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Inhumans Reading Order (with Black Bolt, Medusa, Karnak, Lockjaw and Maximus)

Not to be confused with the X-Men, The Inhumans are another group of Marvel Superpower beings created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. The difference resides in the way each group comes into their meta-human abilities. To put it simply (as nothing is really that simple in the comic book world), Mutants are a group of people possessing the X-Gene that generally comes into their powers during puberty. Inhumans are the result of a Kree science experiment and only get their powers if they are exposed to Terrigen Mist and undergo a transformation called Terrigenesis. Inhumans were created with a purpose, as weapons to assist the Kree in their war against the Skrulls.

So what is Terrigen Mist, you ask? Well, this Mist is produced when Terrigen Crystals, a rare mineral created by the Kree, are exposed to water at a specific temperature. So when an Inhuman inhales the Mist, it activates the Inhuman gene and he becomes a meta-human.

Inhumans also differentiate themselves by usually being a close-knit society preferring to trust no one but its own people. Living in isolation, they are ruled by the Royal Family and the Genetic Council. They even had their own kingdom on the moon before humanity learns of their existence.

The most famous Inhumans out there are part of the Royal Family. Black Blot is the king of the Inhumans and has a destructive hypersonic voice whose slightest whisper will release his power. For this reason, he remains silent. He is married to Medusa, Queen of the Inhumans, which has prehensile hair. Crystal, Medusa’s sister, can manipulate the elements, and Maximus, Black Bolt’s brother has the ability of mind-control and thirst for power.

There are also Gorgon with legs that can create massive shockwaves; Karnak, a martial art artist, priest and philosopher to the Inhumans who chose to never be exposed to the Terrigen Mist; Triton, who can breathe underwater; Good ol’ boy Lockjaw, a bulldog that can teleport; and more…

More recently, the NuHumans, or Inhumans Hybrids, were introduced, and with this new tribe came a lot of new characters like Daisy Johnson, Kamala Khan, Lunella Lafayette.

Introduced in Fantastic Four #45 in december 1965, The Inhumans have more than 50 years of history, where their complex origins, their relationships and their place in the Marvel Universe have been explored. Now is the time to jump into the Inhumans Reading order to know what to read!

Inhumans Reading Order

Also Read: Explore The Origins of The Inhumans, Marvel’s Royal Family.

The Inhumans, the first 30 years (1965-1998)

After their introduction in 1965 in Fantastic Four, The Inhumans will star in the Amazing Adventures before having their own series written by Doug Moench during the seventies. After that, they almost disappeared during the eighties, before having their own graphic novel in 1988. Ten years will have to pass again for the Royal family to headline a new series.

What follows is not an exhaustive reading order of those first 30 years, as the Inhumans did a lot of guest appearances during that time. Predictably, they appear often in Fantastic Four (no reading order yet!), with Medusa being first introduced as a member of the Frightful Four and becoming a member of the FF for brief periods as a temporary replacement for Susan Richards.

Crystal, Merida’s sister, also served as a Sue substitute and was in a relationship with Johnny Storm at some point. She later became entangled with Quicksilver and joined the Avengers in the 1990s (during the Collection Obession arc). Gorgon and Karnak appeared on their side in an arc in Daredevil during Ann Nocenti’s run (also the writer of the 1998 Inhumans graphic novel).

The essential of their stories during this period have been collected in:

