Inhuman of the Day
May 6th - Ikelli
An Inhuman from the secret sanctuary of Utolan. The Inhumans of Utolan are descendants of dissidents who left Attilan thousands of years ago, traveling to the Chimanimani Mountains of Zimbabwe where they built a new home. Over the years, the Inhumans of Utolan were forgotten by those of Attilan and, similar to Orollan, its existence was known only by a select few high up in the monarchy.
As the generations passed, a large number of the citizens of Utolan developed an adverse reaction to Terrigenesis and exposure to the mutagenic mists proved deadly to a portion of the populace. Terrigenesis remains pivotal to the society’s cultural heritage and the ruling Maternal Council of Elders ultimately chose a dangerous, often cold-blooded process of choosing who among them would take the risk of being subjected to Terrigenesis. Marriages were arranged to produce children who were the most likely to survive Terrigenesis; if a couple’s first child perished, then their second child would not be subjected.
Ikelli’s mother had acted as a member of this Council of Elders. She married Ikeilli’s father without the consent of her fellow council members. For this reason, her daughter was spared being forced to endure Terrigenesis. When Ikelli’s mother became pregnant with her second child, the council decreed that this second child would have to go through Terrigenesis. Ikelli’s father was terrified over the prospect of his second child, his son, might be killed by exposure to Terrigen, so he absconded with the child, ultimately making it to America where he left the child in the care of confederates living in Minnesota.
Following Ikelli’s father’s departure with her brother, the council decided that Ikelli must go through Terrigenesis in his place. She managed to survive the process, though it was incredibly painful. She was bestowed the power to generate tendril-like appendages from her skin. These tendrils appear to be extremely strong and Ikelli can manipulate them with the utmost of dexterity, utilizing them in a unique and greatly effective fighting style. Although Ikelli has learned to utilize these tendril with great prowess, it appears that the transformation continues to leave her in a state of constant pain and discomfort.
Ikelli’s younger brother, the child her father had absconded with, turned out to the the new Inhuman known as Flint. With the aide of Ana Kravinoff, Flint and Gorgon were eventually able to track down the location of Utolan and Flint was reunited with his mother (as well as the sister he never knew he had).
Ikelli had been in the process of developing a coup to overthrow the Maternal Council of Elders. She and her coconspirators utilized Flint’s arrival as the ideal distraction to orchestrate this coup. Following a battle, the cavernous ceiling to the city was ruptured open and this occurred just as the Terrigen Cloud was bearing down on the Chimanimani Mountains. It was entirely possible that exposure to the cloud would prove fatal to a large portion of the populace of Utolan.
Fortunately, The RIV arrived in time to evacuate Ikelli’s mother chose to remain behind with her daughter, allowing herself exposure to the cloud and taking her chance with whatever may occur. Whatever happened to Ikelli’s mother remains to be revealed and Ikelli was last seen standing by her mother’s side as the cloud drifted over them.
