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The Inhumans are a superhuman race of super beings appearing in
American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...
s published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many people associate the name "Inhumans" with this particular team of superpowered characters. The Inhumans first appeared in ''
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...
'' No. 45 (December 1965), though members
Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; ), also called Gorgo () or the Gorgon, was one of the three Gorgons. Medusa is generally described as a woman with living snakes in place of hair; her appearance was so hideous that anyone who looked upon her wa ...
and
Gorgon The Gorgons ( ; ), in Greek mythology, are three monstrous sisters, Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa, said to be the daughters of Phorcys and Ceto. They lived near their sisters the Graeae, and were able to turn anyone who looked at them to sto ...
appeared in earlier issues of that series (#36 and No. 44, respectively). Their home, the city of
Attilan The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features. Places Certain places fe ...
, was first mentioned years earlier, in a ''Tuk the Caveboy'' story written and drawn by
Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (; born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comics artist, comic book artist, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He grew ...
that appeared in ''Captain America Comics'' No. 1 (March 1941). The city was described as the home of a race that was evolutionarily advanced when human beings were still in the
Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistory, prehistoric period during which Rock (geology), stone was widely used to make stone tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years and ended b ...
. The Inhuman Royal Family has been adapted to numerous Marvel animated series and video games over the years. Inhuman characters were introduced in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
(MCU) in live action in the second season of ''
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ''Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is an American television series created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen for ABC based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, ...
'', while the Inhuman Royal Family is featured in the television series ''
Inhumans The Inhumans are a superhuman race of super beings appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many people associat ...
'', which premiered in 2017; the latter show was critically panned and lasted only one season. Earlier, a proposed film adaptation of the Inhumans was announced in 2014 by
Marvel Studios Marvel Studios, LLC, formerly known as Marvel Films, is an American film and television production company. Marvel Studios is the creator of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a media franchise and shared universe of films and television ser ...
but was later removed from its slate and never came to fruition. The Inhuman race was represented by the appearance of
Black Bolt Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #45 (December 1965). Black Bolt is the ruler of A ...
in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
(MCU) film ''
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ''Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'' is a 2022 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Doctor Strange. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sequel ...
'' (2022), portrayed by
Anson Mount Anson Adams Mount IV (born February 25, 1973) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as Cullen Bohannon in the AMC western drama series '' Hell on Wheels'', as Jim Steele on the NBC series ''Conviction'' (2006), as the Marve ...
who reprised his role from the television series.


Development

In a 1967 interview, Stan Lee discussed the creation of the Inhumans: "The first Inhuman that we brought in was
Gorgon The Gorgons ( ; ), in Greek mythology, are three monstrous sisters, Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa, said to be the daughters of Phorcys and Ceto. They lived near their sisters the Graeae, and were able to turn anyone who looked at them to sto ...
... And he was a fella who looked a little like a
centaur A centaur ( ; ; ), occasionally hippocentaur, also called Ixionidae (), is a creature from Greek mythology with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse that was said to live in the mountains of Thessaly. In one version o ...
or something. He could kick his foot very hard and he had great power. He could shatter a mountain by kicking his foot. He started out as a villain. We liked him so much, I should say Jack liked him so much, that he kept using him. We figured he has to come from somewhere. We decided, let him come from some strange land over in Europe, where there are a whole group of people like him. And well, what else could you call them except the Inhumans. Then Jack had to create a whole bunch of Inhumans and I think he did a great job. When it came to doing the leader, we decided, well, there was no need for them all to be villainous. I think we did have in mind that
Black Bolt Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #45 (December 1965). Black Bolt is the ruler of A ...
would eventually be a heroic type. And again, we always try to give a character a hangup so his hangup is he doesn't speak." In a 1969 interview Kirby discussed the costumes of the Inhumans "
ith The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometers, is the longest line of crags in North Germany. Geography Location The Ith is i ...
Black Bolt I began to dress up the lightning insignias. Karnak with the judo-type uniform, it's almost Japanese Oriental and half-Egyptian and Medusa with her hair"


Publication history

The Inhumans first appeared in ''
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...
'' No. 45 (December 1965). The Inhumans appeared as a back-up feature in ''
Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...
'' No. 146 (Nov. 1967) to No. 152 (May 1968) which contained their first extensive origin story. They fight the
Silver Surfer The Silver Surfer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character also appears in a number of movies, television, and video game adaptations. The character was created by Jack Kirby and first a ...
in ''Silver Surfer'' No. 18 (September 1970). The Inhumans' first ongoing feature, the first six issues of which were written and pencilled by their co-creator
Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (; born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comics artist, comic book artist, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He grew ...
, appeared in ''
Amazing Adventures ''Amazing Adventures'' is the name of several anthology comic book series, all but one published by Marvel Comics. The earliest Marvel series of that name introduced the company's first superhero of the late-1950s to early-1960s period fans and h ...
'' No. 1 (Aug. 1970) to No. 10 (Jan. 1972). The characters received their own self-titled series in October 1975, which ran for 12 issues and ended in August 1977. All but issue No. 9 were written by
Doug Moench Douglas Moench (; born February 23, 1948, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American writer of comics, novels, short stories, newspaper feature articles, weekly newspaper comic strips, film screenplays and teleplays. He is notable for his ''Batman'' wo ...
, who has said he was fascinated with the
shaggy God story A shaggy God story is a story in a minor science fiction genre that attempts to explain Biblical concepts with science fiction tropes. The term was coined by writer and critic Brian W. Aldiss in a pseudonymous column in the October 1965 issue of ...
aspect of the Inhumans. A follow-up to the series's ending appeared in '' Captain Marvel'' No. 53 (November 1977). The Inhumans were largely absent from publications for much of the 1980s, but appeared in their own
graphic novel A graphic novel is a self-contained, book-length form of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and Anthology, anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comics sc ...
in 1988, written by
Ann Nocenti Ann "Annie" Nocenti (; born January 17, 1957) is an American journalist, filmmaker, teacher, comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work at Marvel in the late 1980s, particularly a four-year stint as the editor of ''Uncanny X-Men' ...
and illustrated by
Bret Blevins Bret Blevins (sometimes spelled Brett Blevins) (born August 13, 1960) is an American comics artist, animation storyboard artist, and painter. He is perhaps best known for his stint as the regular penciler of ''New Mutants'' for Marvel Comics. ...
. Nocenti followed up by making the Inhumans Karnak and Gorgon supporting cast members in '' Daredevil'' from issue No. 272 (November 1989) through No. 283 (August 1990). An ''Inhumans'' limited series by Paul Jenkins and
Jae Lee Jae Lee (born 1972) is an American comics artist known for his interior illustration and cover work for various publishers, including Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Image Comics, and Dynamite Entertainment. Career Jae Lee's first work for Marvel Com ...
ran for 12 issues from November 1998 – October 1999. The series, which used the Inhumans as a social allegory for the U.S., won an
Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are awards for creative achievement in American comic books. They are regarded as the most prestigious and significant awards in the comic industry and often referred ...
for Best New Series and established the Inhumans as viable comics-selling characters. A four-issue limited series by writers
Carlos Pacheco Carlos Pacheco Perujo (14 November 1961 – 9 November 2022) was a Spanish comics penciller. After breaking into the European market doing cover work for Planeta De Agostini, he gained recognition doing work for Marvel UK, the England-based bra ...
and Rafael Marín and artist
José Ladrönn José O. Ladrönn (born 1967) is a comic book penciller and inker born in Mexico. Biography Comic book titles he has contributed to include ''Cable'', '' Spider-Boy Team-Up'', ''Superman Transilvane'' and ''Inhumans''. In the 2006 he received an E ...
was published in 2000. The fourth volume (2003–2004, 12 issues) concentrated largely on new characters within the Inhumans' society. In 2007, the Inhumans featured in the ''
Silent War ''Silent War'' is a six-issue Marvel Comics comic book limited series which began in January 2007. It was written by David Hine, with art by Frazer Irving. It is a sequel to the "House of M" and " Son of M" storylines, detailing the war between ...
''
limited series In the field of comic books, and particularly in the United States, a limited series is a comics series with a predetermined number of issues. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is finite and determined ...
by writer
David Hine David Hine (born 1956) is an English comic book writer and artist, known for his work on '' Silent War'' and ''The Bulletproof Coffin''. Career David Hine has been working in comics since the early 1980s. For ''Crisis'', he drew the series ''St ...
, and artist
Frazer Irving Frazer Irving (born 1970) is a British comic book artist known for the series '' Necronauts'', published by the British magazine '' 2000 AD''. After breaking into the American market he has worked on a number of superhero titles, including a s ...
. Following events in the ''
Secret Invasion "Secret Invasion" is a comic book fictional crossover, crossover storyline written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Leinil Francis Yu, that ran through a self-titled eight-issue Limited series (comics), limited series and several ti ...
'', the Inhumans appeared on one side of the ''
War of Kings "War of Kings" is a comic book crossover storyline written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, published by Marvel Comics, and set in Marvel's main shared universe. The six-issue limited series was published between March
'' storyline, with
Black Bolt Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #45 (December 1965). Black Bolt is the ruler of A ...
being made king of the
Kree The Kree, briefly known as the Ruul, are an List of fictional extraterrestrials, alien race appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud, and have a scientificall ...
, facing off against Vulcan, who is leading the
Shi'ar The Shi'ar ( ) are a fictional species of aliens appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Shi'ar Empire (or Imperium) is a vast collection of alien species, cultures, and worlds situated close to the Skrull and Kree Em ...
. The 2013 event, ''
Infinity Infinity is something which is boundless, endless, or larger than any natural number. It is denoted by \infty, called the infinity symbol. From the time of the Ancient Greek mathematics, ancient Greeks, the Infinity (philosophy), philosophic ...
'', led to major changes in status quo for the group, with many new Inhumans, or "NuHumans", appearing as a result of the detonation of the Terrigen Bomb. Writer
Charles Soule Charles Soule is an American comic book writer, novelist, musician, and attorney. He is best known for writing '' Daredevil'', '' She-Hulk'', '' Death of Wolverine'', and various '' Star Wars'' books and comic series from Del Rey Books and Marv ...
became the lead writer of the Inhuman franchise, starting with the ''
Inhuman Inhuman may refer to: Comics *Inhumans, a fictional race in Marvel Comics ** ''Inhuman'' (comics), a comic book series focusing on Inhumans ** ''Inhumans'' (TV series), a television series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Music *InHuman ...
'' series, which ran for 14 issues from April 2014–June 2015. The NuHuman
Kamala Khan Kamala Khan is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker, writer G. Willow Wilson, and artists Adrian Alphona and Jamie McKelvie, Kamala is Marvel's first ...
also becomes the lead of her own title, '' Ms. Marvel'' vol. 3. Following the ''
Secret Wars ''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'', commonly known as ''Secret Wars'', is a 12-issue American comic book Fictional crossover, crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter ...
'' event, the franchise expanded to two ongoing titles, ''Uncanny Inhumans'', which ran for 20 issues from 2015 to 2017, and ''All-New Inhumans'', which ran for 11 issues. There have been two spin-off titles with ''
Karnak The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak (), comprises a vast mix of temples, pylons, chapels, and other buildings near Luxor, Egypt. Construction at the complex began during the reign of Senusret I (reigned 1971–1926 BC) in the ...
'' running in 2015 for six issues penned by
Warren Ellis Warren Girard Ellis (born 16 February 1968) is an English comic book writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of several original comics series, including ''Transmetropolitan'' (1997–2002), ''Global Frequency'' ...
and drawn by
Gerardo Zaffino Gerardo may refer to: People Given name Gerardo is the Spanish, Portuguese and Italian form of the male given name Gerard. * Gerardo Amarilla (born 1969), Uruguayan politician * Gerardo Bonilla (born 1975), Puerto Rican-born professional race c ...
and
Roland Boschi Roland (; ; or ''Rotholandus''; or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. The historical Roland was milit ...
and ''
Black Bolt Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #45 (December 1965). Black Bolt is the ruler of A ...
'' running for 12 issues from 2017 to 2018 penned by
Saladin Ahmed Saladin Ahmed (born October 4, 1975) is an American comic book writer and a science fiction/fantasy poetry and prose writer. His 2012 book '' Throne of the Crescent Moon'' was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel and won the Locus Award ...
and drawn by Christian Ward. In 2017, Marvel announced two series involving the Inhuman royal family, ''Royals'' written by
Al Ewing Al Ewing ( ; born 12 August 1977) is a British comics writer who has mainly worked in the small press, for '' 2000 AD'', and for Marvel Comics. Career Al Ewing began his career writing stories in the four-page '' Future Shocks'' format for '' ...
drawn by
Kevin Libranda Kevin is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; ; ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ). The variant ''Kevan'' is anglicised from , an Irish diminutive form.''A Dictiona ...
that was cancelled after 10 issues, and a five issue miniseries titled ''Inhumans: Once & Future Kings'' written by Christopher Priest and drawn by
Phil Noto Phil Noto is an American painter and comic book artist who is known for his work on such titles as ''Jonah Hex'', '' X-23'', ''Uncanny X-Force'' and, more recently, '' Black Widow''. His work on ''The Infinite Horizon'' (a modern retelling of ...
that explored the royal family's origins. In July 2018, Marvel launched a new five-issue miniseries titled ''
Death of the Inhumans Death of the Inhumans is a 2018 American comic book story arc published by Marvel Comics. Publication history "Death of the Inhumans" was announced on March 28, 2018, as a project by Donny Cates and Ariel Olivetti scheduled to be released startin ...
'' written by Donny Cates and drawn by
Ariel Olivetti Ariel Olivetti (born November 15, 1967) is an Argentina, Argentine comic book penciller best known for his work on United States, American comic book titles such as ''Daredevil (Marvel Comics series), Daredevil'', ''X-Man'', ''Space Ghost'' and ' ...
.


