I Know Exactly How To Save The Worst Heroes In MCU History

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The movie Inhumans is widely considered one of Marvel’s biggest failures. It started with a decision by Marvel executive Ike Perlmutter, who wanted to create a mutant-like team since Marvel didn’t have the rights to the X-Men. While a film was initially announced, Kevin Feige eventually took full control of Marvel and shelved the project. Perlmutter then attempted a TV series with the characters, but it was critically panned – even though many fans praise Anson Mount’s performance.

As a longtime comic book reader, I remember when Marvel really pushed the Inhumans, but honestly, it didn’t quite land with fans. The books, especially after Charles Soule took over, just didn’t connect, and the whole line eventually faded away. It’s a bit ironic, because around the same time, Marvel regained the rights to the X-Men, and they absolutely killed it with the Krakoa Era – it became the biggest thing in comics! Poor Inhumans, though. They’ve gotten the short end of the stick ever since, to the point where even Ms. Marvel, their most popular character, was rewritten as a mutant. It’s tough being an Inhumans fan right now, but I think Marvel could really turn things around. They just need to look at what worked with the X-Men and apply those same lessons to the Inhumans.

The Inhumans Deserve Their Own Krakoa Era

The Inhumans are a group of humans who were genetically altered through Kree experiments. This exposure to something called the Terrigen Mists gave them superpowers. Because of their altered genes, it was hard for them to have children, leading them to create a society ruled by a royal family focused on selective breeding. They also had a working class of genetically modified beings called Alpha Primitives who served as laborers. The Inhumans couldn’t live among regular humans because human technology and pollution harmed them. To solve this, they built Attilan, a secret, technologically advanced city that was destroyed and rebuilt in various locations across Earth – and even on the moon – over thousands of years.

Honestly, the Inhumans seem perfectly suited to the kind of world the X-Men built with Krakoa. Krakoa was essentially a separate nation for mutants, where they could develop their own society and technology, separate from humanity. They experienced a rise in power and wealth, which led to overconfidence and, ultimately, their downfall. It’s a classic story, and many X-Men fans felt it was more fitting for the Inhumans than for the mutants themselves – the Inhumans could have thrived on their own version of Krakoa.

It would have been fantastic to see the Inhumans establish a new nation following the loss of the Terrigen Mist. This could have allowed them to develop something similar to the mutant drug from Krakoa, giving them a way to interact with humanity on more equal terms. It would have restored them to a position of prominence and rekindled the Inhuman-human conflict previously explored in the 1998 The Inhumans comic series, where the world was cleverly manipulated into war with Attilan – a truly compelling storyline.

The Krakoa Era in Marvel comics is often seen as a response to the earlier focus on the Inhumans. It’s ironic, then, that the mutants ended up with a story similar to what was originally intended for the Inhumans, and that’s why a new, large-scale story arc focusing on the Inhumans would be a great idea. The Inhumans are perfectly suited for a complex, political story – think Game of Thrones at its best – and there’s a wealth of untapped potential with the many characters already introduced. Giving the Inhumans their own era, similar to Krakoa, would not only restore their prominence in the Marvel Universe but also showcase them in a compelling way. There’s even a possibility that Jonathan Hickman, who has a fondness for Black Bolt, could be involved.

The Inhumans Are an Easy Fix

Marvel misstepped by attempting to integrate the Inhumans – a historically problematic royal family with ties to slavery and eugenics – into the X-Men’s narrative. Like the X-Men, who always struggled with acceptance, the Inhumans haven’t found their place. However, the recent conclusion of the Imperial comic suggests a potential resurgence for them, and restoring their nation and prominence within the Marvel Universe is a logical next step. They were originally designed to be a powerful force, and this would allow them to fulfill that potential.

If you’re curious why a story about the Inhumans could be so compelling, I highly recommend checking out the 1998 series, The Inhumans #1-12. Written by Paul Jenkins and illustrated by Jae Lee, it captures a similar vibe to the current Krakoa era of X-Men. The characters truly shine in that format. Marvel has unfortunately mishandled them in the past by not focusing on their strengths, and it’s time they had a chance to really excel.

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2025-12-23 00:17