grew overconfident when fighting the mutant Hollow. She automatically assumed that Penance's razor sharp skin wouldn't hurt her, but after tackling Hollow one-on-one, Husk was badly hurt and left with some bad gashes, even when she returned to human form. Paige was also hurt mentally when she found out about the Legacy Virus, which was only deadly to mutants. She tried to cope with this news by drinking. Chamber found her whilst drunk and she tried to kiss him. Chamber was startled and accidentally blew up the girl's dormitory with his powers. Luckily, Husk changed into a form so that she wasn't hurt, and no other members of the team were hurt either. She later asked Chamber not to tell anyone else about what had happened, as she was embarrassed that it was because of her that the dorm was blown up. Chamber misinterpreted this as Husk being embarrassed that she had shown feelings for a monster like him.
Sometime later, Husk's younger sister Joelle joined the group known as Humanity's Last Stand. Cannonball and Husk investigated the group, and during the investigation, Husk was kidnapped. She pretended not to be scared but it was obvious as her accent had come back. Eventually Joelle realized what Humanity's Last Stand was for, and so left the organization. When Paige returned to the Academy later, she and the rest of Generation X were attacked by Omega Red. All of them were saved by Chamber, since he was immune to Omega Red's death-spores. Husk tried to thank Chamber, but he brushed her off, as felt awkward. Husk secretly told Mondo that she was worried her relationship with Chamber would never work, but he tried to encourage her not to lose hope. Soon after, Generation X were captured by Emplate. Although most of the team managed to break free, Emplate brainwashed Synch and sent him after his family. Husk and some of her teammates went to save Synch. Even though Husk was ready to be a leader, it was Jubilee who worked out how they could take Synch down. The plan was to have Husk fight him continuously, since Synch couldn't copy her powers well. She was badly damaged when Synch interrupted one of her transformations before she was ready, and was caught in a painful form. Husk kept on fighting through the pain until she was helped by Monet, who stopped Synch.
After the cosmic entity Onslaught seemingly killed most of the Avengers and Fantastic Four, when Franklin Richards stayed with Generation X for a while, Husk helped him to get over the death of his father, since her father had also been killed and she knew what it was like.
During her first Thanksgiving at Xavier's school, Husk invited Chamber to spend the holiday at her family's home. Chamber accepted the offer, although he tried to convince her the whole trip there that he couldn't give her a happy life like she wanted. Eventually Paige got angry and told Jono that the reason she had kissed him was because she liked him, not because she wanted a long-term relationship. Jono then left, and even though Paige called him a jerk and was angry, she cried once he was gone. The experience had hurt Husk so badly that at Christmas she decided to spend the time with Jubilee, Monet and Emma instead of going home. Later on, Black Tom Cassidy kidnapped Generation X and put them on a raft made of plants in the middle of the ocean. The kids were going to die from exposure soon, and Husk and Skin were in the worst condition. Chamber tried to help protect Husk from the sun, but she angrily told him that he should treat her as an equal within the team. The team was found by Glorian, who promised to fulfill their deepest desires. For Husk and Chamber, he restored Chamber's face, and made him a rock star with Paige as his girlfriend. Eventually Skin managed to convince Glorian that he hadn't looked deep enough for their dreams. Glorian asked Skin what they really wanted. Skin said that they wanted to go home, but once again Glorian misinterpreted this and transported the team to Los Angeles, where they were hunted by Sentinels of Operation: Zero Tolerance. Whilst running away from the Sentinels, Generation X hid out in a garage. Aware that it might well be their last moments together, Chamber apologized to Husk for the spoiled Thanksgiving and the two began to get along with each other. In the end, the Sentinels were shut down by SHIELD and Generation X managed to get home.
While Generation X were out in town having dinner one night, the mansion was broken into by the daughter of a police chief, Tracey Authier, who took some personal items belonging to Generation X. One of these things was Husk's diary, along with Wolverine's hat which had been given to Jubilee, and the gun which had seemingly killed Skin. Even though she thought all the things in Husk's diary were made up, Tracey still blackmailed her into giving her a tour of the mansion. During the tour, Emplate attacked the mansion with some supernatural minions. After the fight was over, Tracey had a change of heart and decided she wouldn't tell anyone about the mutants.
