Ms. Marvel is bringing one of the most unique and powerful Inhumans in Marvel Comics to the screen, or at least it seems so. The trailer for the MCU series appears to retcon the source of her powers. That doesn’t mean that the Inhumans won’t factor in the MCU, however. Comic book fans know the Inhumans are major players in the Marvel Universe with strong ties to major events and characters.
The Inhumans have ties back to the very beginnings of the proto-Marvel Universe in the Golden Age of Comics, and major connections to modern storylines that are playing out in the MCU. Their cosmic links to many characters and events likely guarantee that these powerful figures from Marvel mythology will appear in live-action at some point, and perhaps even sooner than fans expect.
The Terrigen Mists
The Inhumans are an offshoot of humanity who gained superhuman powers thanks to the Terrigen Mists. Comic book fans know Ms. Marvel derives her powers from the same source, a process called Terrigenesis pioneered in the ancient past.
The evolutionary process that eventually gave rise to the Inhumans began with the discovery of Terrigen Crystals. When someone is exposed to them and the mists they emit, a person undergoes a superhuman transformation.
The Terrigen Bomb
Ms. Marvel is exposed to the Terrigen Mists by no choice of her own. She is the victim, along with many others, of the Terrigen Bomb. This weapon is detonated on Earth at the end of the “Inhumanity” storyline in 2013 and it activated dormant Inhuman genes in ordinary people.
From the MCU’s Ms. Marvel trailer, it seems that her powers will come from a different source. That could be the bracelet Kamala Khan wears in the series, which could potentially still have links to the Inhumans in the MCU.
Attilan
Attilan is the home of the Inhumans, a floating city that moves locations throughout the Marvel Universe. Though the MCU origin of Ms. Marvel could be retconned, Attlian potentially could remain the source of Ms. Marvel’s powerful bracelet and perhaps other artifacts.
Attilan is a highly advanced city that is shrouded from view thanks to Inhuman technology and could be on Earth in the MCU. The first mention of the city is actually in 1941’s Captain America Comics #1, one of the most important comics in the genre and essential reading for Marvel fans.
Rise Of The Inhumans
The Inhumans make their first appearance in Fantastic Four #45 in 1965, one of the best Fantastic Four comics of the 1960s. This issue by the legendary comics team of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby brings together several existing elements like Attilan to create a new cosmic force.
Existing characters Medusa and Gorgon are retconned to be part of the Inhumans. The initial contact between the Inhumans and Fantastic Four is benign, with Crystal making a connection with the Human Torch. The relationship would become complicated and remain so for most of Marvel Comics history.
Black Bolt
Their leader Black Bolt is introduced in the subsequent issue, Fantastic Four #46. The leader of the Inhuman Royal Family is one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe, capable of destroying worlds with his voice.
Black Bolt assumed the throne of the Inhumans as a child and has been a powerful ally of the Fantastic Four in Marvel Comics and occasionally an enemy, a powerful dichotomy that will still likely play out in the MCU thanks to other developments in the franchise.
The Illuminati
The MCU may alter the origin of Ms. Marvel for live-action, but that doesn’t mean the Inhumans will be left out of the franchise. In fact, they could appear before she does. Black Bolt is part of The Illuminati in Marvel Comics and a version of them is set to appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Comic book fans know The Illuminati is a secret council of some of the best and brightest of the Marvel Universe. It was founded by Black Bolt, Mr. Fantastic, Namor, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and Professor X, who appears to be part of the upcoming movie.
Part Of The Team
Another reason to think the Inhumans will be a major part of the MCU is that they have been a major part of several Marvel Comics superhero teams. Specifically, the Inhuman Crystal, who has been a member of both the Fantastic Four and the Avengers.
Crystal married and had a child with fellow Avenger, Quicksilver, who has been a key part of both the MCU and Fox X-Men franchises. Crystal will likely be a factor in the future of the MCU, especially if Quicksilver returns.
Secret Invasion
There is reason to think the Inhumans will also play a big role in the MCU in the near future. Black Bolt was replaced by a Skrull imposter in the Secret Invasion comic book storyline, and some aspects of this will likely be adapted for the upcoming streaming series.
The real Black Bolt is a prisoner of the Skrulls, along with many other characters, and he is freed by his fellow Inhumans. This leads to the most fraught period in the history of the Inhumans in the comics, leading to the detonation of the Terrigen Bomb.
War Of Kings
Black Bolt is one of the most powerful Inhumans in Marvel Comics and in the War of Kings storyline from 2009, he uses his sonic power to assemble ancient powerful weapons to take the fight to the Skrulls. This could play out in the MCU in fascinating ways.
The events of Secret Invasion could be a precursor or a response to the Inhumans’ destroying the Skrull armada. This could have happened in the past, perhaps explaining how the Skrulls have shifted from semi-heroic figures in Captain Marvel to apparent villains.
Thane
A likely figure from the Inhumans in Marvel Comics lore to emerge in the MCU is Thane. Thane is the half-Inhuman son of Thanos and was the focus of a bloody war by Thanos to find him and kill him. Thane could be a key figure in live-action given his father’s legacy in the MCU.
Thane is incredibly powerful. He can kill anyone instantly by simply being in close proximity to them, and he needs to wear a specialized suit of armor to contain his powers. Given the exploration of the Eternals, whom Thanos descends from, and the potential introduction of the Inhumans, it’s likely Thane appears at some point in the MCU.
