At the beginning of the
Kree-Skrull War, millions of years ago in Earth time, the
alien Kree established a station on the planet
Uranus, a strategic position between the Kree and
Skrull 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. Intrigued, the Kree began to experiment on Earth's then-primitive race
Homo sapiens 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. 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
mutagenic 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 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 Randac approximately 25,000 years ago. He immersed himself in the Mists and gained mental powers comparable to the
Eternals. After centuries of
eugenics and
birth control, the Inhumans managed to mitigate the genetic damage and cultivated a more responsible use of Terrigen Mist. 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 race. Resentment at this
caste system 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 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, married outside the Inhuman race to the
mutant Quicksilver. The Inhumans are led by their king,
Black Bolt, and his Royal Family, consisting of
Medusa,
Karnak,
Gorgon,
Triton,
Crystal,
Maximus, and the canine
Lockjaw. Both Crystal and Medusa have been members of the
Fantastic Four; Crystal has been a member of the
Avengers 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. 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
superheroes—including the
Fantastic Four, the
Avengers, and the
X-Men—whom they have aided against threats such as
Doctor Doom,
Ultron 7,
Magneto, and
Apocalypse. 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. Inhuman society changed radically when
Ronan the Accuser sought to use the Inhumans as an army to disrupt the
Shi'ar 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. The Inhumans attempted to foster better relations with Earth by
sending students to the
University of Wisconsin.
Son of M In the events of
Son of M,
Quicksilver stole 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 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 (ONE). The conflict ended with ONE 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 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 impostor, in a time frame after
Silent War, but before
World War Hulk. The impostor revealed himself to the
Illuminati 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 writer
Joe Pokaski, this story digs into how the Inhuman Royal Family deals with the news that the Black Bolt had been replaced by a Skrull impostor.
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, 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 encounter an interstellar group of Inhumans formed from the Centaurians, the
Dire Wraiths, the
Kymellians, and the
Badoon. 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,
Thanos 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, 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 Terrigen Mist across Earth and activates the powers of numerous unsuspecting humans who were Inhuman descendants.
Inhumanity During the
Inhumanity 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. In
Stark Tower, Karnak explained to the Avengers what happened during their fight with
Thanos and what it meant for the Inhumans. When he was questioning himself for the reason for
Black Bolt to spread Terrigen Mist and what would happen next, Karnak had an epiphany in which he finally saw "the fault in all things". He told
Medusa 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. Her team visits the
hermit kingdom 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 as their guide to find Flint's family in the
Chimanimani Mountains of
Mozambique, 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 and transforms two
Ohio State University students named
Ulysses Cain and Michelle into Inhumans. While Michelle emerged as a red-skinned beast with wings and a tail, Ulysses emerges 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, 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 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. 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 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 Terrigen and bring a new source of it back to their people, so she too can be revitalized. The Inhumans and Noh-Varr 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. 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 and 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.
Imperial The Inhumans are returning as a major force after a period of relative obscurity in the "
Imperial" storyline. Maximus and Black Bolt are revealed as the instigators of a recent interstellar crisis. Maximus uses his genius to manipulate the Elder of the Universe,
Grandmaster into playing a dangerous game, but it turns out the Grandmaster was merely a pawn in a larger scheme orchestrated by Black Bolt to restore Inhuman glory. After their part is done, Black Bolt and Medusa tell Maximus that he no longer welcomed in the Inhuman Royal Family. Maximus storms off ranting about different things and that Black Bolt will one day need him again. ==Powers and abilities==