The Black King
Real Name: Sebastian Shaw
Height: 6'2
Weight: 210 lbs.
Eyes: Gray
Hair: Black
Group Affiliation: Hellfire Club
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #130

History: Sebastian Shaw was born into an impoverished family, but with his superb business skills, he became a millionaire by the age of 20. He eventually became the head of Shaw Industries, a multinational corporation, which is heavily involved with United States defense contracts and the production of munitions. Shaw was invited to join the Hellfire Club, a leading social organization for the elite of society. Soon after joining, Shaw learned of the Club's secret Council of the Chosen, a group of members who, unknown to the others, conspired to achieve world domination through economic and political means. Through the force of his personality, Shaw became one of the leaders of the Council, rising to the rank of Black Bishop (members of the Inner Circle were given titles corresponding to the names of chess pieces). The leader of the Council, White King, had the council give considerable financial backing to Dr. Steven Lang's attempt to create new mutant-hunting Sentinels. Upon the collapse of Lang's enterprise, Shaw seized the opportunity to run the White King out of office. Shaw then became the Black King, leader of the Council of the Chosen (renamed the Inner Circle) and master of the Hellfire Club.

While the head of the Hellfire Club, building Sentinels for the United States government, without the government's knowledge that Shaw himself was a mutant, and encountered the X-Men on many occasions (see X-Men). In the first of those, Shaw presided over the induction of the Phoenix Force (then impersonating Jean Grey) as the Inner Circle's Black Queen.

Shaw survived an assassination attempt in his Swiss chalet by his son, Shinobi, who was also a mutant and coveted his father's position in the Inner Circle. Together with Selene he created a new Inner Circle. Shaw resurfaced in Japan, looking for the Elixir Vitae as a possible cure for the Legacy Virus. Shaw was again defeated when the X-Men destroyed the Elixir.


Strength level: Without having absorbed additional energy, Sebastian Shaw possesses the normal human strength of a man his age, height, and build who engages in intensive regular exercise. However, Shaw can gain superhuman levels of strength by absorbing kinetic energy, and usually takes care to absorb enough in order to keep his strength at a superhuman level through his waking hours. For example, upon waking he will punch walls repeatedly in order to build up his reserves of absorbed energy. There is a limit to the amount of physical strength he can achieve, but it as yet remains unknown.

Known superhuman powers: Sebastian Shaw is a mutant with the ability to absorb kinetic energy and to use it in an unknown manner to enhance his own physical strength, speed, and stamina. Shaw must be in contact with the energy in order to absorb it. If Shaw strikes a blow to someone or something, or is himself struck, he will absorb the energy of that blow. He has also been observed to be able to absorb electrical energy directed at him. Shaw's power to absorb and convert kinetic energy renders him invulnerable to various forms of attack. It is not known how long Shaw can retain the energy he absorbs. There is an upper limit to the amount of energy Shaw can absorb and convert: once he was "overloaded" by an electrical energy discharge from the X-Man Storm, and fell into a temporary coma. However, the exact extent of this limit remains unknown.