Doctor Strange: In The Multiverse Of Madness, the most recent installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is currently all the rage. In its fourth phase, the MCU is opening its doors to several other realms, and several popular characters from the comics are making cameo appearances here and there. Anson Mount’s Black Bolt has been one of them.
The Inhumans, a Marvel television series, premiered in 2017. The show’s plot centers around the Inhumans, who are mutants or genetically altered superhumans who develop superpowers after being exposed to the Terrigen Mist.
Black Bolt, an Inhuman who can inflict enormous harm only by using his voice, is at the center of the plot. His abilities are so hazardous that he doesn’t speak at all and instead communicates through sign language, a spokesman, or telepathy.
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby collaborated on the creation of Black Bolt. In December 1965, he made his comic book debut in the Fantastic Four’s 45th issue. It’s no surprise that the character has been taken to the big screen because the series is part of the Marvel Universe. And in today’s movie, we’ll look at how he became the King of Attilan, how his life altered after that, and how powerful he is.
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Black Bolt: Origin
Before he was in the Fantastic Four, Black Bolt had experienced quite an eventful life. As a superhero, these events were definitely not happy events. But misery builds character, and character is something that every superhero needs. Especially when they cannot speak.
Black Bolt was originally known as Blackagar Boltagon. He is special in the sense that, he got his superpowers even before he was born. His parents, Agon and Rynda were top geneticists in the technologically advanced city of Attilan. When Black Bolt was still an embryo, he was subjected to the Terrigen Mist. It is a vapor-like substance that arises from the Terrigen crystals and has the ability to alter a person’s biology.
This phenomenon resulted in Black Bolt being born with powers that were far beyond that of the average Inhuman (a superhuman species created by the Kree). He could manipulate energy, particularly quasi-sonic energy,
Right from a young age. This would subsequently result in one of his most broken abilities, which is the Quasi Sonic scream.
However, he wasn’t born with the ability to control his powers. His father wanted him to be the King of Attilan but how can one do that without having much control at all over their excessive powers?
Since Black Bolt could cause great destruction with his voice, he was eventually placed inside a soundproof chamber so as to not affect the community. He was also made to don a suit that could harness energy as it would help him learn how to control his powers until he turned nineteen. After which he could enter society.
Black Bolt’s brother, Maximus, wanted to prove that Black Bolt could not control his powers and in order to do so, he attacked him. Maximus wanted to be king and did not want Black Bolt to take the throne, so he would later go on to become the primary antagonist in Black Bolt’s story.
After a month, Maximus got involved in a terrible pact with the Kree. Black Bolt tried to stop the Kree ship with his quasi-sonic scream as he knocked the ship out of the sky. However, the ship crash-landed on Earth and killed several important members of the Council of Genetics. Unfortunately for Black Bolt, his parents were present in the Parliament and ended up dying from the crash. The quasi-sonic scream also had a terrible effect on Maximus as it threatened his sanity and suppressed his mental powers. With such heavy losses to bear, Black Bolt found himself as the leader of the Inhumans.
As their leader, Black Bolt ran into his fair share of troubles. One of them was when Triton, his cousin, was held captive by the humans, which meant that the humans were probably aware of or close to discovering the existence of Attilan. So, he relocated to the Himalayas with his people.
However, there seemed to be no end in sight when it came to his problems. His brother, Maximus, who was now mad (courtesy of the reverberations from his scream), unleashed three of the worker drones of the Inhumans, which manifested into an energy called the Trikon. Maximus used its powers to exile Black Bolt and the other members of the Royal Family. They only returned after wandering about the world for years and reuniting with the one Black Bolt was betrothed to, Medusa.
Maximus tried over and over again to usurp Black Bolt’s throne. He tried to get Attilan’s working class to cause revolts, exposed the existence of the Inhumans to humanity, and even kidnapped Medusa. Black Bolt managed to sail through the turbulent waters to protect his people. However, when the Genetic Council tried to use his child with Medusa in a plot against him, Black Bolt gave up his crown and stepped down from his position as king. He left Attilan with his family but would return occasionally only when it needed his help.
