THE FANDOM ZONE 118: "The Flash Reborn" is Up!

"Barry's trying to send us a message, I know it.  I mean, he spent all this time in the Speed Force.  Maybe now he knows the answers to life, the universe, and everything."
"So you think all this crazy writing is Barry's way of telling us 42?"
"Yes, exactly."

– Cisco "Vibe" Ramon and Caitlin "Killer Frost" Snow, The Flash: "The Flash Reborn"

You guessed it, we're back for a HUGE episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!  This week's reviews of comics on television include:

Lucifer 3x02: "The One with the Baby Carrot"

The Gifted 1x02: "rX"

Supergirl 3x01: "Girl of Steel"  (Season Premiere)

The Flash 4x01: "The Flash Reborn"  (Season Premiere)

Legends of Tomorrow 3x01: "Aruba-Con"  (Season Premiere)

Arrow 6x01: "Fallout"  (Season Premiere)

Gotham 4x04: "The Demon's Head"

Inhumans 1x04: "Make Way for...Medusa"

In this episode, Karen and I talk about things like my "Run Barry Run" Flash t-shirt, Medusa's run-in with Spider-Man, Caitlin Strucker finally finding a purpose, Polaris in a women's prison porn movie, that awkward moment when Blink teleports a truck bed into your headquarters, Amenadiel and Dr. Linda still being on speaking terms, Tom Welling still not being able to act, Kara being with Lena Luthor taking away from Kara being with Alex, some background on Morgan Edge, introducing Reign, Alex asking J'onn J'onzz to walk her down the aisle, the Fearless Girl statue, Team Kid Flash a.k.a. Team Vibe, Cisco lying yet again to Iris, Barry experiencing past, present and future all at once, my love of the scene where Joe shaves Barry's beard off, teasing Blacksmith, the introduction of The Thinker, wondering why Rip Hunter is with the Time Bureau, the Legends being depicted as the Rodney Dangerfields of the superhero set, the Time Bureau using their Men in Black flashy-things, wondering what will happen to Firestorm when Victor Garber leaves, not wanting to lose Karen's Thea Queen impression, whether Samantha would've left William with Oliver if she had a choice, Wild Dog's costume upgrade, the really dumb idea of C4 hidden in someone's tooth, the Penguin's frustration with the Riddler's sucky riddles, more of Scott Buck being a horrible showrunner, Crystal having to deal with a dysfunctional human couple just to get Lockjaw healed, Louise as Felicity, Jr., some new feedback from Justina, the New Mutants trailer, an update on Karen's "Running with the Gnomes" fundraiser, and more!

You can now check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

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And if that isn't enough for you, you can also check us out on YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!  Oh, and if you're interested in an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing, you can get those on TeePublic HERE as well!  Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week as we review new episodes of The CW's The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow and Arrow, Fox's The Gifted, Lucifer and Gotham, and ABC's Inhumans, right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 117: "eXposed" is Up!

"We need to go after Lorna.  We get a team together, we --"
"And do what, hunh?  Get one of us killed?  Marcos, we barely got away from a dozen cops. Now you want to take on a hundred?  We can't take this risk right now."
"Then when?  The X-Men, the Brotherhood, we don't even know if they exist anymore.  We are alone.  And we're getting picked off one by one."

– Marcos "Eclipse" Diaz & John "Thunderbird" Proudstar, The Gifted: "eXposed"

Everybody's happy as Karen returns to join me for a big episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!  This week's reviews of comics on television include:

Lucifer 3x01: "They're Back, Aren't They?"  (Season Premiere)

The Gifted 1x01: "eXposed"  (Series Premiere)

Gotham 4x03: "They Who Hide Behind Masks"

The Defenders 1x06: "Ashes, Ashes"

Inhumans 1x03: "Divide and Conquer"

In this episode, Karen and I talk about things like most men being babies, the two of us being in complete sync for 5 out of 5 shows, Lucifer pushing episodes from Season 2 to Season 3, the return of Tom Welling, Lucifer being cool if people think he has STDs, the shady Lieutenant Pierce, wondering if Lucifer and Amenadiel are swapping places, wondering what's stopping Lucifer from showing Chloe his angel wings, Max Headroom being twenty minutes into the future, Andy & Lauren going to the Enchantment Under the Sea dance, Karen's issue with Stan Lee's cameos, speculation about Baron Strucker and the Fenris twins, Gotham's nods to Stephen King, Ra's al Ghul's first resurrection, Alfred's comments about Bruce's acting, wondering if Stabby Babs' insanity was cured by the Lazarus Pit, being frustrated at how poorly Iron Fist is written, Elektra taking out Sigourney Weaver's Alexandra, Jessica Jones not being able to openly express that she cares, losing Scott Glenn as Stick, Karnak going Breaking Bad, Medusa being an unsympathetic character, more of Scott Buck being a horrible showrunner, the bad portrayal of Hawaiian police, Medusa's horrible timing of breaking into prison just as Black Bolt is breaking out of prison, Karen outrapunzeling Rapunzel, learning about bezoars from The Sandman, some new feedback from Justina, the upcoming Constantine animated web series on CW Seed, and more!

You can now check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Google Play Music -- HERE 

iTunes -- HERE

Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- HERE

The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- HERE

The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast

And if that isn't enough for you, you can also check us out on YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!  Oh, and if you're interested in an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing, you can get those on TeePublic HERE as well!  Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week as we review the season premieres of The CW's The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow and Arrow, along with new episodes of Fox's The Gifted, Lucifer and Gotham, and ABC's Inhumans, right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 116: "Behold...The Inhumans" is Up!

