X-Men: First Class Character Profile: Sebastian Shaw

X-Men: First Class Character Profile: Sebastian Shaw: "

We are all very aware that there are clearly going to be
many differences between the X-Men: First Class movie and the comics it is
based off of. Another story arc that we are sure to see some loose liberties
taken with in the movie will be the Hellfire Club and its leader, Sebastian Shaw, played by Kevin Bacon.
Sebastian Shaw first appeared in January 1980 in X-Men #129
as the Black King of the now infamous Hellfire Club. A shrewd businessman and
strategist, Shaw was a self-made billionaire by age 40. This rapid influx of
wealth caught the attention of Ned Buckman, the head of the New York branch of
the Hellfire Club, which at the time had a very anti-mutant agenda unbeknownst
to Shaw.
Shaw was invited into the club’s Inner Circle as the Black
Bishop. But when Shaw and his lover came under attack for being mutants, his
lover being killed, Shaw used Emma Frost to coerce Buckman into killing himself
and all other members of the club’s Inner Circle instead. This left a power
vacuum that Shaw quickly plugged as he announced himself the new Black King and
began his pro-mutant machinations for the club and his ultimate goal of world
domination.

Shaw’s first appearance in the comics would help set up one
of the most dramatic story arcs in X-Men history as it would start The Dark Phoenix Saga and also marked the first appearance of two other very popular
characters, Kitty Pryde and Emma Frost. Emma was Shaw’s right hand lady with
her psychic abilities and Shaw had sent Emma to distract the X-Men and test
their limits when they went to investigate the manifestations of Kitty’s
powers. This was all to allow original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants member, Jason Wyngarde, the original Mastermind, a clearer chance to manipulate Jean Grey's
mind while the X-Men were distracted and split up (Storm, Wolverine, Colossus,
and Professor X went to see Kitty while Cyclops, Jean, and Nightcrawler went
looking for Dazzler in New York) and begin preparing her to become Shaw’s Black
Queen for his vision of the Hellfire Club. Of course, this would backfire,
drive Jean mad, and unleash the Dark Phoenix, but that’s another story for
another time.
Aside from being a brilliant tactician, Shaw also possesses
a mutant power similar to that of Bishop's in that he can absorb kinetic energy
and re-metabolize it. Shaw cannot redirect the energy into blasts of his own
like Bishop, but like Bishop he can use it to increase his strength, speed,
stamina, and invulnerability and often takes a pummeling early in a fight from
his foes in order to build up his reserves and dish out punishment on a more
personal level with his fists later on.

Now we haven’t seen much of Shaw in trailers or whatnot
except that members of his Hellfire Club usually accompany him or there is one
shot where he is talking to Angel Salvadore. Since I highly doubt we’ll see
anything in regards to Dark Phoenix, I think it would make sense for Shaw and
his Hellfire Club to have their own agenda for the mutant race and this is what
puts them in conflict with the X-Men and maybe even gives Magneto the
inspiration to form the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants later on. And this would at
least stay true to Shaw as a character who plans for world domination through
force and his vast fortune.
Also, even though Kevin Bacon is not nearly as imposing a
physical force as Shaw comes across as in the comics, I’d at least like to see
him get his hands dirty and slug it out with some of First Class’s heavy
hitters like Beast, Havok, and maybe even Darwin. You could very easily have
him absorb one of Havok’s blasts and go to town on some of the X-Men who use
more hand-to-hand techniques when fighting their foes. No matter what though,
this classic X-Men villain is sure to give these First Class recruits a run for
their money.
So what do you guys think? Just how far will Shaw and the
Hellfire Club go in the movie? Will Shaw get his hands dirty when push comes to
shove or will he remain more simply as the brilliant tactician behind this odd
roster of the Inner Circle of Emma, Riptide, and Azazel? Let us know what you
think with comments below!
"

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