Shinobi Shaw
Encyclopedia
Shinobi Shaw, also known as a Black King of the Hellfire Club
, is a fictional character
in the Universe
of Marvel Comics
. He is a comic book
supervillain
, a foe of the X-Men
and their affiliated teams. His first appearance was in X-Factor
#67 (June 1991).
, the leader of the Hellfire Club
. Shinobi himself has been somewhat uncertain about this as his powers are more like those of the former Black Bishop of the Club, Harry Leland
.
Shaw was a member of the Upstarts
, a group made up of Siena Blaze
, Graydon Creed
, Fabian Cortez
, Trevor Fitzroy
and probationary members Andreas and Andrea Strucker (of Fenris
). They were manipulated by the Gamemaster and originally Selene
, but the group quickly turned against her. The group participated in an elaborate game, wherein they would hunt and kill assigned targets for points. During one of these games, the Upstarts targeted the surviving members of the New Mutants
and the Hellions, but were defeated by the combined forces of X-Force
and the New Warriors
.
Shaw once attempted to kill his father, and initially believed himself successful. Shaw was briefly able to take control of the Hellfire Club, assuming the mantle of Black King. Enjoying the luxury of the position, he was attended by many beautiful scantily clad female and male servants. Eager to return the Inner Circle to its former glory, Shaw approached Elizabeth Braddock
and Warren Worthington
, attempting to convince them to become a part of the Inner Circle. Both X-Men refused, however. He also tried to enlist Storm as a member, but she also refused.
Later, Sebastian Shaw resurfaced alive and well and was able to take control of the Hellfire Club from his son. Shinobi then worked with Spiral
and Mindmeld
as they experimented on Karma
's siblings. However, his personal assassin Clear-Cut
betrayed Shinobi and aided X-Force
in defeating him.
Shinobi was confirmed as being one of a handful of mutants who retained their powers following M-Day. Sometime after M-Day, Shinobi was killed by his father, and then resurrected by Selene. He is then sent with Harry Leland to kill his father and Donald Pierce.
His ultimate fate is uncertain as it is unknown if he was among the mutants teleported to Genosha by Blink to serve as a sacrifice to Selene or if he was among the mutants that managed to escape Utopia.
who can alter his body's density
from diamond-hard to intangible. He usually uses it as a means of escape, but he can also use the intangibility to reach into an opponent's heart and induce a heart attack (this has no visible adverse affects on Shaw himself). Although he does not demonstrate it well, Shinobi Shaw considered himself a criminal mastermind of the highest calibre.
title, as Emma Frost
's boyfriend. He is a member of the Academy of Tomorrow, in addition to the Hellfire Club. One of his operatives, Gerald Levine, is currently spying on the Xavier Institute and Marvel Girl, under his orders. When visiting the school Shinobi and Gerald attacked Jean in an attempt to capture the Phoenix God. This failed, as the Phoenix fought back, and both Shinobi & Gerald were taken into police custody. Later, it is revealed that Emma's also a member of the Hellfire Club in secret.
Hellfire Club (comics)
The Hellfire Club is a fictional society within the Marvel Comics Universe that often comes into confrontation with the mutant superhero team, the X-Men...
, is a fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
of Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. He is a comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
, a foe of the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
and their affiliated teams. His first appearance was in X-Factor
X-Factor (comics)
X-Factor is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is a spin-off of the popular X-Men franchise, featuring characters from X-Men stories. The series has been relaunched several times with different team rosters, most recently as X-Factor Investigations.X-Factor launched in...
#67 (June 1991).
Fictional character biography
Shinobi is thought to be the son of Sebastian ShawSebastian Shaw (comics)
Sebastian Hiram Shaw is a fictional comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe, and an adversary of the X-Men.A mutant, Shaw possesses the ability to absorb energy and transform it into raw strength...
, the leader of the Hellfire Club
Hellfire Club (comics)
The Hellfire Club is a fictional society within the Marvel Comics Universe that often comes into confrontation with the mutant superhero team, the X-Men...
. Shinobi himself has been somewhat uncertain about this as his powers are more like those of the former Black Bishop of the Club, Harry Leland
Harry Leland
Harry Leland, also known as the Black Bishop is a Marvel Comics supervillain, and an adversary of the X-Men.A mutant, Leland possesses the ability to increase the mass of an object or person, making it extremely heavy...
.
Shaw was a member of the Upstarts
Upstarts (comics)
The Upstarts were a group of fictional comic book supervillains in the Marvel Comics with strong ties to the Hellfire Club. They first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #281 and were created by Jim Lee and Whilce Portacio.-Fictional team biography:...
, a group made up of Siena Blaze
Siena Blaze
Siena Blaze is a mutant in Marvel Comics's X-Men comics series. Introduced as a villain in the Marvel Universe, she later became a hero during her brief period in the Ultraverse. Following a long absence, the character returned in X-Force, vol...
, Graydon Creed
Graydon Creed
Graydon Creed is a fictional character created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Brandon Peterson. The character is an enemy of the X-Men and first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #299 .- Fictional character biography :...
