Sebastian Shaw

Both a powerful industrialist and Black King of the Hellfire Club, Sebastian Shaw has been a dangerous and cunning opponent of the X-Men.

Sebastian Hiram Shaw is one of America's premier "self-made millionaires". Coming from a humble Pittsburgh family with a long history of working in the steel mills, Sebastian decided early on that he would not follow the path that drove his father to an early grave. Instead he concentrated on his studies, graduating college early and throwing himself into his work.

Within years, he had become one of the youngest millionaires in America and founded Shaw Industries, more than tripling his assets over five years. With his newfound social status and wealth, he attracted the attention of the Hellfire Club and was inducted into their ranks.

When mutants began to become more prominent and public discrimination began to become evident, Shaw decided to hide his status at any cost. To this end, he worked with Emma Frost to pitch the Sentinel program to the US government. When the contract was turned down, a prototype Sentinel was used in an attack on Frost's Massachusetts Academy. While denying responsibility for the attack, Shaw used the leverage to become Black King of the Hellfire Club's Inner Circle.

Sebastian's nigh-obsessive business career left him little time or interest for friends, although his business associate Harry Leland would be the closest thing he has to one. His cold-hearted nature also alienated him from his wife and his son, Shinobi. Despondent over her husband's distant attitude and frequent affairs, Shaw's wife committed suicide, which further drove his son from him.

In recent years, Sebastian Shaw has come to conflict with the X-Men on multiple occasions, namely Selene's plans for Amanda Sefton and Manuel de la Rocha, his attempt to gain control of Shinobi's life, his financial conflicts with (and attempted assassination of) Cain Marko and an unlikely cooperation with the X-Men to prevent a mentally unstable Jean Grey from usurping Selene's abandoned chair on the Inner Circle.

Currently, Shaw is reeling from the loss of significant financial and covert power following Pete Wisdom's infiltration and subsequent decimation of the Inner Circle's assets.

Powers/Abilities

Sebastian Shaw has the mutant ability to convert physical impact into strength. At high levels, this actually increases his muscle mass, often to deformed levels. After expending the stored energy, Shaw returns to a normal form. When powered up, Shaw has been shown to be incredibly resilient to harm, able to survive a thirty-story fall and cratering into a parking lot, as well as withstanding numerous blows from the Juggernaut.