  • The Origin of the Inhumans
    Collects Fantastic Four (1961) #36, 38, 41–47, 62-65 and material from #48, 50, 51, 52, 54–61, Fantastic Four Annual (1963) #5, Thor (1966) #146–152 and Not Brand Echh (1967) #6. The Thor issues are also collected in Marvel Masterworks: Inhumans Vol. 1 (see below)
  • Inhumans: Beware the Inhumans
    Collects Marvel Super-Heroes (1967) #15; Incredible Hulk Annual (1968) #1; Fantastic Four (1961) #81–83, 99; Amazing Adventures (1970) #1–10; Avengers (1963) #95 and material from Fantastic Four (1961) #95, 105; Not Brand Echh (1967) #12
  • Marvel Masterworks: Inhumans Vol. 1
    Collects Thor #146–152; Amazing Adventures #1–10; Avengers #95; Marvel Super-Heroes #15
  • Marvel Masterworks: Inhumans Vol. 2
    Collects Inhumans vol. 1 #1–12; Captain Marvel #52–53; Fantastic Four Annual #12; Marvel Fanfare #14; What If? #29–30; Thor Annual #12
  • Inhumans: By Right of Birth
    Collects Marvel Graphic Novel: The Inhumans (1988); Inhumans: The Untold Saga (1990)
  • The Inhumans: The Great Refuge (1995)
    A one-shot issues that has not been collected (BB, Gorg, Kar, Med)
  • Fantastic Four/Inhumans: Atlantis Rising
    Collects Namor the Sub-Mariner #60–62, Fantastic Four: Atlantis Rising #1–2, Fantastic Force (1994) #8–9, Fantastic Four (1961) #401–402, Fantastic Four Unlimited #11

For a modern take on Black Bolt and Maximus, their origins were retold in the 2017’s miniseries Inhumans: Once and Future Kings.

Inhumans: From Marvel Knights to the Illuminati (1998-2006)

Entry Point! The Inhumans are re-introduced with a Marvel Knights maxi-series penned by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee. This successful series, which won an Eisner Award for Best New Series, helped to prove that the Inhumans could sell comic books. It was quickly followed by a four-issue limited series from writers Carlos Pacheco and Rafael Marín and artist José Ladrönn. Then, a new Inhumans series was launched in 2003, following a new generation of Inhumans.

  • Inhumans
    Collects Inhumans vol. 2 #1–12
  • Fantastic Four/Inhumans
    Collects Inhumans vol. 3 #1–4; Fantastic Four vol. 3 #51–54
  • Young Inhumans
    Collects Inhumans vol. 4 #1–12. The first six issues are also collected in Inhumans: Culture Shock

House of M Reading OrderThe World of the X-Men is about to change forever. It’s time for House of M (for more information see our Reading order). The Inhumans don’t appear in it, making it totally optional to read it for them. You have to be aware of the event as they will have to deal with the fallout.

  • Decimation: Son of M
    Collects Son of M #1–6. This follow-up to House of M stars Pietro Maximoff and features The Inhumans. It has consequences and leads to Silent War (see below)
  • Beyond!
    Collects Beyond! (2006) #1-6. Medusa is among a group of people abducted and finding herself on a Battleworld.
  • New Avengers: Illuminati
    Collects New Avengers: Illuminati #1-5. Introduction of The Illuminati, with Black Bolt as part of this secret society group.

The Inhumans in the Marvel Cosmic Universe (2007-2010)

After the events on Son of M, Black Bolt declared war on humanity, but soon enough The Marvel Universe is put upside down with Secret Invasion, leading us directly to War of Kings. For the whole story, see our Complete Reading order for this Marvel Cosmic Event!

  • Silent War
    Collects Silent War #1–6

    • After this series, Black Bolt (with Medusa and Gorgon) appears in Planet Hulk and  World War Hulk as a member of the Illuminati.
  • Secret Invasion: Inhumans
    Collects Secret Invasion: Inhumans #1–4; Thor #146–147
  • War of Kings: Road to War of Kings
    Collects Secret Invasion: War of Kings; War of Kings Saga; X-Men: Divided We Stand #2; X-Men: Kingbreaker #1–4
  • War of Kings
    Collects War of Kings #1–6
  • Realm of Kings
    Collects Realm of Kings one-shot, Realm of Kings: Inhumans #1–5, Realm of Kings: Son of Hulk #1–4, and Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard #1–5. The consequences of War of Kings.
  • The Thanos Imperative
    Collects The Thanos Imperative 1–6, The Thanos Imperative: Ignition, The Thanos Imperative: Devastation, and the Thanos Sourcebook.

