TV's next superheroes have their leader -- and their nemesis.

The upcoming Mutant X TV series has cast Canadian film and stage star Tom McCamus as its villain. He'll play Marcus Eckhardt, the mutant-hunting head of the Genetic Security Agency.

American actor John Shea will play the young mutants' leader Adam.

Eleven months of shooting of the show's 22-episode first season begins here Monday, using a studio on the old Downsview airbase.

The show has a two season, 44-episode order and is being made by Toronto's Fireworks Entertainment, in association with Tribune Entertainment and Marvel Entertainment.

The show has been pre-sold to the majority of markets in the United States, but a Canadian broadcaster has not been announced.

Winnipeg-born McCamus won a Genie award for Best Actor in 1993 for I Love A Man In Uniform and was also nominated for his roles in Long Day's Journey Into Night and The Sweet Hereafter. He was also an acclaimed performer at the Stratford Festival.

The 45-year-old's angular good looks have also earned him some fan drooling on the Internet. One American Web site billboards his name in flaming letters and describes him as "star of stage and screen and of my heart.

"Tom McCamus is Canada's best actor and most handsome hunk. With his devilish smile and charming wit, he is most captivating! His talent is beyond compare!"

Shea, 52, has experience at bringing comic book characters to life. He played Lex Luthor on TV's Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

Mutant X is a spinoff of the popular Marvel comicbook X-Men, although it will feature original characters. Starring as the show's four young mutants are Canadian-born actors Victor Webster, Victoria Pratt, Lauren Lee Smith and Forbes March.