, Fabian Cortez
Fabian Cortez
Fabian Cortez is a fictional character, a mutant comic book supervillain from the Marvel Comics universe and an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and writer/illustrator Jim Lee, he first appeared in X-Men #1 ....
, Trevor Fitzroy
Trevor Fitzroy
Trevor Fitzroy is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an enemy of the X-Men, in particular Bishop. Created by Jim Lee and Whilce Portacio, he first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #281 .Fitzroy hails from the same dystopian future as Bishop...
and probationary members Andreas and Andrea Strucker (of Fenris
Fenris (comics)
Fenris are two fictional characters from the Marvel Comics universe, namely German twins Andrea and Andreas von Strucker. They are the children of supervillain Baron Wolfgang von Strucker of HYDRA and the half-brother of Werner von Strucker. Andrea is female, Andreas is male...
). They were manipulated by the Gamemaster and originally Selene
Selene (comics)
Selene Gallio is a fictional character, a comic book supervillainess from the Marvel Comics universe. She is a mutant, and an enemy of the X-Men often associated with the Hellfire Club's Inner Circle.-Publication history:...
, but the group quickly turned against her. The group participated in an elaborate game, wherein they would hunt and kill assigned targets for points. During one of these games, the Upstarts targeted the surviving members of the New Mutants
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
and the Hellions, but were defeated by the combined forces of X-Force
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
and the New Warriors
New Warriors
The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. They first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 .-General publication history:...
.
Shaw once attempted to kill his father, and initially believed himself successful. Shaw was briefly able to take control of the Hellfire Club, assuming the mantle of Black King. Enjoying the luxury of the position, he was attended by many beautiful scantily clad female and male servants. Eager to return the Inner Circle to its former glory, Shaw approached Elizabeth Braddock
Psylocke
Psylocke is a fictional character depicted in comic books published by Marvel Comics, most notably those comics featuring the superhero team the X-Men. The character has also appeared in licensed adaptations. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Herb Trimpe, she first appeared in the UK...
and Warren Worthington
Archangel (comics)
Warren Kenneth Worthington III is a fictional character, a comic book antihero in the Marvel Comics universe. Originally known as Angel and later Archangel, Worthington is one of the founding members of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-creator Jack Kirby, he first appeared in...
, attempting to convince them to become a part of the Inner Circle. Both X-Men refused, however. He also tried to enlist Storm as a member, but she also refused.
Later, Sebastian Shaw resurfaced alive and well and was able to take control of the Hellfire Club from his son. Shinobi then worked with Spiral
Spiral (comics)
Spiral is a fictional character, a supervillainess in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared in the Longshot miniseries by Ann Nocenti and Art Adams.-Fictional character biography:...
and Mindmeld
Mindmeld
For the Star Trek use of this term, go here.Mindmeld is a super villain in the Marvel Comics universe. She is an ally to Shinobi Shaw of the former Hellfire Club and Upstarts, both powerful criminal organizations.-Fictional character biography:...
as they experimented on Karma
Karma (comics)
Karma is a fictional superheroine from Marvel Comics created by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller.Karma is a mutant endowed with the ability to seize control of another's mind, though she has sometimes been depicted with other more extensive psionic abilities...
's siblings. However, his personal assassin Clear-Cut
Clear-Cut (comics)
Clear-Cut is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe. First appearing in X-Force 62, he was an undercover agent, feigning a partnership with Shinobi Shaw....
betrayed Shinobi and aided X-Force
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
in defeating him.
Shinobi was confirmed as being one of a handful of mutants who retained their powers following M-Day. Sometime after M-Day, Shinobi was killed by his father, and then resurrected by Selene. He is then sent with Harry Leland to kill his father and Donald Pierce.
His ultimate fate is uncertain as it is unknown if he was among the mutants teleported to Genosha by Blink to serve as a sacrifice to Selene or if he was among the mutants that managed to escape Utopia.
Powers and abilities
Shinobi is a mutantMutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
who can alter his body's density
Density
The mass density or density of a material is defined as its mass per unit volume. The symbol most often used for density is ρ . In some cases , density is also defined as its weight per unit volume; although, this quantity is more properly called specific weight...
from diamond-hard to intangible. He usually uses it as a means of escape, but he can also use the intangibility to reach into an opponent's heart and induce a heart attack (this has no visible adverse affects on Shaw himself). Although he does not demonstrate it well, Shinobi Shaw considered himself a criminal mastermind of the highest calibre.
Ultimate Marvel
Shinobi Shaw has recently appeared in the Ultimate X-MenUltimate X-Men
Ultimate X-Men is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2001 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running X-Men comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
title, as Emma Frost
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne....
's boyfriend. He is a member of the Academy of Tomorrow, in addition to the Hellfire Club. One of his operatives, Gerald Levine, is currently spying on the Xavier Institute and Marvel Girl, under his orders. When visiting the school Shinobi and Gerald attacked Jean in an attempt to capture the Phoenix God. This failed, as the Phoenix fought back, and both Shinobi & Gerald were taken into police custody. Later, it is revealed that Emma's also a member of the Hellfire Club in secret.