Sebastian Shaw

Sebastian Shaw was born into a impoverished family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His powers first became evident after he was accepted into engineering school and his father, Jacob Shaw, died. He dedicated his life to his studies and by the age of 20 he became a millionaire. He made the company Shaw Industries. his company was involved with making munition for the US military. By the age of 40 he was a billionaire. Shaw's goal is to dominate the world through force, money and power. His connections to top officials of corporations and government make him a powerful enemy.

Shaw caught the attention of the White King of Hellfire Club's New York Branch, Ned Buckman. He was initiated into the Hellfire Club after becoming engaged to a woman named Lourdes Chantel (who also possessed mutant abilities). This membership was partly attributed by his vast fortune along with Warren Worthington, Jr. (father of Angel), Howard Stark (father of Iron Man) and Sir James Braddock (father of Captain Britain and Psylocke). He later became part of the Council of the Chosen and earned the rank of Black Bishop.

Shaw proclaimed himself Black King, remade the Council of the Chosen into his Inner Circle and gathered Emma Frost, Harry Leland and the non-mutant cyborg Donald Pierce as the Lords Cardinal of Hellfire Club. Tessa aka Sage, a member close to Sebastian, was acting as a spy on the Hellfire Club for Professor X.

Having killed to achieve his coveted position, Shaw understood he'd face similar attempts to displace him as the Black King. And indeed, Magneto during his time as White King challenged Shaw, The White Bishop Donald Pierce challenged him, and even his own son, Shinobi Shaw, challenged him by attempting to assassinate his father so that he could earn the title of Black King for himself. However none of these attempts were effective for very long. The only two that actually succeeded were the original Black and White Queens, Selene and Emma Frost respectfully.

Shaw is classified as an alpha-level mutant who can absorb all forms of kinetic energy directed at him, and use it to enhance his strength, speed, and stamina. This includes physical damage such as that sustained in fighting, being stabbed or cut, shot and kinetic blasts such as Cyclops' optic blasts or Gambit's explosions. He can also absorb and use other forms of energy such as electricity. Also he can absorb magical energy as shown in Avengers academy when fighting Hercules. He can build up stores of this energy, and release it whenever he chooses.

He can also go for long periods of time without sleep if he can store up enough energy. He has been known to have underlings in the Hellfire Club fight him in order to build up extra energy to store, and has been seen punching a wall in order to build up reserves. During a fight he is known for taking punches, allowing an enemy to charge him up to the point at which he is more powerful.

While absorbing energy makes him more powerful, he is not invulnerable. His body will still sustain damage, and he can be killed. Another way he could sustain massive injury is through being crushed. If he is not able to absorb enough kinetic energy from something that is crushing him, he can be injured by it. Shaw can also be overloaded if he absorbs too much damage. One of the most effective means of stopping him is preventing him from absorbing energy such as restraining or incapacitating him so that he has nothing to absorb. He is also susceptible to psychic attacks.

The Reavers are a private military organization created and funded by the Hellfire Club. The members have been cybernetically enhanced into cyborg enforcers. They later splintered off into their own criminal organization based out of Cooterman's Creek in Australia.