"Eventually, the universe will grow darker until black holes dominate the cosmos, and everyone, everything you've ever known will be sucked into the vast nothingness.  No one will be left to observe this, no one left to care."
"This is why nobody invites you to do their birthday toasts."

– Karnak and Gorgon, Inhumans: "Behold...The Inhumans"

With Karen otherwise occupied with paying gigs, I'm joined this time by my Next Stop Everywhere partner in time Jesse Jackson for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!  This week's reviews of comics on television include:

Gotham 4x02: "The Fear Reaper"

Inhumans 1x01: "Behold...The Inhumans"  (Series Premiere)

Inhumans 1x02: "Those Who Would Destroy Us"

In this episode, Jesse and I talk about things like Karen getting paid, why Jesse has problems with Gotham, the Penguin's decision to license criminals, nods to Morgan Freeman's Lucius Fox, Bruce figuring out how to use his celebrity to help him fight crime, Bruce getting his Batteen suit, the introduction of the Scarecrow, the Gotham version of the Gotham City Sirens, Victor Zsasz bringing more to the table than Butch Gilzean, the decision to use Inhumans story titles from the comics as TV episode titles, Jesse wanting Inhumans to be a Marvel superhero series, Anson Mount using Inhumans Sign Language as Black Bolt, Maximus being far less mad than his comics version, Scott Buck having no business being a showrunner of Marvel shows, the controversial decision to shave Medusa's head to victimize her, Hawaiian police being poorly portrayed, whether Lockjaw is just a big dog instead an Inhuman treated like a dog, great news about Jesse's colon cancer, and more!

You can now check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Google Play Music -- HERE 

iTunes -- HERE

Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- HERE

The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- HERE

The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast

And if that isn't enough for you, you can also check us out on YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!  Oh, and if you're interested in an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing, you can get those on TeePublic HERE as well!  Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week as Karen returns and we review the series premiere of Fox's The Gifted, the Season 3 premiere of Fox's Lucifer,  ABC's Inhumans, new episodes of Fox's Gotham and ABC's Inhumans, Episode 6 of Netflix's The Defenders, right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

Marvel Officially Debuts First INHUMANS Trailer

Lockjaw.  It's all about Lockjaw.

Marvel has officially released the first trailer for the upcoming ABC series Inhumans, based on the Marvel Comics superteam.  The trailer was first leaked a couple of weeks ago, presumably from showrunner Scott Buck if the "Scott B." watermark was any indication.

The Inhumans are a race of hybrid alien-human superbeings who have undergone a transformative "terrigenesis," a process that unlocks sometimes strange, but uniquely powerful gifts.  After a military coup, the Inhuman Royal Family escape to Hawaii, where they must save themselves and the world.  The series stars Anson Mount as Black Bolt, Serinda Swan as Medusa, Isabelle Cornish as Crystal, Iwan Rheon as Maximus, Eme Ikwuakor as Gorgon, and Ken Leung as Karnak.

The one-minute, 55-second trailer opens on the moon, inside the Inhumans' city of Attilan, where we hear a voiceover from Maximus, who warns Black Bolt, "Sooner or later, the humans are going to find us up here.  You should've known this day was coming."

We see the Inhumans' Royal Family sitting rather somberly at a dining table.  We continue hearing Maximus as he addresses the Royal Family.  "Are we supposed to follow our king and remain as silent as he is?  We need to go to Earth now.  We've been hiding here too long, let's go to our rightful home!"  Black Bolt and Medusa don't appear to agree with Maximus on this one.

Maximus address a large gathering of Inhumans, saying "If we were on Earth, we would have a glorious planet to live on, thrive on!"

"You're talking about betraying your brother," remarks Medusa as we see Maximus and his men holding her captive.  "You're talking about treason."

"You're blind to his intentions," advises Karnak.  "Right or wrong, he's dangerous."

We see Crystal, Medusa's sister, being led away by armed guards as we hear Maximus once again.  "What I'm talking about is freedom, freedom for all Inhumans."

Maximus confronts Black Bolt, seeming held in isolation.  "Are you going to use your voice to kill your only brother?" he says, as Black Bolt seethes and is about to do just that.  Armed guards come in to protect Maximus, but suddenly, the Inhuman bulldog Lockjaw teleports in and teleports right back out with Black Bolt, freeing him.

Lockjaw and Black Bolt arrive on Earth in Hawaii, materializing right in the middle of downtown traffic.  We see a glimpse of Black Bolt's cousin Triton (Mike Moh) and Auran (Sonya Balmores) dodging gunfire in a rainy forest, which is followed by a brief scene of Black Bolt in a standard Earth two-piece suit, running down the street being chased by police.

"We will not let anyone or anything stop us!" remarks Maximus to the Inhumans as we see fleeting images of the Royal Family being hunted.  "We will create our destiny.  Nothing can keep us from being free!"

Lastly, on Earth, the police start hitting Black Bolt with collapsible batons, causing him to grunt in pain, which sends a police car flying.  A quick scene follows of Lockjaw heeling and wagging his tail playfully.

If you'd like to check out the trailer, you can view it below thanks to the official Marvel Entertainment account on YouTube...




The first two episodes of Inhumans will first debut in IMAX theaters on September 1, 2017, followed by the ABC television series that premieres on September 29, 2017.

First Look at INHUMANS' Royal Family Revealed

Get ready for the most uncanny heroes of all!  (No, not those uncanny heroes...)

Entertainment Weekly has revealed the first official cast photo from ABC's upcoming series Inhumans, based on the Marvel Comics superteam.  The Inhumans are a race of hybrid alien-human superbeings who have undergone a transformative "terrigenesis," a process that unlocks sometimes strange, but uniquely powerful gifts.  After a military coup, the Inhuman Royal Family escape to Hawaii, where they must save themselves and the world.

