Superhero Origins: The Inhumans

Superhero Origins: The Inhumans

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 We humans may think they’re the most advanced species on Earth, but the IN-humans have us beat. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we will explore the comic book origin of The Inhumans.   As with most comic book characters, there are often re-imaginings and different versions to a character’s past. We have chosen primarily to follow the storyline which unfolded in 1965’s Fantastic Four #45, which was expanded upon in 1967’s Thor #146 and 147, 1976’s InhumansVolume 01 #3, 2000’s Inhumans Volume 03 # 2, and 2014’s Inhumanity #1.   The Inhumans, also known as homo-supremis, are a race of beings far more advanced than mere humans, and of them has their own distinct power and look. Originally created by the alien race called The Kree, Inhumans are generically modified homo-sapienss. They are led by a team that includes a king who destroys cities when he speaks, a queen with wildly dangerous hair and a dude who can find the weak spot in anything. They remained hidden from humans for centuries – which was probably a wise move.   Medusa and Gorgon, two of the Inhumans had run-ins with the Fantastic Four back in 1965, and the rest of the team debuted shortly afterwards. In his civilian identity, the Human Torch had seen a beautiful and mysterious girl who controlled the elements. This was Crystal, an Inhuman, who mistook the Torch for one of her own and took him to her family’s secret hideaway. When the other Inhumans saw a human in their midst, infighting fighting began.   These Inhumans were hiding from the Seeker, another of their race with less than good intentions. The Seeker was charged with bringing these renegade Inhumans back to live at the Great Refuge, their hidden city of Attilan. The Seeker claimed that the Inhuman race developed alongside primitive homo sapiens, but at a much faster rate. That’s not entirely true however, as that would simply make them mutants, just likethe X-Men, but their true origins wouldn’t be revealed for many years. Ordinary humans hated and feared them, so the Inhumans retreated fromthe world to Attilan, which was shielded from human eyes. The Inhumans the Fantastic Four encountered were refugees, and included Black Bolt, a member of the royal family.   When they returned to Attilan, Black Bolt confronted Maximus, the current King of the Inhumans. Maximus had taken the throne illegally from Black Bolt and Black Bolt was forced to take back what was rightfully his.   The next year, a series of back-up stories revealed a bit more of the Inhumans’ history. Eons ago, the Inhumans had been more mentally and technologically advanced than humans but did not differ from them physically. However, they discovered something called the Terrigen Mist. When they subjected themselves to this mist, they evolved into super-powered and gifted beings.   It was then revealed that an alien race, the Kree, had come to Earth and subjected normal humans to an experiments, which produced the new race of advanced humans. And it was implied that perhaps the Kree were responsible for the transformative Terrigen Mist as well.   In later stories, readers learned that the Kree didn’t just create the Inhumans for benevolent purposes. Instead, they were created for eventual use as warriors in an intergalactic war. Not only that, but there was a reason the Inhumans looked different from each other and had different powers. They each were intended to duplicate a different alien species. This would enable the Kree to use them as agents who could blend in with their enemies from different races.   Not only that, but Earth was not the only planet where the Kree had entered into such experimentation. There were Inhumans throughout thegalaxy, not just on Earth.   A major change to the Inhumans came in 2014. When the Inhumans first began experimenting with Terrigen Mist, many of them felt that it was inappropriate to do so. They splintered off from the other Inhumans and eventually interbred with regular humans. Many of their descendants, however, still carried a latent Inhuman gene. When events caused a major release of Terrigen Mist across the global, a whole new breed ofInhumans emerged. And the Marvel Universe would be dealing with ramifications from that event for quite some time.   Like the X-Men, the Inhumans are a race that inspire mistrust and hatred among humanity. But they inspire fascination among many Marvel fans. With their amazing powers, cool physical appearances and complex backstory, they lend themselves to a wide range of stories and adventures.   Are you a fan of the awesome crew called the Inhumans? For more spectacular comic book origins, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.