BIOGRAPHY - Page 2
The New Mutants soon found themselves in way over their heads, as they had to face two problems at once. Not only was Dani Moonstar possessed by some evil spirit, causing her to burst into magical flames, but also were Freedom Force again after Rusty Collins. The governmentally sanctioned team confronted the New Mutants on Liberty Island and, with Dani’s condition turning worse each passing minute, Skids made a dramatic decision. She told her teammates to leave and get X-Factor’s help, while she and Rusty would stay on the island, protected from Freedom Force by her force field. What she couldn’t have known, at that point, was that X-Factor were unavailable as they were in outer space, and the New Mutants would get transported to Asgard by Dr. Strange, from where they only returned a couple of weeks later. [New Mutants (1st series) #77-78]
Surrounded by Freedom Force, Sally and Rusty stood their ground, when the Blob had a slip of tongue. He accidentally revealed that the mutant babies, whom X-Factor had handed over to 
Freedom Force, had not been returned to their parents, but were held at a secret location and to be trained as governmental operatives. Skids knew that they would only have to last through the night, as Freedom Force couldn’t risk a fight with tourists and the media visiting the island the next mourning. Freedom Force knew that too, which is why they excavated the slab of ground underneath Sally’s force field, and took the two of them, still inside the force field, to a federal prison in upstate New York. Eventually, Sally tired after several continuous hours of using her mutant powers, and collapsed, enabling Freedom Force to capture the two mutants. Wanting to keep Sally quiet about the mutant babies, Freedom Force had her charged with helping Rusty resist arrest, so that both of them would be locked up. [New Mutants (1st series) #80, 82]
In prison, Sally and Rusty were assigned to separate cells. Several weeks later, the foe known as the Vulture started a break out, and Rusty was freed in the melee and tried to stop the villain, 
who intended to bust out an even more dangerous criminal - Nitro. When the prison guards began opening fire on Rusty, he realized that he needed help and melted the prison bars of Skids’ cell window. Sally then displayed her powers in a new way, by using her force field to cushion her fall as she jumped from a high level in the prison. Shielded from the guards’ bullet, Skids argued why they should even bother about the Vulture’s escape, but her lover convinced her that they would best aid the mutant cause if they saved numerous innocents from Nitro’s explosive powers. Additionally, if the press showed up, they could tell them the truth about the mutant babies.
By the time they caught up with the Vulture, however, Nitro had already been freed from the containment canister holding him. When he prepared to blow up and kill hundreds of people in the building they were standing on, Skids leapt forward, keeping the blast contained with her own force-field. Whereas the concussion within the confined space kept the villain from reforming his body for quite a while, Skids passed out due to the tremendous pain the stunt had caused her. Rusty’s plan involving the media also failed, as Freedom Force arrived in the nick of time to tell the arriving reporters that the two mutants had been working together with Nitro and the Vulture, and that they had stopped all four of them. Also, by pointing out that every criminal would pretend to be innocent and sully the names of their captors, Freedom Force ensured that the media would not believe anything Rusty tried to say. [New Mutants (1st series) #85-86]
Sally learned about this latest turn of events only after waking up in a prison hospital, by watching the news. Seeing the recording of Freedom Force’ speech on TV, she almost believed 
herself that she and Rusty were “evil mutants,” if she didn’t know better. The news report also involved a new terrorist faction known as the Mutant Liberation Front, apparently to interrogate her about her (non-existent) connection to the M.L.F. During their exchange, it became quite clear that Rusty and Skids would never be let go, so that she could not reveal Freedom Force’s deadly secret regarding the mutant babies. Later that day, the Mutant Liberation Front indeed broke into the hospital, and immediately the guards shot at Rusty and Skids, as they had been ordered to not let them escape alive. Although Sally was protected by her power, Rusty was hit and in no shape to consider the M.L.F.’s offer to join them, which is why Skids had to decide for them both. Well aware that staying in prison would have meant death sooner or later, Sally chose the lesser evil and accepted the terrorists’ offer, even though it further damaged hers and Rusty’s reputation. [New Mutants (1st series) #87]
Before long, Rusty and Skids began to participate in the Mutant Liberation Front’s missions, which mainly included damaging civilian property and robbery. Although they both voiced their concern over their terrorist actions, the group’s leader, Stryfe, claimed they were necessary to get their message across. [New Mutants (1st series) #100] Apparently, they questioned Stryfe’s orders once too often, because at some point he injected neural tissue implants into the lovers’ brains and had them brainwashed into becoming loyal followers of his cause and as ruthless as their teammates. [X-Force (1st series) #25, Cable: Blood & Metal #1-2]
When Stryfe assassinated Professor Xavier during a public speech, the various X-teams banded together to hunt him down. Eventually, they also battled the M.L.F., which is when Sally 
and Rusty were reunited with two of their former teammates, X-Force members Cannonball and Boom-Boom, now going by the name Boomer. Cannonball and Boomer soon realized that their friends had been brainwashed and that reasoning with them made no sense. During the inevitable fight, Skids even went as far as breaking Boomer’s jaw with a well-placed kick. In the end, though, Rusty and Skids were eventually captured and incarcerated. [X-Men (2nd series) #15]
Val Cooper, the governmental liaison on mutant affairs, arranged for Sally and Rusty to be transferred to the Xavier Institute, hoping that the Professor could undo their brainwashing. 