The photo of the Inhuman Royal Family includes, from left to right: Eme Ikwuakor as Gorgon, Ken Leung as Karnak, Anson Mount as Black Bolt, Serinda Swan as Medusa, Isabelle Cornish as Crystal, and Iwan Rheon as Maximus.  Here's the full version of the photo above...

In addition, the article features a Q&A with showrunner Scott Buck, the person behind the Netflix series Iron Fist.  Here are some of the highlights...

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Inhumans is a comic that, while beautiful on the page, seems almost impossible to bring to life. How daunting was that task when you took on the role of showrunner?

SCOTT BUCK: Actually, it was an exciting proposition. I had just finished Iron Fist and was looking for a little time off. Then, Jeph Loeb called me and pitched the idea of the Inhumans, the idea of doing a show basically about this family. We discussed each one of the characters, who they are, their personalities, their journeys. I always approach these things through the characters — what’s the story we can tell about Black Bolt, about Medusa and each one of these members of the Royal Family? It may have been daunting, but I think I was, more than anything, just excited about jumping in.

EW: Are there any storylines from the comics that you’re inspired by?

BUCK: I was so curious to see what their origins were, so I started at the very beginning. Obviously if you look at those comics from the early ’60s, they’re a very different tone than what we’re doing. It was fun to see how it all began, but I just continued to leap forward. I have not read all of them, but I continue to look through some of them. There were so many different incarnations of the Inhumans, though, so it was more a matter of figuring out, what’s the story we want to tell? Going back and then reading the whole backstory of them all was very helpful, but from that, we just pretty much moved forward.

EW: Are you planning to lean into the more fantastical elements of Inhumans’ powers, or are you trying to ground the series?

BUCK: To a certain extent, yes, but again, we approach these all as real people who just happen to have these abilities, so they’re all very grounded people. We try to write them as real as possible, and then have fun with the powers when we can. We want their powers to seem like a very natural part of their personality.

EW: Can you say anything about the story we’re going to be seeing with Black Bolt and the Royal Family?

BUCK: Basically we’re telling a story about a family at a very critical juncture in their lives. When we meet up with them, we’re going to find that pretty much everything they’ve ever known is at risk.

EW: Can you say where the show takes place: On Earth or Attilan?

BUCK: I think we’re on both.

EW: Attilan moves, so is Attilan currently on Earth in your story?

BUCK: Not when we go to Attilan, no.

EW: Does Inhumans live in the same universe as Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., considering on Earth there was this explosion of Inhumans?

BUCK: We all inhabit the same universe, so things that have happened on S.H.I.E.L.D. will potentially affect our show as well.

EW: Have you thought about crossover at all?

BUCK: Not at this point. [Laughs] We’re just trying to get this launched.

EW: A show like S.H.I.E.L.D. has a procedural element. Is that the case here or is Inhumans doing more serialized storytelling?

BUCK: I don’t think we’re likened to a procedural show in any way. We’re more of a family drama with one big story leading us through the season.

EW: What do you hope to achieve with the IMAX release?

BUCK: Hopefully, just to get people really excited. I think it’s something that absolutely stands on its own, but hopefully it’ll intrigue people enough to make them want to watch the rest of the show.

EW: Turning to the characters, Black Bolt is such a stoic leader in the comics. How does that translate to screen?

BUCK: Black Bolt is a very difficult character I would think for Anson, but for any actor to play. But Anson is tackling it in a hugely fantastic way. It’s a little bit difficult to write him, because Black Bolt does not speak, but yet he is our hero and he is the center of the show, so it does certainly present challenges in how you tell his story, but fortunately we came up with a really good story. Anson is terrific. I think everyone’s going to be very pleased and excited by his Black Bolt. We’re not doing voice over. If you read the comics, you see Black Bolt does find a way to communicate to people, but he’s also a very enigmatic character as well, and he keeps a lot inside. That’s part of what’s so fascinating about him is that a lot of times, we don’t know what he’s thinking.

EW: What made Iwan Rheon the perfect Maximus?

BUCK: We were so thrilled to get him because he’s such a super talented actor. Obviously we knew him well through Game of Thrones, but he can do a lot more than that. We didn’t want to create just a simple villain who’s evil for the sake of being evil. He’s a very real, three-dimensional character. Iwan is more than capable. Every time we watch dailies of him, we’re just more and more excited about what he’s bringing to the screen.

EW: We all expect this character to be the villain, but are there ways you’re going about to subvert expectations?

BUCK: I think our Maximus is a different, more complicated, more real, more compelling version of Maximus that has been seen in most of the comics, and it’s just because we have the opportunity to do so much more on the screen than you would in a comic book.

EW: How difficult is it to bring Medusa’s hair to life on film?

BUCK: It is very difficult. Even now, it’s still a process. It takes quite a long time in post to make that effect work. We have some of the best visual effects people available working on our show. We still haven’t seen the final version of it; it’s very much a work in process.

EW: Are characters like the fish-like Triton motion capture?

BUCK: Oh no, they’re all actors.

EW: Another character people are curious how you’re going to bring to life is Lockjaw.

BUCK: Lockjaw is probably going to end up being the audience’s favorite character. We certainly enjoy working with him. He’s fun to write, he’s fun to shoot. There’s not too much more detail than that that I can give, but he is going to be a standout on the show.

EW: We know basically nothing about Ellen Woglom’s character.

BUCK: She’s not a character in the comic books. She’s someone new who we have brought in.

EW: Marvel was planning to do an Inhumans movie and then it got delayed. Is this meant to be a primer before the movie? How do these things connect?

BUCK: I have no knowledge of the movie or anything other beyond this. People high up at Marvel may have some sense of what’s going on there, but for me, I’m just working on this TV show, so I have no connection to any movie.

