The Inhumans

The Inhumans are a secret race of superhumans within the Marvel Universe. Although at first just background characters for the Fantastic Four, they've since become involved with other characters and have even starred in their own series occasionally.

Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the Inhumans were once primitive humans, though experiments performed on them long ago by the extraterrestrial Kree race (the same race that Captain Mar-Vell belongs to) gave them advanced intelligence. With time, The Kree forgot about their creations and they where left alone to form their own civilization, located on Attilan aka "The Great Refuge", a walled city on an island in the Atlantic sea. Eventually, they discovered a substance called "terrigen" that either gave people superpowers, a bizarre appearance, or both. They ended up basing their very culture on its use (and Genetic Engineering in general.)

However, the Inhumans are very xenophobic, and went as far as moving their entire city (with help from The Eternals, another hidden race) to the Himalayas to avoid being discovered by humans. They were found there by the Fantastic Four, and convinced to reveal themselves publicly, though their history of relations with the rest of the world is spotty. Later the city was moved to the "Blue Area of the Moon" (also created by the Kree) which has a breathable atmosphere.

The Inhumans are a monarchy whose Royal Family tends to be among their most powerful members; they also go out and kick butt when necessary. Their king is Black Bolt, who besides being a Flying Brick with electrical powers also has a voice that can literally destroy cities; he is thus forced to remain silent, communicating only by sign language (his wife, Medusa, often translates for him). Bolt's brother, Maximus, hates him out of envy and has tried to usurp the crown many times. At one point their cousin Crystal had a romantic relationship with Johnny Storm (The Human Torch of the Fantastic Four) and has even been a member of that group and of The Avengers. However she ended up marrying the mutant hero Quicksilver instead. They had a daughter, Luna, who has often been a target of villainous plans, what with being related not just to the Royal Inhumans but also to the X-Men's foe Magneto.

Other Royal family members include Karnak, a martial artist; Triton, a fish-man; and the satyr-like Gorgon, who can stomp really, really hard. They also have Lockjaw, a bulldog the size of a bull who has Teleportation powers and who may or may not be of human intelligence.

After the events of the Secret Invasion, the Inhumans renewed their ties with The Kree and lead the Kree Empire forces against the Shi'ar Empire in the War of Kings miniseries. Since the events of that series they have become a dominant power within the galaxy.

A recently revealed group called the Universal Inhumans was discovered based on four other races, Kymellians, Dire Wraiths, Centaurians and Badoons. They too were products of Kree experiments with their people but were brough together under the prophecy that Blackbolt would lead them.

The Inhumans provides examples of the following tropes:

Animal Superheroes: Lockjaw, who even leads the Pet Avengers (in their own series!)
Armed with Canon: The debate over whether Lockjaw is an inhuman or a mutated dog.
Badass Normal: Karnak never underwent the Terrigen process, after those in charge saw how drastic his brother Triton's mutation was, they didn't want to risk it a second time. Instead, he was trained in Inhuman martial arts and uses his high intellect to find the weak points in people and objects. Many people who Did Not Do the Research assume this is a superpower from the Mists.
- Althought it should be noted that Karnak is still an Inhuman and has natural abilities such as being slightly stronger than humans or being able to survive on the Moon unaided so he could be considered a Badass Abnormal.
Badass Grandpa: In one comic, the Avengers are aged so that they will be no threat to their enemy. Unfortunately for the villain, Crystal is an Inhuman, and her powers actually intensify as a result of age.
Because Destiny Says So: Part of the reason the Inhumans and the Universal Inhumans developed the way they did is because the Supreme Intelligence believe an anomaly (Blackbolt's birth) in their genetics program would lead to its destruction.
Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and Yeti: One Abominable Snowman (among several found in the Marvel Universe) turned out to be an Inhuman.
Big Friendly Dog: Lockjaw
Blessed with Suck: Black Bolt (only about his voice powers however.)
Butterfly of Transformation: Iridia keeps on petitioning to be re-exposed to the Terrigen Mists, because she's ugly. After getting her wish, she transforms into a butterfly woman.
Charles Atlas Superpower: Karnak, is able to find the "weaknesses" in nearly all objects or organisms not because of any Inhuman Terrgen mist mutation power but just because of dedication to a discipline he learned being raised at a Inhuman seminary.
City in a Bottle: The Inhuman capital Attilan at one point.
Cool Starship: The Inhuman capital Attilan as of the end of the Secret Invasion.
Culture Clash: A one point a exchange program was set up for Inhuman students to attend a US college. This ends as can be expected given the situation.
Dogs Are Dumb: Lockjaw has acted both intelligent or just like a normal dog at different times, Depending on the Writer.
Elemental Powers: Crystal has the four main ones
Fiery Redhead: Medusa, who has Prehensile Hair.
Goo-Goo Godlike: Black Bolt's cries destroyed half his city when he was born.
Half-Human Hybrid: Luna, being half Inhuman and half Mutant. Curiously, the result was a normal human.
- Until the Son of M mini, where exposure to the terrigen mist turn her to a empath.
Hannibal Lecture: Maximus is this or a Cloudcuckoolander, or both, it really depemds on his mood today.
He Who Must Not Be Heard: Guess who.
Heel Face Revolving Door: Maximus, though he seems to have been on the Face side of the door for the most part since Secret Invasion.
Humans Are the Real Monsters: Part of the reason for the "Silent War" between the Earth inhumans and the US government was that the US confiscated the Terrigen mist crystals that were stolen in Son of M, refused to return them and attempted to use them to make weapons.
Intelligible Unintelligible: Bolt, thanks to Medusa.
Interspecies Romance: Crystal and Johnny, then Crystal and Quicksilver, then Crystal and Ronan.
- More strangely in the Crystal/Quicksilver example, they have a mundane child (non-mutant, non-Inhuman).
Kissing Cousins: Bolt and Medusa are cousins.
Make Me Wanna Shout
Mr. Exposition: All of the Inhumans. They just love to talk I guess.
- This probably arose because for a long time, the early Fantastic Four issues would cut back to the Inhumans trapped in their city for a brief update, and there had to be a dialogue Re Cap for new readers...and the idea that redundant exposition is the Inhumans' hat just stuck.
Muggle Born of Mages: Luna, though she later was given powers with terrigen.
Non-Human Sidekick: Lockjaw... maybe.
Person of Mass Destruction: Black Bolt.
Prehensile Hair: Medusa
Servant Race: The Alpha Primitives
Shockwave Stomp: Gorgon's chief ability
The Silent Bob: Blackbolt for safety reasons.
Steven Ulysses Perhero: Black Bolt's full name is Blackagar Boltagon.
Strangled by the Red String: Crystal and Johnny.
- A subdued version of this can be seen again with Crystal and Ronan the Accuser
Super Empowering: via Terrigen Mists.
- Other Inhumans use differing methods; Badoon's Amphogenesis injection, Centaurian's Isogenesis injection, Kymellian's Antigenesis consumption and Dire Wraiths Exogenesis spice inhalation.
This Looks Like a Job For Aquaman: Triton will sometimes get a mission or so that involves his swimming. Including his part during the Secret Invasion mini.
Ultraterrestrials: The Earth based inhumans, though they don't live on Earth anymore.

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