However, along the way, the mutant-hating group "Friends of Humanity" hijacked the transport and kidnapped the two mutant teenagers. Due to their high-profile status, Sally and Rusty made perfect targets for the Friends of Humanity, who wanted to make examples out them. Fortunately, as soon as X-Force got word of what was happening to them, they managed to track down the hideout of the Friends of Humanity and rescued them. Not that Skids and Rusty were any thankful, as their neural implants still made them loyal followers of Stryfe, insulting and belittling X-Force for believing in the wrong cause. [X-Force (1st series) #24]
As X-Force had no way to undo their conditioning, they placed Sally and Rusty in suspended animation at their headquarters. However, at the same day, the mysterious Exodus appeared and invited several members of the group to join Magneto on his orbital station, Avalon. Feigning interest, Cannonball accepted on the others behalf, and they were transported to Avalon, including Rusty and Skids. Turned out that Magneto was capable of magnetically rerouting the blood flow in Skids and Rusty’s brains, effectively destroying the brain tissue which Stryfe surgically and telepathically had altered. Able to think for themselves for the first time in many months, the two lovers truly accepted the offer of staying at Magneto’s safe haven, whereas the others returned to Earth, having only wanted to check out what Magneto was currently up to. [X-Force (1st series) #25]
Whether Sally and Rusty had made their decision out of thankfulness for freeing their minds, or out of fear of humanity on Earth below, staying on Avalon also meant to join the Acolytes, a group of mutants worshipping Magneto and blindly following him. However, they rarely took part in any missions of the group, unlike several other Acolytes who thrived in the combat. Things took a turn for the worse when an encounter with Xavier left Magneto nearly brain-dead, and Exodus assumed leadership in his name. Despite his claim that he was a loyal to Magneto, Exodus’ rule was far more radical.
Soon Sally and Rusty felt out of place and realized that staying at Avalon had been a bad decision. By the time they actively searched for a way to leave the station, the Acolytes found Holocaust adrift in space. Unaware of his deadly power, they took him aboard, where he showed his true colors after waking up. One by one, he killed the Acolytes, including Rusty, by draining 
them of their life-forces. However he found his match in Exodus, and the two fought each other to the death, damaging Avalon beyond repair. Suddenly, Jean Grey and Scott Summers appeared, having been taken there by an Acolyte with teleporting powers. They immediately took charge of the situation and tried to save as many people as possible. Skids was too far away to reach the emergency capsules, so Jean went after her, all the while Scott led the rest of the Acolytes to safety. Combining their powers, Sally and Jean both survived the re-entry, with Jean telekinetically holding together the bit of wreckage they were trapped in, and Skids’ force-field protecting them from the heat and the cosmic radiation. [X-Men (2nd series) #42-44] Skids was taken to the Xavier Institute to recuperate, but left soon thereafter to mourn for Rusty and to sort out what to do with her life.
Sally decided to turn her no longer take part in the many mutant conflicts, and instead pursued a “normal” life. She moved to Boulder, Colorado, where she enrolled in college, majoring in bio-science and earning herself a respectable G.P.A. of 3.8. She still maintained some sort of contact with her old friends, as many months later, when X-Force were on a road-trip across the United States, Sally allowed them to stay at her place for a few days. Once again, Sally was pulled unwillingly into her friends’ troubles when the villains Reignfire and Locus tracked down and attacked X-Force. Skids was forced to reveal her mutant powers in front of her fellow college students, before being taken prisoner along with the rest of X-Force. After busting free, Sally’s energy field interacted with Locus’ teleportation powers, resulting in both of them being teleported across the world. [X-Force (1st series) #78-79]
When they woke up, the two young women found themselves on a snowy mountain in Latveria, both temporarily without access to their powers. Skids suggested that they work together to 
survive, but Locus only wanted to beat her up. Thus distracted, they were both put to sleep by a sorceress called Pandemonia. She took the two mutants to her castle close by, where she had been living alone for the past six centuries, as she had been magically imprisoned on the mountain. Locus’ teleporting powers provided Pandemonia with the necessary means to escape but, after she learned of the existence of more young mutants by tapping the memories of her two captives, she wanted to recruit them all to her cause. Once she magically transformed Skids and Locus into her loyal servant, the three of them surprise-attacked X-Force’s headquarters, and several of Sally’s friends were put under Pandemonia’s spell as well. Eventually, the combined efforts of Dani Moonstar and the witch Jennifer kale, Dani Moonstar had managed to overcome Pandemonia’s influence, and everyone was returned to normal as the sorceress was taken to another plane of existence. [X-Force (1st series) #80, 85]
It is not known what Sally did in the months that followed. She might have returned to Boulder to finish her college education, despite her fellow students now knowing of her being a mutant, but she could also have transferred to another college. About a year after they last met, however, Skids was approached by fellow New Mutant and X-Force member, Sunspot, who by then was 
