Kevin Ford panics when his powers first manifest. His father tries to calm him down and Kevin's power reduces him to dust. A talented artist, Kevin lives in a scrap yard for a while and turned unwanted scrap into beautiful art. He is found by Danielle Moonstar and brought to the Xavier Institute, where he begins to develop friendships with Laurie Collins, David Alleyne, and Sofia Mantega. When Donald Pierce attacks them and impales Laurie, Kevin lashes out and uses his power on Pierce. To stop him from killing Pierce, Moonstar shows him his worst fear - using his power on an innocent person. Frightened by the physiological pleasure he experienced when using his power on Pierce, he leaves the Institute.