Fictional species biography

At the beginning of the Kree-Skrull War, millions of years ago in Earth time, the alien
Kree The Kree, briefly known as the Ruul, are an List of fictional extraterrestrials, alien race appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud, and have a scientificall ...
established a station on the planet
Uranus Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. It is a gaseous cyan-coloured ice giant. Most of the planet is made of water, ammonia, and methane in a Supercritical fluid, supercritical phase of matter, which astronomy calls "ice" or Volatile ( ...
, a strategic position between the Kree and
Skrull The Skrulls () are a race of List of fictional extraterrestrials, extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' #2 and were crea ...
empires. Through their work at this station, they discovered that sentient life on nearby Earth had genetic potential invested in it by the alien
Celestials The Celestials are fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Depicted as cosmic beings, they debuted in the Bronze Age of Comic Books and have reappeared on numerous occasions. They also appeared in the ...
. Intrigued, the Kree began to experiment on Earth's then-primitive race ''
Homo sapiens Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...
'' to produce the genetically advanced Inhuman race. Their goal was apparently twofold—to investigate possible ways of circumventing their own evolutionary stagnation, and to create a powerful mutant race of soldiers for use against the Skrulls. Although their experiments were successful in creating a strain of humanity with extraordinary abilities, the Kree abandoned their experiment because a genetic prophecy had predicted that the experiments would eventually lead to an anomaly who would destroy the Kree
Supreme Intelligence The Supreme Intelligence, also known as the Supremor, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Dis ...
. Born approximately 50,000 BC, Tuk the Caveboy was the first offspring of the Inhumans. The Inhumans went on to form a society of their own, which thrived in seclusion from the rest of humanity and developed advanced technology. Experiments with the
mutagen In genetics, a mutagen is a physical or chemical agent that permanently changes genetic material, usually DNA, in an organism and thus increases the frequency of mutations above the natural background level. As many mutations can cause cancer in ...
ic Terrigen Mist (a process known as Terrigenesis) gave them various powers, but caused lasting genetic damage and deformities, which led to a long-term
selective breeding Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively develop particular phenotypic traits (characteristics) by choosing which typically animal or plant m ...
program in an attempt to mitigate the effects of these mutations. The Terrigen Mist is a natural mutagen, arising as a vapor from the Terrigen Crystals, which are able to alter Inhuman biology. The Mists were discovered by the Inhuman
geneticist A geneticist is a biologist or physician who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a scientist or a lecturer. Geneticists may perform general research on genetic process ...
Randac approximately 25,000 years ago. He immersed himself in the Mists and gained mental powers comparable to the Eternals. After centuries of
eugenics Eugenics is a set of largely discredited beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter the frequency of various human phenotypes by inhibiting the fer ...
and
birth control Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth control only be ...
, the Inhumans managed to mitigate the genetic damage and cultivated a more responsible use of the Terrigen Mists. The practice they developed was to let only genetically perfect specimens undergo the random mutations provoked by the Mists. Their theory was that genetic screening could avoid the risk of hideous and animal mutations in an individual. However, there are examples throughout the Inhumans' canon where an exposed Inhuman became a devolved, sometimes mindless, evolutionarily inferior throw-back. The term Alpha Primitives was coined for these unfortunate outcasts of Inhuman society, who would for centuries become the breeding stock of a
slave Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
race. Resentment at this
caste system A caste is a fixed social group into which an individual is born within a particular system of social stratification: a caste system. Within such a system, individuals are expected to marry exclusively within the same caste (endogamy), foll ...
sometimes bubbles up, and the Alpha Primitives have tried to overthrow their rulers in multiple storylines, often as a result of manipulation by a third party. Attilan's society and culture are predicated on a conformist belief system that permits individuality as it applies to genetic development and physical and mental ability, but demands rigid conformity in that each member of society is assigned a place within that society according to those abilities following exposure to the Terrigen Mist. Once assigned, no Inhuman, no matter how great or powerful, can change his or her place within this rigid caste system. However, as an exception, a member of the Royal Family,
Crystal A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macros ...
, married outside the Inhuman race to the mutant Quicksilver. The Inhumans are led by their king,
Black Bolt Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #45 (December 1965). Black Bolt is the ruler of A ...
, and his Royal Family, consisting of
Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; ), also called Gorgo () or the Gorgon, was one of the three Gorgons. Medusa is generally described as a woman with living snakes in place of hair; her appearance was so hideous that anyone who looked upon her wa ...
, Karnak the Shatterer,
Gorgon The Gorgons ( ; ), in Greek mythology, are three monstrous sisters, Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa, said to be the daughters of Phorcys and Ceto. They lived near their sisters the Graeae, and were able to turn anyone who looked at them to sto ...
,
Triton Triton commonly refers to: * Triton (mythology), a Greek god * Triton (moon), a satellite of Neptune Triton may also refer to: Biology * Triton cockatoo, a parrot * Triton (gastropod), a group of sea snails * ''Triton'', a synonym of ''Triturus' ...
,
Crystal A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macros ...
, Maximus the Mad, and the canine Lockjaw. Both Crystal and Medusa have been members of the
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...
; Crystal has been a member of the
Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...
as well. Black Bolt has guided the Inhumans through some of the most turbulent times in their history, including several attempts by Maximus to usurp the throne, revolts by the worker class (with their eventual emancipation), attacks by human renegades, the kidnapping of Medusa, the destruction and rebuilding of Attilan, and the revelation of the Inhumans' existence to humanity. His role as king of the Inhumans has been tumultuous. The first major crisis occurred when he and Medusa conceived a
child A child () is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking ...
. Medusa bore the child in defiance of the Genetic Council, who felt that Black Bolt's bloodline was too dangerous to pass on. The Council nonetheless took the child to examine and forbade parental contact. Medusa escaped to Earth with members of the royal family only to be harassed by Maximus. Black Bolt was torn between his love of family and his duty to respect the Genetic Council, and it was only when the council was revealed to be using his son in a plot against him that he finally turned against the council. With that, he gave up the crown as king of the Inhumans. For a while, they lived away from Attilan, but returned in times of need. The once-secret existence of the race has come to light among the general public as the Inhumans interact more often with many of Earth's
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...
es—including the
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...
, the
Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...
, and the
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
—whom they have aided against threats such as
Doctor Doom Doctor Doom is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' The Fantastic Four'' #5 in April 1962, and has since endured as the arch ...
, Ultron 7,
Magneto A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...
, and
Apocalypse Apocalypse () is a literary genre originating in Judaism in the centuries following the Babylonian exile (597–587 BCE) but persisting in Christianity and Islam. In apocalypse, a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a ...
. However, no one came to the Inhumans' aid when an army of Portuguese mercenaries attacked Attilan, which was now located on risen Atlantean ruins. This was actually a coup-d'etat orchestrated by Black Bolt's brother Maximus the Mad. Inhuman society changed radically when
Ronan the Accuser Ronan the Accuser is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #65 (August 1967). In his comic book appearances, Ronan is d ...
sought to use the Inhumans as an army to disrupt the
Shi'ar The Shi'ar ( ) are a fictional species of aliens appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Shi'ar Empire (or Imperium) is a vast collection of alien species, cultures, and worlds situated close to the Skrull and Kree Em ...
control of the Kree after their defeat in the Kree-Shi'ar War. Appearing over the city of Attilan, Ronan seized control in a surprise attack and forced the Inhumans and their king, Black Bolt, to obey, or he would destroy their only home and everyone in it. He also exiled Maximus and the Alpha Primitives to the Negative Zone. During their time in forced servitude, Ronan revealed that the Inhumans had always been intended as weapons in service to the Kree. To this end, much of the genetic attributes that were encoded in them during the original experiments were meant to give them the abilities and appearances of various alien races, the idea being that these Inhuman slaves could be used to infiltrate alien worlds and races to conduct espionage or assassinations to weaken potential conquests. Ronan used the Inhumans to launch attacks on ships and bases, disrupt a treaty between the Shi'ar and Spartax, and manipulate Black Bolt to assassinate Empress
Lilandra Princess-Majestrix Lilandra Neramani () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. She is the Empress, or Majestrix, of the Shi'ar Empire and shares a life ...
. Eventually, Black Bolt sought to free his people by challenging Ronan to a personal battle. If Ronan won, the Inhumans would continue to serve him. If the king won, the Inhumans would go free. After a terrible battle, Black Bolt won and Ronan, demonstrating that the Kree still had honor, kept his word and left the Inhumans. All was not over, as the Inhumans were not willing to just follow Black Bolt back to Earth. Pressure had been building in the closed society of Attilan since open contact with the outside world had been made. During their enslavement by Ronan, the Inhumans had wished for their freedom, but had developed a sense of pride in their power and a belief in their own destiny. They no longer believed that Black Bolt or the Royal Family was fit to lead them in the new life they wanted, and they exiled the Royal Family from Attilan. The Royal Family returned to Earth to find their destiny. After suffering bigotry while living in the Baxter Building with the Fantastic Four and turning down political asylum from Latveria by Dr. Doom, the royal family returned to Attilan, which was located on the Blue Area of the Moon. The Inhumans attempted to foster better relations with Earth by sending students to the
University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...
.