On a trip to the Harvest Festival, Generation X encountered some Asgardian trolls who sent a ferris wheel out of control. While the team was trying to stop anyone getting hurt, Husk acted as team leader. Seeing her transform, the trolls thought she was capable of magic and kidnapped her in the hope that they could get back to Asgard with her help. Husk transformed to a gold form and gave the trolls some of her skin, and made them promise to go deep into the woods so that they wouldn't scare anyone. A bit later, Husk received a call from her brother telling her that their mother was very sick. Husk decided she would go back home so that she could take care of her mother. Before she left, Husk asked Chamber if he would stay at the Academy at least until she got back since things were complicated between them. During this time, Psylocke and the Shadow King had had something of a "Psi-War", with the result being that telepathic mutants lost their powers all over Earth. As a result of this, Chamber couldn't communicate telepathically - instead he used his powers to burn a heart into the piece of paper he had written "I promise" on. Shortly afterward, he got his telepathic powers back.
The Break-up
Paige's mother recovered faster than expected, and so she returned to the Academy. Paige had expected that Jono would start acting more like her boyfriend once she returned, but his awkward response to her being back prompted Husk to start flirting more with other boys. At the same time, the Academy had to accept human students since they were running short on money. Banshee asked Tom Corsey to guest lecture and Tom was shocked at how little progress they had made with their powers. In one training session, Tom had Husk shed her skin repeatedly until she finally "husked" into a glass form. Unfortunately, one of the human students named Tristan Brawn found out that Generation X were mutants and blackmailed Paige into going on a date with him. While the rest of the team were against it, Husk tried it out since she liked Tristan. Even though Husk told Chamber that it wasn't his business anymore, Chamber threatened to blow Tristan's face off if he hurt Paige.
Chamber's feelings affected the whole team, as he constantly questioned Husk's ideas when she was leading the team on a mission shortly afterwards, even though she had good plans. When Husk and Tristan finally went on their date on the night of the school ball, it was interrupted by Emplate and his minions, but luckily were able to keep him away from the human students without them noticing. Afterwards, Tristan confessed to Paige that he was worried about her, and the two kissed. Husk became Tristan's girlfriend, and stopped talking to Chamber.
Disbandment of Generation X
In an attempt to get revenge on Emma Frost, Adrienne (her sister) revealed that Generation X were all mutants and which students were members. The whole school was panicking and to top it off, Adrienne place bombs around the school. Synch was killed whilst trying to defuse a bomb. As another result of this night, Husk and Tristan's relationship ended as all the human students left. Due to the shock of this, Husk started training harder than she had before, even though Generation X had given up the idea of being superheroes. After keeping an eye on what was happening to mutants on the internet, Husk found out that some children had gone missing and were being taken to "The House of Corrections" to be experimented on. Husk demonstrated that she could turn into a strange rubber form which granted her super speed whilst shutting down the House of Corrections. By this time, she and Chamber had become friends again. When Generation X spent a trip into the city, Husk decided to stay at the mansion since she could still keep an eye on the mutant community whilst at home. That night, Husk encountered the ghost of a former resident of the mansion, who led her to the attic. In the attic was a letter, which Husk gave to the ghost's elderly sister once she tracked her down.
Shortly after this, Generation X decided to disband, mainly because Banshee had taken up drinking and Emma Frost was acting strangely about her sister's whereabouts. Also, Chamber had been invited to join the X-Men, and the others knew that their lives should be more than sitting around waiting for a similar letter. Husk and Chamber had a very tearful goodbye, since they had never found out where they stood on their relationship. Just before Chamber left, he told Husk that he had written a letter for her and put it in her bag. Husk realized that she didn't necessarily have to be an X-Man to help people, and went north to help some environmentalists.
X-Corps
Over the next weeks, Paige followed media reports of Jono’s public love affair with pop-star Sugar Kane and was rather disappointed. It seemed that he hadn’t taken too long to forget her. When Banshee eventually sobered up he started the paramilitary organization he called the X-Corps. He contacted his former students individually and Paige, Monet and Jubilee each agreed to join out of concern for their former teacher’s extreme tactics, as some members of the group were former villains, brainwashed into service. When some of them broke free and took control of the X-Corps from within, starting a rampage all over Paris, Husk, M and Jubilee assisted the X-Men in bringing down the X-Corp. During the incident, Paige also met Jono, the same awkwardness from before occurring between them.