The first two episodes of Inhumans are set to debut on IMAX screens on September 1, 2017, and run for two weeks, before premiering on ABC on September 26, and airing all eight episodes with additional exclusive content that can only be seen on the network.

MARVEL'S INHUMANS Casts Ken Leung as Karnak

I don't see a flaw with this casting.

Marvel has revealed that the upcoming ABC television series Marvel's Inhumans has cast Ken Leung as the Inhumans' martial arts master, Karnak.  The 8-episode series will explore the never-before-told epic adventure of the Inhuman royal family.  Leung joins Anson Mount (Black Bolt), Serinda Swan (Medusa) and Iwan Rheon (Maximus the Mad) in the series.

Karnak is described in the announcement as "Black Bolt’s cousin and closest advisor.  His gift is an ability to see the fault in all things – people, plans, structures, everything.  He’s Black Bolt’s most ardent supporter and strategist and is often seen as the royal family’s planner and philosopher."

Leung, 47, is best known as Miles Straume on the ABC series LOST and recently appeared as Admiral Statura in the film Star Wars: The Force Awakens.  His other film appearances include X-Men: The Last Stand (as Kid Omega), Red Dragon, Saw, Saw V, Vanilla Sky, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, and Rush Hour.  He's also appeared on episodes of The Night Shift, Zero Hour, Person of Interest, The Good Wife, The Sopranos, Oz, and Law & Order.

Executive Producer Jeph Loeb remarked, "Ken brings both a wisdom and a power to the role that no one else could match.  His Karnak will be awesome."

Executive Producer and showrunner Scott Buck added, "Ken Leung has a great natural intelligence that reads clearly and will add depth and complexity to the very complicated character of Karnak."

Created in 1965 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Karnak first appeared in Fantastic Four (vol.1) #45 as Karnak Mander-Azur, the brother of Triton and the cousin of Black Bolt, who was never exposed to the mutagenic Terrigen Mists so he never developed additional powers. Triton's Terrigenesis was so extreme that his parents, Mander and Azur, begged that Karnak not have to endure the procedure.  Instead, he was sent to a monastery, where he became a martial artist who can find the weakness in anything and then use his training and strength to exploit it.

In his comics debut, Karnak first appeared as a member of the Inhumans when he attempted to retrieve his cousin and queen, Medusa from the outside world and take her back to Attilan.  This led him into conflict with the Fantastic Four, the first humans he met, who were harboring Medusa after rescuing her from the villainous Frightful Four.  Karnak battled Maximus alongside the Inhuman Royal Family, and became trapped in Maximus' "negative zone" barrier around the Great Refuge.  He was freed from the "negative zone" barrier along with the rest of the Inhumans by the Fantastic Four and left the Great Refuge with the Royal Family to visit the outside world.  He teamed with the Thing, Human Torch, and Black Panther against the Psycho-Man, and aided the Inhuman Royal Family in defeating Maximus' next attempt to overthrow the Great Refuge.

Following Attilan's destruction during the Infinity storyline, Karnak went on a rampage in New York at the start of the Inhumanity storyline, and was stopped and imprisoned by the Avengers.  After warning Medusa to forget what she knew in order to prepare for a coming cataclysm, Karnak commited suicide by leaping out of one of the windows in Avengers Tower.  Karnak wound up in a strange afterlife that he believed to be Hell, but he and an ally he met there successfully found a door out while holding off strange creatures.  Karnak used his ability to see the weakness in things to open the door, and found himself bursting out of the NuHuman Lineage's chest in the real world, killing Lineage in the process.  He realized that what he thought was Hell was inside Lineage, as Karnak is one of his ancestors. Karnak told Medusa he knew that she has been an outstanding queen in his absence and rejoined her council.

This will be the first time the character will appear in live-action, although he has been in several animated projects, including Fantastic Four (1978, voiced by John Stephenson), Fantastic Four (1994, voiced by Clyde Kusatsu), Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. (voiced by Fred Tatasciore), Ultimate Spider-Man, Avengers Assemble and Guardians of the Galaxy.

The first two episodes of Inhumans will first debut in IMAX theaters on September 4, 2017, followed by the ABC television series two weeks later.

MARVEL'S INHUMANS Casts Serinda Swan as Medusa

Long live the Queen.

Entertainment Weekly has just revealed that the upcoming ABC television series Marvel's Inhumans has cast Serinda Swan as the Inhumans' queen, Medusa.  The 8-episode series will explore the never-before-told epic adventure of the Inhuman royal family.  Swan joins Anson Mount (Black Bolt) and Iwan Rheon (Maximus the Mad) in the series.

Medusa is described in the article as "Black Bolt’s most trusted advisor, a fiercely resilient warrior who has the ability to move and control her hair the way most people use their hands and fingers."

Swan, 32, is a Canadian actress probably best known as the DC Comics superhero Zatanna on the WB/CW series Smallville.  She also appeared as Siren #2 in the film Tron: Legacy and as Aphrodite in the movie Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. Her other television appearances include episodes of The Tomorrow People, Chicago Fire, Graceland, Hawaii Five-O, Breakout Kings, Supernatural, Psych, and Exes and Ohs.

Marvel TV head and executive producer Jeph Loeb remarked, "Serinda empowers Medusa’s regal glory and still maintains a relatability that synced perfectly with the character.  She is nothing short of wonderful."

Showrunner Scott Buck added, "Serinda Swan brings a regal elegance, as well as a sense of great inner strength and fierce determination, to the role of Medusa.  I couldn’t be happier to have her as our Queen of Attilan."

