An Introduction to the Inhumans: Welcome!

This blog has been a long time coming. I've wanted to chronicle the exploits of my favorite comic book characters, the Inhumans, for a long time, both for my own benefit, and for those new to the characters. For myself, it allows me to revisit some of my favorite Marvel stories from many artists, as well as refresh my memory on what has become a very complex and oft-changed history. For those new to the Inhumans, hopefully I can answer questions, bring new insights, or maybe even just introduce them outright to the characters.

This comes at a good time, as Marvel has been greatly increasing the presence of the Inhumans in the Marvel universe due to the worst kept corporate secret in the world, and the feature film, which will be upon us in a few short years.

With that, let's begin. The first thing will be a brief introduction to the main cast, the Inhuman Royal Family. Once that's out of the way, we can begin looking at the history of this long-secret society, and then those first adventures, where the first family and the city of Attilan were established by Kirby and Lee so long ago.



Who are the Inhumans? They are those who dwell in the hidden city of Attilan, a city hidden (usually) in the Himalayas. The Inhumans vary from regular Humans in that they were, in pre-history, genetically altered by an alien race called The Kree. These alterations give the Inhuman race increased strength, stamina, and life span, as well as set the species hundreds of years ahead of their human cousins in terms of technology and intelligence.

The true source of Inhuman power, however, and the real results of the Kree genetic tampering, is unlocked when an Inhuman is exposed to the Terrigen Mist, a gas which is strangely emitted by the rare Terrigen crystal. The Inhuman gene, which has the code of thousands of alien races locked into it, is transformed into something new by the gas, its potential unleashed, the Inhuman gaining new form and new powers, their true self released, a unique hybrid combination. In this society, genetic diversity is cherished, Terrigenesis as something akin to a religious experience, and the uniformity of the human race is seen as a weakness, or something to be pitied. Chief among the different and powerful members of the Inhuman race is the Royal Family.

Meet the Royal Family!

Black Bolt - The improbably named Blackagar Boltagon is the King of the Inhumans. Usually, anyway, he gets dethroned a lot. When he's not battling for his crown, Black Bolt is the main man, one of the most singularly powerful beings in the Marvel Universe, a masterful diplomat, and a planner with untold depths to his machinations. His great power is often also his curse, as he is forever forced into silence due to the catastrophe that is his voice. Blessed with the powers of flight, increased strength, energy and molecular manipulation, Black Bolt also possesses a voice so loud that a whisper can kill a normal human, and a scream can level a mountain, or even rip holes in reality. He has a tuning fork on his head because, ya know, sound (sometimes those 60's comic designs were a little on-point), which he uses to harness and manipulate the electrons in the air to feed his powers.

A great enigma, his inability to speak and unwillingness to share his plans often leads the Inhuman people to distrust Black Bolt's long-reaching vision, though in the end the prosperity and safety of the people of Attilan lead them to worship this, the most powerful of Inhumans, as though he were a God. His silence makes him come off as cold, though King Boltagon demonstrates nothing but love and concern for all of his subjects by his actions.

For most of this blog, the presence of Black Bolt will be what we use to track the Inhuman chronology, as his appearances are seldom ancillary and tend to concern the entire Inhuman population. And he is my favorite character in all of comicdom.

Medusa - Medusalith Amaquelin Boltagon, is wife of Black Bolt, and Queen of the Inhumans. Medusa's unique gift is absolute control of her hair, which has the strength of steel cables, and can be used to grapple, stab, travel at great speeds, and a number of incredible uses. Medusa is an accomplished warrior with her gift, despite how small in scale it may seem, but she has gone toe-to-toe with some of Marvel's most powerful heroes and villains before, and proven herself to be a match for them. Beyond this, though, Medusa has a deft mind for politics and rule, as she demonstrates daily either by the side of King Blackbolt or, current as of this writing, as the sole monarch of Attilan. Medusa has shown herself to be the only person capable of deciphering the full extent of Black Bolt's orders and ideas. Medusa has had the most exposure to the human race of any other Inhuman, due in part to her dealings with the Frightful Four as a villain early in her career (amnesia, ya know), and then by working closely with the hero group, her friends, the Fantastic Four.

