Karnak

In the mid-2010s, Marvel spotlighted one of its most enigmatic Inhumans with this six-issue series by writer Warren Ellis. Karnak, the master of martial arts and a practitioner of finding the flaw in all things, is pulled from his monastic life by S.H.I.E.L.D. to tackle a threat beyond conventional heroes. With moody, kinetic art from Roland Boschi and Gerardo Zaffino, the story explores a character whose cold, analytical philosophy clashes with the likes of Captain America, Iron Man, and Spider-Man. It’s a sharp, philosophical take on a fringe Marvel figure, elevating him through Ellis’s signature blend of action and intellectual tension.