X-Men
Following the disbanding of the X-Corps, Paige returned to Xavier‘s mansion with the X-Men. During that time she developed romantic feelings for Warren Worthington III, aka Archangel, and as a result had earned herself the scorn of Stacy X, a recent addition to the X-Men who too had a crush on the winged mutant. Able to “read” the pheromones that Paige was emitting, Stacy embarrassed Paige in front of the X-Men by revealing her feelings to everyone else. Husk ran away and found a shoulder to cry on in school nurse Annie Ghazikhanian, who she confided in. If Paige’s dream of becoming an X-Man had ever really ended in the first place, it now returned.
After discovering the Worthington’s company was funding Lobo Technologies, which was actually a front for a group of savage mutant werewolves, Paige helped the X-Men to investigate. While fighting the werewolves, Paige and Warren were separated from the team and ended up both seriously hurt. They barely escaped into the woods, where they passed out, lying on top of each other. Archangel recently having undergone a secondary mutation, his blood now possessed miraculous healing properties, which brought back Paige from the brink of death and accelerated both of their healing. The near death experience helped Warren to finally come to terms with his former lover Psylocke’s death, and he also realized how much Paige meant to him. After this adventure, they started dating.
Relationship with Angel
Things looked promising for Paige – she had officially achieved her dream of becoming an X-Man and, with Stacy X quitting and leaving the mansion, there seemed to be no more interference in her and Warren’s growing relationship. However, Jono returning to the mansion from a week-long undercover mission changed that. Paige barely got the chance to deal with the new love triangle she found herself caught in, as, a few days later, operatives of the Church of Humanity crucified several mutants on the front lawn of the mansion. To her and Jono’s horror, two of these mutants happened to be their old teammates, Jubilee and Skin. Taxing Archangel’s healing capabilities to the limit, the X-Men were able to resurrect some of the victims, Jubilee being among them. Chamber and Husk were both thrilled but it was bittersweet when they realized that Skin was not coming back.
As always, the X-Men grieved and moved on. Paige eventually chose Warren over Jono, and Chamber decided to use his emotional state to the X-Men’s advantage as it provided a good cover for his apparently switching sides and joining the new Weapon X program. At the same time, him going undercover allowed Paige to be with Warren without fearing to hurt Jono’s feelings. Jubilee, on the other hand, decided to stay at the mansion and resumed her close friendship with Paige, who helped her through losing Angelo. During a visit to Angelo’s grave, the two girls learned of the graveyard’s owner wanting to dig up his body, because of several other tenants having complained about a mutant being buried there. Despite Paige and Jubilee’s best efforts to stop it, Angelo was unearthed and cremated.
A few weeks later, Warren suddenly broke it off with Paige – the huge age gap between them being only one reason for his decision. When Paige learned of a crisis in her family home in Kentucky, the X-Men accompanied her to deal with a group of mutant-haters that were oppressing the Guthrie family. During their stay, Warren had a heart-to-heart talk with Paige’s mother, during which he confessed that his actual reason for breaking up was that he loved Paige so much that he feared he could not handle her getting hurt or even killed in the line of duty. Overhearing all this, Paige stormed into the room, calling Warren an idiot for not talking about his fears to her. They reached an understanding and brought their relationship to a more serious level, Warren literally taking her to the skies.
Genosha
Shortly after Xavier’s departure to Genosha, Cyclops took over as headmaster of the school he decided to reorganize the X-Men. He took both Husk and Archangel off the active rosters, as he wanted Warren to go to Genosha and keep a watchful eye over Professor Xavier’s activities there. Paige left together with Warren, though their trip to Genosha was postponed by Warren working on a new project he began with Hank McCoy: Mutantes Sans Frontieres, a pro-mutant organization that would operate where the X-Men or their extension, the X-Corporation, had no authority.
During the gala reception in celebration of the local office in Zanzibar, Paige caught Callisto looking at Warren and became immediately jealous. The reception was interrupted by a group called the Weaponeers who were being employed by Viper. Husk and Archangel did their best to fight the Weaponeers but, if not for some of Xavier’s Genoshan friends joining them and the Viper eventually switching sides, they wouldn’t have survived. After this her siblings, Jay and Melody, joined the Xavier Institute.
