Inhuman

From Comixpedia

Inhuman is a science-fiction webcomic that takes place 1,000 years from our current time. The comic is written and drawn by H. Carlian. Inhuman seems to either take its name from the fact the protagonists are all non-human, the racism some of the characters feel towards the members of the fascist regime (the Rulerists, who consist of both humans and non-human forces), or from one of the main characters who is a human but has seemed to lost his humanity. The term is applicable on many levels to many elements of the story.

Though the comic includes a large cast of alien characters. The creator has firmly established that Inhuman is not a furry webcomic in a specific article on the subject. If the characters were either humans or simply "anthropomorphics," the author argues that a specific purpose of the story would be lost. The alien appearance of the characters is not an element that should be ignored or taken for granted, as is the case with many furry contexts.

[edit] Plot

[edit] Main Plot

The story takes place in the grim future of our universe, a thousand years from now. The future is bleak and war-torn as a group of terrorists, the Pagan Army, wage war against the dominating Rulerists, a religo-political force that encompasses a variety of species and cultures. At the start of the Rulerist reign many cultures resisted conversion and there were conflicts. Several of these resulted in massacres to contain rebellion. The resisting forces consist more of a violent and disorganized group of malcontents than a true military. Most are out for revenge and have no real political or sociological aims.

The comic first introduces Soshika Lypha, a Hekshanian whose family was killed by the Rulerists. This instills a deep hatred towards the Rulerists in her, prompting her to join the war against them. Her broken relationship with her brother is explained to be a result of this as well. A good part of the comic concentrates on her dark past and her racism towards the humans. Even those who work along side her in the resistance find her racism and contempt reprehensable and unattractive.

The catalyst of the central plot is the mysterious human, Grey, who the Pagans steal away from a defunct psychological facility. The main motives for his kidnapping were simply that the Rulerists wanted him back and the Pagans thought it would be a valid annoyance to the military to take him first. Grey is insane, heavily scarred, and blind. Despite this, the Rulerists desperately want him back to the point that they are hunting the galaxy for him. The Pagans initially had no idea how important Grey was to the Rulerists, and for the most part, they still don't. However, they at current have no plans for returning him.

[edit] Subplots

There are several subplots intertwined with the larger plot of Inhuman. The most notable of this is the interaction between Soshika and her brother Kyotoshi. The two work through their differences seperately, slowly coming to terms with what caused each of them to be driven away from the other. Other characters help them along in these revelations as neither of the two siblings are prepared to reconcile on their own.

The second most important subplot is related to Grey. Although its hints are dropped more sparsely, it appears that at some point he was an assassin. This period of time is regarded as a nightmare and Grey frequently feels himself being called a "toy" or "music box" in relation to it. It is also hinted that his real name may be "Daran" in this subplot.

Other subplots include the death of pilot Ashido's siblings and how the alien Mite came to travel with another alien by the name of Sartre. Another is Kyotoshi's rocky past and events in it which eventually cemented him into the role he currently plays.

[edit] Characters

[edit] Main Characters

• Grey - Grey is a human from Earth (France) who the Rulerists adamantly want back. His true name, age, occupation, and importance to the Rulerists are unknown. He is heavily scarred and emaciated to the point where he is described looking no longer human. The scars range from bite marks and burn marks to knife wounds. Some of the knife wounds are self-inflicted, including suicide attempts, but the majority are from a medical professional's scalpel. He is mentally ill, suffering from different phobias and is possibly schizophrenic. He is also blind and was initially believed to be a mute. This is not true, however, as Grey is not very talkative to begin with and takes a long period of time to organize his thoughts into speech. Grey also knows very little "Uni," the universal language spoken within the Inhuman universe. Grey is much like a child in that he doesn't understand things he normally should Once in awhile he is surprisingly perceptive.

• Soshika Lypha - Soshika is currently part of the Pagan Army, working as a medic for her team. She is a Hekshanian whose parents were killed by Rulerists aproximately a year before the story opens. As a result, she has a hatred for the Rulerists and is disgusted with Grey, who she takes as simply another Rulerist peon, in their first encounter. She often holds tightly onto the past, unable to let go of what happened and insisting no one else can be feeling the same pains she is. The only living member of her immediate family is her older brother, Kyotoshi. Due to a broken promise about a year ago, she has severed ties with him and tells everyone she has no brother. In a sense, she believes him dead. It should be noted that the executioneer of Soshika's parents was actually a member of her own species.

• Kyotoshi Lypha - Kyotoshi still lives on Hekshano and wants to get back in touch with his sister very much. He takes no action towards this of his own accord, though if this is because of his nature or out of respect for her choices it is unknown. At some point after Soshika left, Kyotoshi was put in a psychiatric hospital for a suicide attempt. This is where he met Juu Dyrano (a friend) and Zara Nikko (a girlfriend. He had a brief relationship with the latter during and after his stay in the hospital which may or may not have resulted in him being an illegtimate father. Kyo is an alcoholic and seems to have some bad health problems, coughing up blood when he is playfully, if roughly socked in the stomach at one point. However, he does the best he can to help anyone around him, calling it his "big brother syndrome". Soshika contacts him in the course of Inhuman for the first time in awhile, but only to ask that Kyo watch after Grey. It's Kyo's coaxing that eventually gets Grey to speak. Kyo is not very intelligent.

[edit] Inhuman Politics

There are two major political groups repeatedly mentioned through the course of Inhuman. These are the Rulerists and the Pagan Army.

• Rulerism - A religion originally started by humans, Rulerism has many good aspects to it and is similar to many western religions of today in the sense that it is monotheistic. Core values of Rulerism are respect for the world around you, respect for others and that an effort should be made to better the world people live in. Suicide and murder of children are not supported by Rulerism. As the religion doubles as a government, these rules influence military action and sociological values. Rulerist churches are well known for building medical facilities, soup kitchens and other charitable organizations. They have donated large sums of money to medical research and lead the field themselves.

• The Pagan Army - A very disorganized group of beings who disagree with Rulerism, it was originally called such by a fanatic pro-Rulerist newspaper. In actuality the Pagan military holds no singular belief. Pagan in this case is used to describe anything against the majority's chosen religion. Most of its members are out for specific revenge on the group which violently altered their lives. In a more honest sense, the Pagan military are essentially terrorists.

[edit] External Links

• Inhuman
• Comic FAQ
• Author's Livejournal

[edit] Credit