Marvel Explained: Black Bolt & the Inhumans, Marvel’s Other Genetic Super-Powered Race
Black Bolt and the Inhumans are big players in the comics, and they just made a big splash in the MCU. But who are they?
They’ve been around for centuries, hidden in secret cities around Earth. Meet the Inhumans!
Created by: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
First appearance: Fantastic Four #45 (September 1965)
Inhumans (Inhomo Supremis) 101
Inhumans are genetically engineered humans. The Kree created them to fight the Skrulls in the Kree-Skrull War. They are one of many races/species that the Kree created and have been around since around 50,000 BC. They exist in multiple realities with generally similar histories, core biology, and appearances. There are several Inhuman societies, including Utolan, Enclave, and Aerie. We’re sticking with the Attilan Inhumans for this explainer, as that’s where Black Bolt is from.
The Inhumans are based in Attilan, aka The Island of the Gods, which has had to move several times thanks to conflict with the Kree. The Royal Family and the Genetic Council (who act as the government) rule their society. Appointments are for life. They rule by a genocracy – the most genetically fit members are in power.
They are masters of genetics. They use Terrigenesis to produce new genes in the Inhuman set, which create new abilities/powers. It is unpredictable and can trigger hidden mutant genes or Inhuman genes. There’s a belief in Inhuman society that Terrigenesis reveals who someone really is. The Genetic Council and a strict set of rules determine the process. They reject anyone with human DNA.
Attilan and its citizens have been hidden from humanity for centuries. That doesn’t mean that Inhumans haven’t encountered the rest of Earth’s inhabitants. Nor are they like the Eternals – they have helped humanity make great strides.
Who is Black Bolt?
Black Bolt’s (full name Blackagar Boltagon) parents were Attilan’s top geneticists. His mother exposed him to mutagenic Terrigenesis before he was born. Due to this, he had powers that surpassed the Inhuman’s normal levels. His energy-manipulating abilities were presented in infancy. One, in particular, forced his parents to put him in an energy-harnessing suit and placed him inside a special chamber. This was his ability to produce destructive sonic energy with his voice. He remained in the chamber until he was able to control his powers at 19 years old.
Soon after, he was allowed to join Inhuman society, which is when he discovered that his brother Maximus was making a deceitful pact with the Kree. Black Bolt attempted to stop the Kree with his sonic voice as they escaped in a ship. It succeeded in taking the ship down, but it fell onto parliament, killing important members of the Council of Genetics, including his parents. The vibrations of Black Bolt’s shout suppressed Maximus’s powers and drove him insane.
Black Bolt as King
Black Bolt was obligated to become the leader of the Inhumans at the age of twenty. During his reign, he led the Inhumans through turmoil. He worked with the Eternals to move Attilan to a safer location in the Himalayan mountains. It was one of several moves, along with the destruction and rebuilding of the city after attacks, that he oversaw. After all of his work to keep Attilan and the Inhumans hidden, humanity eventually found them.
While he wasn’t the best at internal politics, he protected Attilan against outside threats. He led the caste-bound Attilan society through workers’ revolts and attacks by human renegades. Black Bolt also had to deal with multiple attempts made by his brother to take the throne.
He married Medusa. One of the major crises of his reign happened when they conceived a child. The Genetic Council felt it was too dangerous to pass Black Bolt’s genes on. When Ahura Boltagon was born, he was taken, and parental contact was forbidden by the council. His father was torn between family and duty. It was revealed that the council was using Ahura to plot against the king. Black Bolt turned against them and gave up the crown.
Black Bolt was reinstated and removed from the monarchy several times during conflicts. He declared war with the United States after Quicksilver stole Terrigen Crystals, and the US government wouldn’t return them. And he fought in The Secret Wars—both against the Kree and the Skrulls.
He was a founding member of the Illuminati, which brings us to where we’ve seen him most recently.
Past this point, there will be spoilers for ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’!
Black Bolt and the Inhumans in the MCU
Back in 2017, Marvel produced one season of The Inhumans that aired on ABC. It rightfully got abysmal reviews and was not renewed. It did, however, lead to Anson Mount donning a more comic-accurate costume for Doctor Strange 2. He appears for less than 5 minutes and kills an alternate Doctor Strange before dying in a really appropriate way while fighting Scarlet Witch.
Ms. Marvel‘s original origin is as an Inhuman, but the source of her powers has been replaced with other methods. There’s no word on if we’ll be seeing the Inhumans again in the MCU. With Eternals and multiversal stories in play, you never know. Just don’t bring back Medusa’s wig. Please.
