X-Men: First Class’ Big Bad Was Perfect in Every Way - But They Were Still Forgettable

X-Men: First Class introduced the origins of some iconic mutants. It also debuted one of the team's best villains, even if he was mostly forgettable.

The X-Men movies have helped usher in comic book movies to the 21st century with a compelling story about superpowered individuals protecting people who hated and feared them. This same hate also fueled many of its villains, whether it was Magneto, who hated the oppression Mutants faced, or William Stryker, who hated how the mutant gene ruined his family. But some villains avoided hate and instead fought for conquest and superiority over Homo sapiens. This was perfectly shown through the character of Sebastian Shaw in X-Men: First Class.

X-Men: First Class was set in the '60s, long before Hugh Jackman's Wolverine would join the team. Instead, the movie focused on the origin of Professor X and Magneto and their friendship before their ideals tore them apart. It was a compelling look at one of comics' most tested friendships and offered a chance to see Magneto as a hero against the killer of his mother, Sebastian Shaw. But while Shaw's characterization was a motivated and dark antagonist to the protagonists, he remained one of the franchise's most forgettable villains.

X-Men: First Class Nailed Sebastian Shaw

In the comics, Sebastian Shaw was born into poverty but gifted with incredible intelligence. He used this intelligence to eventually make a name for himself, earning back his family's wealth. He also had the mutant ability to absorb kinetic energy and redirect it at an attacker, which led to a desire to fight whenever the opportunity arose. Shaw was also a member of the Hellfire Club, a group that controlled the political field from the shadows with an affinity for the English styles of the 1800s. As a member of its inner circle, he challenged the X-Men with his team of loyal followers.

First Class introduced a similar version of Shaw but chose not to explore his past, instead having him as the head of the Hellfire Club. While he and the club didn't embrace the style of the 1800s as the comics had, First Class still had the club embrace the finer things in life and a desire to control the political climate. In this case, it was to establish the Cuban missile crisis in hopes that nuclear annihilation would give birth to a world ruled by mutants. Like the comics, this Shaw had the power of energy absorption, and he only used it when his charisma and deceptive kindness failed to work. The murder of Colonel Hendry was the best example of this, as Shaw started the meeting with politeness until a threat on his life caused him to react violently.

Why Was Sebastian Shaw So Forgettable?

While the broad strokes of Shaw were captured in First Class, it never managed to capture his love of conflict or greed, which may have led to more action-packed sequences. However, being that he was the direct cause of Magneto's mother dying, it showed that this iteration didn't need to throw a punch to be a threat. There was also the fact that Shaw didn't have a distinct style that made him stand out like the comic version's 1800s garb had. Still, that never solved why, when compared to other villains in the X-Men movies, he was more forgettable than the likes of Bolivar Trask or Apocalypse. But closer inspection may reveal that the cause for Shaw's lack of impact lies with First Class as a whole.

One of the huge possibilities why Shaw never reached prominence was that he had to contend with Michael Fassbender's Magneto. While he and Kevin Bacon are amazing actors, the fact that First Class was originally a Magneto origin was prevalent. Magneto carried the rage of a person who never let go of the tragedies he faced as a child and would stop at nothing to get revenge. As a result, the fans connected more with Magneto and saw Shaw as a boogeyman that was so evil that he couldn't even be liked. Plus, seeing Magneto get his revenge on Shaw was a satisfying moment for audiences with a dark undertone as it represented the rise of Magneto as the next major enemy. In a way, Shaw was relegated to a motivator for Magneto rather than a villain that stood on his own, like Loki or Thanos.

First Class was also an ensemble movie that served to set up the first team of X-Men while establishing Professor X, Magneto and Mystique's relationships. That alone set up a slightly overpopulated movie in terms of storylines and pushed Shaw to the back burner, only using him to push the conflict forward. There was also the struggle of exploring other characters like Beast and Havok, which made little to no room for its villains to be more than physical threats, such as Azazel or Emma Frost. In the end, what resulted was a near-perfect villain who didn't get the time that deserved to be explored more deeply.

A Return to Sebastian Shaw Could Offer a New Experience

While First Class failed to have a villain like Shaw stand out from the crowd, it doesn't mean it has to be the last time anyone sees the character. In fact, with mutants appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it could mean a return of the Hellfire Club and its leader in a more comic-accurate style. With organizations like Hydra trying to take over world governments, the Hellfire Club could fill that void and do so with its 1800s flair as viewers learn that its agenda is more mutant-focused. This would mean the perfect opportunity for Shaw to orchestrate grand schemes and face enemies like the X-Men one-on-one.

X-Men: First Class showed how Sebastian Shaw could operate as an evil mutant leader in power that's focused and willing to sacrifice anyone for his goals. With that in mind, it's still a great example for fans to watch and see how the character could work in another franchise. But where his shortcomings were in First Class, the MCU could offer a more dangerous variant that will be far more selfish than ever. Then, rather than one awesome take of Shaw, there would be two that served the best parts of the character in their own ways.