Inhumans 2099 #1

Background

Yes, it’s another Robert Kirkman 2099 story and once again Spidey only appears in the first page that is the same for each issue. In the last two I reviewed, Black Panther 2099 #1 and Daredevil 2099 #1, the twist at the end was essentially the same. Our titular heroes turned out to be villains. Kirkman can’t do that again with the Inhumans, can he?

Story Details

As we open, none of the Inhumans we meet are familiar. We have an Inhuman couple with a human-looking child who has apparently reached the age where he will be exposed to the terrigen mists. We have another couple where the woman tells the man, “I don’t love you; I don’t think I ever loved you.” There are two more human-looking boys playing tag. They all seem to be living inside some great building with no outside access. The couple with the child arrives at a door where they “request entry, Sire.” “Sire” is a bald man with crooked teeth and scars on his face. The giant “dog” Lockjaw is beside him. “Sire” tells the couple that their son is worthy and will receive the mists but he tells us that “My decision is pointless. I will allow them to enjoy the moment but the boy will never experience terrigenesis. There just isn’t time.” This revelation comes in a panel that shows us a screen with a countdown. The same screen appeared earlier and seemed to be the countdown to the time the boy would be eligible for the mists but, with “Sire’s” comment, it seems to be a countdown to something else.

At the same time, the two tag-playing boys get perilously close to the “Forbidden Room,” while the no-longer-in-love couple continue their conversation with the woman admitting that “this is about him” and the couple with the young son feel honored that his terrigen exposure is coming “on the same night as the great emergence.”

Does any of this have anything to do with anything? Well, only in that the 7 spotlighted allow us to identify and sympathize with the entire society who will all soon be dead. For the “great emergence” is a time when the Inhuman leaders were to emerge 50 years after leaving Earth in a satellite and putting themselves in suspended animation. But only Black Bolt emerges because “Sire” is Bolt’s brother Maximus the Mad and he tells Bolt that he has murdered Medusa, Triton, Karnak, and Gorgon. He then encourages Bolt to “scream,” his voice having the power to destroy the satellite. “Kill me,” says Maximus, “Kill everyone on this ship. You know…out here – you may even kill yourself. Are you strong enough to withstand the harsh climate of deep space? I guess we’ll find out. I’m an old man, brother. I’ve had my fun. My time is here. Punish me – once and for all. Take my life. End it all.” And Black Bolt does exactly that. He screams and destroys the satellite. The final page shows Bolt floating in space, blood coming from his mouth. Is he still alive? Is he strong enough to withstand the harsh climate of deep space? It hardly matters since everyone else is gone.

General Comments

Well, at least we don’t have another story where the hero turns out to be a villain. Except we sort of do, with Sire turning out to be Maximus. This one pushes the envelope even further with Black Bolt screaming and destroying all the Inhumans. I understand his anguish on learning that Medusa and the others are dead but I just can’t see him choosing to kill everyone else, particularly when that is exactly what Maximus wants. He doesn’t even bother to check that Maximus is telling him the truth. He just lets his anguish overcome him.

And what about the couple with the child who expects to enter the terrigen mists? The tag-playing boys? The couple who are splitting because of “him?” Do we learn anything more? Are they really only here to put a “human” face to all the victims? I’m afraid so.

It just doesn’t work for me.

Overall Rating

I like Cliff Rathburn’s artwork particularly the double-page spread showing the interior of the satellite but I’m still going to give this issue just one web.

Footnote

Next: Maybe Kirkman will do better with an entirely new character. Mutant 2099 #1.