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The 10 Most Powerful Inhumans, Ranked

Black Bolt can level an entire city by just clearing his throat, but there are many other Inhumans who are powerful enough to match up to any Marvel hero or villain who stands in their way. The Inhumans debuted in Fantastic Four #45 (1965) as a hidden society, led by a Royal Family of superpowered beings. While one member, Medusa, debuted earlier as an amnesiac supervillain, when she regained her memories, she returned and helped solidify the Inhuman Royal Family as a unit more powerful than most of Earth’s superhero teams. Over the years, the Inhumans have proved their might, including in the recent Imperial series, where Black Bolt helped create a war that changed the hierarchy of Marvel’s cosmic universe.

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With some very powerful members within the Inhuman Royal Family, a few superpowered beings on the outside of the family, here are the 10 most powerful Inhumans in Marvel Comics, ranked.

10) Triton

Triton in Marvel Comics
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Triton is a very powerful water-based Inhuman, and like Namor, his powers grow to almost unchecked levels. However, unlike Namor, he is nowhere near as powerful outside the water. While Namor weakens, Triton can’t breathe air for extended periods and must remain in water to function on land, limiting the use of his powers. However, when in water, he has matched up with the Atlanteans on several occasions, but he has also acted as an envoy for Namor, proving his value as a member of the Inhuman Royal Family.

9) Crystal

Crystal in Marvel Comics
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Crystal is Queen Medusa’s younger sister and part of the Inhumans Royal Family. Her powers allow her to animate and manipulate the four basic elements. She has also been a member of the Fantastic Four and was once married to Quicksilver. Together, they have a daughter named Luna. Crystal can control earth, air, fire, and water, individually or in combination with each other. Her elemental powers allow her to hold city-level control of situations, rather than work as a combat participant. For this reason, she is often the head of her family’s diplomatic missions.

8) Maximus the Mad

Maximus the Mad in Marvel Comics
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Maximus the Mad is the main villain for the Inhumans, Black Bolt’s brother, who was envious of his much more powerful older sibling and wanted to usurp the throne. Maximus was a complex villain because he seemed to want the Inhumans’ nonpowered population to receive better treatment in the strict caste system that the Inhuman Royal Family demands. However, his true motives lie in jealousy, making him deadlier than noble. His power involves psionic mind control, which can lead to short-term amnesia for his targets. He was as responsible for the war in Imperial as his brother.

7) Lockjaw

Lockjaw in Marvel Comics
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For years, Lockjaw was seen as a transportation animal for the Inhumans Royal Family. He is a giant bulldog and is their escort and protector, and he was born when the Inhumans were experimenting on canines, including his mother. His teleportation powers are immense, as he can teleport himself and those with him (as many as 12 people) across realities, dimensions, and into other parts of the Multiverse. He also has empathetic powers and can sense when his family is in danger from long distances. However, to understand his true power, Lockjaw actually controlled the Infinity Gauntlet at one time, proving he is more than just a teleporter.

6) Reader

Reader in Marvel Comics
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Reader is a lesser-known member of the Inhumans and one of the most powerful who is not part of the actual Royal Family. His power makes anything he reads become reality. If he reads the word “fire,” then something near him will burst into flames. His own people removed his eyes to keep him from using his powers, but he then learned Braille and is now able to use his powers without his eyes. He can do anything, from healing to time travel to freezing time. He has also rewritten people’s memories and has murdered someone by just reading about killing them. This makes him extremely deadly, but since he needs Braille now, it limits the use of his powers.

5) Gorgon

Gorgon in Marvel Comics
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Black Bolt’s cousin, Gorgon, is the muscle of the Inhumans, his power coming from his pure strength. His lower body is formed into hooved bull-like legs that can generate massive shockwaves on a molecular level. One stomp by Gorgon can produce massive earthquakes and take down superpowered opponents. He also has massive strength and durability, making him the frontline brawler of the Inhuman Royal Family. He is the personal protector for Black Bolt and trains the younger Inhumans. He has also proven his might over the years against powerful heroes and villains, going toe-to-toe with The Thing.

4) Medusa

Medusa in Marvel Comics
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Medusa (Medusalith Amaquelin) is the Queen of the Inhumans and the wife of Black Bolt. She has psychokinetic control over her hair, which is stronger than steel and can extend to more than double its normal length. Medusa can then use this as a weapon to fight villains, lift heavy objects, or restrain enemies. Medusa also has great political power as the Queen of the Inhuman Royal Family, giving Black Bolt a voice and taking complete control of the Inhumans when Black Bolt is gone. She has also served as a member of the Fantastic Four and has proven Medusa’s power on multiple occasions, helping to lead the Inhumans’ war against the X-Men.

3) Ahura Boltagon

Ahura Boltagon in Marvel Comics
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Ahura Boltagon is Black Bolt and Medusa’s son, and he was conceived in defiance of the Genetic Council’s permission. He shares a power with his father, first developing his hypersonic scream as a baby, and he is now immune to his father’s own sonic powers. When he grew into adulthood, he developed an “evil eye” that can kill any creature he stares at, and he can also fire a destructive energy blast from his eyes. He can also read the minds of all animals and humans, making him extremely overpowered. The only thing that holds him back is his own inexperience.

2) Karnak

Karnak in Marvel Comics
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Karnak is the greatest fighter in the entire Inhumans Royal Family, and he has the ability to win any fight he takes on. This is because his powers involve the ability to perceive the stress points, fracture planes, or weaknesses in any object, person, or system. He is also a master martial artist, and he can knock out any superhuman stronger than him with just one strike, and shatter solid steel with only a tap. Most interestingly, these powers did not come from the Terrigen Mists, but were natural abilities he developed in his teenage years. In pure power terms, he can beat any opponent who has at least one weakness.

1) Black Bolt

Black Bolt in Marvel Comics
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Karnak can beat any opponent in a fight, but Black Bolt is the most powerful of the Inhumans because his ability is the most destructive of any member of his species. With just a whisper, he can bring down a building. His voice is powerful enough to disintegrate a human he is looking at. If he shouts, the power levels are those of a nuclear weapon detonating. It has been said that at full power, he can destroy an entire planet. Add in the fact that he is the King of the Inhumans, and his superhuman powers are mostly a threat. His political powers rival those of any other king or emperor.

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