Warning: SPOILERS below for Marvel’s Inhumans!
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At its core, Marvel’s Inhumans is ostensibly a series about the political upheaval of a ruling class, and revolutions always result in body counts. When he achieved his coup to steal the throne of Attilan and install himself as King, Maximus (Iwan Rheon) outright plotted to have his brother Black Bolt (Anson Mount) killed. This power struggle for the future of the Inhumans who are living in isolation on the moon began with bloodshed - the death of Triton (Mike Moh) - and more Inhumans have died in the course of the series. The sixth episode, ‘The Gentleman’s Name Is Gorgon’, delivered its biggest death yet, and going by the episode’s title, it’s no surprise which member of the Inhumans’ Royal Family fell.
Gorgon (Eme Ikwuakor), the Captain of the Royal Guard, was sent to the island of Oahu by Black Bolt to find out what happened to Triton when the series began. As such, he wasn’t on Attilan when Maximus made his move to take over the city. Gorgon’s mission changed when he learned Black Bolt, Queen Medusa (Serinda Swan) and Karnak (Ken Leung) also escaped and were scattered around Oahu; he got in contact with Maximus and swore to make his reign as king short-lived. Fearing Gorgon’s wrath, Maximus sent assassins led by Auran (Sonya Balmores) to kill him. Having befriended a local group of surfers who took up arms to help him, Gorgon and his allies fought off Auran and her Inhuman killers. Eventually, Gorgon managed to locate Karnak and then the two of them reunited with Black Bolt and Medusa, who were being aided by a human scientist named Louise (Ellen Woglom).
Auran challenged Black Bolt to return to the research facility he had escaped from to rescue two other people who helped him, the geneticist Dr. Evan Declan (Henry Ian Cusick) and Sammy (Olo Alailima), a new Inhuman. Black Bolt instead sent Karnak and Gorgon to save his new friends so he and Medusa could find Crystal (Isabelle Cornish), who had also escaped to Oahu with Lockjaw, her teleporting dog. Gorgon and Karnak stormed the facility and easily defeated Auran and another Inhuman, Mordis (Bridger Zadina), who is particularly feared for his Inhuman power to fire deadly energy blasts from his eyes (not unlike the X-Men’s Cyclops).
Once Auran was captured, Karnak and Gorgon tried to tie up the unconscious Mordis, who woke up and tried to fire his death ray. Gorgon seized Mordis so the others could escape the facility; in their struggle, Gorgon used his power to create shockwaves in the ground by stamping his hooves. The shock wave brought the building down on top of both of them. When Black Bolt, Medusa, Crystal and Lockjaw arrived, they found the mask of Mordis and the corpse of Gorgon in the rubble. Karnak confirmed Gorgon was dead, incensing Black Bolt.
Gorgon was one of the most likable of the Inhumans. He was known for not thinking before acting and as the series progressed, fans learned he had a special friendship with Karnak, whom Gorgon admired for his fierce intelligence. Gorgon seemed to like Karnak best and always wanted his approval, which Karnak withheld. Gorgon was also the type who would willing sacrifice everything for his family, which he ultimately did to stop Mordis.
Gorgon’s death cuts deep for all of the Royal Family, as was trusted and beloved, plus Gorgon had personally trained each of them to fight, including Maximus. While Triton was also a member of the Royal Family, fans never got the chance to get to know and like him as they did Gorgon. Losing him robs Black Bolt’s family of one of their best warriors, but also fuels the Royal Family’s rage to return to Attilan and depose Maximus. The Royal Family is poised to retake Attilan in the final two episodes of Inhumans to avenge Gorgon and decide once and for all who will rule and what the future of the Inhumans society will be.
Marvel’s Inhumans airs Fridays @ 9 pm on ABC.
