Crooked Man

## The Crooked Man

* S4
* S3
* S2
* S1

"*No. I've **never** possessed that chip. I've never understood anything that comes from sentiment and mercy except...**weakness**. [...] Here I stand, **crooked**, and **broken**. And **strong**. Stronger than I have ever been before. Finally, my **body** matches my **soul**. And I have never been more at peace,*"
—Crooked Man to Alden Jones[src]

**Archibald "Archie" Shaw** is the twin brother of Deacon Shaw and the current head of Shaw Enterprises, a conglomerate with immense power and influence in local and state government with ties to organized crime. Ruthless, cunning, cruel and efficient, Archie hides his sociopathy behind a mask of charm, preferring to work through his various henchmen, which includes corrupt members of the NYPD. After being hideously disfigured by his brother, Archie becomes widely known as the **Crooked Man**, a nickname he despises but nonetheless embraces.

## Biography

### Early Life and Background

Not much is known about Archie's early life as of yet; he was born a few minutes before his twin brother Deacon. The boys were born into the powerful Shaw Family, the heads of the Shaw Enterprises conglomerate with significant power and influence in local and state government, who also had strong links to organized crime. While both brothers were raised similarly, it was Archie who inherited a businessman's mind and the subdued ruthlessness needed to take control of such a large criminal network, while Deacon was notably less intelligent and preferred to take action with his fists. The two brothers were never very close but had an otherwise typical brotherly relationship: they would fight a lot, steal from each other and always try to humilate each other, especially in front of their peers, who nicknamed Archibald "Archie". As they matured, however, the two brothers came to acknowledge their natural bond not only as brothers, but also as twins.

In their late teens, the brother's parents were assassinated by rival crime lords, leaving the brothers the heirs to the Shaw fortune. Archie became head of the company due to being older than his twin brother, and choose to delegate certain jobs to Deacon, quickly establishing himself as the most powerful of the two. Together the two brothers avenged their parents and strengthened their family's links to the underworld, making the Shaw Family arguably the most powerful criminals in New York City. Archie gained a reputation as a cunning, ruthless businessman more than willing to exploit any loophole or situation to his advantage for money and power, hiding his cold, sociopathic true self behind a complex mask of charm that only those closest to him - ally or opponent - could see through.

## Overview

### Physical Appearance

Archie Shaw is an objectively handsome man with sweeping, slightly-greying hair. He prides himself on maintaining a well-groomed appearance and backs this up with a plethora of tailored suits.

Following Deacon's extraordinarily violent assault on Archie, his handsome features become twisted into a hideous form matching his dark soul. As his nickname "The Crooked Man" implies, Archie's body is twisted and broken, and has been compared to "when you take an action figure and bend its limbs all the wrong way". The damage is primarily concentrated on Archie's limbs, with him now requiring a cane in order to walk. Because of his collapsed chest and lungs, Archie's voice is now raspy. His time in the hospital has made him gain a significant amount of weight, giving him a bloated appearance.

### Personality

The Crooked Man is a cunning, ruthless criminal who wants to rule N.Y.C's criminal underworld, believing it to be his birthright, and is willing – and often eager – to kill anyone who stands in his way.

## Relationships

### Deacon Shaw

"*You're about to know just a fraction of the pain that I know. After all...we're **twins**, Deacon. And twins always have to **look alike**,*"
—Archie talking down to his brother before he begins to torture him[src]

### Nobody

"*You dropped a man from the top of my building. That's had some impact on my...image. I'm afraid I can't forgive that. I'm sure you understand,"
 "And I'm sure **you** understand, Archie...I'm coming for you. You can run, hide. It won't matter. Your day is a way off...but make no mistake. **It's coming**,*"
—Archie and Nobody's phone conversation[src]

Archie naturally despises the vigilante known as Nobody for his disruption of Archie's criminal activities, specifically the collapse of Archie's arms business operated through Iosef Barnes. The Nobody vigilante reciprocates, viewing Archie as a major threat to the people of New York and public safety.

Following Nobody's battle with Iosef that ultimate led to the vigilante dropping Iosef from the top of the Shaw Building, Archie made a phone call to one of the vigilante's burner phones, threatening him that he will pay for ruining his "image" - in truth, for threatening to expose Archie for the crime lord he truly is. Nobody, in return, tells Archie that, while the day he will face justice is yet to come, there is nothing he can do that will stop it from coming. After this conversation, Archie helps fund the Anti-Vigilante Task Force (AVTF) for the NYPD in order to capture the vigilante.

A year later, after Archie is severely disfigured by his brother Deacon, the crime lord makes an agreement with the Nobody vigilante: if the vigilante would apprehend Deacon, Archie would not only shut down the AVTF but also give the vigilante an essential clue as to the whereabouts of the Empire Killer. When the vigilante succeeds, Archie sticks to his word and withdraws his funding to the AVTF. However, he elaborates that, while their agreement benefited both of them, they are far from allies, a sentiment that the vigilante agrees with.

### Patrick Hayward

"*What's that name...you cops have for me? What is it, Hayward? [...] Say it...**say it!**"
 "...The Crooked Man,"
 "How **ironic**, wouldn't you say?*"
—Archie revealing the full extent of his injuries to Hayward[src]

## Quotes

"*Why negotiate when you can just **decide**?*"
—Archie Shaw's motto[src]

## Trivia

* Archie's nickname "The Crooked Man" initially refers only to his dishonest, criminal nature. It is later applied literally due to his disfigured appearance.

## References

1. ↑ Lieutenant Hayward in "*Crooked Man*"