Shaw was the Carnival Pit-Fighter for Edward Mordrake's Circus, but one day he fell in love with a new arrival to the circus, her name was Renee.
The Owner Edward Mordrake seeing that woman as a danger to his prize fighter, had her fed to his recent attraction, the ferocious creature known as "The Beast of Gévaudan", Shaw entered the cage to save his love but in the ensuring melee he slain the beast but Renee was also killed.
Furious that Shaw had slaughtered his new star attraction, he had Shaw tortured and skinned his face off and grafted with the beast hide, and presented him as his new star freak, Shaw- the beast face man.
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Shaw is a skilled fighter, and is known to endure vast amounts of pain, he has a history of hardcore brawling. The Spirit of the Beast still resides in the mane, and has formed a spiritual symbiotic relationship with Shaw granting him enhanced strength, a healing factor and at times of intense blood rage, the razor shape claws.