Dr. Klaus Schmidt, later known as Sebastian Shaw, is one of the two overarching antagonists (alongside Apocalypse) of the X-Men series, serving as the main antagonist of X-Men: First Class. He is a merciless yet nefarious mutant Nazi scientist, and the leader of the Hellfire Club. He is also the archnemesis of Magneto.
In his youth, Schmidt killed Magneto's mother in order to trigger his mutant abilities, leaving Magneto with a deep hatred of him. Year later, as Shaw, he intended to provoke a war between USA and Russia in order to conquer the United States, including the communist countries, such as North Korean and Red China, in an effort to place mutants as the rulers of the world.
Though his plan failed, and he was ultimately killed, his supremicist ideals eventually passed down to Magneto, thus sending the later into villainy.
He was portrayed by Kevin Bacon.
X-Men: First Class[]
Dr. Klaus Schmidt was an anti-communist scientist working for the Nazis during World War 2. He was present in the concentration camp where a young Erik Lensherr's mutant powers first manifested, witnessing him open a gate with his mutant power from a window. Schmidt attempted to coax the boy with chocolate into consciously using his ability but to no avail, with Erik claiming that he wanted to see his mother: Schmidt did as requested. However, he threatened his mother's life if he did not move a small silver coin by the time he counted to three. When Erik failed to do so, Schmidt shot his mother dead. This enraged him greatly, causing him to lash out with his powers to Schmidt's delight, killing two guards and devastating the metal components of two separate rooms. He then congratulated the traumatized young mutant. For the next eighteen years or so, Schmidt tortured young Erik, attempting to see his powers in action again.
18 years later, Schmidt, now known as Sebastian Shaw, emerged as the leader of the Hellfire Club, a group of mutants with aspirations of world domination. He was observed in Las Vegas by CIA Agent Moira MacTaggert meeting with U.S. Army Colonel Hendry (previously lured in by Emma Frost, under the influence that she was a stripper) where he threatens him into supporting the building of American missile sites in Turkey, near the Russian border. When MacTaggert witnesses Shaw's henchmen Azazel (who can teleport) and Riptide (who can create tornadoes by spinning his body) using their powers, she attempts to warn her superiors; but Shaw has Azazel teleport Hendry to a Joint Chiefs meeting where he voices his support of the plan.
Later, when Hendry comes to Sebastian's yacht to collect his payment, he attempts to have him killed. But the Colonel pulls out a grenade and threatens to blow them all up if they refuse to let him go. Shaw orders him to pull the pin on the grenade before he plucks the explosive from his hand and triggers it himself, displaying his mutant power by absorbing the energy from the explosion. In response to Hendry's reaction that he was a mutant, he releases the energy at Hendry, killing him instantly.
That night, a now adult and vengeful Erik Lehnsherr, who had been hunting Shaw, sneaks aboard the yacht and attempts to murder the man who'd tortured him; only to be overwhelmed by Emma Frost's telepathy. At the same time, the U.S. Coast Guard arrived along with MacTaggert and mutant telepath Charles Xavier to apprehend him. Frost used her powers to shield Shaw from him and they all made their way to their submarine and narrowly escaped capture.
On their way to meet with a Soviet general, Frost senses Xavier's enhanced telepathy (through use of Cerebro) and informs Shaw that he is recruiting his own team of mutants, consisting of Dr. Hank McCoy, Angel Salvadore, Sean Cassidy, Alex Summers, Raven Darkholme and Armando Munoz. Shaw reveals a helmet he had built by the Russians that shields him from telepathic influence and orders her to meet with the general in his place.
Shaw, Azazel and Riptide, in an attempt to kill Xavier attack the Division X facility. While Azazel and Riptide were slaughtering the CIA agents, Shaw entered through the entrance and demanded the location of Xavier's mutant entourage, threatening the life of a CIA agent. Multiple guards arrived and attempted to kill Shaw, but he absorbed the bullets and a rocket from an RPG and killed the surrounding guards with the released energy.
Shaw located the mutants and introduced himself to them, offering them a chance to join him in his plans for mutant mobocracy. He had convinced Salvadore and Munoz to join his team, but unaware to Shaw, Munoz used the opportunity to attack Shaw. He absorbed one of Summers' energy rings and placed it inside Munoz. Shaw, Angel, Riptide and Azazel teleport away from the following explosion which killed Munoz.
Shaw proceeds to Russia, where he meets with the Soviet general he sent Frost to see during which she was captured by Lehnsherr and Xavier; forcing the man to send Soviet missiles to Cuba. It is his plan to goad the U.S. and Soviet Union to use nuclear weapons on each other, causing World War 3, which will cripple human civilization and allow mutants to rise up and rule. He accompanies the Russian fleet in his submarine to assure that the missiles reach their destination, but he is tracked by Xavier and his team.
Lehnsherr uses his powers to lift the sub from the water before they both crash on a nearby beach. Shaw attempts to absorb the energy from the sub's nuclear reactor (becoming a human atom bomb) but is foiled by Lehnsherr. The two fight and Shaw has the upper hand, until Erik manages to remove his helmet allowing Xavier to mentally freeze his body.
Lehnsherr then takes Shaw's helmet for himself and with the same three second count Shaw gave him uses his ability to force the Nazi gold coin he still kept from his childhood (unforgiving of him killing his mother) and pierced it through Shaw's brain, killing him, avenging his mother's death as well as the humans and the mutants he killed in cold blood without showing any remorse. His dead body was then used by Erik as a dummy, as a means of showing he was now in charge to Shaw's former comrades.
Allies[]
- Emma Frost (formerly)
- Azazel (formerly)
- Riptide (formerly)
Enemies[]
- Helen Shyres
- Billy Nolan
- Norma Watson
- Christine Hargensen
- John Hargensen
- Sue Snell
- Tommy Ross
- Miss Collins
- Sailor Moon/Serena "Usagi" Tsukino
- Sailor Mercury/Amy "Ami" Mizuno
- Sailor Mars/Raven "Rei" Hino
- Sailor Jupiter/Rita Kino
- Sailor Venus/Mina Aino
- Sailor Chibi Moon/Chibiusa
- Tuxedo Mask
- Sailor Pluto
- Sailor Uranus
- Sailor Neptune
- Sailor Saturn
Family[]
- Jacob Shaw (father, deceased)
- Mrs. Shaw (mother)
- Esau Shaw (paternal uncle)
- Cornelius Shaw (paternal grandfather)
- Grandma Shaw (paternal grandmother)