After M-Day
After M-Day, Paige and brother Sam kept their powers however Jay and Melody lost theirs, this lead to Melody leaving the institute and returning home and unfortunately Jay's death at the hands of William Stryker. Paige attended his funeral and decided to stay at the institute. She then decided to stay at the mansion and helps the wounded during fights.
When the Sentinel Squad O.N.E. databases were hacked Paige was immediately suspected because of her computer knowledge, when the soldiers tried to steal her computers from her room, Paige attacked the officers which forced them to knock her out, Sam responded angrily to the soldiers attacking his sister and in return attacked them, however the Sentinels apprehended him. Paige was extremely angered by the Sentinels presence at the mansion, saying the world is treating mutants like a plague. They're heroes, this isn't supposed to happen. She tells Sam that she wishes their Mom was there. The authorities also took her computers, which contained her e-mails and diaries, things she never wanted anyone to see. She's paranoid that they're laughing at her, turning her secrets and her dreams into dirty jokes. She starts crying in front of the 198, when Sam proposes payback. Later that night, Sam and Paige hack the O.N.E. databases, starting at the top with Colonel Miguel Reyes. Cannonball and Husk then spend a lot of time with the mutant refugees on campus.
Divided We Stand and San Francisco
After the events of the Messiah War, it is revealed that Paige had returned to living with her family. She is the one that goes to pick up her brother, Cannonball, at the airport to bring him home. However, Sam, still feeling angry over the betrayal of his X-Men team, tells her to take him to a local bar where he picks a fight with the members of rival families from their home.
Paige confronts Sam about his action after the brawl ends. Sam yells his lost faith in how the life of an X-Men works and flies off angry, leaving Paige fearful for his life and mind.
During Secret Invasion, Husk is seen fighting alongside the rest of the X-Men in San Francisco against the invading Skrulls and flirting with Angel at the same time, although they are no longer a couple. It's unknown when or why they broke up, but it is assumed that they broke up just before of just after M-Day. After this she is seen on the new mutant haven Utopia, formerly known as Asteroid M. She is seen fighting, with all the other mutants, against Norman Osborn and his " Avengers", she is taken out early in the fight, being hit by one of Bullseye's arrows. After the fight she is seen clearing up the mess around her new home.
Necrosha
Husk is still living on Utopia when Selene resurrects dead mutants to attack the island. Along with Trance and Rockslide, she faces her old friends Synch and Skin. When Destiny warns Blindfold of an incoming threat on Muir Island, Paige is part of the squad assembled by Nightcrawler to go to deal with it. Sporting a new red and yellow costume, similar to her old Generation X costumes, Paige makes it clear that she's doubtful of the team's mission, thinking both Blindfold and Destiny are lying. When the team reaches Muir Island, there's no sign of opposition, so the team begins to doubt Blindfold's vision, especially Trance and Paige. But they then discover something came back when Destiny was resurrected - the villain Proteus.
After possessing the bodies of Destiny, Nightcrawler and Blindfold, Proteus fights and possess the remaining team, and ends up possessing Psylocke, Trance and Husk. Rogue, using Psylocke's powers, breaks Proteus' hold on everyone, except for Husk who proves to be a greater challenge than expected. Proteus uses Paige's powers in a way that's never been shown before. He displays the ability to assume a flaming energy form, something Paige was previously unable to do. 'Paige' then begins beating on Rogue, just trying to waste time. When Husk is close to touch Rogue, Psylocke arrives and uses her psi-knife on Paige, setting her free. Proteus is defeated and the X-Men fix the Blackbird and finally leave the Muir Island. Post Necrosha, Paige is part of the team sent to find and talk to Blink.
Second Coming
Paige is present on the island of Utopia when Bastion sets an impenetrable dome above San Fransisco. Trapping her inside. After the Nimrods invade she is sanctioned by Cyclops to the Bart Tunnels with Boom-Boom, Sunspot and Avalanche to fight off the Nimrods, while he tries to convince the other Mutants on Utopia to fight. While the team seemed to be struggling with the Nimrod, Paige tried Husking into a corrosive form to try and corrode the Nimrod, but the robot used his technology to get used to this form and literally ripped it from her body. It took the combined efforts of the whole team to defeat the robot. But just as it's destroyed, two more arrive and the team is forced to fight. Later it seems the team defeated the Nimrods in the tunnels as Paige joins the fight on the Golden Gate Bridge. Where she witnesses the defeat of the Nimrods, wondering what's caused them to malfunction.