When all of this was unfolding in space, Norman Osborn rise to national power and took control. Introduced in Secret War #2 and present during Secret Avengers, the young Inhuman known as Daisy ‘Quake’ Johnson was recruited by Nuck Fury to be part of his Secret Warriors to fight Hydra. All of this is collected in six Secret Warriors volumes. This is also this Dark era that

After a little detour from Medusa by the Illuminati, The Inhumans found themselves back in Fantastic Four, with Jonathan Hickman at the helm. In his run, the writer introduced The Universal Inhumans, a collective of races that had been genetically altered to be Inhumans. For the whole picture and to read the whole run, see Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four Reading Order.

Inhumans Marvel Now (2013-2015)

It’s Marvel Now! After the FF, Jonathan Hickman became the main writer on The Avengers titles. He introduced new threats, but also expand the roster and sphere of influence of the team to a global and even interplanetary level. In New Avengers, Tony Stark secretly tries to solve the biggest crisis of all, along with his influential allies, the Illuminati (including Black Bolt). The Avengers have to deal with the return of the Mad Titan Thanos in the Infinity event, and The Inhumans take center stage in the fallout Inhumanity. As The Avengers are fragmented by all those events, Time Runs Out for everyone… and the Secret Wars begin.

Ms. Marvel Vol. 1 No Normal - Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan Reading Order

Mrs Marvel Kamala Khan Logo 48The Terrigen Mist spread worldwide, triggering latent genes and transforming normal people into Inhumans! Charles Soule explores this situation in a new Inhumans series, while the adventures of Ms. Marvel begin here. To know more about Kamala Khan, check out our reading order dedicated to her.

Those Inhuman issues are also collected in:

Alert Event! It’s the end of Hickman’s Avengers run, but also of an era for Marvel with the 2015 Secret Wars (find the full reading order of the event here). The interdimensional Incursions have eliminated each and every alternate universe one by one. And now – despite the best efforts of scientists, sages and superhumans – the Marvel Universe and Ultimate Universe have collided…and been destroyed! All that exists in the vast empty cosmos is a single, titanic patchwork planet made of the fragmented remains of hundreds of devastated dimensions: Battleworld! 

Inhumans in All-New, All-Different Marvel (2015-2017)

The Marvel Universe is relaunched with two Inhumans series, written by Charles Soule and  James Asmus. First, Uncanny Inhumans, is the continuation of Inhuman with the addition of Human Torch and The Beast. Second, All-New Inhumans sees Crystal lead her own team tasked to help as many of NuHumans as possible.

In this era, Ms. Marvel joins the Avengers before Civil War II comes to shake everything up, and the Young Lunella Lafayette is introduced in Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.

Civil War II - Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan Reading OrderEvent Alert! It’s time for Civil War II. When a new Inhuman emerges, with the ability to profile the future, the ramifications ripple into every corner of the Marvel Universe. The Inhumans play a major part in the event, and if you want to know more about it, a full reading order is here. 

Morris Sackett is a professional basketball player and celebrity loved by millions. But when he comes into contact with the transformative Terrigen Mists, Morris is imbued with the ability to jump from person-to-person like a ghost and can control the bodies and memories of those he inhabits. The character made his debut in Uncanny Inhumans #11, though what follows takes place before and tells his origin story.

Inhumans Vs X-Men logo

Event Alert! Inhumans Vs. X-Men! The story begins with the Inhumans’ power-granting Terrigen mists threatening the lives of every mutant on the planet, the X-Men have no choice but to declare war in order to save their future. If you want to know more about it, a full reading order is here.

Charles Soule’s run on Uncanny Inhumans is also available in hardcovers:

Inhumans in Marvel Legacy & Fresh Start (2017-Present)

This is the beginning of a new era for the Inhumans. The Royal Family departs on an odyssey across all creation! Their mission: to find the source of the Terrigen.

A new Secret Warriors series is launched during Secret Empire (see reading order)! S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Daisy Johnson, a.k.a. Quake recruits Ms. Marvel, Moon Girl, Devil Dinosaur, Karnak and Inferno to her cause to fight the good fight – not just for the Inhumans, but for the entire country! 

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