The Inhuman Condition

Crystal is trying to come to terms with the departure of the Black Knight from the Avengers.[1] While her husband, Quicksilver, has tried to be understanding but what she needs is some time alone. She thinks about how as a stranger to the human world she has gone to great length to be understood, wanted, and needed. However, she learned some time ago that thing don’t always work out the way you expect them….

Some time ago, one of Crystal’s people — the globular Spore — found himself hunted down by a high tech mercenary calling himself the Janissary.[2] Spoor tries to get away by splitting himself up into multiple duplicates of himself. However, the Janissary’s high-tech weapons succeed in capturing them all.. or so it seems, as one of Spoor’s duplicates manages to slip away unseen.[3]

Seeking assistance, Spoor heads to Avengers Headquarters to enlist Crystal’s aid. Crystal agrees to help and Spoor is able to lead her to where his other selves have been taken. However, the trek is hard on Spoor in his diminished condition.[4] Spoor leads her to a secret laboratory hidden inside a mountain.

There, Crystal discovers that the Janissary is working for a human scientist trying to isolate the mutagenic properties of Inhuman DNA in order to unlock the power granting properties of the Terrigen Mists. While Crystal is busy fighting the Janissary, the scientist succeeds and is able to empower herself with the distilled Terrigensis. With her new powers, the scientist calls herself Terrigene and begins attacking Crystal. However, Crystal proves to be the better warrior and the battle quickly ends when Terrigene is accidentally set on fire. The brush with death takes all the fight out of Terrigene who decides to explain to Crystal why she was so determined to give herself power.

She explains that she came from a family of scientists with an expertise in genetics. trying to make a name for herself she began examining genetic mutations. However, her work was unethical and she ended up censured and banned. This was a huge embarrassment to her family, who quickly disowned her. She then became obsessed with mutating herself and using this technology to empower others and create a new family for herself. She now realizes the errors of her way and allows Crystal to leave with Spoor who reconstitutes with his other selves and returns to full health….

… Crystal recalls how Spoor returned to the Great Refuge after this incident and wonders if it might not be time for her to go home as well. Her thoughts are interrupted when her daughter Luna gets out of bed to ask for a glass of water and another bedtime story. Recalling how Teregne was disowned by her family, Crystal promises herself that no matter who Luna grows up to be, she will support her daughter every step of the way.

Recurring Characters

Crystal, Luna Maximoff

Continuity Notes

1. The Black Knight had just recent left for another dimension with Sersi following the events of Avengers #375. They end up in the Ultraverse, aka Reality-93060 (per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes 2005 #1), starting in Ultraforce #8. They will remain there until returning to Earth-616 in Ultraforce Unlimited #2/Black Knight: Exodus #1.

2. This flashback, according to the Marvel Chronology Project, takes place between Avengers #371 and 372.

3. It is stated here that there are not many Inhumans left on Earth. At the time of this story, the Inhumans have been living on the Moon since having the city of Attilan relocated there in Fantastic Four #240.

4. The Janissary is compared to the Seeker, who also hunted down Inhumans. There were two Seekers. The first, Kadlec first appeared in Fantastic Four #46 but died in Inhumans Special #1. He was succeeded by his brother Uys in Fantastic Four Unlimited #2. That said, there is no apparent connection between the Janissary and the Seekers.