Keith Vale

Keith Vale is an original fictional character who first appeared in New X-Men.

Background
Keith was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, but moved around the country several times along with his military family. He eventually moved to New York City to attend a program in Environmental Science at Pace University, though he has been considering a switch into Environmental Law.

It was at Pace that he first encountered and became involved with the Mutant Rights Coalition. He was hooked after his attending his first meeting, and soon found himself attending and even helping to organize rallies in support of mutant rights. His inspiration came primarily from his cousins, Sarah and Jessica, who were both mutants and former students at the Xavier Institute. Both sisters lost their powers on M-Day, and Sarah was subsequently killed in a Purifier attack on the school; Jessica has been out of touch with the family ever since.

New X-Men
Keith met Andrea Richmond in Central Park while handing out flyers advertising a Mutant Rights Coalition rally held in front of the Avengers Mansion. He approached her with a flyer, admittedly with hopes of getting to know her better. It worked: the pair met up at the rally later that afternoon and even shared a brief kiss after witnessing Evangeline Whedon promise to pass the Mutant Rights Act. They finished the day off with coffee and have exchanged numbers.

Powers and Abilities
Keith is an Alpha-level mutant, and one of only a few mutants to manifest powers well after puberty. The exact nature and extent of his powers is unkonwn, but preliminary scans indicate that he is likely a telepath.

Keith is also a competent public speaker, and is close to completing a degree in Environmental Science. He is is physically fit, is a strong swimmer, and has been trained as a certified lifeguard.