Who Is The Mystery Inhuman On Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.?

It looks as though we are finally going to find out who the mystery Inhuman is on the other planet that Hydra is so anxious to bring back to Earth. If you have been keeping up with Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., then you are up to date with the plans that new Hydra leader, Gideon Malick has. Using the pieces of the obelisk, he has opened a portal, and is sending a team in.

This group, led by Ward, is going over to bring back an Inhuman, an ancient Inhuman, to lead the army they are building. According to Malick, this is the original leader, and the reason for Hydra’s existence. As last week’s episode ended, we saw the Hydra team, along with Fitz (and Coulson, eventually) going through the portal.

As this week’s new episode approaches, the real mystery is all about this Inhuman and who it might be. We’ve seen this shadowy figure in tattered robes on the alien planet when Simmons was there, and in the preview for next week, he appears again. Looking to the comics, what are our options for this powerful figure?

The first and perhaps simplest answer is this will be a new Inhuman. There’s nothing to hold the writers back from creating a new being completely to fill this role. I love the way the writers have woven in existing characters while dripping in their own, keeping the story very cohesive along the way. When it comes to this Inhuman, I would hope the writers would give us someone that we recognize, but I won’t be shocked if they do not.

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The second option is that the lost Inhuman is Black Bolt. I don’t consider this likely at all, but in terms of power, no Inhuman is more powerful than Blackagar Boltagon. However, with a possible Inhumans movie still out there on the horizon, there’s no way they drop Black Bolt into the TV show several years ahead of time and make him a villain.

Next on the list of possible candidates is Black Bolt’s brother, Maximus the Mad. He is the brother of Black Bolt and has powerful mind-control abilities. This would explain his ability to drive those stranded on the alien planet crazy. Maximus is also a maniacal villain and definitely looks the part of a Hydra leader. They would have to retcon his history somewhat, but considering the non-comic Marvel Universe takes place on a different Earth, this would be no problem.

A sort of far-flung option could be the writers decide to make the mystery Inhuman The Unspoken. There isn’t a ton known about this cousin to Black Bolt, except that he is truly evil and immensely powerful. In fact, with such a heavy incorporation of the effects of Terrigenesis in the show, he makes perfect sense.

In the comics, Unspoken has no real limits to his powers, and can literally mimic any power or effect through Terrigenesis. He was the leader of the Inhumans before Black Bolt, and was loved and revered by all his followers. After he was overthrown, he went into hiding and was erased from the history books. It’s not a stretch to make it so he was exiled to this alien planet and been plotting his return. With such a limited history in the comics, they could use him for a framework to create really any character they want for the series.

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A final option is that the writers go to the comics and pull a character named Karnak. In the comics, Karnak is the Inhuman equivalent of a super-powered monk. He has no particularly interesting powers aside from a form of ESP that allows him to achieve feats of strength beyond his physical power. His real power from the comics is his ability to influence and control others.

It wouldn’t take much for the writers to work him in as a sort of cult-like leader of Hydra, controlling Inhumans in an almost religious-like manner. He’d be a contrast to the Unspoken’s tremendous powers, as Karnak would lead more through subtle influence. Perhaps this is where Lash would return as the muscle for Karnak.

The market for superhero TV shows is nearing saturation, and even at that, Marvel continues to be the top of the heap with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the way they have created a world that links the films, comics and TV shows in a way that pleases everyone.

If you can’t get excited about the idea of an ancient Inhuman returning to Earth to lead Hydra and an army of Inhumans against humanity, this show probably isn’t for you. As far as the mystery inhuman, I’d lean Unspoken, Karnak and Maximus in that order. I don’t think the writers will give us an all new character and Black Bolt, while popular doesn’t fit.

Next: Agents of SHIELD Brainstorm Session: Closure

This season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D has been tremendous, and on Tuesday night, we might see the entire series get much more cosmic in a hurry.