leading the Los Angeles branch of the X-Corporation - a worldwide network supporting mutants. Her reasons for accepting Sunspot’s offer to join, despite her earlier decision not to get involved in the never-ending struggles of mutantkind, have yet to be revealed. When a team of X-Men had a few run-ins with the mysterious villain Elias Bogan, they asked the X-Corporation for help. Bogan managed to get several X-Men under his mental hold, including Bishop. While fighting him, Sally learned that her power left her open to a specific form of attack; her force-field keeping things slippery, she couldn’t stop, once she started moving, or in this case spinning around, due to the small generator that Bishop had attached to her. Although Sally was taken out of the fight, the assembled heroes managed to defeat Bogan in the long run. [X-Treme X-Men (1st series) #42-45]
Not long thereafter, the tragedy known as M-Day struck the world rendering over 90% of Earth’s mutant population powerless. Although prepared and ready to live a “normal” life like no other, Sally found herself one of those whose powers were not affected. Several anti-mutant groups taking advantage of the situation and starting to hunt down the few mutants left, which is why Sally became one of the many mutants seeking refuge at the Xavier Institute. The mansion already overcrowded with staff and students, she was forced to sleep outside in the camp like dozens of other mutants, heroes and villains alike. These mutants have been dubbed “The 198,” after the number of mutants that the government knows to be still around. In the camp, Sally had to share a tent with Magma and Outlaw. [mentioned in X-Men: The 198 #2]
The Xavier estate was soon visited by Apocalypse, who offered salvation for those that would 
drink his blood - right after he had his Horseman, Famine, make them crave any sort of food or drink. Like most others, Sally was eager to accept it, though another former New Mutant, Karma, prevented her from consuming the red liquid. Skids still sided with Apocalypse when he was confronted by the X-Men, who successfully drove him away. Always offering a second chance, the X-Men gave Sally and the others the option of returning with them and being forgiven for their betrayal. [X-Men (2nd series) #183-184]
Once again, Sally departed the Xavier Institute without much fanfare. While some there might have attributed this to her being embarrassed about siding with Apocalypse or regret at having gotten involved with the 198, in truth Skids had been recruited by SHIELD. Considering her age and lack of history with law enforcement, Skids must have had a crash course in agency protocol, as she was soon thereafter assigned undercover in the Morlock Tunnels, where other former Morlocks had gathered in the wake of M-Day.
As being mutants was a defining purpose for the former mutant colony, the group lost its way… until they found another. A former mutant named Qwerty had spent her last days writing a book of prophecies that led them to believe that there was still hope for mutantkind to rule the world. Most likely, their attempts to track down Magneto to impart their discovery came to the attention of SHIELD, which assigned Skids to investigate. As part of her undercover, Skids participated in on a terrorist attack in which they attacked a subway train and the faces of several passengers were morphed by Masque, who now led the Morlocks.
The attack soon gained media attention, especially after Masque posted a threatening video about it on social media, which resulted in separate investigations by both the X-Men and Office of National Emergency. Both X-Men and O*N*E agents converged on the Morlocks’ position, just as Skids was confronting Masque on him having altered their mission. An attack by O*N*E sentinels caused the tunnel to cave in, half-burying Skids and allowing Masque and Erg to flee. 
Skids was about to be arrested when she pulled out her badge and revealed herself as an agent of SHIELD.
Skids joined forces with the X-Men and led them to another faction of Morlocks that was following the Qwerty prophecies under a more positive interpretation than Masque was. However, Masque and his followers had followed Skids and the X-Men and surprised the group with a cave-in, allowing Masque to capture them all. Reveling in his apparent success, Masque proclaimed that his actions would bring Magneto to their cause, thereby ensuring their success. Unfortunately for him, the details of Masque’s plan were few and his attempt to keep in the X-Men in chains insufficient. The X-Men escaped their shackles and, in the following battle, Skids fought Erg, tricking him into taking down Litterbug. With Masque defeated, Sally took the Morlocks’ book of prophecies, which Storm assumed she would hand into SHIELD.
However, despite her loyalty to SHIELD, Skids clearly felt a greater loyalty to her people – mutants. Knowing that she could lose her whole life in anyone caught her, Skids arranged a meeting with Magneto in a graveyard at night and presented the book of prophecies to him. Part of Skids' motivation might have been her having read at least a portion of book, as she informed Magneto that the book said he was still a mutant. [Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #487-491]
Having kept a very low-profile for some time, Sally found herself in New Tian, the sovereign mutant nation, during Hydra's takeover of the United States. In New Tian, Sally was arrested and imprisoned along with other mutants and humans who were identified as trouble makers, and were going to be subjected to brain-washing. Thankfully, Sally and the others were rescued by the time-displaced X-Men, and promptly encouraged to get back out there and cause more trouble. [X-Men: Blue #7]