Created in 1965 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Black Bolt first appeared in Fantastic Four (vol.1) #36 as Medusalith Amaquelin Boltagon, the older sister of Crystal (who later became the wife of the Avenger Quicksilver).  Considered a member of Attilan's Royal Family, Medusa's parents chose to expose her to the Terrigen Mists when she was a child, giving her control of her long red hair as if it were countless thin appendages growing from her head. During her adolescent years, Medusa would often visit her distant cousin Black Bolt during his confinement, and she learned to communicate with him through body language. During the course of these visits, the two fell in love and became engaged.  She attended Black Bolt's release from his isolation cell at the age of eighteen, and witnessed the first confrontation between Black Bolt and his insane brother Maximus the Mad.  Maximus also claimed to be in love with Medusa, and has made frequent attempts to usurp both the throne of Attilan as well as his brother's bride-to-be.  It was in Maximus' first successful attempt to take the throne that Medusa was knocked off a sky-sled by the Trikon and afflicted with amnesia.  She left Attilan, and wandered Europe as a thief.

While wandering through Europe, she came to the attention of The Wizard, who was seeking a worthy female to become the fourth member of his new quartet, the Frightful Four, who became nemeses of the Fantastic Four.  The red-haired villainess performed superbly in the Frightful Four's first battle with the Fantastic Four and after a few more encounters, she was pursued by Gorgon on behalf of Maximus.  It was some time before the disastrous effects of worldly pollution on the Inhumans was known, but eventually Medusa regained her senses and joined forces with the Fantastic Four.  She was reunited with Black Bolt, who had been searching for her, and returned to Attilan.  However, she became trapped in Atillan by the "negative zone" barrier created by Maximus.  She was eventually freed from the barrier by Black Bolt, and left the Great Refuge to visit the outside world as an adventurer.  The Fantastic Four became friends and allies and aided the Inhumans on several occasions, such as during the frequent power struggles between Black Bolt and the deranged Maximus.

Medusa has joined the Fantastic Four as a team member for brief periods of time.  She became a temporary replacement for Susan Richards, known as the Invisible Girl at the time, while she was on leave caring for her comatose son Franklin Richards.  Through her relations with the Fantastic Four, Medusa and Black Bolt have sought to achieve an understanding and peace between the races of Earth and Attilan.  Nevertheless, the Inhumans have been forced to relocate their home of Attilan several times due to unwarranted human hostility.

Medusa and Black Bolt were married and Medusa was made queen, becoming both royal consort and royal interpreter.  When Medusa became pregnant, Attilan's Genetics Council argued that the pregnancy should be terminated due to the possibility of the child inheriting Maximus' insanity coupled with Black Bolt's immense and destructive power.  Medusa defied the Council and fled to Earth to avoid the compulsory abortion and live anonymously in the desert until the child was born, a son named Ahura.  Black Bolt reconciled with Medusa and the pair returned to Attilan and turned their infant son over to the Genetics Council.  Following these events, Ahura was not mentioned or seen in the Marvel Universe for several years.  

During the Realm of Kings storyline, Medusa ended up taking control of the Inhumans following Black Bolt's death.  She took her husband's place in the Illuminati when Iron Man reassembled the team in response to the Hood's attempts to acquire the Infinity Gems, although in the end, Steve Rogers took custody of Black Bolt's gem at the conclusion of the crisis.  Recently, during the Civil War II storyline, Medusa and Crystal introduced the Inhuman Ulysses to Captain Marvel, War Machine, and Black Panther.  Medusa later caught Iron Man infiltrating New Attilan to claim Ulysses and failed to reason with him. After Iron Man defeated Medusa, Crystal, and Karnak and made off with Ulysses, Medusa led some Inhumans to Stark Tower to confront Iron Man, which led the Avengers, the Ultimates, S.H.I.E.L.D., and other superheroes to intervene.  Medusa was present when Ulysses projected his latest vision of a rampaging Hulk standing over the corpses of the superheroes.

This will be the first time the character will appear in live-action, although she has been in several animated projects, including Fantastic Four (1978), Spider-Man (1981, voiced by B.J. Ward), Fantastic Four (1994, voiced by Iona Morris), Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. and Ultimate Spider-Man (voiced by Mary Faber and Rose McGowan), and Avengers Assemble and Guardians of the Galaxy (voiced by Catherine Taber).

The first two episodes of Inhumans will first debut in IMAX theaters on September 4, 2017, followed by the ABC television series two weeks later.

MARVEL'S INHUMANS Casts Anson Mount as Black Bolt

Mount, as you might expect, was silent on the announcement.

Marvel has revealed that the upcoming ABC television series Marvel's Inhumans has cast Anson Mount as the Inhumans' king, Black Bolt.  The 8-episode series will explore the never-before-told epic adventure of the Inhuman royal family.  Mount joins Iwan Rheon (Maximus the Mad) in the series.

Black Bolt is described in the article as "the enigmatic, commanding King of the Inhumans, with a voice so powerful that the slightest whisper can destroy a city."

Mount, 44, is best known as Cullen Bohannon on the AMC series Hell on Wheels.  His film work includes the movies Visions, Supremacy, Seal Team Six: The Raid on Osama bin Laden, Straw Dogs, The Battle of Shaker Heights, Crossroads, and Urban Legends: Final Cut.  He has also appeared on episodes of LOST, Dollhouse, Smallville, Red Widow, Law & Order, Conviction, CSI: Miami, Sex and the City, and Ally McBeal.

"Anson loves the challenge of playing a character who will only communicate silently," said Jeph Loeb, Head of Marvel Television and Executive Producer.  "His enthusiasm mixed with his imposing almost regal persona made it easy to see why he is our Black Bolt."