Curse of the Mutants
After Paige's old teammate Jubilee is turned into a vampire, Paige makes it her mission to find her. Not telling the other X-Men about what she's doing, Paige targets a group of vampires. Pretending to be a helpless girl, she lets a vampire take her to an abandoned warehouse where he tries to bite her. However, under her skin, she assumes a metal form. Throwing him off her she demands to know where Jubilee is. The lights are turned on and a group of vampires is revealed to be in the room. After they don't give her information, Paige assumes a wooden, spiked form. She starts taking down the vampires, staking them with her arms and legs. One of the vamps tries lighting her on fire, however this doesn't affect Paige and she uses the fire to her advantage to help defeat the vamps. The remaining vampire, the one who tried biting her, gets and axe and tries swinging for her, landing a blow to her side where the Axe sticks. Paige fights through the pain and manages to stake the last vampire. She is left fearful of what's become of her friend. It is unknown whether she told anyone about what happened.
After this, Paige returns to Utopia where she joins the strike force. The members of the team all have powers that would make it impossible for them to be bitten and turned into vampires. They act as the front line against the Vampire Wolverine and the invading vampire forces. Paige yet again takes her spiked, wooden form and takes down several vamps before she's taken out by Wolverine.
Husk is later seen amongst many other X-Men, that are waiting in an office waiting to take down Magik, who was having a meeting with Cyclops, incase Magik put up a fight to Scott's suggestion of her needing to be kept under arrest for her actions from the "Fall of the New Mutants" saga.
Regenesis
Paige was amongst the mutants who chose to side with Wolverine in the aftermath of his climatic battle with Cyclops for leadership of the X-Men. She seemed content to turn her back on the life of a soldier that she had been living. It was during a conversation with Sam that she seemed to decide and when she left, he revealed to Dani Moonstar that Paige's powers hadn't been working correctly and that she has been molting everywhere.
Paige joined the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning as a Junior staff member, teaching History of Mutant Art and Mutant Literature. Sporting a new costume, whilst teaching her first class, Paige 'husked' into a more aggressive form, shouting at her students in order to make them start paying attention to her. However, during the class, the school is attacked by the Hellfire Club's monsters, Paige defends her class, husking into her fire form to eliminate the threats. She also joins the rest of the Institute in standing against the Hellfire Club. She later holds a class outside, A.K.A. Krakoa for the shade he provides.
At a faculty meeting, Paige tries to express her insecurity about not being cut out to to teach and that the kids aren't listening to her but is ironically cut off by Beast before she can finish. Later, Cannonball expresses his frustration about there only being a memorial for dead X-Men, including their brother Jay, in the faculty lounge and that doesn't understand how Paige agrees with the decision and that she can't even look at Jay's picture.
Casting off Sam's feelings, Paige announces she has class and needs to change, in reply to this, Sam states that she sheds her skin every time she's unhappy and that her power isn't an antidepressant. At that moment, the school is attacked and Paige is instructed to go teach as normal. During her class, Rogue interupts and informs Paige that there is a problem with the 'heating system'. Upon leaving the class, Paige instantly husks into her fire form and destroys the invading N'Garai in the mansion. During Paige's time at the school it becomes apparent that her mysterious molting condition is only worsening, her skin being in a constantly cracked and flaking state.
With the time, Paige condition worsened as she starts leaving Husk replicas with her old skin (replicas that Toad, in love with her, keeps to himself, and even uses them in his tea parties. She even starts a relationship with him). Her mental condition grows worse too, she doesn't even acknowledge a riot in one of her classes. After that Kitty Pryde states that she is no condition to teach and suggests to remove her from the active staff. In a burst of fury, Paige decides to quit the school, considering that Kitty was about to fire her. Then, she decides to take a time for herself, leaving the school and telling Toad she will eventually come back. She even assured him that she is in no need of psychiatric help.
Some time later, Husk return to the school to recruit Toad for the Hellfire Academy. There, she is a librarian and a lunch lady. Her bad mood started getting worse, yelling the student and having violent reactions. When the X-men arrives to fight the academy, Toad confronts Paige, trying to get herself together. He started ripping layers and layers of skin from her until she finally retrieves to her normal state, with no memories of her time in the Academy or her relationship with Toad.
