Sally's force field makes a wonderfully clear picture of what she does for the people she cares about. When trouble comes, she can put protection around them. The Ship period al…

Sally's force field makes a wonderfully clear picture of what she does for the people she cares about. When trouble comes, she can put protection around them. The Ship period also pays attention to the person who has to keep that protection working. She joins the New Mutants alongside the other older X-Terminators in #76. Her closeness to Rusty remains central, but she brings her own experience of surviving on the streets and dealing with people who have no intention of treating her fairly. A new team offers a wider circle, at least for a little while. In #78, Skids shields herself and Rusty while the others leave to find help for Dani. She tells them to go. That matters because the later separation begins with an attempt to buy their friends time, rather than with a dramatic decision to walk away from the team. A shield can hold off an attack without solving hunger, exhaustion or the question of what happens when it finally comes down. By #82, Freedom Force has the advantage. Skids cannot simply remain protected forever, and the pair's imprisonment turns their temporary stand into a much longer crisis. Her anger afterward is understandable. When Rusty wants to stop the Vulture's plan in #85, Sally questions why they should risk themselves for people whose institutions have just locked them up. She still helps, but the objection deserves to be heard. This is where her presence gives the story more texture. Rusty's determination and Sally's resentment can exist beside genuine love and mutual protection. Being someone's dependable shield does not mean she has unlimited patience, unlimited strength or no opinion about the cost of rescuing everybody else.