Not that I consider it a card worth playing, and I kind of remember this same question being answered in the old boards, but I am lazy.

==========  Hastur  ==========

White Out
---------
Type : Event
Cost : 2
Subtype :  Polar.
Game Text : Play during your opponent's turn. Action: Choose a character that is currently committed to a story. Until the end of the phase, that character does not count its icons or skill.
Flavor text :
Illustrator : Raya Golden
Collector's Info : AMM F10

What does "not counting" means?

1) For what purpose the character does not count? For struggles resolution only? For struggle resolution targeting(i.e., a Whited-Out Guardian Shoggoth can be chosen as the target for Terror struggle and goes insane)? For targeting purpose (i.e., while Whited-out the afore mentioned Shoggoth can be shotgunned for 0)? For all purposes (i.e. the Shoggoth is under "loses all icons" and "gets -X skill where X is its skill")?

2) Less difficult: am I right thinking that a Whited-Out chars doesn't benefit from icon or skill gains after having been whited? Example: Shoggoth gets whited, one plays Unnatural Stealth on it, Shoggoth gains Invulnerability but it's skill still counts as 0.

Carioz said:

They do not count for any purpose, except when a card looks for Printed Icons. In that sense, it's similar to "Treat that character as though it's textbox was blank" on Forgotten Isle.

Carioz said:

No, characters won't benefit from any gains after. They DO get the gains, but, they do not count. Much like a character under FI can gain, say, Toughness but it is treated as if it didn't.

so would the character go insane, or would it just not have anything to add to the struggle? ive read the card that the character still has icons and skill but it does them no good. like i couldnt play lean and athrist against a white out against ithaqua cause he still has arcane but they dont count for the story....

I play it the way you describe

The character still has icons (he can't beacome insane if he has T icons), but the icons simply do not count during the operative phase, while committed in a story...