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'Inhumans': Did Marvel Just Rewrite Triton's Backstory for the MCU?

Triton, an Inhuman who thrives in an aquatic environment, has a backstory that changed fundamentally for the MCU.

By Tom BaconPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
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Triton and Crystal! 'Inhumans' [Credit: ABC]

We've seen the first trailer for #Marvel's Inhumans, and reactions are mixed. That said, it hasn't stopped the fans from running through the trailer looking for details: How have the human race discovered the Inhumans? How has the history of the Inhuman race in the #MCU been rewritten? And did we just see Kree symbols?

Here's an interesting detail: what's going on with Triton?

A Mysterious Absence

The trailer opens with a glimpse of the Inhuman colony of Attilan, set on the dark side of the Moon. The Royal Family gather — and attentive fans will already note they're a man down. Triton, an Inhuman whose physiology has changed so he thrives in an aquatic environment, is mysteriously missing.

Glance back through the marketing campaign for Inhumans, and you'll see he's missing from those too. He didn't even show up as a member of the Royal Family back when we got our first images from the show.

So where is Triton? He's certainly in the show. Mike Moh has been cast for the part, and we even catch a glimpse of him later on, as he runs through the Hawaiian jungle with Crystal at his side, both dressed in casual clothes. So where was he on Attilan?

Could Triton be a NuHuman?

The answer may well lie in the "NuHumans," the comic book term for people on Earth with Inhuman genes, whose powers are triggered when they're exposed to Terrigen. In Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., we've seen Terrigen spread through the world's water supply. We already know that these NuHumans are going to play some sort of role in the Inhumans TV show — so is it possible that Triton is one of these NuHumans?

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has made it clear that Inhuman powers aren't random; there seems to be some strange element of intelligent design behind them. At a time when Hive is about to return to Earth, Lash develops, with an animal drive to kill other Inhumans and so prevent Hive building up an army, and with the power to free others from Hive's control. In this context, it would seem very strange for an Inhuman on the Moon to develop aquatic powers.

But if Triton were a NuHuman, a normal human being who'd been exposed to Terrigen? It would make perfect sense, given that the Earth's surface is 70 percent water. And you'd definitely expect such an aquatic NuHuman, with distinctive physical mutations, to head out to a remote island location. The Hawaiian Islands would be the perfect spot.

In fact, it's possible that we've already met Triton. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4 introduced us to the mysterious Inhuman Vijay Nadeer, who was shot — and believed killed — by his fanatical anti-Inhuman sister. His body was dumped at sea, but we saw it begin to undergo a process known as "secondary Terrigenesis," as an Inhuman cocoon began to form around it. Fans immediately theorized that he could well be Triton. Is it possible after all?

Another Possibility — Another Inhuman Colony?

As I've discussed in an earlier post, though, there have been tantalizing hints that there may well be other Inhuman colonies on Earth. If that's the case, again, we'd expect these to be in remote locations — and one of the Hawaiian islands would be the perfect home for such a group. According to this idea, Triton would be part of one such colony, perhaps even acting as one of their scouts.

The advantage of this idea is that it answers a simple question: Why does Lockjaw bring Black Bolt to Hawaii? Why that specific place? It's possible that he's simply taken Black Bolt to the Hawaiian Space Flight Laboratory, which may be where scientists have stumbled upon the existence of Attilan. But another possibility is that Lockjaw has taken Black Bolt somewhere he can get help — fellow Inhumans, who will work with him against Maximus.

This possibility doesn't even contradict the idea that Triton could be a NuHuman, or even Vijay Nadeer. After all, he could well have been found by a group of Inhumans, and taken to their remote base, serving as their scout.

With the Inhuman Royal Family heading to Earth for the first time, it makes sense that they'll need someone to help them out. Someone who at least understands what's going on with the human race, and why there are suddenly so many NuHumans on the Earth. It looks as though Triton will be the (Inhu)man to lend a hand, whether as a NuHuman himself or as a scout from another Inhuman city. This series looks set to tie into Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. a lot more than I expected.

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About the Creator

Tom Bacon

A prolific writer and film fan, Tom has a deep love of the superhero genre.

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