Once again, things didn’t last this way for Black Bolt because he was reinstated as the king after the Avengers and the Fantastic Four were done dealing with the Onslaught Crisis (that is the time when Professor X’s conscience had fused with that of Magneto’s).
Backstory of Black Bolt – From The Inhuman Television Series
The Inhumans television series is a production of ABC and Marvel Entertainment. It is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and acknowledges the other television series of the verse. It follows Black Bolt (played by Anson Mount) for eight episodes, after which the show has been discontinued.
Naturally, it deviated from the original stories in the comics here and there. For example, during Black Bolt’s early life, the Terrigenesis that gave him his powers was something he underwent later in his life. He was brought up so he could become the King of Attilan, which he seemed to have no interest in, unlike his brother Maximus.
Following the Terrigenesis, Black Bolt discovered his new powers, namely the quasi-sonic scream or rather, his ability to cause destruction by simply using his voice. He soon learned that this power of his was the most powerful weapon to exist in the history of the Inhumans and that it threatened the people of Attilan, the very people he was supposed to protect in the future as King.
Black Bolt was advised to remain isolated, much against the wishes of his parents Agon and Rynda. He eventually stopped speaking altogether and instead, used a spokesperson or sign language to communicate.
Of course, you can’t be a superhero unless your parents die. The same fate awaited Black Bolt. Maximus grew more and more jealous of Black Bolt as he desperately wished to be the King himself. So, he faked a sealed note from the Genetic Council which wanted Black Bolt to undergo brain surgery. With the note, Black Bolt left for Earth to confront his parents about the document.
However, Black Bolt was still trying to get accustomed to a life where he did not speak and accidentally ended up shouting at his parents. Agon and Rynda disintegrated in front of his very eyes and Black Bolt found himself being antagonized by Maximus ever since, even though Maximus himself was equally responsible for this massacre.
Black Bolt soon isolated himself for the safety of his people. But one day, a woman named Medusa presented herself in front of him. She claimed to not be afraid of him and the two of them eventually fell in love. Time went by and Black Bolt stuck to his ways of using sign language to speak. But he did gain control over his powers and became the King of Attilan with Medusa as his wife. He ensured the humans did not find out about their hidden home.
However, they did come close to being discovered not long after an Earthly drone ventured too close to Attilan. Black Bolt decided to not do anything about it, much to Maximus’ displeasure.
After a member of the Attilan Royal Family, Triton was ambushed and killed on Earth, Black Bolt was consumed by sadness. Triton was sent to Earth in secret by Black Bolt himself since the Terrigen Mist had spread on Earth and someone needed to handle the situation and bring back the Inhumans who would gain powers to Attilan. Maximus demanded to go to Earth as he believed that Attilan did not have enough resources to house all the new Inhumans. However, Black Bolt declined his proposal.
Maximus was furious and stormed out. Another member of the Royal Family, Karnak, noticed how Maximus could be dangerous considering he was also gaining support from the Attilan citizens.
The suspicions turned out to be true and Maximus led an uprising against the crown with the Inhumans who did not side with Black Bolt. He even harmed Medusa and all these actions provoked Black Bolt to use his voice against his brother. However, the bulldog Lockjaw used his powers to teleport into the room and send Black Bolt to Hawaii. He soon found out that Medusa had also found herself on Earth.
The Police Department in Hawaii chased Black Bolt as humans were killing Inhumans. Black Bolt tried his level best to evade incarceration. However, his lack of knowledge regarding how things worked on Earth resulted in him being arrested anyway. In prison, he met with another Inhuman called Sammy (who had powers that manipulated heat), and together, they fleed.
He later got into trouble with some other Inhumans on Earth but Medusa arrived in time to reunite with him and eventually helped him out. Around this time, Black Bolt also learned of how several Attilan citizens were unhappy with his rule as he had done nothing about the inequalities amongst the people. But Black Bolt remained somewhat insensitive to the comments. Black Bolt also decided to kill Maximus once and for all, since he was the root cause of all the persisting problems.
It was later revealed that Triton was still alive. The Royal Family was overjoyed as they united. Together, they shifted to a bunker under Attilan as they devised a plan to take down Maximus instead of killing him. However, their confrontation went awry as Maximus double-crossed them and the Inhuman Royal Family decided upon killing him.
The dome of Attilan became more and more unstable, courtesy of Maximus’ actions. The Royal Family tried to evacuate the city by gaining access to everyone via their com-links. The plan was to leave Maximus to die while their home disintegrated. However, Black Bolt decided to stay back to ensure his brother’s demise while the others rushed to safety.
Maximus waited for Black Bolt in the exact same place where their parents had died. Ultimately, Black Bolt physically attacked Maximus, locked him in a bunker, and used his powers to collapse a building on top of him. He then left for Earth with the rest of his family. The Inhumans eventually made a home out of Earth and found a settlement that would not be found by the public world.
What Makes Black Bolt So Powerful?
As an Inhuman who has been exposed to the Terrigen Mist as an embryo, Black Bolt possesses his fair share of superpowers.
Starting off with the obvious, the Quasi Sonic Scream. This is the most catastrophic ability in Black Bolt’s arsenal. And its effects are so devastating that you cannot compare it to any other sonic power. His grunts can obliterate those around him. His whispers can level cities, cause earthquakes, and make dormant volcanoes active. His hypersonic screams can even destroy planets.
The power of this ability is also connected to his emotions in a way. Emotional highs can make this devastating ability even more powerful. But even when he is neutral, it is still a pretty dangerous power. Over time, he has learned to keep himself quiet 24/7, even when he is asleep.
Black Bolt can harness free-floating electrons. In fact, this ability is what leads to the manifestation of his scream. He can use the electrons around him to levitate himself and other objects. He has a fork-shaped antenna on his head which channels the electrons, allowing him to absorb them. Then, the electrons interact with another unique particle created by the speech center of his brain. The complete process allows him to harness the electrons using his mental powers.
Since it is the speech center that is directly connected to this ability, his sonic powers stemming from his voice get the highest amount of amplification.
He can also create blasts of concussive forces with his arms, form force fields by waving his hands, and deflect large projectiles.
Occasionally, Black Bolt has shown off his ability to manipulate matter. He can rearrange the molecular structures of certain elements and achieve feats such as turning water into ice. He obviously uses this power on a much larger scale though.
Black Bolt eventually manifests Cosmic Awareness, an ability that allows his consciousness to be sort of omnipresent. He can sense threats from far away in the universe and find out his opponents’ locations. His father, Agon, intentionally gave him this ability as he wanted Black Bolt to sense threats on instinct as the King of Attilan.
Even though Black Bolt can’t speak, his life is made easier by his ability to be a telepath. It kind of helps in having a successful relationship as well, since communication is key in making it work. And what better way to do so than foolproof telepathy. He can even send energy to the minds of others and resist mind control to a certain extent.
Fancy powers aside, his Kree blood gives him strength, speed, and durability, far superior to that of any human. And even as an Inhuman, Black Bolt’s base strength is better than those of his race as well. And he’s strong enough to go against the Incredible Hulk.
With powers like these, it is literally a surprise that Maximus has the guts to go against his beast of a brother.
Some Memorable Appearances Of Black Bolt-In Other Forms Of Media
We’ve already gone over his appearance in the Marvel Comics, Doctor Strange 2, and the Inhumans television series. But did you know that he appeared in the 1994 Fantastic Four Animated Series as well? He’s not a recurring character however and appeared in only three episodes.
The biggest budget efficiency with the presence of this character is that you do not need to hire a voice actor for him.
Black Bolt has also appeared in other animated shows such as the famous Avengers Assemble, Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., Guardians of the Galaxy, and Ultimate Spider-Man.
For someone who cannot even speak, Black Bolt has been forced into his fair share of struggles, as the king of Attilan, as a member of the Fantastic Four, and later as a member of the Illuminati. There was a point where the dude could not even catch a break, at least not with his brother around. But fortunately, the television series gave him a happy ending.
And with that, today’s video comes to an end. What did you think of Black Bolt? Did you enjoy this video? If yes, then don’t forget to like and comment on this video. Till then, goodbye. And have a nice one!