Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appears in Fantastic Four #45 (December 1965). Black Bolt is the ruler of Attilan, and a member of the Inhumans, a reclusive race of genetically altered superhumans. Black Bolt's signature power is his voice, as his electron-harnessing ability is linked to the speech center of his brain. Speaking triggers a massive disturbance in the form of a highly destructive shockwave capable of leveling a city. Due to the extreme danger posed by this power, the character has undergone rigorous mental training to prevent himself from uttering a sound, even in his sleep, and he usually remains completely silent and speaks through sign language or via a spokesperson. Black Bolt has been described as one of Marvel's most notable and powerful male heroes. The character of Black Bolt has featured in other Marvel-endorsed products such as arcade and video games, animated television series, and merchandise such as trading cards. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, different versions of Black Bolt were portrayed by Anson Mount in the Marvel Television series Inhumans (2017) and the film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). Publication history The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #45 (December 1965) and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. As part of the 2012 rebranding initiative Marvel NOW!, Black Bolt re-joined the Illuminati. In 2017 Black Bolt was given his own solo series, written by Saladin Ahmed and drawn by Christian James Ward. Fictional character biography 1960s Black Bolt's first appearance established the character as being a member of the Inhuman ruling class. The title Thor featured a back-up feature called "Tales of the Inhumans", which recounts the character's origin story. The son of King Agon and Queen Rynda, Black Bolt is exposed to the mutagenic Terrigen Mist while still an embryo, and eventually demonstrates the ability to manipulate electrons. To protect the Inhuman community from his devastating voice, Black Bolt is placed inside a sound-proof chamber and is tutored in the use of his powers. Reentering Inhuman society as a young man—having vowed never to speak—the character is attacked by his younger brother Maximus, who attempts, unsuccessfully, to goad him into speaking. Black Bolt proved popular, and decides to leave Attilan to explore the outside world. The character reappears