''Son of M''

In the events of '' Son of M'', Quicksilver stole the Terrigen Crystals in an attempt to regain his powers and cure the de-powered mutants from M-Day. The theft led to a conflict on
Genosha Genosha ( ) is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in the Marvel Universe and a prominent location in the X-Men comics. The fictional nation served as an allegory fo ...
between the re-powered mutants (whose powers came back as too powerful for their own good causing their eventual surrender), the Inhumans, and the U.S.
Office of National Emergency The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features. Places Certain places fe ...
. The conflict ended with the O.N.E. confiscating the Terrigen Crystals, an act that incited Black Bolt to verbally declare war on the United States.


''Silent War''

In January 2007, the miniseries ''
Silent War ''Silent War'' is a six-issue Marvel Comics comic book limited series which began in January 2007. It was written by David Hine, with art by Frazer Irving. It is a sequel to the "House of M" and " Son of M" storylines, detailing the war between ...
'' began, with Gorgon launching a first strike on New York. Although the Inhumans do manage to recover the crystals, the episode ends with Maximus again taking control of Attilan. The mini series ends on a cliffhanger, with the destruction of Atilian (foreshadowed in Son of M) and Maximus having taken control over the Inhumans using his psychic power, leaving only Luna and Black Bolt (imprisoned in a cell while Luna feigns support for Maximus for her own safety) free from his control and Maximus vowing that the Inhumans will enslave Earth in retaliation for their destruction of Atilian.


''New Avengers: Illuminati''

It has been revealed that Black Bolt has been replaced by a
Skrull The Skrulls () are a race of List of fictional extraterrestrials, extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' #2 and were crea ...
impostor, in a time frame after ''Silent War'', but before ''
World War Hulk "World War Hulk" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled limited series and various titles published by Marvel Comics in 2007, featuring the Hulk. The series consists of five main issues titled ''World War Hulk'', ...
''. The impostor revealed himself to the
Illuminati The Illuminati (; plural of Latin ''illuminatus'', 'enlightened') is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically, the name usually refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on 1 ...
and was killed after a failed attempt to assassinate the heroes. The series, along with Planet Hulk and World War Hulk, and subsequent mini-series Secret Invasion outright ignore the events of ''Silent War'' and its status quo


''Secret Invasion: Inhumans''

Written by ''
Heroes Heroes or Héroes may refer to: * Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good Film * ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama * ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film Gaming * ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...
'' writer
Joe Pokaski Joe Pokaski is a writer and television producer known for his work on the television series '' Marvel's Cloak & Dagger'', as well as the television series '' Underground'' and '' Heroes''. He has also written ''Heroes'' tie-in products, and a num ...
, this story digs into how the Inhuman Royal Family deals with the news that the Black Bolt had been replaced by a Skrull impostor. The Skrulls attack Attilan while Black Bolt is revealed to be a prisoner of the Skrulls, who intend to use his voice as a weapon of mass destruction. The Inhuman Royal Family defeated several Skrull soldiers and took a Skrull ship with the point of taking the war to the Skrulls and save Black Bolt. With some help from the Kree, they rescue Black Bolt and return to Attilan. The story itself ignores the ending of Silent War, with Medusa being under Maximus's mental thrall, Atilan's destruction, and Maximus having seized control over the Inhuman population via his mental powers save for Black Bolt and Luna (who are immune to his telepathy).


''Dark Reign''

The Inhuman Royal Family confronts the Unspoken, a cousin of Black Bolt.


''War of Kings''

Finally deciding that they will no longer be used and abused by other races, the Inhumans take drastic action to ensure their survival as a race. To that end, they activate a series of long dormant machines beneath the city of Attilan, transforming it into a gigantic starship, powered by Black Bolt's voice. Breaking free from its resting place on the Moon, Attilan enters hyperspace and tracks down the remnants of the Skrull Armada, completely eradicating it. As Attilan enters Shi'ar space, it attracts the attention of three Shi'ar warships, who order them to depart or they will open fire. They too are destroyed without mercy. Attilan reaches the planet Hala, destroying the protective shield that guards their weakened empire and enter the planet itself. The Royal Family confronts
Ronan the Accuser Ronan the Accuser is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #65 (August 1967). In his comic book appearances, Ronan is d ...
, who is serving as king. He admitted he felt that he was just holding the spot of ruler for their true king, Black Bolt, but Black Bolt declined the seat of king.


''Realm of Kings''

The T-Bomb has killed Black Bolt, leaving leadership to Queen Medusa. The Inhuman Royal Family struggles to maintain their grip on the Kree Empire. The Alpha Primitives revolt, Maximus tries to take the throne, and the Kree aristocracy revolts, which erodes the Inhumans' rule.