Executive producer and showrunner Scott Buck added, "Black Bolt is a character whose deep complexity must be conveyed without uttering a single word, and I’m very excited to have Anson on board to bring him to life."

Created in 1965 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Black Bolt first appeared in Fantastic Four (vol.1) #45 as Blackagar Boltagon, the son of two preeminent Inhumans.  Black Bolt was exposed to the mutagenic Terrigen Mist while still an embryo, and eventually demonstrated a destructive hypersonic voice. To protect the Inhuman community from his voice, Black Bolt was placed inside a soundproof chamber and was tutored in the use of his powers.  Reentering Inhuman society as a young man, having vowed never to speak, he was attacked by his younger brother Maximus, who attempted, unsuccessfully, to goad him into speaking.

Black Bolt later discovered his brother had secretly allied himself with the alien Kree, the race whose genetic experiments first created the Inhumans, and in trying to stop an escaping Kree vessel, he overextended his sonic powers and caused the vessel to crash.  Several members of the Council of Genetics, including his parents, were killed by the crash, and Maximus was driven insane by his proximity to Black Bolt's use of his voice.  Black Bolt assumed the title of King and married his cousin Medusa, but was haunted by the consequences of his actions.

In recent years, during the Secret Wars storyline, Black Bolt took part in the incursion between Earth-616 and Earth-1610.  Afterwards, Medusa sent the Inhumans Nur and Auran to find Black Bolt, who was forced by Maximus to use his voice against them, killing Auran. Black Bolt and Medusa ended up separating over his prolonged absence from Attilan, but teamed up to battle Kang the Conqueror for their son Ahura (Black Bolt had earlier given Ahura over to Kang for safe-keeping during the incursions).  Unwelcome in Attilan, Black Bolt currently runs "The Quiet Room", a night club that functions as a neutral zone for metahumans.

This will be the first time the character will appear in live-action, although he has been in several animated projects, including Fantastic Four (1978), Fantastic Four (1994), Planet Hulk, Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. (voiced by Clancy Brown), Ultimate Spider-Man and Avengers: Ultron Revolution (voiced by Fred Tatasciore), and Guardians of the Galaxy (voiced by Trevor Devall).

The first two episodes of Inhumans will first debut in IMAX theaters on September 4, 2017, followed by the ABC television series two weeks later.

MARVEL'S INHUMANS Casts Iwan Rheon as Maximus

Maximus might want to stay away from Lockjaw's kennel.

Marvel has revealed that the upcoming ABC television series Marvel's Inhumans has cast Iwan Rheon as the Inhuman supervillain genius Maximus the Mad.  The 8-episode series will explore the never-before-told epic adventure of Black Bolt and the Inhuman royal family.

Maximus is described in the article as "a clever and charming Inhuman that is fiercely devoted to the people of Attilan, especially his brother, the King – although he harbors an intense desire to wear the crown himself."

Rheon, 31, is best known as the psychopath Ramsay Bolton on the HBO series Game of Thrones.  He has also appeared as Simon Bellamy on the British series Misfits and has appeared in episodes of Residue, Our Girl, Vicious, and Secret Diary of a Call Girl.  In addition, he's appeared in the films Libertador, Wild Bill and Resistance.

"Iwan’s ability to be charming, roguish, and still completely unexpectedly dangerous were all the different sides we needed to bring the character to life," said Jeph Loeb, Head of Marvel Television and Executive Producer.  "We’re thrilled to have him on board."


Scott Buck, executive producer and showrunner, added, "Maximus is a complex character. Likable, charming, tragic and villainous all in the same moment, and I’m very excited to have someone of Iwan’s considerable talent."

Created in 1966 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Maximus the Mad first appeared in Fantastic Four (vol.1) #47 as Maximus Boltagon, the second son of two of Attilan's top geneticists, Agon, the head of the ruling Council of Geneticists, and Rynda, director of the Prenatal Care Center.  Subjected to the DNA-altering Terrigen Mist when he was an infant, Maximus peculiarly showed no outward sign of any mutagenic change.  As he matured, he hid his developing psionic powers from the community, but was less successful at disguising his antisocial tendencies.  When he was about sixteen, his elder brother Black Bolt was released from the protective chamber in which he had been confined since birth due to the destructive nature of his Terrigen mutation. One of Maximus's first responses to his brother's freedom was an unsuccessful attempt to make him release his power and prove Black Bolt could not control his sonic powers, and thus lose his freedom.

A month later, Black Bolt witnessed Maximus making a treacherous pact with an emissary of the Kree, the alien race responsible for genetically accelerating the Inhumans eons before.  In an attempt to stop the fleeing emissary so that he could be questioned by the ruling council, Black Bolt used his forbidden power of the quasi-sonic scream and blasted the alien ship out of the sky.  When the ship crashed to earth, it landed on the parliament building, killing several key members of the Genetics Council, including his parents.  The reverberations of Black Bolt's voice also affected Maximus, who was standing nearby, affecting his sanity and suppressing his nascent mental powers.  When Black Bolt assumed the throne shortly thereafter, Maximus vowed to oppose his brother and eventually usurp his rule.

Maximus staged his first successful coup a few years later.  By performing an illegal experiment on the Alpha Primitives, the subhuman worker clones that once served the Inhumans, Maximus created the Trikon, three bodiless energy beings of great destructive power.  While the Trikon wreaked havoc in Attilan, Maximus was able to drive the Royal Family of the Inhumans out of the city.  Feeling secure in his position, Maximus bade his servant, the Seeker, to locate the Royal Family and bring them back to Attilan.  Immediately upon doing so, Black Bolt seized the crown back, to Maximus' dismay.  Maximus also encountered the Fantastic Four for the first time.  Maximus, hoping to win back the public's affection, activated the Atmo-Gun device he had been working on, a machine he believed would kill the human race and leave all other living beings intact. Maximus miscalculated, however, and the device had no effect.  Out of spite, Maximus used the device to erect a barrier that encased Attilan in a dark force sphere, imprisoning the entire race inside.  Black Bolt liberated his people by using his quasi-sonic voice to destroy the barrier, at the price of devastating Attilan's ancient architecture.

