Paige Guthrie

Paige Elisabeth Guthrie, also known by the codename Husk, is a Class 3 American mutant and a student at the Xavier Institute.

Biography
After her older brother Sam's mutant powers manifested, Paige tried many things to discover whether she was also a mutant but became frustrated after many failures. Venting her anger, Paige finally discovered her ability to shed her skin and alter her form. She kept her mutant nature a secret until the day Sam and his teammates returned to the Guthrie farmhouse for a visit. Sam and Paige were abducted by Andreas and Andrea von Strucker as part of the "Younghunt", a contest involving the capture of young mutants. The X-Men confronted the organizer of the contest, the Gamesmaster, and rescued Sam and Paige, although it was Paige who ultimately defeated the Gamesmaster in a game of wits. After these events, Paige left her home to the Xavier Institute with her brother.

Appearance

 * Height: 5'7"
 * Weight: 128 lbs
 * Eyes: Blue
 * Hair: Blonde
 * Skin: Caucasian
 * Unusual Features: Appearance varies due to mutation

Personality
Initially, Husk seems to be an outgoing young woman with a positive and optimistic outlook at life. However, Husk suffers from extreme mood swings that range from manic to depressive episodes. She also has deep insecurities that stem from her older brother always being his parents' favorite child, despite the fact that Husk always achieved more (i.e. had higher grades, did more work on the farm, volunteered more). Despite this, Husk does not resent her brother.

Relationships

 * Thomas Guthrie (father) †
 * Lucinda Guthrie (mother)
 * Samuel Guthrie (brother)
 * Joshua Guthrie (brother) †
 * Melody Guthrie (sister)
 * Jebediah Guthrie (brother)
 * Elizabeth Guthrie (sister)
 * Joelle Guthrie (sister)
 * Lewis Guthrie (brother)
 * Cissie Guthrie (sister)
 * Lucas Guthrie (paternal uncle)

Powers
Transitional Omnimorphing: Husk has the mutant ability to shed her outer layer of skin and reveal a new state or shape underneath. Her power can cause random changes if she activates it without thinking, but by concentrating on specific chemical or elemental formulas, she can control the nature of her transformations. She is able to become any solid material that she has studied and can imitate metal, diamond, granite, wood, rubber, and even glass.

When Husk sheds the outer layer of her skin, she can rid herself of any sweat, grime, or minor injuries; deeper injuries, however, will stay with her. She can hold any particular form for about an hour before she needs to revert back to her original form. She is capable of morphing repeatedly and is not required to remain in a single form, but too many transformations can become painful. In stressful or traumatic situations, Husk can shed her skin without control, revealing patchwork forms. When she sheds her skin, she often sheds her clothing as well. This has the unintended side effect of leaving her nude when she returns to her normal form.

When Husk morphs into another form, she has the potential to gain additional superhuman abilities. For example, when she imitates metal, she gains superhuman strength and durability; when she imitates magma, she gains the ability to project flames; and when she imitates rubber, she gains impact-absorbing elasticity.

Recently, Husk has gained a secondary mutation which affects her mind. This mutation changes parts of her brain to match whatever she shifts into. She has learned to keep this aspect of her new mutation under control, but the first time she utilized it, Toad had to tear through several layers of skin for Husk to regain her mind. During that process, however, Husk lost several months worth of memories likely due to her excessive shedding.

Abilities

 * Computer Science: Husk is adept at the programming and operation of computers.

Weaknesses
Insanity: For a few months, Husk proved to be psychologically unstable with gradual physical evidences due to her mutation; first, she began molting and then combining multiple skin forms simultaneously. Her malfunctioning powers seemed to be related to her personality swings, as she was able to change personality just by shedding her skin. It was later stated that these blackouts and personality swings were due to a secondary mutation.