Karnak - Cousin and adviser to Black Bolt, Karnak has a unique gift to see the flaw in any surface or being. By focusing on this flaw, Karnak can then strike at it and destroy it with a single blow. This amazing ability has earned Karnak the nickname 'The Shatterer.' This doesn't just apply to physical objects though, as Karnak is able to detect the weakness in ideas or battle plans, and use those to his advantage as well. Interestingly, Karnak is one of the few Inhumans to have never undergone the process of Terrigenesis. Rather, his powers come from the teachings of monks in the Tower of Wisdom. Known for his prickly demeanor and a trying perfectionist, Karnak follows Black Bolt without question for when he looks to him, he finds no flaw.





Gorgon - Commander of the Inhuman military forces and trainer to those who have recently gone through Terrigenesis. Having the features of a goat, most notably his legs and hooves, Gorgon possesses greatly enhanced physical strength; his kick in particular is capable of generating tremendous seismic shocks, capable of shattering the Earth and toppling buildings. Gorgon is loud, boisterous, and crass. Despite that, he an exceptional military leader, and has often shown himself to be the most personable and empathetic of the Royal Family, compared to the aloof demeanor of Boltagar, Medusa and Karnak. Though often hot-headed and prone to complain, Gorgon remains a loyal follower of the throne.






Crystal - Sister to Medusa, Crystal had long been portrayed as not only the youngest member of the family, but also the weakest, frail and childish. However, this fiery youth has grown into a powerful and outspoken Inhuman in her own right. Crystal has an unusual connection to the elemental forces of nature, able to generate and control fire, wind, water, and earth. She has also been shown to be able to decipher strange portents or messages from the 'voice' of the Earth. As Crystal has grown to adulthood, she has often become the voice of the generation of Inhumans after those who currently occupy the throne, very level-headed and less fearful of the human world. Her voice is the only dissent Medusa will tolerate, though they have clashed in the past over their differing opinions.

Crystal has been a part of several important romances in the past, first as the love interest of Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four, then later as the wife of fellow Avenger Quicksilver, with whom she has a daughter, Luna. Most recently she was married to, and divorced from, the Kree Ronan the Accuser, on the orders of Black Bolt.



Lockjaw - This guy's going to get his own article later, essentially trying to puzzle out exactly what he is. Lockjaw appears to be a giant bulldog, pet of Black Bolt, with the ability to teleport himself and seemingly any amount of other matter to any other place in the galaxy. Is he a mutated dog? Is he an Inhuman turned into a dog form? No one seems to know for sure, and though I recently got some insight from current Inhumans writer Charles Soule, previous writers have seemed to disagree. Regardless, he loves Crystal and the other Inhumans unconditionally, and his powers have saved their lives countless times. Depending on who is drawing him, Lockjaw is either adorable, or pure nightmare fuel.

Triton - Brother to Karnak, Triton is essentially no one's favorite Inhuman character. Triton was exposed to the Terrigen mist at a young age and gained an aquatic form, forced to regularly leave the rest of his family and go into the water to replenish his strength. Despite the Inhuman love of diversity, Triton's family were devastated by his change, and it is for this reason that Karnak was never exposed to the mist. Triton is basically there to fend off any aquatic baddies the Royal Family may face, and then subsequently get kicked around by them until the better characters come along to save the day. Triton has gone through the most  permutations of any of the Royal Family, and can now be seen as a larger, more reptilian form with guns and aquatic packs at the ready, in an attempt to make him seem more badass.


Maximus - Maximus the Mad, brother of Black Bolt, this Inhuman maniac has had his eyes on his brother's crown, and has attempted to lead coups against the throne numerous times. For a long time, Maximus's Inhuman power went unseen. It was thought that perhaps his great intelligence and ability to invent almost anything he dreamed of was his gift, however his true ability was only lying dormant. Like his brother, Maximus's voice has great power, the ability to control the wills of others. Maximus's influence has allowed him to control individuals, small groups, or armies of mentally deficient Alpha Primatives. Maximus's motives have changed from time to time, though often he seeks the throne, Medusa's hand, and the destruction of the human race. One dynamic that never changes, though, is that he and Black Bolt refuse to kill each other, their brotherly love overcoming the constant wounds they inflict upon each other.

And with that, our cast is in place! Next up, we begin with Thor #146, where a back-up strip shows us the origins of the Inhuman race!