The Inhumans #1
The Inhumans #1 (October 1975) marks the first time Black Bolt and the Inhuman Royal Family anchored their own ongoing solo series, graduating the characters from supporting-cast and anthology-backup status to fully independent title characters after a decade of guest appearances in Fantastic Four and other Marvel books. The issue also introduces Iridia — a newly Terrigenesis-transformed Inhuman with butterfly wings — whose origin subplot deepened the series's exploration of Inhuman society and the Terrigen Mist as a transformative, emotionally charged institution. From a craft standpoint, the book is a snapshot of a pivotal moment in George Pérez's early career: he was simultaneously launching three major Marvel team titles in the same month, and the energy he brought to these pages foreshadows the dense, character-rich style he would perfect on The New Teen Titans. The series ran for 12 issues and established narrative pillars — Maximus's scheming, the destruction of Attilan, and the Royal Family's cosmic-scale conflicts — that would recur in virtually every subsequent Inhumans story.
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Doug Moench, who would later become renowned for Batman, Moon Knight, and Bane, served as writer for nearly the entire 12-issue run, drawn to what he described as the 'shaggy God' mythological dimension of the Inhumans. Len Wein is credited as editor on the first issue (with Marv Wolfman taking over editorially on later issues), situating the series squarely within Marvel's mid-1970s Bronze Age expansion of second-tier characters into standalone titles. George Pérez — still early in his career and fresh from assistant work and anthology assignments — penciled the first four issues and issue #8 before the workload of simultaneously drawing Avengers and Fantastic Four forced him to step back, earning him the Bullpen nickname 'Pacesetter Pérez' for the pace at which he was producing work. The cover logo debuted a new Black Bolt image recycled from Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott's cover of Fantastic Four #46, a quiet acknowledgment of the characters' Kirby origins.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First issue of the Inhumans' debut ongoing solo series, cover-dated October 1975 (on-sale July 15, 1975), published by Marvel Comics.
- Written by Doug Moench; penciled by George Pérez; inked by Frank Chiaramonte; colored by Diane Buscema; cover by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia.
- First appearance of Iridia, a new Inhuman character created by Doug Moench and George Pérez, who undergoes Terrigenesis and emerges with butterfly wings and flight ability.
- Story title: 'Spawn of Alien Heat.' Main conflict pits the Inhuman Royal Family (Black Bolt, Medusa, Karnak, Gorgon, Triton) against Blastaar the Living Bomb, with Maximus the Mad as an additional antagonist.
- The Hulk and the Human Torch (Johnny Storm) appear in flashback only; the Inhumans' previous Marvel Universe appearance before this series was in Fantastic Four #159.
- The cover logo introduces a new Black Bolt masthead image, adapted from Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott's cover art for Fantastic Four #46.
- The series ran for 12 bimonthly issues (October 1975–August 1977), all but issue #9 written by Moench; Pérez penciled issues #1–4 and #8 before transitioning to Avengers and Fantastic Four.
- The entire 12-issue run, along with related material from Captain Marvel #52–53, What If? #29–30, Marvel Fanfare #14, and Thor Annual #12, was collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Inhumans Vol. 2 (2010).
Cast · 14 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in Comic Reader #120 (1975), Fantastic Four #63 (1976), Fantastic Four #64 (1976), Frankenstein #11 (1978), Blockbuster #1 (1981), Marvel Masterworks: The Inhumans #2 (2010)
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