The X-Men | Future X-Men | The Brotherhood of Mutants | The Acolytes | The Marauders | The Inner Circle | Mutant Response Division | Weapon X | Other mutants | Other characters
Inner Circle
- Fallen Hero: According to Emma, the Inner Circle was formed in order to put an end to the destructive cycle of the Phoenix Force. Under Shaw's leadership, they instead seek to use the Phoenix for world domination.
Sebastian Shaw
Sebastian Shaw is a mutant and the leader of the Inner Circle, a group that is seeking to gain access to the Phoenix's power within Jean Grey. He has the ability to absorb various types of pure energy to further enhance his physical attributes and healing prowess.
- Aristocrats Are Evil: His Inner Circle is an entire organization devoted to this, and as its head, Shaw does his very best to set an (evil) example.
- Badass in a Nice Suit: He wears the 19th century version of this and it still looks cool.
- Chess Motifs: His rank in the Inner Circle is 'Black King'.
- Energy Absorption: His mutant power is this, allowing him to absorb kinetic energy and convert it into strength.
- The Leader: Of the Inner Circle.
- Nigh-Invulnerability: A more complex example than most. Shaw is not himself invulnerable, but his mutant ability renders him pretty much impervious to physical attacks of any kind.
- Super-Speed: Not seen as much as his other uses of his ability, but Shaw is able to run fast.
- Super-Strength: The primary offensive use of his mutant power due to converting kinetic energy into strength.
Selene Gallio
Selene Gallio is a mutant and a member of the Inner Circle. She has the ability to drain the life force of others.
- Chess Motifs: She has the rank of 'Black Queen' in the Inner Circle.
- Co-Dragons: She and White Queen Emma Frost were the dragons to Sebastian Shaw.
- Evil Wears Black: What else would you expect from the Black Queen?
- Foil: To Emma Frost, which is evident through the fact that the colors included their ranks in the Inner Circle have opposite.
- Jerkass: Especially towards Emma.
- Life Drinker: She has the ability to drain the life out of others.
- Kick the Dog: Selene reveals that Emma is the one who accidentally caused the explosion that broke up the team, and then stole Xavier's body so that she could plant it on Genosha and buy her way onto the team. All while Emma begs her not to say it. Plus, Selene is clearly enjoying it.
- Of Corsets Sexy: Well, she is in the Inner Circle...
- Our Vampires Are Different: She is a psychic vampire.
- Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: She has a pale skin tone and black hair.
Emma Frost
Emma Frost is a mysterious and beautiful telepath who showed up on the X-Men's doorstep just when they needed her most. She once tried to start her own school for gifted mutants, the Massachusetts Academy. The ambitious Emma is the X-Men's only hope of finding their missing colleagues in addition to being The Mole and still the White Queen of the Inner Circle (and even kicks off the events of the series as it's revealed she's the one who attacked Jean and Professor Xavier, which in turn ended up destroying the mansion—albeit with the intention of taking out the Phoenix before she could be a threat). She can read minds and project thoughts into other's minds, controlling their actions. She can also project mental blasts to knock out her victims by touching their brow and is able to change her skin into diamond form.
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Donald Pierce
Donald Pierce is a mutant and a member of the Inner Circle. He is able to emit energy blasts.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: A very downplayed example. While this version of Pierce is still an antagonistic member of the Inner Circle, he does not have his comic book counterpart's hatred towards mutants.
- Adaptational Species Change: This version of Pierce is a mutant instead of a mutant-hating cyborg just like his comic book counterpart and most versions.
- Badass in a Nice Suit: As with most versions of the character and the other male members of the Inner Circle, Pierce wears the 19th century version of this.
- Chess Motifs: Like all Inner Circle members, Pierce has a rank analogous to a chess piece; in his case, it is White Bishop.
- Hand Blasts: He has the ability to emit energy blasts from his hands.
Harry Leland
Harry Leland is a mutant and a member of the Inner Circle. He has the ability to increase the mass of an object or person, making it extremely heavy.
- Badass in a Nice Suit: As with most versions of the character and the male members of the Inner Circle, Leland wears the 19th century version of this.
- Chess Motifs: He has the rank of 'Black Bishop' in the Inner Circle.
- Gravity Master: He has the ability to increase the mass of an object or person, making it extremely heavy.
Stepford Cuckoos
The Stepford Cuckoos (Celeste Cuckoo, Esme Cuckoo, Irma Cuckoo, Phoebe Cuckoo, and Sophie Cuckoo) are a group of identical quintuplets who are mutants and members of the Inner Circle Club. They have a telepathic hive-like super-mind and the ability of telekinesis.
- Adaptational Villainy: In the comics, the Stepford Cuckoos are students at the Xavier Institute. Here, they are part of the Inner Circle.
- Creepy Twins: Or rather, quins. There are five of them, they're all identical, and they're creepy enough to have been named for a bunch of famous fictional children.
- Generation Xerox: To Emma Frost.
- Hive Mind: Just like their comic book counterparts, they share this.
- In the Hood: The Cuckoos each wear robes that have hoods on them.
- Mythology Gag: After absorbing the Phoenix Force, it's shown that they were wearing Jean's Dark Phoenix suit from the comics.
- Psychic Link: The Cuckoos form a psychic gestalt that links all their minds together to magnify their powers.
- Psychic Powers: The Stepford Cuckoos are powerful telepaths, who can combine their telepathic abilities to create an even more powerful hive-mind. Their telepathic powers include broadcasting and receiving thoughts, mind control, planting illusions, blasts of pure psionic energy, seeing through another person's eyes, and also are so powerful that they are one of the few people able to operate Cerebra.
- Spared By Adaptation: In a sense. In the comics at the time when the show was airing, there are only three surviving Cuckoos (Celeste, Mindee, Phoebe) due to the fact that two of them (Esme, Sophie) were killed. In this show, Esme and Sophie are alive and the Stepford Cuckoos are once again quins.
