# Triton (comics)

Triton is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #45 (December 1965). He belongs to the subspecies of humans called inhumans, who are born with superhuman abilities.
Triton made his live action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with the 2017 television series Inhumans, portrayed by Mike Moh.

## Publication history

He first appeared in Fantastic Four #45 (December 1965), and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

## Fictional character biography

Triton is member of the Inhumans' Royal Family, son of Mander and Azur, brother to Karnak, and cousin to Gorgon, Black Bolt, Maximus, Medusa, and Crystal. Triton was born on the city-state island of Attilan and was exposed to the Terrigen Mist as an infant. The mists altered his body, turning his skin green and giving him the ability to breathe underwater, as well as surviving the cold temperatures and incredible pressures of the deep. An unfortunate side effect was the loss of the ability to survive in a non-aquatic environment. As a result, he lived in a specifically designed area of Attilan, requiring a special breathing apparatus to leave the water. The apparatus, cumbersome at first, was eventually reduced in size by fellow Inhuman, Maximus the Mad. Triton's mutation after Terrigenesis was so severe that his parents disallowed his brother Karnak from going through it.
Triton later first encountered the Fantastic Four. During an accidental encounter, he tells his fellow Inhumans he recognizes the Hulk from Reed Richard's micro-film files. Triton acquires an artificial life support system which enabled him to exist out of water. He then first left the Great Refuge with the other members of the Royal Family, acting as a scout for them. He is freed from the "negative zone" barrier, along with the rest of the Inhumans. He aids the Fantastic Four in battle against Blastaar.
Triton later met the Sub-Mariner, and then battled Plantman's Leviathan. He aided the Inhuman Royal Family in defeating Maximus's attempt to overthrow the Great Refuge. He then singlehandedly captured Maximus, and battled the Mandarin alongside the Royal Family. He traveled to New York to warn the Avengers of the Inhumans' involvement in the Kree-Skrull War.
Triton battled Blastaar and the Kree Kaproids. He traveled to New York City with the Royal Family seeking aid for the earthquake threatened Attilan, and battled Shatterstar. He was imprisoned by Maximus, and then aided the Royal Family in the defeat of Maximus and his evil Inhumans. He left Earth with the Inhuman Royal Family to prevent the Kree subjugation of the Inhumans, and battled various aliens. He battled Kree agents and returned to Earth and battled the Kree agent, the Pursuer. He battled the Hulk alongside the Royal Family.
Triton participated in the Inhuman exodus when Attilan was relocated to Earth's Moon. He grappled with the Avengers under Maximus's mind control. He accompanied Medusa to Earth when she fled Attilan to avoid compulsory abortion by order of the Genetic Council. Triton battled mutated aquatic life caused by toxic waste.
Triton has maintained a friendship with Namor the Sub-Mariner and has occasionally been involved in stories with Marvel's other ocean-dwelling characters. He had pivotal roles in major crossover stories such as the Kree–Skrull War and Atlantis Attacks.
Triton expresses discontent to Black Panther and Storm when they visit Attilan's current moon location. He reveals that several underground chambers have been flooded for his benefit, but it is not satisfactory.
During the Secret Invasion storyline, the Inhuman royal family forges an alliance with the Kree to recover Black Bolt from the Skrulls' clutches. Together, they discover a weakness in the Skrull's defense and split up to recover the resources to exploit it. Triton is sent to the all-water planet Pelagia where he encounters mermen-like beings who closely resemble him. He develops feelings for the native, Dascylla. Although outnumbered by the hostile Pelagians, Triton manages to overcome them and find what he seeks. His breathing harness is then upgraded by the Kree allowing him to operate in the vacuum of space, thus enabling him to physically attack the Skrulls' ship during the rescue.
During Civil War II, Triton grows discontent with Medusa's dovishness to Tony Stark's aggression against New Attilan. He enlists the help of Maximus to provoke Stark against Medusa to force her to attack. Maximus convinces Lash to attack one of Stark's factories, but it contains civilians. Captain Marvel and the Avengers attack Medusa, but during that time Stark attacks New Attilan. To Triton's shock, Maximus lowers Attilan's defenses, allowing Stark to enter. Medusa surrenders, but Triton gives himself up as it was his idea to free Maximus. S.H.I.E.L.D. takes him to the Triskelion prison.
During Inhumans vs. X-Men, Maximus free Triton from the Triskelion with the promise of finding a way to recreate Terrigen Crystals. Triton, Lineage, and the Unspoken travel around the world gathering ingredients. Ultimately, Maximus instead creates a giant robot with a Terrigen sword to kill the X-Men, but The Unspoken attacked and absorbed the Terrigen sword. Triton vowed to kill Maximus if he didn't follow through with the plan, but doesn't since Maximus is the only one who knows the formula.
Karnak and Lockjaw go to find Triton, but Maximus controls him and makes him attack his brother, so Karnak incapacitates him. He is allowed back into the Royal Family.
In Death of the Inhumans, the Kree have murdered thousands of Inhumans that would not join them. Black Bolt requested a meeting with the four Queens of the Inhumans tribes to respond to this threat. When Triton tries to learn what transpired, he discovers that Black Bolt has been wired with an explosive which is activated when Triton touches him. Triton is apparently killed in the explosion, although most of the Royal Family is saved by Lockjaw's teleportation ability. It is later revealed that Triton is alive and in stasis alongside Naja, Sterilon, and other unnamed Inhumans as they are being experimented on by the Kree. Black Bolt is later forced to kill Triton, among others, to stop the Kree.

