Warning: SPOILERS for Immortal X-Men #16With the Fall of X uniting Iron Man and the X-Men like never before, things are changing drastically for the Armored Avenger. With his company already stolen by the X-Men’s greatest enemies, Tony Stark now has yet another rival pilfering his signature Iron Man designs. Only this time, the mechanized malcontent isn’t using them solely for mutant-hunting Sentinels.
Immortal X-Men #16 by Kieron Gillen, Lucas Werneck, David Curiel, and VC’s Clayton Cowles sees the traitorous Sebastian Shaw working with the immortal Selene to hunt down Professor Xavier in what remains of Krakoa. Always one to dress for the occasion, Shaw unveils his Hellfire armor, which he supposedly designed himself despite an obvious resemblance to Iron Man’s armor.
Shaw uses it to nearly kill Charles before Xavier can buy him off with access codes to a dozen key accounts belonging to his stolen Hellfire Club. Now, Shaw is on the warpath to take back what’s his not just from Wilson Fisk, but inevitably from Tony Stark as well.
Related: Iron Man Officially Gets a New Codename Ahead of His “Most Dangerous Armor Yet”
The Black King Wields Serious Firepower
Prior to the ceasefire, Shaw’s Hellfire armor proves itself to be incredibly dangerous. Seemingly equipped as well as any Iron Man design, if not one belonging to War Machine, the former Black King of the Hellfire Club nearly levels a section of Krakoa before Xavier can talk him down. But with Shaw’s sordid history in the tech market and the resources he has working alongside Orchis, it’s no wonder that he’d have created an armor so powerful.
Tony Stark Isn’t The Only Genius Industrialist
Sebastian Shaw might not be the first name that Marvel fans associate with a brilliant intellect, but long before he came to blows with the X-Men, he was a noted industrialist who even helped relaunch the Sentinel program that would ultimately lead to Nimrod. His shrewd mind for business paired with a horrifying lack of morality makes Sebastian the ultimate economic predator. So it’s no wonder that he would seize upon the opportunity to co-opt Tony Stark’s Iron Man designs, especially now that his own powers have been nullified. And with Tony Stark taking his role as Black King of the Hellfire Club, it’s only fair that Sebastian replaces Stark as the newest Iron Man, at least temporarily.
Whether Shaw keeps his new Hellfire armor for the long run remains to be seen, but it’s clear that it’s about as dangerous as anyone could expect from the Hellfire Club’s former Black King. After all, the only thing Shaw loves as much as money is power, and with his mutant gifts gone, he needs something to level the playing field. And with this deadly new Hellfire armor, it’s clear that Sebastian Shaw’s new power levels are going to be a massive headache for Marvel Comics’ Iron Man and his X-Men allies.
Immortal X-Men #16 is available now from Marvel Comics.
Tony isn’t Marvel’s only genius industrialist. Read More