This will be the first time the character has appeared in live action, although he has been in several animated projects, including the 1994 Fantastic Four animated series (voiced by Mark Hamill), Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. and Ultimate Spider-Man (voiced by Nolan North), Guardians of the Galaxy (voiced by Diedrich Bader), and Avengers: Ultron Revolution (voiced by Keith Silverstein).

The first two episodes of Inhumans will first debut in IMAX theaters on September 4, 2017, followed by the ABC television series two weeks later.

Marvel's THE INHUMANS Movie is Now an ABC TV Series

So much for the big screen.

Marvel announced late yesterday that their planned Marvel's The Inhumans film based on their characters will now be an ABC television series instead.  However, in an unusual move, the new series will premiere in IMAX commercial theatres before debuting on ABC. This follows on the film being removed from Marvel's film schedule in April 2016.

The Inhumans were introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the second season of ABC's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., with further introduction in the third season.  This was the first live-action adaptation of the Inhumans, but has not yet featured any member of the Inhuman Royal Family.

According to the press release, "a version of the first two episodes of Marvel Television’s new series Marvel’s The Inhumans -- produced in conjunction with ABC Studios and filmed entirely with IMAX digital cameras -- will run worldwide exclusively in IMAX for two weeks at the beginning of September 2017.  ABC plans to then premiere the weekly series in fall, with additional exclusive content that can only be seen on the network."

In addition, the release claims that ABC, IMAX and Marvel Television will work together to create a joint marketing and promotion plan for the series across their proprietary media platforms, the first cross-platform marketing launch of a television series.  The agreement also marks IMAX’s first time as a financing participant in a TV pilot and series.

"This unprecedented alliance represents a bold, innovative approach to launching great TV content for a worldwide audience," said Ben Sherwood, co-chairman, Disney Media Networks and president, Disney/ABC Television Group.  "It highlights Disney/ABC’s unrelenting commitment to finding new and creative ways to showcasing our very best programming and increasing global engagement and reach."

"This first-of-its-kind multi-platform production, distribution and marketing agreement brings together Marvel Television’s unique brand of entertainment, ABC’s unparalleled audience and IMAX’s brand and global fanboy demographic," said IMAX CEO, Rich Gelfond.  "It also takes our decades-long relationship with The Walt Disney Company to a whole new level, jointly breaking new ground in the industry.  We are confident our exhibition partners will be excited to work with us on this innovative launch of a series across the IMAX network."

"We're happy to see this unique deal come together, working with our partners," said Dan Buckley, President, Marvel Television, Publishing & Brand.  "In an ever-changing world of distribution and consumption, it’s very exciting to be part of a groundbreaking initiative that takes us to the forefront of this evolution."

Created in 1965 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the Inhumans first appeared Fantastic Four (vol.1) #45.  At the beginning of the Kree-Skrull War, millions of years ago, the alien Kree established a station on the planet Uranus, a strategic position between the Kree and Skrull empires.  Through their work at this station, they discovered that sentient life on nearby Earth had genetic potential invested in it by the alien Celestials.  Intrigued, the Kree began to experiment on Earth's then-primitive Homo Sapiens to produce the genetically advanced Inhuman race.  Their goal was to investigate possible ways of circumventing their own evolutionary stagnation, and to create a powerful mutant race of soldiers for use against the Skrulls.  Although their experiments were successful in creating a strain of humanity with extraordinary abilities, the Kree abandoned their experiment because a genetic prophecy had predicted that the experiments would eventually lead to an anomaly who would destroy the Kree Supreme Intelligence.

Their test subjects, the Inhumans, went on to form a society of their own in Attilan, which thrived in seclusion from the rest of humanity and developed advanced technology. Experiments with the mutagenic Terrigen Mist (a process known as Terrigenesis) gave them various powers, but caused lasting genetic damage and deformities.  This led to a long-term selective breeding program in an attempt to mitigate the effects of these mutations.

Until recently, the Inhumans were led by their king, Black Bolt, and his Royal Family, consisting of Medusa, Karnak, Gorgon, Triton, Crystal, Maximus the Mad, and the canine Lockjaw.  Both Crystal and Medusa have been members of the Fantastic Four, while Crystal has also been a member of the Avengers.  Black Bolt guided the Inhumans through some of the most turbulent times in their history, including several attempts by Maximus to usurp the throne, revolts by the worker class (with their eventual emancipation), attacks by human renegades, the kidnapping of Medusa, the destruction and rebuilding of Attilan, and the revelation of the Inhumans' existence to humanity.

During the events of Infinity, Thanos and his forces attacked Attilan and offered to spare the city in exchange for a tribute -- the deaths of all Inhumans between the ages of 16 and 22. Black Bolt surmised that the offering is a ruse to hide the fact that Thanos actually desired the death of Thane, a half-Inhuman youth he had fathered years earlier.  The search for Thane eventually revealed that secret Inhuman tribes have existed on Earth for years and mated with its population, producing a number of seemingly-normal humans who possess dormant Inhuman genes.  In response to Thanos' threat, Black Bolt and Maximus evacuated Attilan before destroying it as a show of defiance.  The destruction of the city activated the Terrigenisis Bomb, a creation of Maximus, which spread the Terrigen Mist across the globe and activated special abilities within numerous unsuspecting humans who were Inhuman descendants.