Universal Inhumans

Back on Earth, the
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...
encounter an interstellar group of Inhumans formed from the Centaurians, the
Dire Wraith The Dire Wraiths are a fictional extraterrestrial species appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and IDW Publishing. The Dire Wraiths are the main opponents of Rom the Space Knight. Publication history The Dire Wraiths firs ...
s, the
Kymellian This is a list of alien races that appear in Marvel Comics. Overview There are countless different extraterrestrial races in Marvel Comics universe. The vast majority are humanoid in structure. Galactic Council The Galactic Council is the assemb ...
s, and the
Badoon The Badoon are a fictional Reptilian humanoid, reptilian List of extraterrestrials in fiction, alien species appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Badoon Exfulgence are notable for living under strict Sex segregation, ...
. These new Inhumans reveal that the Kree experimented on other interstellar races, aside from humans, and used methods other than the Terrigen Mists. The resulting Universal Inhumans have banded together and traveled to Earth in search of Black Bolt, who they believe will lead their collective people in an eventual takeover of Earth. When Black Bolt returned, the Universal Inhumans arrive on Earth's moon where a prophecy revolving around a Midnight King rising from the Inhuman Program and bringing an end to the Kree is revealed. Together they go to Earth to defeat the four Reeds from the Interdimensional Council. Meanwhile, the resurrected Supreme Intelligence orders the Kree to launch an attack to destroy the Earth and the Inhumans in a bid to prevent the genetic prophecy from occurring unaware that by doing that he actually put the prophecy in motion. They are repelled, with the Inhumans in pursuit.


''Infinity''

During the events of ''
Infinity Infinity is something which is boundless, endless, or larger than any natural number. It is denoted by \infty, called the infinity symbol. From the time of the Ancient Greek mathematics, ancient Greeks, the Infinity (philosophy), philosophic ...
'',
Thanos Thanos () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 (cover date February 1973). An Eternal– Devia ...
and his forces attack Attilan and offer to spare the city in exchange for a tribute: the deaths of all Inhumans between the ages of 16 and 22. Black Bolt surmises that the offering is a ruse to hide the fact that Thanos actually desires the death of
Thane Thane (; previously known as Thana, List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1996) is a metropolitan city located on the northwestern side of the list of Indian states, state of Maharashtra in India and on ...
, a half-Inhuman youth Thanos had fathered years earlier. Maximus had Eldrac transport the remaining Inhumans to different locations to keep them from being killed by Thanos. The search for Thane eventually reveals that secret Inhuman tribes have existed on Earth for years and mated with its population, producing a number of seemingly-normal humans who possess dormant Inhuman genes. In response to Thanos' threat, Black Bolt and Maximus evacuate Attilan before destroying it as a show of defiance. The destruction of the city activates the Terrigenisis Bomb, a creation of Maximus, which spreads the Terrigen Mist across the globe and activates special abilities within numerous unsuspecting humans who were Inhuman descendants.


''Inhumanity''

During the ''
Inhumanity Inhumanity may refer to: * The opposite of humanity * " Man's inhumanity to man", a phrase first documented in 1784 Music * ''Inhumanity'' (album), a 2003 album by Finnish band Mors Principium Est * ''Monolith of Inhumanity'', a 2012 studio a ...
'' storyline, Karnak was left mentally scarred by said events and begun destroying the upper west side of Manhattan, babbling and sobbing uncontrollably. He was taken into custody by the
Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...
. In
Stark Tower The Stark Tower Complex is a high-rise building complex appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, USA, the complex is named after its owner Tony Stark, who is the alter ego of the su ...
, Karnak explained to the Avengers what happened during their fight with
Thanos Thanos () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 (cover date February 1973). An Eternal– Devia ...
and what it meant for the Inhumans. When he was questioning himself for the reason for
Black Bolt Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #45 (December 1965). Black Bolt is the ruler of A ...
to spread the Terrigen Mists and what would happen next, Karnak had an epiphany in which he finally saw "the fault in all things". He told
Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; ), also called Gorgo () or the Gorgon, was one of the three Gorgons. Medusa is generally described as a woman with living snakes in place of hair; her appearance was so hideous that anyone who looked upon her wa ...
who was present during his interrogation that she needed to forget everything she thought she knew, ignore the instincts, and forget the past. Otherwise, all would be lost. Following this revelation in which he stated it was too late for him to unlearn a lifetime of error, Karnak shattered the window from his containment cell and jumped out of Stark Tower, killing himself. It was later revealed that there is another Inhuman city called Orollan which is located somewhere in Greenland. The Inhuman Lash is from Orollan as he plans to recruit the Inhuman descendants to work for him. As the months pass, Medusa also begins gathering the Inhuman descendants (called NuHumans by many), and reveals the existence of the Inhumans to the world. Attilan is rebuilt from its remains on the Hudson River, in a city called New Attilan, serving as an independent nation welcoming all Inhumans and open to any who wish to visit. Crystal takes a team of Inhumans on the transport vessel called the R.I.V., or Royal Inhumans Vehicle, to follow the Terrigen Cloud and protect any NuHumans. In Australia she finds a skinhead Inhuman with skin-changing powers and a healer named Panacea. Her team visits the
hermit kingdom The term hermit kingdom is an epithet used to refer to any country, organization or society that willfully isolate itself off, either metaphorically or physically, from the rest of the world. North Korea is the most commonly cited example of a her ...
of Sin-Cong to explore why there have been no NuHumans in that country. Her team then investigates mysterious "skypears" that landed around the globe. They investigate a skyspear in China, but are met with suspicion by the Collective Man and the People's Defense Force. The skyspear attacks the Inhumans and the People's Defense Force, temporarily de-powering the Collective Man. Flint, unaware he is de-powered, nearly kills him with a rock attack, which traumatizes Flint. Crystal decides to leave China and travel to Africa with
Ana Kravinoff Kraven the Hunter (Sergei Nikolaevich Kravinoff; Russian: Сергей Николаевич Кравинов) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, the ...
as their guide to find Flint's family in the
Chimanimani Mountains The Chimanimani Mountains are a mountain range on the border of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The mountains are in the southern portion of the Eastern Highlands, or Manica Highlands, a belt of highlands that extend north and south along the internatio ...
of
Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...
, Africa in the hidden Inhuman city of Utolan. Upon their return to Attilan, Panacea empathizes with Gorgon's suffering and heals his paralysis as practice before she tries her abilities on his comatose son.


''Civil War II''

The Terrigen Cloud sweeps over Ohio where it transforms two
Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
students named Ulysses Cain and Michelle into Inhumans. While Michelle emerged as a red-skinned beast with wings and a tail, Ulysses emerged unchanged but with the ability of precognition. Iron Man later infiltrated New Attilan to claim Ulysses after fighting off Medusa, Crystal, and Karnak. This leads the Inhumans to head to Stark Tower to reclaim Ulysses which leads to the Avengers, the
Ultimates The Ultimates is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and created by writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch, which first started publication from ''The Ultimates (comic book), The Ultimates'' ...
, and S.H.I.E.L.D. to get involved. When Ulysses projects his latest vision that shows a rampaging Hulk standing over the corpses of the superheroes, this causes the younger Inhumans present to cry.


''Inhumans vs. X-Men''

The Beast works with Iso to find a way to counter the Terrigen Cloud as Medusa tells the Inhuman Royal Family to be prepared just in case the X-Men take action against them as the Terrigen Cloud becomes saturated. When the shrinking of the Terrigen Cloud threatens to render Earth inhospitable for mutants, Emma Frost, Magneto, and Storm make plans to destroy the Terrigen Cloud. The Beast heads back to Attilan to speak to the Royal Family, only for Emma Frost to go ahead with the attack. The X-Men take out most of the Inhuman Royal Family and trap them in Limbo. After hearing from Iso about why the X-Men want to destroy the Terrigen Cloud, Medusa is the one who destroys the Terrigen Cloud. Medusa abdicates the throne and gives all leadership duties to Iso, knowing that her people will not understand why she destroyed the remaining Terrigen Cloud. Now free of the burdens of being a queen, Medusa happily reunites with Black Bolt in the Quiet Room.


Encounter with the Progenitors

Medusa banishes Maximus into an inter-dimensional prison, then with Crystal, Black Bolt, Flint, Gorgon, and Captain Swain are guided by
Noh-Varr Noh-Varr is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Grant Morrison and artist J.G. Jones, the character first appeared in '' Marvel Boy'' #1 (August 2000). He later appeared in the '' Civil Wa ...
to the former Kree throne-world of Hala to discover the origins of Terrigen and offer a future to their doomed people. During the trip they learn Maximus and Black Bolt had switched bodies, so Black Bolt was actually banished. To further complicate matters, Medusa runs her hand through her powerful hair only to pull a large clump out with it, forcing her to announce to her crew that she is dying. It is soon apparent that Medusa's decision to destroy the Terrigen Cloud is afflicting her. She did what she had to save the mutant race, but in doing so she had doomed the future of her people. Because Medusa had pressed the button, that act had the consequence of gradually draining the life energies from her. Akin to dying of a broken heart, Medusa had acted to end a cultural heritage that had lasted millennia and her body has essentially chosen to end with it. Her only hope now is to find the secrets of the Terrigen and bring a new source of it back to their people, so she too can be revitalized. The Inhumans and Noh-Var discover info on the Primagen which was used by the Progenitors to create the Kree and what the Terrigen derives from. When the Inhumans obtain the Primagen from the Progenitors' World Farm and Gorgon buys his fellow Inhumans time to get away, Maximus takes a sample of the Primagen and has a vision where the Progenitors attack Earth in retaliation for the theft of the Primagen. While on the Astral Plane with Black Bolt, Medusa and Black Bolt agreed to continue as partners and not lovers. When Medusa takes the Primagen, it restores her hair and health while also causing a backlash in the attacking Progenitor to destroy the approaching Progenitors causing the Ordinator-Class Progenitors that saw the attack from the World Farm to spare Earth from their invasion.


