WITHER

 

WITHER

Real Name: Kevin Ford

First Appearance: The New Mutants (Vol. 2) #3, September 2003

Powers: Wither possessed the mutant ability to initiate cellular decay in all forms of carbon-based organic matter, including living beings, upon physical contact. His touch broke down the binding forces between organic molecules, causing organic matter to wither and reduce to dust within a matter of seconds. Inorganic material, such as metal and synthetic materials such as polyester are immune to his touch and, due to their durability, diamonds (like Emma Frost's secondary mutation) and mercury (like Cessily Kincaid's mutation) can withstand his powers. Even extremely quick physical contact could affect an organism, causing it to atrophy to the degree of advanced aging. Presumably, these effects wore off over time or could be reversed through proper treatment.

It was theorized that Wither could someday target specific cells, using his power to cure cancer, for example.