ANTHONY SHAW

Real Name: Anthony Shaw

Identity/Class: Alternate reality (Earth-1191) mutant

Occupation: Businessman

Group Membership: Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club

Affiliations: Cortex (to some extent), Dr. Anthony Falcone, Rook (Jimmy Knox), X.S.E. (Bishop, presumably others as well)

Enemies: None

Known Relatives: Trevor Fitzroy (son), William Shaw (son, deceased) (see comments)

Aliases: Black King

Base of Operations: Hellfire Club, Manhattan, New York

First Appearance: X.S.E.#3 (January, 1997)

Powers/Abilities: Anthony Shaw is a mutant whose mutant powers are unrevealed. A successful businessman and Black King of the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club he's able to live a life of wealth and luxury not given to most mutants on Earth-1191.

Height: 6'1" (by approximation)
Weight: 210 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Blue, later seen as brown
Hair: Brown

History:
(X.S.E.#3 - BTS) - Anthony Shaw grew up in the dystopian future of Earth-1191. Shaw's heritage ensured he wasn't put in any of the concentration camps for mutants or subjected to being tattooed over the right eye with an "M", which marked others as being a mutant.

(X.S.E.#3 (fb) - BTS) - Like many of his ancestors, Anthony became the Black King of the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club. A place for the rich and powerful of mutantkind.

(X.S.E.#3 (fb) - BTS) - Shaw had two children, William, and an illegitimate son, Trevor. Shaw even went as far to call him Trevor Fitzroy a surname given to Royal children born out of wedlock.

(X-Factor III#45 - BTS) - Shaw became involved with the President's science advisor Dr. Anthony Falcone during the Summers Rebellion.

(X-Factor III#46 (fb) - BTS) - Having Falcone's ear, Shaw manipulated him into creating a plan to squash the Summers Rebellion before it could gain enough attention. To do this Falcone and Damian Tryp created Cortex, one of Jamie Madrox's time-lost dupes turned into a Doomlock, a being that could alter time without creating divergent timelines. As such Cortex travelled back in time to Earth-616 with instructions to kill key individuals whose progeny would become key players in the Summers Rebellion.

(X-Factor III#45 - BTS) - Shaw and Falcone became aware that the time-lost Layla Miller had brought the real Jamie Maddox to their reality and had them followed.

(X-Factor III#45) - Shaw met with Falcone in the White House watching footage of how Layla Miller and Madrox met with former Latverian dictator Dr. Doom. Afraid they would foil their plan, Falcone ordered his assistant Connie to dispatch a squadron of Sentinels to assassinate them.

(X-Factor III#46) - Learning Cortex was experiencing issues while battling X-Factor on Earth-616, Falcone questioned Shaw's plan urging the businessman to remind Falcone he only made some random suggestions. Shaw then quickly left during which he contacted his estranged son Fitzroy and asked him to rescue Miller and Madrox from the impeding Sentinel strike as their deaths were not in his best interest. Not long after Fitzroy successfully saved the mutants from the Sentinels.

(X.S.E.#3 (fb) - BTS) - Looking to distance himself from Fitzroy he forced him to join the X.S.E. as a cadet.

(X.S.E.#3 (fb) - BTS) - Several years passed when Shaw's son William died a mysterious death, murdered by Fitzroy looking to become his father's sole heir.

(X.S.E.#3 (fb) - BTS) - Not long after, Fitzroy became a full fledged criminal, robbing banks and stealing technology from humans. This time, however, Fitzroy was caught by X.S.E. Officers Bishop and Shard who put the criminal on trial. Learning of the trial, Shaw decided to pay them a visit.

(X.S.E.#3) - Anthony Shaw appeared during Fitzroy's trial, but instead of seeking out his son, Shaw took Bishop aside. Admiring the mutant's efficiency in capturing his son he offered Bishop an invitation to join the Hellfire Club. Knowing of the Hellfire Club from legends, Bishop turned down his offer determined to follow the ideals of the fabled X-Men. Visibly upset, Shaw reminded the X.S.E. Officer he only had friends and allies, not permitting any enemies after which Shaw walked away. But just as he walked away Bishop was quick to remind the man that his son William was most likely killed by Fitzroy, Shaw simply replied it was William's fault for underestimating his enemy and left.

(Bishop: Xavier Security Enforcer#1) - During one of the Hellfire Club's lavish gatherings, Shaw was approached by the young castling mutant Jimmy Knox, posing as his own sister Annabella Knox and introduced himself as the Rook. Eager to join the Hellfire Club's Inner Circle "she" informed Shaw "she" would destroy the X.S.E. after which "she" would expect an invitation to join. Just as Knox left, "she" threatened Shaw "she" would destroy his Inner Circle if no such invitation was made.

(Bishop: Xavier Security Enforcer#2 (fb) - BTS) - Believing the Rook would be bad for business, Shaw summoned Bishop to exchange information.

(Bishop: Xavier Security Enforcer#2) - During yet another lavish party, Shaw met with Bishop and revealed the details of his conversation with the Rook. When asked why he shared all the details, Shaw admitted that although he found the X.S.E. an occasional annoyance they still had its uses unlike the Rook. Bishop then left, returning to X.S.E.'s headquarters.

Comments: Created by John Ostrander and Deodato Studios

It can be assumed that Anthony Shaw belonged to the famous Shaw family, a family that had been connected to the Hellfire Club on Earth-616 for centuries. Earth-1191's Sebastian Shaw was presumably one of his ancestors, as was Hiram Shaw, whose profiles detail Sebastian's known relatives.

Profile by MarvellousLuke

CLARIFICATIONS:
Anthony Shaw should not be confused with:

• Sebastian Shaw, Black King of the Hellfire Club @ X-Men I#129
• Clan Hellfire of of Earth-9901, visited by Bishop @ Bishop: Last X-Man#5
• or any other "Shaw" characters or ancestors

William Shaw

Willam was Anthony Shaw's son and half-brother of the illegitimate Trevor Fitzroy.

While William grew up living a life of luxury and wealth his half-brother was sent to become an X.S.E. cadet to remove him from the family. Once reaching adulthood, William was murdered by Fitzroy looking to become his father's sole heir, although suspected of the murder he never faced charges.

--[X.S.E.#3 (fb)]

images: (without ads)
Bishop: Xavier Security Enforcer#2, p6, pan5 (main image)
X.S.E.#3, p17, pan1 (inviting Bishop to join the Hellfire Club)
Bishop: Xavier Security Enforcer#1, p12, pan2 (refusing the Rook)