Establishing New Arctilan

Following their return from the Progenitors' World Farm, members of the former Inhuman Royal Family and their allies settled on the Moon, where Marvel Boy created by using Kree technology from his native universe, a pocket atmosphere that surrounds the Leibnitz crater which was dubbed the Gray Area of the Moon. Inside the crater, Flint used both Moon rock and his own body crystal to build New Arctilan the Inhumans' new base.


''Death of the Inhumans''

The Kree have initiated a murdering campaign to force Black Bolt to join the Kree Empire. This ultimatum causes the deaths of thousands of Inhumans with the word "Join or Die" carved into their bodies which forced Black Bolt to call together the four Queens of the Universal Inhuman tribes to respond to this threat. However, the meeting goes far from as planned, as an Inhuman executioner named Vox, a Super-Inhuman created by the Kree, begins his bloody rampage across the place. When Black Bolt and his Royal Family reached the meeting place, they discover the bodies of Oola Udonta, Aladi Ko Eke, Onomi Whitemane and Goddess Ovoe, with the same three words written in their blood on a banner hanging about their corpses and eventually realized that they fell in to a trap as one of the dead Inhumans was wired with an explosive. While most of Black Bolt's group made it out alive, thanks to Lockjaw, Triton was not so lucky and was killed in the explosion. Black Bolt then sent Lockjaw to New Arctilan to retrieve his brother Maximus. Unbeknownst to them, Vox and his men had already arrived on New Arctilan and began murdering every Inhuman they come across, old or new. Armed with all of the Inhumans' abilities and no humanity, Vox easily cuts his prey down with his powers or his energy scythe. Even Maximus cannot defeat Vox, as he quickly loses an arm for even making the attempt. Lockjaw then arrives and teams up with Maximus in an attempt to stop Vox on their own. However, they are unable to defeat Vox as he fires a massive energy blast, destroying them. When Karnak is sent to the Kree to relay a message from Black Bolt to them, the Kree Commander explains how they dispatched Ronan the Accuser as leader of the Kree after Hala was placed in ruin by Mister Knife and have begun to forge a new life. When asked to kneel, Karnak does not. Instead, he does his best to fend off Vox only for the Super-Inhuman to subdue Karnak. As Black Bolt arrives, he walks through the halls of the Kree base speaking every name of the fallen Inhumans, making it a song about death. Eventually, it comes down to just Black Bolt vs. Vox who is holding Karnak as a shield. Black Bolt signs to Karnak to have Vox take him instead. Vox apparently accepts the change as he teleports himself behind Black Bolt. Before Karnak's very eyes, Vox slits Black Bolt's throat. The Kree take Black Bolt prisoner and repair the damage done to his throat without using any sedatives or anesthesia to dull the pain which prompted them to think that Black Bolt's great power is gone when he does not scream and therefore the prophecy about the Midnight King is no longer a threat to the Kree. However while being transported, it turns out that he still has his voice, but it is faint. After killing several Kree, Black Bolt secures a firearm and finds Ronan the Accuser alive. However, he is a prisoner of Vox and having been experimented on alongside the Kree soldiers that are loyal to Ronan. Black Bolt learns of this when he sees that Ronan has been converted to a cyborg. At Ronan's request, Black Bolt enables him a mercy killing by whispering "You are forgiven." Elsewhere, Medusa and the surviving Inhuman Royal Family members try to recruit Beta Ray Bill in their fight against Vox and the Kree. The Inhuman Royal Family are finally taking the battle to the Kree and arrive just in time to save Black Bolt from Vox. Thanks to the interference of Beta Ray Bill, the Inhuman Royal Family are able to overpower and kill Vox, but not before he is apparently able to kill Crystal. They soon realize to their surprise that Vox was actually Maximus in disguise concluding that the Super-Inhuman is not a person. Instead, it is a program and it is also revealed that the voice power that everyone assumes is vaporizing his targets was actually just teleporting them instead as it was seen after Crystal's apparent death, she has been transported to an unknown place where Kree scientists are experimenting on the Inhuman victims who were supposedly killed. While Lockjaw is not seen, Triton appears to be in some kind of stasis tank alongside Naja, Sterilon, and other unnamed Inhumans. Crystal is now doomed to be the next Vox. Meeting up with the Inhuman Royal Family and Beta Ray Bill, Black Bolt is told by Karnak of Vox being a program that transported his "victims" to the Kree. With the Kree planning to turn any captive Inhumans into Vox, Karnak states that not all of them will be rescued. As Black Bolt has one more scream left, Karnak tells him to make it count. Using his sign language, Black Bolt addresses the others on how he has made mistakes in the past and apologizes to them. After holding a moment of silence, Black Bolt orders Gorgon to turn around. The Inhuman ship strikes the Kree's base. Vox then pushes a button to unleash the Vox-controlled Inhumans. As Gorgon and Beta Ray Bill engage the Kree soldiers, Black Bolt, Medusa and Karnak arrive at the laboratory where they find Vox-controlled Inhumans like Crystal and Lockjaw. Using a laser, Black Bolt clears the Vox-controlled Crystal and Lockjaw just because they were in his way. Entering one door, Black Bolt signs "I love you. I'm sorry" before whispering for them to run. As Medusa and Karnak fight the Vox-controlled Crystal and Lockjaw, Black Bolt confronts other Vox-controlled Inhumans like Triton. With what little remained of his power, Black Bolt destroyed the engines responsible for transmitting the Vox program, killing all the Inhumans there and robbing the Kree of their plans. Gorgon and Beta Ray Bill arrive stating that the Kree have fled and see Crystal and Lockjaw still alive, having been freed from the Vox-control when the engines were destroyed. Black Bolt emerges from the room as Medusa orders Lockjaw to take them away from the Kree base. When Crystal asks where they should go, Black Bolt uses his sign language to say "Home." Lockjaw then teleports them away. Beta Ray Bill would later confirm that the Royals were the last of the Inhumans, though there are still a few Inhumans active on Earth.


Powers and abilities

Even without using the Terrigen Mist, the Kree modifications, combined with centuries of selective breeding, have given all Inhumans certain advantages. Their average lifespan is 150 years. An Inhuman in good physical condition possesses superhuman attributes, such as superhuman strength, reaction time, speed, and endurance greater than the finest of human athletes.
Karnak The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak (), comprises a vast mix of temples, pylons, chapels, and other buildings near Luxor, Egypt. Construction at the complex began during the reign of Senusret I (reigned 1971–1926 BC) in the ...
and other normal Inhumans who are in excellent physical shape can lift one ton and are physically slightly superior to the peak of normal human physical achievement. Exposure to the Terrigen Mist can both enhance and in some cases reduce these physical capabilities. Most Inhumans are used to living in a pollution-free, germ-free environment and have difficulty tolerating Earth's current level of air and water pollution for any length of time.


Known Inhumans


Alpha Primitives

The Alpha Primitives are a
slave Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
race created by the Inhumans, first appearing in ''
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...
'' #47 (February 1966). Because of the Inhumans' low population, they created a labor force of
hominid The Hominidae (), whose members are known as the great apes or hominids (), are a taxonomic family of primates that includes eight extant species in four genera: '' Pongo'' (the Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutan); '' Gorilla'' (the ...
s bred to be strong, but of limited intelligence. They were also rendered unable to breed and were only produced only by
cloning Cloning is the process of producing individual organisms with identical genomes, either by natural or artificial means. In nature, some organisms produce clones through asexual reproduction; this reproduction of an organism by itself without ...
. They were used by Maximus the Mad in several schemes, resulting in their being freed from servitude by
Black Bolt Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #45 (December 1965). Black Bolt is the ruler of A ...
. The Alpha Primitives would no longer be cloned and those already made would be allowed to live out their lives in a preserve under the city proper. After some time though, it was understood that the Alpha Primitives could not live on their own and the previous arrangement was reversed. The former king of the Inhumans called the Unspoken revealed that the Alpha Primitives are actually humans who have been exposed to gas created from Xerogen Crystals, a substance created by the
Kree The Kree, briefly known as the Ruul, are an List of fictional extraterrestrials, alien race appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud, and have a scientificall ...
as a weapon for the Inhumans to use against their human enemies.


Bird People

The Bird-People are a genetic offshoot of the Inhumans with bird wings. In some cases, some members of the Bird People have bat wings.


Super-Inhumans

The Kree eventually designed a new race of Inhumans that differs greatly from the original called Super-Inhumans. They are believed to be engineered from birth with almost of all of their fellows' Inhuman abilities and none of their problematic humanity. They cannot be swayed or tricked or bought for as they want nothing but their enemies' hearts to stop beating. The only known member of this new race is Vox and the reason is that the Super-Inhuman race is actually a ruse perpetuated by the Kree and Vox is not actually a person. Instead, it is a program designed by the Kree which is then imprinted on selected Inhumans that transforms them genetically into a killing machine. When Vox is defeated or killed, another selected Inhuman would be activated and transformed into Vox.