Back at the School, she proposes Toad to start getting to know each other again, he agrees but later changed his mind, leaving a tearful Paige behind. She gets her job back at the Jean Grey School as a counselor, using her new power as a help. Now, she can change her skin in order to gain new mood states.
Krakoa and Fallen Angela
Paige joined the Krakoa nation and later was recruited by the new Fallen Angels team, to defeat the villain Apoth.
Powers
Husk has the mutant ability to shed her outer layer of skin and reveal a new layer or shape underneath. While she can sometimes acquire new forms, Husk has been able to shift into anything that does not exceed her body mass. Any extra mass left when she shifts into a smaller form such as an insect or a bird is shunted into an unknown extra-dimensional space, and will return to Husk when she resumes her human form; Paige most commonly takes on a form similar to her human appearance but in a new material, which is something she prefers. She can become any solid that she has studied and has demonstrated the ability to imitate adamantium, diamond, granite, wood, rubber, brick, and even glass. She has the capability to blend in with surroundings, but in order to do so, she would have to study the texture she seeks to mimic first.
In the alternate timeline of the Age of Apocalypse she had much more control over her abilities and was able to shift into liquid substances, including complex acids capable of affecting organic steel, as well as having the ability to change to alter only one part of her body (such as changing one of her hands into a metallic bladed weapon).
When Paige morphs into a different layer, she often takes on new physical abilities or qualities, such as increased weight, strength, invulnerability or super speed. She can husk away minor injuries, but deeper ones will stay with her. She can hold a form for about an hour before she needs to revert back to her original form. While she can continue to can morph into new forms repeatedly, too many transformations in a short period of time can become very painful. In great stress or trauma, Paige can shed without control, revealing patchwork forms. When Paige ‘husks’, she sheds her clothing as well. This has the somewhat unfortunate side effect of leaving her nude when she returns to her normal form. Paige has also been shown to be a capable hand to hand combatant.
Statistics
- Height: 5' 7" (variable)
- Weight: 128 lbs (variable)
- Eyes: Blue (variable)
- Hair: Blonde (variable
- Known Relatives: Thomas Zebulon Guthrie, father (deceased), Lucinda Guthrie, mother, Samuel Zachery Guthrie aka Cannonball, brother, Josh Guthrie aka Icarus, brother (deceased), Jebediah Guthrie, brother, Melody Guthrie aka Aero, sister, Lewis Guthrie, brother, Joelle Guthrie, sister, Elizabeth Guthrie, sister, Lucas Guthrie, uncle, Ray Jr, adopted brother
- Citizenship: USA
- Place of Birth: Cumberland County, Kentucky
- Marital Status: Single
- Occupation: Adventurer; formerly student, activist
- Education: Various courses at Xavier Institute
Alternate Realities
Earth-295 - Age of Apocalypse
Paige is a member of the Generation Next. She was found by Mr. Sinister together with Sam, Elizabeth and the other Guthries trying to save Joshua. Mr. Sinister offered them a membership to his Mutant Elite Force. Sam and Elizabeth agreed but Paige refused. She rather joined the X-Men's junior team, Generation Next. She also had a relationship with Chamber. Her power is also stronger and more controllable unlike her original version.
When Generation Next was given the mission to break Illyana Rasputin out of the Core — a nuclear power plant and internment camp for humans — Paige and was partnered with Vincente. They snuck into the core foreman Quietus' office posing as a sexually interested girl with a flask of wine, which was actually Vincente in liquid form. Once Quietus drank the wine/Vincente, Vincente forced his way out of the man's body, killing him. Because the shape-shifting Husk didn't have enough mass to mimic Quietus by herself, she required Vincente to fill out the remainder of the body with his vaporous form. On their way to find Illyana Rasputin, they unfortunately ran into Sugar-Man. Although they attempted to shoot the maniac, he stabbed the pair with his razor-sharp tongue, almost killing Husk and delivering a fatal blow to Vincente, even though he was in his gaseous form at the time.