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Casts Matt Willig as Lash

And for their pick in the 2015 Marvel Supervillain Draft, the Inhumans have selected...Matt Willig.

Marvel has released a new synopsis for Season 3 of the ABC series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which revealed that Matt Willig has been cast as the Inhuman known as Lash.  Lash is described in the synopsis as "a monstrous Inhuman whose loyalties remain ambiguous."

Willig, 46, is a former NFL offensive tackle who won a Super Bowl XXXIV ring playing for the St. Louis Rams and also played in Super Bowl XXXVIII with the Carolina Panthers. After playing in the NFL for 14 years, Willig turned to acting and has appeared on the television series NCIS, Chuck, Grimm, Dexter, My Name is Earl, Malcolm in the Middle, Terriers, and The Young and the Restless.  He also voiced The Juggernaut for the Marvel videogame Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions and appeared in the Michael Cera movie Year One.

Created in 2014 by Charles Soule and Joe Maduriera, Lash first appeared in Inhuman #1  Born in the hidden Inhuman city of Orollan, Greenland, Lash was one of the few chosen among his generation to receive the gift of Terrigenesis, an honor he believed only select members of his race were due.  When Black Bolt activated a Terrigen Bomb above New York, flooding the world with Terrigen Mists and awakening the powers of Inhuman descendants living among humanity, Lash embarked on a mission to find all the individuals affected, and judge for himself whether they were worthy to live with their new abilities. 
Making his way to Illinois, he encountered a new Inhuman named Dante, whom he attempted to persuade to join him in Orollan until he was stopped by Medusa.

Lash has the ability to convert energy from various sources and subsequently emit it from his palms.  His powers are capable of disintegrating a living being. 

And here's the full synopsis for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 3...

"Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." returns for an action-packed third season, with Director Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Agent Daisy Johnson (Chloe Bennet) leading the charge as S.H.I.E.L.D. searches the world for more powered people in the aftermath of their epic battle with Jiaying and her army of Inhumans. However, Coulson and the team soon find out that they are not the only group looking for these new Inhumans.

Many months after their war with a rogue group of Inhumans, the team is still reeling. Coulson is again trying to put the pieces of his once revered organization back together while also dealing with the loss of his hand. His confidante and second in command, Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen), has yet to return from an impromptu vacation with ex-husband Andrew (Blair Underwood); deadly superspy Agent Bobbi Morse (Adrianne Palicki) is recovering from her traumatic torture at the hands of Grant Ward (Brett Dalton); Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) is obsessed with discovering the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge); and all are on high-alert for the next move from Ward and Hydra.

Ever since the existence of Super Heroes and aliens became public knowledge after the Battle of New York, the world has been trying to come to grips with this new reality. Coulson assembled a small, highly select group of Agents from the worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division). S.H.I.E.L.D.’s mission: to protect those who cannot protect themselves from threats they cannot conceive.

But bigger threats loom ahead, setting the stakes even higher for the Agents, including the spread of Terrigen, an alien substance that unlocks superhuman abilities in select individuals; the emergence of new Inhumans who cannot yet control nor understand their powers; the rise of a new government organization that will go toe-to-toe with S.H.I.E.L.D.; the unknown properties of the massive alien Kree monolith, which has taken one of their own; and the constant threat of a rebuilt Hydra terrorist organization under S.H.I.E.L.D. traitor Grant Ward, who is making it his personal mission to take down Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D.

New faces, both friend and foe, will join the series, including the no-nonsense, highly-skilled and somewhat mysterious leader (Constance Zimmer) of the ATCU (Advanced Threat Containment Unit), her intimidating partner, Banks (Andrew Howard), Lash (Matthew Willig), a monstrous Inhuman whose loyalties remain ambiguous, and new Inhuman Joey (Juan Pablo Raba), who is struggling to harness his newfound abilities, among other surprising characters.

Coulson, with the help of Daisy and Mack (Henry Simmons), will work to slowly assemble a team that is stronger than ever before, combining the highly skilled Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with powered individuals in the hopes of protecting the innocent in a world where the balance of power is ever-shifting, and new dangers are constantly emerging.

“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” stars Clark Gregg as Director Phil Coulson, Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May, Brett Dalton as Grant Ward, Chloe Bennet as Agent Daisy Johnson, Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz, Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Jemma Simmons, Nick Blood as Agent Lance Hunter, Adrianne Palicki as Agent Bobbi Morse, Henry Simmons as Agent Alphonso “Mack” MacKenzie and Luke Mitchell as Lincoln Campbell.

“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” was co-created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen, who also serve as executive producers along with Jeph Loeb and Jeffrey Bell. “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” is produced by ABC Studios and Marvel Television, and is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC’s selected HDTV format, with 5.1-channel surround sound.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 3 premieres September 29th at 9:00 on ABC.

Marvel Announces Phase 3 of Marvel Cinematic Universe

 
During a special presentation at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood Tuesday, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige announced Marvel Studio's plans for Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Marvel officially confirmed rumors that their Black Panther, Captain Marvel and Inhumans properties would be adapted into movies and that Black Panther will star Get on Up's Chadwick Boseman.  Concept art for Black Panther's costume was also provided.

In addition, Marvel confirmed that Captain Marvel will feature the character Carol Danvers, the former Ms. Marvel, as Marvel's first female superhero movie.

They also announced the full titles for the sequels to 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier and 2013's Thor: The Dark World, which will be called Captain America: Civil War and Thor: Ragnarok.  Guardians of the Galaxy will also receive a sequel directed once again by James Gunn, although there is no subtitle as yet.

So with these announcements, the upcoming Marvel Studios film schedule leading up to The Avengers: Infinity War Parts One and Two in 2018 and 2019 looks like this: