When last we left the Avengers, after a skirmish with the Inhumans, the two teams made friends, and witnessed the birth of a new Inhuman, Inferno. But behind the scenes, one of the Inhumans, Seeker, reported to Ultron, not good news. Meet me after the jump for my thoughts on “The Inhuman Condition.”
The Dance Begins
The opening is one of those animation moments that make me smile. The Black Widow is training, and listening to a generic Russian ballet as she is Danger Room dancing. It is a wonderful sequence that can only be done in animation as opposed to the comics page. I liked this callback to her heritage and background, even when interrupted by the Hulk and his indirect profession of love for heavy metal (good for smashing).
Writer Tim Pugsley is no Paul Dini like we got last episode, but he’s good, picking up the pieces of “Inhumans Among Us” like a pro. The Avengers discuss those events and how the Inhumans weren’t exactly straight with them, and continue to be secretive. As if on cue, Lockjaw teleports in, and whisks the team away to Attilan.
Divide and Conquer
Upon arrival, the Avengers don’t have long to take in the sights of the Inhuman city, as they are immediately set upon by strangely familiar robot spiders. They’re everywhere, and the team is overrun until Black Bolt saves them and pulls them into the palace. Safety doesn’t last long before Ultron attacks, claiming to have conquered the Inhumans.
Escaping once again via Lockjaw’s teleportation powers, the Avengers get a lesson in Inhumanity and the terrigen mists. We as viewers know Seeker’s disloyalty and it begins to dawn that he’s playing a game of divide and conquer with the Avengers. By the time Ultron shows up and Seeker is revealed as his pawn, it’s too late.
Choice
Hulk’s familiarity with the Inhumans was established last time, referencing his Agents of S.M.A.S.H. adventures, but this time there’s something else that keeps bubbling to the surface. As the Avengers learn about the terrigen mists and how it might turn some humans into Inhumans as it did Inferno, the Hulk makes a comment here and there about not having a choice of having change thrust upon you.
Obviously this story is moving toward a global terrigenesis as occurred in the Infinity comics mini-series, with a whole new generation of Inhumans walking the Earth, but are we also looking at the possible revolt of the Hulk? Might he turn against the Avengers to defend (as he did with the Defenders) the Inhumans, beings he has much more in common with?
The Long Way There
Although it takes a while to get there, terrigenesis happens across the world. At first the weapon Ultron wants from Seeker is designed to do just that, but later altered to destroy humanity, powered by both Black Bolt’s voice and Iron Man’s arc reactor. Later, choosing a chance to survive over Ultron’s choice of complete genocide, the Black Widow and the Hulk change it back. Terrigenesis happens.
As the mists sweep the planet we see several people affected, among them is the newest Ms. Marvel, matching her comics origin. This is obviously the forerunner of this character appearing in the series. I’m looking forward to the other newbs as well. Perhaps even Inferno might take a stab at being an Avenger.
Conclusion
More the start of many new adventures than the end of one, this wasn’t a bad episode. I was a bit disappointed with the ease by which Thor was dispatched early on, but pleased by his surprise rescues later. I should have expected it but was pleasantly surprised.
Highlights this episode included Black Bolt kicking ass and taking names, silently of course, and the brief but exhilarating battle between Lockjaw and Ultron. Seriously, Black Bolt and Lockjaw get all the good moments here. If the Inhumans are Marvel’s new mutants, when do they get their own animated series?
Next: The Avengers and Inferno team with Ms. Marvel against the Ghost in “The Kids Are Alright.”
