The Red Skull became the group's new sponsor. Now calling themselves the Resistants, they posed as a group advocating mutant rights, but actually operated as a terrorist group. Slither left the group at this time. To avoid being associated with their old criminal group, many of the members changed their identities. It was later revealed that the Resistants were one of many groups that was unknowingly controlled by the newly resurrected villain, the Red Skull. Peeper now called himself "Occult" and wore a helmet to hide his features. The group rescued the mutant Quill from the custody of the new Captain America, John Walker, and Battle Star. The group fought Captain America again and claimed that their actions were all to oppose the Mutant Registration Act. They were soon joined by various new members, including Mentallo who posed as "Think Tank". This time they came into conflict with Freedom Force, a group who ironically enough, had been another incarnation of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, but had now become government agents.