Reception


Critical response

Richard Fink of ''
MovieWeb Valnet, Inc. is a Canadian media company established in August 2012 by Hassan and Sam Youssef in Montreal, Quebec. It operates primarily in the entertainment media industry, where it has sought to acquire producers of content in this space. In ...
'' included the Inhumans in their "Superhero Characters Who Need Their Own Animated TV Shows" list. ''
Comic Book Resources ''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...
'' ranked the Inhuman Royal Family 4th in their "Marvel: 10 Most Powerful Teams" list, 8th in their "Marvel: The 10 Strongest Superhero Teams" list, and 10th in their "10 Most Fashionable Teams In Marvel Comics" list. Jeremy Brown ranked the Inhumans 8th in their "Marvel: Best Superhero Teams" list.


Literary reception


Volumes


''Inhumans'' (1998)

The ''Inhumans'' comic book series won Best New Series at the 1999
Eisner Awards The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are awards for creative achievement in American comic books. They are regarded as the most prestigious and significant awards in the comic industry and often referred ...
.


''Inhuman'' (2014)

According to
Diamond Comic Distributors Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. (often called Diamond Comics, DCD, or casually Diamond) is an American comic book distributor serving retailers in North America and worldwide. It transports comic books and graphic novels, as well as other popu ...
, ''Inhuman'' No. 1 was the 18th best selling comic book in April 2014. ''Inhuman'' No. 2 was the 45th best selling comic book in May 2014.


''Royals'' (2017)

According to
Diamond Comic Distributors Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. (often called Diamond Comics, DCD, or casually Diamond) is an American comic book distributor serving retailers in North America and worldwide. It transports comic books and graphic novels, as well as other popu ...
, ''Royals'' No. 1 was the 42nd best selling comic book in April 2017. ''Royals'' No. 2 was the 79th best selling comic book in April 2017. Brandon Guerrero of ''
ComicsVerse ComicsVerse was a comics journalism website covering comics news, reviews, analysis, and interviews with artists and writers. In addition to original written content, the site produced podcasts, videos, original webcomics, and covers news related ...
'' gave ''Royals'' No. 1 a score of 85%, writing, "What would happen if the Inhumans's Royal Family were to go on an epic journey into space? This is the question that Ewing and Meyers try to answer for us. With their suave artwork and intense narrative, we're giving a story that holds up well with the level of power it has to offer." Jesse Schedeen of ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'' gave ''Royals'' No. 1 a grade of 8.4 out of 10, saying, "The Inhumans needed a fresh start every bit as badly as the X-Men. And while the jury is still out as to whether ResurrXion can truly revive the X-Men franchise's prospects, it's immediately worked wonders for the Inhumans. This issue builds nicely on Ewing's work in Inhumans Prime, paving the way for Medusa, Black Bolt and several other big players to leave Earth and venture into space in search of a brighter future for their people. Between The Ultimates and now this series, Ewing clearly thrives when working in a more cosmic-flavored setting. His prose is intelligent and refined, but not in a clinical way that prevents him from really getting to the heart of the Inhuman struggle and Medusa's search for redemption. It's not entirely clear whether Jonboy Meyers' exaggerated style is the ideal fit for such a somber book, but there's no ignoring the energy he brings to every page or the eye-popping quality of his character designs. At this point, it'll be nice just to see Meyers find a more permanent home for a change."


''Inhumans: Judgment Day'' (2018)

According to
Diamond Comic Distributors Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. (often called Diamond Comics, DCD, or casually Diamond) is an American comic book distributor serving retailers in North America and worldwide. It transports comic books and graphic novels, as well as other popu ...
, ''Inhumans: Judgment Day'' #1 was the 120th best selling comic book in January 2018. Peyton Hinckle of ''
ComicsVerse ComicsVerse was a comics journalism website covering comics news, reviews, analysis, and interviews with artists and writers. In addition to original written content, the site produced podcasts, videos, original webcomics, and covers news related ...
'' gave ''Inhumans: Judgment Day'' #1 a score of 95%, stating, "For Inhumans fans, this issue is a must-read. It pulls together different characters and plot lines in an effort to start the Inhumans on a new chapter. While parts of the plot feel a little rushed, ''Inhumans: Judgment Day'' #1 does an amazing job of reenergizing Medusa and giving readers who love the classic Inhumans cast something to look forward to in future series." Blair Marnell of ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'' gave ''Inhumans: Judgment Day'' #1 a grade of 7.5 out of 10, asserting, "It's going to take a lot to get past the Inhumans' "we want to be the new X-Men" phase, and the TV series has made them a joke among the general public. That's probably not going to change for the foreseeable future. But these characters still have the spark that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby gave them so many years ago, and they can be compelling in the right hands. For this one-shot, Al Ewing recaptures some of that alchemy by reuniting Black Bolt and Medusa while letting the other characters step back from the spotlight. And it really works. Visually, the reemergence of Medusa's full power is a stunning moment from Mike Del Mundo, and the rest of his contribution is solid as well. Kevin Libranda's segment gives Black Bolt and Medusa's reunion a dreamlike quality while delivering some of the much-needed emotional beats between them. This one-shot felt like the end of the last few years' worth of Inhumans stories. The former royal couple can't simply resume their relationship, but "forward" seems a great note to leave them on."


''Death of the Inhumans'' (2018)

According to
Diamond Comic Distributors Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. (often called Diamond Comics, DCD, or casually Diamond) is an American comic book distributor serving retailers in North America and worldwide. It transports comic books and graphic novels, as well as other popu ...
, ''Death of Inhumans'' No. 1 was the 39th best selling comic book in July 2018. ''Death of Inhumans'' No. 2 was the 69th best selling comic book in August 2018.


Other versions


Earth X

The Inhuman origin is retold during the prologue of Earth X and the Royal family is reimagined, with Medusa having a much bolder hairline and Blackbolt with his mouth bolted shut.


Heroes Reborn

In this alternate reality created by Franklin Richards, the Inhumans are mostly the same. They live on Earth, in Attilan. The biggest difference is the reverence they hold, shown in statues, for
Galactus Galactus () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Formerly a mortal man, he is a cosmic entity who consumes planets to sustain his life force, and serves a functional role in the upkeep of the p ...
and the multitude of heralds who operate for him simultaneously. The Terrigen Mists are not completely under their control, coming from a crack in the ground. Their ultimate origins are unknown, but Maximus the Mad escapes in the caverns deep beneath the city to locate it. Here, it is discovered their city holds connections to other areas of the world, such as
Mole Man The Mole Man (Harvey Rupert Elder) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is depicted as a recurring foe of the Fantastic Four and was the first villain they ever faced. His schemes usually consist of ...
's Monster Isle.


House of M

Black Bolt appears as an ally of
Black Panther A black panther is the Melanism, melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical Rosette (zoology), rosettes are al ...
. The other Inhumans were present at the meeting between Black Bolt,
Professor X Professor X (Prof. Charles Francis Xavier) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 ( ...
, and Magneto.


Squadron Supreme

In the original
Squadron Supreme The Squadron Supreme is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, of which there are several notable alternate versions. The original team was created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, derived from the previous ...
universe,
Power Princess Zarda, commonly known as Power Princess, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Multiple versions of the character have appeared, each from alternate realities in Marvel's multiverse. Publication ...
's people the Utopians are the equivalent of the Inhumans.


Ultimate Marvel

The Inhumans made their debut in the
Ultimate Marvel Ultimate Marvel, later known as Ultimate Comics, was an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Universe, later known as the ...
Universe in ''
Ultimate Fantastic Four ''Ultimate Fantastic Four'' is a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running ''Fantastic Four'' comic book franchise as part of the Ultimate Marvel imprint. The Ultimate ...
Annual'' No. 1 (2005). It begins with two mountain climbers reached the walls of their city, Attilan, in the
Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...
when they are turned back with their memories erased. The Inhumans made themselves known to the Fantastic Four when a member of their royalty,
Crystal A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macros ...
, fled to New York after being ordered to marry
Black Bolt Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #45 (December 1965). Black Bolt is the ruler of A ...
's brother Maximus. Johnny came across Crystal and attempted to save her from two royal guards from Attilan who were trying to capture her. Beaten, Crystal took him back to the Baxter Building, and revealed herself to the Fantastic Four. She left behind her dog Lockjaw, who had the ability to teleport the Fantastic Four to Attilan. Once their presence was discovered, the city was stripped of its advanced technology and destroyed by Black Bolt, and the Inhumans, including Crystal, relocated. They are hinted to have relocated to the Moon. The Ultimate Marvel version of Attilan is quite different in appearance from the Marvel Universe version, like a giant
wasp A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder ...
's nest crossed with a
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language ** Gothic ( ...
cathedral. Ultimate Crystal, Lockjaw, and Black Bolt are similar to their counterparts; Medusa is depicted as having actual snakes for hair, like her mythical namesake. Gorgon is female, Karnak projects energy blasts (though he can still sense weaknesses and pressure points), Triton has a more squid-like appearance, and Maximus is a somewhat effete courtier, whom Crystal describes as "preening" and a "peacock". Other Inhumans shown include Tri-clops, with
clairvoyant Clairvoyance (; ) is the claimed ability to acquire information that would be considered impossible to get through scientifically proven sensations, thus classified as extrasensory perception, or "sixth sense". Any person who is claimed to ...
vision (including the power to see the invisible), Densitor (Maximus' flunky, who can presumably increase his strength, durability and mass, enough to become fireproof) and an unnamed Inhuman who can produce a swarm of insect-like flying creatures from his body. They claimed that their city had remained secret for 10,000 years, which makes their ancestors contemporaries with Ultimate Marvel's Atlantis.


