7/7 · Tessa · Shaw's aide

7/7 · Tessa · Shaw's aide Tessa's first appearance places her beside people who are eager to advertise their importance. Shaw and the other men announce ranks, demonstrate powers and congratulate themselves. His dark-haired attendant occupies a quieter position in the room. As Shaw's aide, she belongs to the working life of the Club rather than its parade of titled combatants. That distinction helps give the organization a sense of scale. The Inner Circle has people attending it, watching its business and keeping its private world functioning. Its leaders expect service as readily as they expect obedience from their enemies. There is very little explanation attached to Tessa at this point. Her presence does its work visually, as part of the controlled, exclusive setting the X-Men have entered. While the louder personalities compete for credit, she remains at the edge of the gathering. In a story full of costumes that announce exactly how their wearers want to be seen, that reserve leaves a different impression.