Inhumans Profile: Queen Medusalith “Medusa” Amaquelin Boltagon!
Marvel’s Inhumans was originally slated to be a movie with a release date of November 2, 2018, but with the Inhumans presence on the small screen via Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Marvel decided to cut it from their slate of movies and instead create a TV series around the Royal Family on ABC. To help prepare you for this event we have been running down the principle cast and allowing you get to know them from comics to TV. Today I am going to introduce you to the First Lady of the Inhumans with an Inhumans Profile of their Queen Medusalith Amaquelin Boltagon.
Medusalith Amaquelin Boltagon more commonly known as Medusa was created by Stan “The Man” Lee and Jack Kirby in March 1965 within the pages of Fantastic Four #36. Medusa was the first Inhuman to appear in comics, although she was not known as one at the time. Maximus The Mad, Black Bolt’s jealous brother arranged for her to be knocked off the sky-sled by the Trikon. Medusa survived the accident but wondered around Europe with amnesia becoming a thief to survive. This gained the attention of the Wizard who was looking for a female to complete his Frightful Four as Madam Medusa.
The Wizard formed the Frightful Four to take on the Fantastic Four, and would remain a thorn in side ever since. Thanks to Medusa, the Fantastic Four were nearly defeated. After their battle Medusa found herself being pursued by a mysterious man who was revealed to be Gorgon. Gorgon had been sent after her by Maximus. Medusa regained her memory and joined forces with the Fantastic Four before being reunited with Black Bolt. Though she started off an enemy Medusa and the Inhumans forged a friendship with the Fantastic Four that would last to this very day, even serving as a member of the team on multiple occasions. Through this friendship Black Bolt and Medusa would continuously try to forge a relationship with the outside world which often lead them to having to rebuild their home.
Upon the death of his parent Black Bolt ascended to the throne of the King and Medusa oversaw the move of Attilan to the Blue Area of the Moon, an artificial, self-sustaining Earth-like environment on the far side of the moon. Soon after Medusa and Black Bolt were married making Medusa the Queen of the Inhumans, as well as the Royal Interpreter for Black Bolt. Medusa later became pregnant when it was decided by the Attilan Genetics Council that the pregnancy was to be aborted for fear that the unborn child could inherit Maximus’ insanity along with Black Bolt’s immense and destructive power. Medusa fled Attilan to Earth living in the desert until she gave birth to her son she named Ahura. Soon after Black Bolt, his wife and their son were reunited. Ahura was turned over to the Attilan Genetics Council, and neither were seen again for several years. Ahura was being held in isolation due to him being mentally unstable but is released.
After the events of Infinity where King Black Bolt released a Terrigen Bomb he goes missing and is presumed dead. With a Terrigen Cloud circling the globe transforming anyone with even a little Inhuman DNA into NuHumans (Inhumans transformed due to the Terrigen Mist) and the King dead Medusa takes the throne as ruler of the Inhumans. Medusa makes it her mission to rebuild New Attilan now in New York and to protect and train the NuHumans. Black Bolt is discovered to be alive and Medusa banishes him from New Attilan. Medusa discovers a NuHuman, Ulysses who has the power to predict the future, so she introduces him to heroes including Captain Marvel. Captain Marvel decides to use this Predictive Justice to stop crimes before they happen which puts at odds with Tony Stark, Iron Man, and leads to a second superhero Civil War.
Medusa takes the side of Captain Marvel allowing Ulysses to help the heroes predict crimes. This action puts her into conflict with Tony Stark, who breaks into Attilan and kidnaps Ulysses so he can map his brain and see how accurate his powers are. This was taken as a declaration of war by the Inhumans who in turn laid an assault on Tony Stark’s holdings and financial world. But some seen this as too weak a move and Triton teaming up with Maximus destroy Stark Tower, leading Tony to believe that Medusa had ordered Karnak to bring it down.
After the Civil War II Medusa begins dating her sister’s ex, Johnny Storm, who moves into New Attilan. Cyclops and his team of X-Men are called to Muir Island where they discover Jamie Madrox, Multiple Man was dead. Madrox lets them know that the Terrigen Mists while giving birth to NuHumans around the world is also sterilize and killing off the Mutant race. Cyclops immediately succumbs to the deadly M-Pox, but Emma Frost crushed with grief projects into everyone’s mind that Cyclops is still alive. Emma uses the illusion of Cyclops to attack the Inhumans leading to Medusa giving Black Bolt the order to kill him. Emma uses this moment to fuel a war between the Mutants and the Inhumans. The mutants unite to take out the Inhumans and the last Terrigen Cloud. During the war the Mutants learn of Emma’s manipulations and Medusa learns of the gravity of the Terrigen Mist on the Mutant population. Medusa make the decision to destroy to Terrigen Cloud dooming her race to no longer being able to undergo Terrigenesis and the Mutant race to live. After making this decision Medusa abdicates her throne, dumps Johnny Storm, reunites with Black Bolt and heads off into space on a mission to save her race.
Serinda Swan (Smallville, Supernatural, Tron, Percy Jackson, Wonder Woman) was cast as Medusa and is described as the queen of the Inhumans and wife of Black Bolt — his most trusted adviser, a fiercely resilient warrior who has the ability to move and control her hair the way most people use their hands and fingers. As you can see by her past credits Swan is no stranger to the genre.
Swan has the beauty, regalness, and grace for the part, that is without question, but I think the biggest asset to have to be Medusa will be C.G.I. Medusa’s hair is like an extension of herself. She uses her hair for far more than an offensive weapon. She uses it for day to day life. She has used it to walk in the same way Doc Ock uses his mechanical arms to. She uses it to hold a glass of wine, or embrace someone. So the hair must not just be long or lucious, it needs to be ALIVE. So I hope Marvel really goes all out, strap a green skullcap on Swan and create Medusa’s hair completely through C.G.I. I think this is the only way they can truly bring the Queen of the Inhumans to life on screen.