Amalgam Comics

The
Un-People The following is a list of fictional characters that appear, or are only mentioned briefly, in the 24 One-shot (comics), one-shots of Amalgam Comics. They are listed by comic book title and a teams section is also provided. The amalgamations of cha ...
are a superhero group in the
Amalgam Comics Amalgam Comics was a collaborative publishing imprint shared by DC Comics and Marvel Comics, in which the two comic book publishers merged their characters into new ones (e.g., the DC Comics character Batman and the Marvel Comics character Wolver ...
universe. They are a combination of
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
'
Forever People Forever People are a group of extraterrestrial superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They first appeared in ''Forever People'' #1 ( cover-dated February-March 1971), and were created by Jack Kirby as part of his ...
and Marvel Comics' Inhumans.


''Inhumans 2099''

In the 2004
Marvel Knights Marvel Knights is an imprint of Marvel Comics that contained standalone material taking place inside the Marvel Universe ( Earth-616). The imprint originated in 1998 when Marvel outsourced four titles ('' Black Panther'', '' Punisher'', '' Dared ...
''Inhumans 2099'' one-shot written by
Robert Kirkman Robert Kirkman (; born November 30, 1978)Löchel, Ingo"The Walking Dead: Die Comic-Serie – Robert Kirkman" Zauberspiegel. Retrieved February 17, 2013. is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for co-creat ...
, which took place in the future on an alternate world (Earth-2992) that was not identical to the alternate Marvel Universe on Earth-928 featured in the 1990s
Marvel 2099 Marvel 2099 was a Marvel Comics imprint, started in 1992, that was originally about one possible future of the Marvel Universe, but later revealed to be the Earth of the main Marvel continuity in the distant future. It was originally announced ...
books, the Inhumans leave Earth's moon and are forced to live aboard a spaceship after the Mutant Registration Act is passed. After leaving, Black Bolt places himself and his closest confidants (
Triton Triton commonly refers to: * Triton (mythology), a Greek god * Triton (moon), a satellite of Neptune Triton may also refer to: Biology * Triton cockatoo, a parrot * Triton (gastropod), a group of sea snails * ''Triton'', a synonym of ''Triturus' ...
,
Gorgon The Gorgons ( ; ), in Greek mythology, are three monstrous sisters, Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa, said to be the daughters of Phorcys and Ceto. They lived near their sisters the Graeae, and were able to turn anyone who looked at them to sto ...
,
Karnak The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak (), comprises a vast mix of temples, pylons, chapels, and other buildings near Luxor, Egypt. Construction at the complex began during the reign of Senusret I (reigned 1971–1926 BC) in the ...
,
Crystal A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macros ...
, and
Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; ), also called Gorgo () or the Gorgon, was one of the three Gorgons. Medusa is generally described as a woman with living snakes in place of hair; her appearance was so hideous that anyone who looked upon her wa ...
) in cryogenic stasis and, in his absence, his brother
Maximus Maximus (Hellenised as Maximos) is the Latin term for "greatest" or "largest". In this connection it may refer to: * Circus Maximus (disambiguation) * Pontifex maximus, the highest priest of the College of Pontiffs in ancient Rome People Roman hi ...
takes over as leader of the Inhumans living aboard the spacecraft. While in control, Maximus kills Black Bolt's confidants in their sleep. Fifty years later, Black Bolt is released from cryogenic stasis to find that Maximus has killed those closest to him. In retaliation, he breaks his vow of silence and destroys the Inhumans' spacecraft, killing all aboard, including himself.


Inhumans (Earth-9997)

In this reality Attilan was returned to the Himalayan mountains at some point until the population grew tired of living in seclusion and decided to leave the Great Refuge to forge new destinies among humanity. This happened at a time when Maximus was once more vying for power and had built a bomb that – once detonated – would release the Terrigen Mists into the Earth's atmosphere. The Inhuman Royal Family managed to stop him from doing so with Medusa killing him in the process. With no kingdom to rule over, the Inhuman Royal Family decided to travel to the stars and find their fate elsewhere in the universe. However, Black Bolt felt that his people would be persecuted and demonized by humanity, much like they treat mutants on the outside world, so he decided to unleash the Terrigen Mist bomb filling Earth's atmosphere with the gas. This was unknown to all, including the Watcher, whom Black Bolt had blinded to prevent him from seeing. It has been suggested that Black Bolt had some intimate knowledge about the Celestials' plans for the Earth, and releasing the Terrigen Mists on the Earth was a way to set plans in motion to stop the Celestial birth in Earth's core.


In other media


Television

* The Inhumans made their animation debut in the 1978 ''
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...
'' episode "Medusa and the Inhumans". In this continuity, Medusa is the leader instead of Black Bolt, though he does make a brief appearance as an unnamed Inhuman. Medusa wants to take over the human race from her Himalayan base, and brainwashes the
Thing Thing or The Thing may refer to: Philosophy * An object * Broadly, an entity * Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant * Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focuses ...
into attacking H.E.R.B.I.E. and the Fantastic Four until the former causes him to trip and regain his memories. As they escape, Gorgon creates an earthquake, but Reed Richards puts him on a hanger so he cannot use his seismic powers. Karnak attacks their ship, but
Sue Storm The Invisible Woman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 (November 1961). Susan Storm is a founding member of ...
makes his arm invisible, causing him to run off in panic. The Fantastic Four are eventually confronted by Medusa and show her a projection showing the banality of human life. The Inhumans decide it is not worth conquering the humans and let the Fantastic Four free. * The Inhumans appear in the 1994 ''
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...
'' series, first appearing in the three-part season two episode "Inhumans Saga" before becoming a sub-plot for the rest of the season. Their creation at the hands of the Kree remains intact in this series. After Maximus erases her memory, an amnesiac Medusa teams up with the
Frightful Four The Frightful Four are a group of fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They serve as the antithesis to the Fantastic Four. Publication history The Frightful Four first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (c ...
to brainwash the Thing into killing the Fantastic Four. However, Gorgon rescues Medusa. Following this,
Johnny Storm The Human Torch (Jonathan Lowell Spencer "Johnny" Storm) is a fictional superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. He is writer Stan Lee's and arti ...
finds Crystal, Karnak, and Lockjaw and brings his team to face off with the Inhumans. Black Bolt soon arrives and overpowers the Thing, but is weakened by Earth's atmosphere. The Seeker kidnaps Triton and uses him to lure in the Inhumans, vowing to kill Triton unless Medusa marries him. Reed Richards tracks down Attilan and helps the royal family regain the throne. In a last ditch attempt, Maximus creates an impenetrable force field around Attilan, though the Fantastic Four escape. Johnny Storm and Crystal are separated and mourn each other, as they have developed feelings for each other. In "The Sentry Sinister", Black Bolt then used his voice to free them all but it destroyed their city. Crystal then joined the Fantastic Four to be with Johnny. * The Inhumans appear in '' Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.'' ** Season 1: In the episode "Inhuman Nature",
A-Bomb A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear weapon), producing a nuclear explo ...
falls in love with Crystal, but both are teleported away by Lockjaw and Triton. The agents of S.M.A.S.H. follow them to a secret Himalayan base, where Maximus has been manipulating the royal family into believing humans are evil, but Hulk convinces them that humans and Inhumans have a lot to learn from each other. Black Bolt decides to open the shield hiding the base, but Maximus causes it to stay up permanently. Black Bolt shatters the shield with a single word and Crystal and A-Bomb are reunited. ** Season 2: In "Planet Monster" Pt. 2, Black Bolt, Gorgon, and Lockjaw help the agents of S.M.A.S.H. and the
Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...
, among other heroes, fight the
Supreme Intelligence The Supreme Intelligence, also known as the Supremor, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Dis ...
's forces. * The Inhumans appear in ''
Ultimate Spider-Man ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2011. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of the company's Ultimate Ma ...
''. ** Season 3: In the episode "Inhumanity",
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...
and Triton are forced to work together when Maximus incites a war between
S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism government agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, this agency first appeared in ''Strange Tal ...
and the Inhumans after brainwashing the royal family. Eventually, Maximus is defeated, Black Bolt prevents Manhattan from being destroyed, and Triton becomes an ambassador to S.H.I.E.L.D. ** Season 4: In "Agent Web", Spider-Man and Triton head to the abandoned Inhuman city of Atarog to rescue
Nick Fury Colonel (United States), Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in ''Sgt. Fury and ...
and
Madame Web Madame Web (Cassandra Webb) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' No. 210, published November 1980, and was created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist John ...
from Crossbones and his HYDRA forces. After Crossbones is defeated and Nick Fury takes Madame Web to another location, the Inhuman Royal Family (Black Bolt, Medusa, Lockjaw, Karnak and Crystal) and offer to take Spider-Man and Triton back to the Triskelion. * The Inhumans and the Alpha Primitives appear in the ''
Guardians of the Galaxy The Guardians of the Galaxy are a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Comic book teams 1969 team The 1969 version of the Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), Guardians of the Galaxy were the origi ...
'' episode "Crystal Blue Persuasion". The titular team end up on Attilan after Lockjaw brings them there to assist in stopping a "Terrigen Plague" that has been spreading throughout the city. Maximus seemingly creates a cure, but brainwashes Black Bolt via a mind control helmet and swears the Inhumans' allegiance to the Kree when
Ronan the Accuser Ronan the Accuser is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #65 (August 1967). In his comic book appearances, Ronan is d ...
arrives as part of a deal they had previously made. However, Ronan reneges and proceeds to destroy Attilan as well as confiscate Maximus' helmet so he can have Black Bolt order Lockjaw to teleport him and
Star-Lord Star-Lord (Peter Jason Quill) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gan, the character first appeared in '' Marvel Preview'' #4 (January 1976). The son of human Mered ...
to the caverns beneath Attilan to destroy it from below. Star-Lord successfully cures the Terrigen Plague and frees Black Bolt, allowing the latter to cripple Ronan's ship. In "Inhuman Touch", the Guardians visit the Inhumans on Attilan where Star-Lord has gotten approval of Black Bolt to interrogate Maximus about the location of the Cosmic Seed, until he plans to escape from his cell to control it and destroy any nearby planets. * The Inhumans appear in '' Avengers Assemble''. ** Season 3: In the episode "Inhumans Among Us", an Inhuman ship carrying Seeker and the Alpha Primitives crashes. The Avengers respond to the distress call, where they have a brief fight with Black Bolt, Medusa, Gorgon, and Karnak until
Inferno Inferno may refer to: * Hell, an afterlife place of suffering * Conflagration, a large uncontrolled fire Film * ''L'Inferno'', a 1911 Italian film * ''Inferno'' (1953 film), a film noir by Roy Ward Baker * ''Inferno'' (1980 film), an Italian ...
hatches from a Terrigen cocoon nearby, forcing the Avengers and royal family to join forces to fight the newly created Inhuman. Unbeknownst to both parties, Seeker staged the incident as part of a collaboration with
Ultron Ultron () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, the character first appeared as an unnamed character in ''The Avengers (comic book), The Avengers'' #5 ...
. In "The Inhuman Condition", Ultron invades Attilan and captures all of its Inhumans except for Black Bolt, Lockjaw, and Seeker. The Avengers come to aid them, whereupon Seeker reveals he has been working on a device to disperse Terrigen Mist throughout Earth and create more Inhumans. However, Ultron created a larger version to exterminate mankind. Once Attilan's inhabitants have been rescued, Black Widow throws a Terrigen Crystal into the device, thwarting Ultron's plans and creating more Inhumans. In the four-part episode "Civil War", Ultron disguises himself as politician Truman Marsh and establishes the Inhuman Registration Act to place "registration disks" on Inhumans so he can control them as part of his new plan to destroy mankind. However, the Avengers and
Mighty Avengers ''The Mighty Avengers'' is a comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics. Originally written by Brian Michael Bendis, also the writer of ''New Avengers'', the title first featured an officially sanctioned Avengers team of registered s ...
discover his plot and free the Inhumans. **Season 5: In the episode "Mists of Attilan",
Black Panther A black panther is the Melanism, melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical Rosette (zoology), rosettes are al ...
and Ms. Marvel reunite with Black Bolt, Medusa, and Crystal on Atillan about a promise made years ago by T'Challa's grandfather, T'Chanda to leave them a piece of a key claw, but they are reluctant. Crystal leads Black Panther and Ms. Marvel to the chamber where the key is located, only to discover that she is
Princess Zanda Zabu Zadkiel Zadkiel is a former archangel in the service of Heaven and an enemy of the Ghost Rider, named after the mythical angel of the same name. Created by Jason Aaron, the character debuted in ''Ghost Rider'' (vol. 4) #27. Zadkiel was ...
of Narobia, a member of the Shadow Council, who was posing as Crystal in order to take the key. They meet up with the real Crystal in a pit and escape to stop Zanda. After this plot and recovering the key, Black Bolt and Medusa accepted Black Panther's apologies for the truth. * The Inhumans feature prominently in the second season of ''
Marvel Future Avengers is a Japanese superhero anime television series produced by Madhouse and Walt Disney Japan, based on the Marvel Comics universe. The series follows a group of teenagers with special powers, who are trained by the Avengers to become superh ...
''. During the show's events, an outbreak of Terrigen Mist on Earth causes several humans to develop newfound powers, with the Avengers and Future Avengers working to determine the cause of the outbreak while attempting to prevent Earth from going to war with the Inhumans. * The Inhumans starred in an eponymous ABC series in 2017, featuring the Royal Family and formerly planned as a feature film. The species was first introduced in the television series ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D''. The ''Inhumans'' series premiered in
IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of High-definition video, high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and movie theater, theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (image), aspect ratio (approximately ei ...
theaters, was met with negative reviews and was cancelled after one season. * A
Marvel Animation Marvel Animation Inc. is an American animation production company. It was incorporated on January 25, 2008, to direct Marvel's efforts in animation and home entertainment markets. The incorporated Marvel Animation included then ongoing animatio ...
motion comic DVD was released on April 23, 2013, based on Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee's ''Inhumans'' vol. 2 #1–12


Film

Screenwriter Don Payne was interested in working with more Fantastic Four characters like the Inhumans in a possible third and fourth installment of the ''Fantastic Four'' film series directed by
Tim Story Timothy Kevin Story is an American film director. He is best known for '' Barbershop'' (2002), ''Fantastic Four'' (2005), and the ''Ride Along'' franchise. He has been nominated for two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Directing in a Feature ...
. However, the fanchise rebooted with 2015 film FANT4STIC


Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Inhumans are introduced in the second season of ''
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ''Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is an American television series created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen for ABC based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, ...
'', with further development in the third season. In this continuity, the Kree's experiments with the Inhumans date back to the
Maya civilization The Maya civilization () was a Mesoamerican civilization that existed from antiquity to the early modern period. It is known by its ancient temples and glyphs (script). The Maya script is the most sophisticated and highly developed writin ...
when a Mayan hunter was turned into Hive. Black Bolt later appears in the 2022 film ''
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ''Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'' is a 2022 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Doctor Strange. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sequel ...
''.


Video games

* The Inhumans appear in '' Marvel: Ultimate Alliance''. They offer the heroes Attilan as a temporary headquarters after
Doctor Doom Doctor Doom is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' The Fantastic Four'' #5 in April 1962, and has since endured as the arch ...
acquires
Odin Odin (; from ) is a widely revered god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. Most surviving information on Odin comes from Norse mythology, but he figures prominently in the recorded history of Northern Europe. This includes the Roman Em ...
's powers and uses them to reshape Earth. After Medusa is corrupted by Doom, Triton, Crystal, and Gorgon go to Earth to fight him and are not heard from for the rest of the game.
Vision Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain und ...
later states that they may have been "inducted into Doom's army". * Black Bolt, Medusa, Gorgon, Karnak, Crystal, and Thane appear as unlockable playable characters in '' Marvel: Avengers Alliance''. * Black Bolt, Medusa, Crystal, Karnak, Gorgon, Maximus, Daisy Johnson, Kamala Khan, Lash, Moon Girl, Kid Kaiju, Inferno, and Lincoln Campbell appear as unlockable playable characters in '' Marvel: Future Fight''. * Black Bolt, Medusa, Daisy Johnson, Kamala Khan, Karnak, Crystal and Lockjaw appear as playable characters in '' Marvel Puzzle Quest''. * Inhumans appear as playable character on '' Marvel Heroes''. * The Inhuman Royal Family appear as playable characters in ''
Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 ''Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on 14 November 2017 and ...
''. When
Kang the Conqueror Kang the Conqueror (Nathaniel Richards) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' Fantastic Four'' #19 (October 1963) as Rama-Tut, an ...
uses Attilan as a component of Chronopolis, Black Bolt, Medusa, Crystal, Triton, and Lockjaw fight Maximus when he allies himself with the Kree to target Kang after Black Bolt failed to prevent Attilan from being taken. Gorgon and Karnak also appear in Attilan to give side missions to the players. * Black Bolt, Crystal, and Lockjaw appear as playable characters in ''Marvel Powers United VR''. * Crystal and Kamala Khan appear as playable characters in '' Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order'' while Black Bolt, Medusa, Gorgon, and Lockjaw appear as non-playable helper characters. * The Inhumans appear in '' Marvel's Avengers''. Within the game's continuity, the Inhumans are normal people who developed superpowers in the aftermath of the destruction of the
Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...
'
Helicarrier The Helicarrier is a fictional airborne aircraft carrier appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the aircraft First appearance, first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965). The ...
, which was powered by a Terrigen Crystal. Five years after the incident, Inhumans are hunted by A.I.M., who attempt to develop a cure for what they call the "Inhuman Disease", and are forced to hide their abilities, though some are willing to fight against A.I.M. and form underground resistances. After failing to develop the Inhuman cure,
MODOK MODOK (; also written as M.O.D.O.K.; an acronym for Mental/Mobile/Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing) is a Character (arts), fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Ja ...
, an Inhuman himself who was driven insane by his mutation, plots to destroy all Inhumans and superheroes across the globe, but is defeated by the Avengers.


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See also

*
Mutant In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It i ...
* Eternals * Deviant *
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...


References


External links


The Inhumans
at
Don Markstein's Toonopedia Don Markstein's Toonopedia (subtitled A Vast Repository of Toonological Knowledge) is an online encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation, initiated February 13, 2001. Donald D. Markstein, the sole writer and editor of Toonopedi ...

Archived
from the original on September 17, 2016. * *
Inhumans
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Marvel Wikia
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