## Powers and abilities

Triton is a member of the Inhuman race, artificially mutated by the Terrigen Mist, giving him scaly greenish skin, a small dorsal fin running from the base of the skull to the forehead, membranous fins extending from his temples, and webbing between his toes and between his fingers. Triton is able to breathe water, to swim at great speeds, and to withstand the pressures of the deep sea. He cannot naturally breathe air and needs near-constant contact with water to survive, and cannot exist out of water without artificial aids. His resistance to deep sea pressure also gives him superhuman strength and speed underwater. He has the ability to survive underwater indefinitely, and the ability to withstand the temperature and pressure of ocean depths. His vision is more sensitive to the green portion of the visible spectrum, enabling him to see in relatively dark ocean depths.
Triton has undergone basic Inhuman royal militia training. When on land, he uses a water circulation system consisting of tubes across his body to survive.

## Reception
### Accolades

* In 2020, Comic Book Resources (CBR) ranked Triton 17th in their "20 Most Powerful Inhumans" list.
* In 2021, Screen Rant included Triton in their "10 Most Powerful Members Of Marvel's Inhumans" list.
* In 2022, CBR ranked Triton 7th in their "10 Inhumans Who Should Join The Avengers" list.
* In 2022, Screen Rant ranked Triton 8th in their "Marvel's 10 Most Powerful Aquatic Characters" list.

## Other versions

* Triserinak, a fusion of Triton, Karnak, and DC Comics character Serifan from Earth-9602, appears in the Amalgam Comics universe.
* An alternate universe variant of Triton from Earth-9997 appears in Earth X. This version possesses a serpentine, merman-like appearance.
* An alternate universe variant of Triton from a pocket dimension created by Franklin Richards appears in Heroes Reborn.
* An alternate universe variant of Triton from Earth-2149 appears in Marvel Zombies.
* An alternate universe variant of Triton from Earth-1610 appears in the Ultimate Marvel universe.

## In other media
### Television

* Triton appears in Fantastic Four, voiced initially by Rocky Carroll and subsequently by Mark Hamill.
* Triton appears in the Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. episode "Inhuman Nature", voiced by James Arnold Taylor. This version does not require water to survive.
* Triton appears in the Ultimate Spider-Man episode "Inhumanity", voiced again by James Arnold Taylor. This version is an exchange student at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy.
* Triton makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the Guardians of the Galaxy episode "Crystal Blue Persuasion".
* Triton makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the Avengers Assemble episode "The Inhuman Condition".
* Triton appears in Inhumans, portrayed by Mike Moh.
* Triton appears in Marvel Future Avengers, voiced by Hiroyuki Yoshino in Japanese and Michael Sinterniklaas in English.

### Video games

* Triton appears as a non-playable character in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, voiced by Tom Kane.
* Triton appears in Marvel Avengers Academy.
* Triton appears as a playable character in Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2.