Though the mission was eventually a success, Paige and her teammates where trapped in the Core and overwhelmed by their adversaries. Paige was the only member of her team to survive, and was taken prisoner. She was placed in chains. After the fall of Apocalypse, the core was abandoned and Paige was left for dead. Paige was was finally rescued by her siblings, who she rejoined after years of fighting them. Paige emerged from the Core angry that Generation Next had been abandoned by the X-Men.
Paige was brainwashed and began working for Sinister and took the alias Xorn. She infiltrated the X-Men. Paige finally revealed her true identity when she and her siblings tried to kill Charles, the son of Magneto and Rogue. Magneto arrived and ordered the execution of all the Guthries. After Paige was beaten by Quicksilver, Rogue promised to put her in a cell instead of executing her. Kirika came up behind Paige and stabbed her through the back with her claws, killing her.
Earth-1298 - Mutant X
In this Universe, Paige was on the wrong side of the law. This Husk was a member of Jubilee’s Marauders, and constantly bickering with her older brother and teammate, Cannonball. The extent of her powers is unknown, though Husk was apparently stuck in some hideous form, unable to revert back. After failing a mission for their mysterious employer, the Marauders tried to escape into the Morlock tunnels. Their final fate was left unrevealed.
Age Of X
In the Age of X reality, the X-Gene is outlawed and mutants are hunted down. Families of mutants were also targeted, forced into sterilizations, even if they weren't X-Gene carriers. A bounty was put on Paige and she was hunted down by local officers. During the chase, the officers found Paige and began shooting. However, Paige took a stone form and the bullets had no effect. Paige defeated the officers and found her brother, Cannonball questioning officers about what truck their family was in. The Guthrie household was burnt to the ground and the tire tracks led them to there, so they know that they have them. Paige began to start ripping through trucks, trying to find their family. Until she finds them, shot dead in the back of a dump truck. Enraged, Paige tells Sam to go because she's going to kill every officer there. However, Sam doesn't allow it saying they'll be no better than them. This created a rift between Paige Guthrie and her brother, caused by Paige's resentment at her brother's apparent unwillingness to embark on a campaign of violence in retaliation for their own loss. Paige then pushed Sam to form the 'X-Force' cell and Sam allowed her to direct their combat operations. However there was a mole in the group. Vanessa Carlyse was supplying information about the group to the government. This was found out by Paige who unmasked her and killed her rather than allow her to complete her mission and download remaining intel to the Anti-Mutant task force. They then made contact with Magneto and joined the Fortress X resistance group. In this reality, Paige is much more aggressive and violent than her mainstream counterpart.
Ultimate
Husk is found by Kitty Pride in the US Southwest. She tells them she just escaped the sentinel camps. Before she was captured she lived with thousands of mutants below ground in old Military bunkers. She takes Kitty, Bobby, Rogue and James to the caves to meet their leader, who is none-other than Nick Fury. After Husk was brainwashed to commit a anti mutant terrorism act using a bomb attached to her body, she was incarcerated. She finally frees herself and goes to Utopia seeking for help. Although some of them were hesitant to have her there, but she eventually started again her relationship with Iceman and is currently living in Utopia.
Earth-1036
Husk is killed by Deadpool after he starts hunting mutants.
Earth-961
After Paige's brother Josh discovers a Sentinel, he brings it to the Guthrie home, Paige and Sam immediately attack it.
Other Media
Television
X-Men: The Animated Series
In the Season 5 episode "Hidden Agendas", Paige is still young and has not discovered her powers yet. After Sam saves a group of miners from an explosion, he became the talk of the town. Paige tells their parents how it happened and how the people thanked him. She also lets Rogue enter their house as she looks for her brother, and is later present when a group of guys picks on Sam.
Film
X2: X-Men United
Husk's name is listed in William Stryker's files on Lady Deathstrike's computer.
Generation X (1996)
In the made for TV film based on Generation X, Husk was replaced by the superstrong Buff because Paige's powers were too expensive to animate. Buff looks very similar to Paige.
Video Games
X-Men: Battle of The Atom
Husk appears as a support card in the mobile game X-men: Battle of the Atom. Her cards are:
- Husk
- [Hellfire Staff] Husk
- [Generation Next] Husk
- [Muir Island] Husk
- [Husk] Proteus
She is also a Boss in the Hellfire club missions. In the Nechrosa Event, she is one of the bosses under Proteus influence.
Toys
Heroclix: Husk was released as part of Wolverine and the X-men set.
