Wither

Wither  is a canon Marvel character who first appeared in New Mutants Vol 2 #3 (September 2003). The fictional character history below is specific to the setting of the New X-Men game.

Background
Kevin Ford was once a student at the Xavier Institute and a member of the Hellions, and later the New Mutant training squads alongside squadmates such as Julian Keller, David Alleyne, Noriko Ashida, Josh Foley, and Laurie Collins, though he never did manage to fully settle in. Believing himself to be cursed with a "death touch" that killed his own father the day it manifested, Kevin maintained a distance from his peers, both physically and emotionally. Owing in part to unrequired feelings for Laurie Collins and a lack of progress in learning to control his ability, Kevin abandoned the school on three separate occasions, eventually returning twice before finally deciding to strike off on his own for good.

Kevin was one of only a handful of mutants to keep his powers after M-Day, cementing his belief that he was truly cursed.

New Mutants: Last Class
Kevin spent the next three years on the move, until he heard the news that teenaged mutants were once again appearing around the world. Finally at peace with his deadly power and preferring the use of his old codename, "Wither" he is believed to have resurfaced in Europe where he began the recruitment of his own team of mutants.

Clio Cardona, an in-patient at a long-term psychiatric care facility in Trieste, Italy, is thought to have been his first recruit.

Timeskip and the Last Stand
Only three weeks later, convicted arsonist Jack Daly had help escaping from his prison cell, becoming the second addition to Wither's team. Together, the three waged their own guerilla style of war against the Purifiers, claiming the auspicious mantle of The Brotherhood of Mutants for themselves; however, their actions drew little attention as the primary battle between the Purifiers and the X-Men quickly spiraled out of control.

Wither and his Brotherhood refused the X-Men's call to action and were not present at The Last Stand. Instead, they seized the opportunity to ramp up their aggression against the shattered remnants of the Purifier army, eventually expanding their murderous campaign to include the anti-mutant group's financial and political supporters as well.

Meanwhile, Wither continued to expand the Brotherhood's membership with like-minded individuals, such as Sesi Adesina and Grimoire.

Powers and Abilities
Wither is a Beta-level mutant. His uncontrolled mutant power causes rapid decay in organic material - living or dead - that comes into contact with his body. The effect is so potent that the merest brush of his fingers can cause lasting scars, while prolonged contact can quickly prove fatal. This decay does not heal naturally and has proven to be resistant to the ministrations of even the most powerful healers, such as Elixir.

Worse yet, Wither has described an urge to use his powers which he has likened to a sort of "hunger". Whether this sensation is psychosomatic or an actual part of his mutation is unknown.

Wither is believed to be talented at hand-to-hand combat and is a qualified marksman. He is experienced with stolen Purifier technology and has incorporated stolen Purifier weapons and armor into his own private arsenal. Due to his power he is limited to the use of inorganic clothing and equipment. Notably, a synthetic coat and pair of gloves that he once wore during his time at the Xavier Institute was later given to Nathan Jacobe when he presented with a potentially lethal and uncontrolled power of his own.