Lockjaw, the world's greatest superhero

Lockjaw can lift at least a ton, and his jaws are "the mightiest clamp on earth." He can teleport vast distances and to other dimensions, and take people with him. He can track people across dimensions. Clearly he is not 'just' a dog.

If you want more information about the Inhumans, Marvel Comics, or anything else relating to comics, just visit Wikipedia. For a complete list of Lockjaw's appearances, see the Marvel Chronology Project (MCP). Note that the MCP puts appearances in story order, even though some "early" appearances may not have been printed until later.

The origin of Lockjaw

Where did Lockjaw come from? This is one of the biggest mysteries in Marvel comics, but actually there is a semiofficial answer. When it was revealed that Lockjaw could talk, Lockjaw warned Quicksilver that Bad Things can happen to people when they are exposed to the Terrigen mists. Ben (Ben Grimm, The Thing) concluded that Lockjaw was once a human, like the members of the royal family, and exposure to the mists turned him into a dog thing. However, Lockjaw never said that. Lockjaw only indicated that a person might turn out like him. This does not prove that Lockjaw himself was once a person, only that he understands what could happen. There are other nonhuman looking Inhumans, such as one with a serpent's tale instead of legs, so gaining four legs was certainly possible.

This would explain why he is still a fun loving character. Ben Grimm is a semi-tragic figure because (for many years) he wanted to be human but could not. He naturally assumed that Lockjaw was the same. But Lockjaw is not a tragic figure - he is very happy with who he is. So it makes more sense that Lockjaw was a dog given heightened intelligence and power, and he was just warning Quicksilver because he had seen some weird stuff happen to other people.

Since that famous issue was published, the editors at Marvel decided that Lockjaw was definitely a dog who was exposed to the mists as an experiment. This was hinted at in one issue of the Inhumans comic, and the sleeve notes to a trade paperback (if I remember correctly) said plainly that he was "the only animal ever to be exposed to the Terrigen mists." So that origin is pretty much official.

The editors at Marvel also decided that Lockjaw did not have human intelligence, because some of them had grown up thinking this and did not want their memories challenged. However, if you read the old comics you will
see that Lockjaw has always had human level intelligence. And even the writers who say "he is just a dog" then contradict themselves by making him doing intelligent things (example). Personally I don't care if Lockjaw was a human or a dog originally. What I do care about is that he is obviously intelligent and this should be recognized. Hence this web site!

So the simple answer is that Lockjaw was a dog who was given great power, and human level intelligence, by the Terrigen mists. But he still likes to act like a dog - it's what he does! (Acting like a dog does not imply low intelligence.) Ever since then, Lockjaw he has chosen to serve the Inhuman Royal Family. They love him and give him everything he wants. He has a great life, with all of the royal benefits but none of their responsibilities. He has friends all over the world and beyond, and of course he can teleport on vacation any time he wants. What a great life!

The most interesting character in the Marvel universe

The intelligent Lockjaw is the key to really interesting stories that go beyond anything else we ever see. Think about it: all the major Marvel superheroes are basically the same. They represent modern western values. They are all break-offs from humans, or aliens that look and act just like us. But the Inhumans offer a chance of something genuinely different: a whole other race. Lockjaw is the key to this: a non-humanoid, who does not think or act like us. And he is proof that they have a class system of ingrained masters and servants, something that is alien to the modern western mind. And they have great secrets. And their Terrigen mists are genuinely dangerous.

Lockjaw opens up really interesting story possibilities. Yet some writers have been afraid and run away from the challenge,. They try to make Lockjaw nothing more than his cover story - as if he was indeed just a pet. How boring! How tragic that we miss this opportunity! How criminal that one of Stan and Jack’s greatest creations are reduced to being just a suburban family with Daddy Blackbolt, Mummy Medusa, Little Crystal and her pet dog. What a crashing disappointment. But it does not have to be this way. The Inhumans could generate startling and challenging and mind expanding stories, and Lockjaw is the key.

The second most powerful character in the Marvel universe

Lockjaw is the second most powerful character in the Marvel Universe, if we measure power in its usual way: the ability to make things happen. See how often he has saved the world. See how he enjoys life! Other characters appear to have more crude power, but they are heavily constrained, and often lonely or tragic. Galactus gets hungry and has enemies, Franklin has mental blocks and risks causing chaos, the Molecule Man can be is mentally unstable and has many enemies. And so on. All these characters use power very crudely. They are like the old giant factories of the industrial age. But in modern times the real power comes from networking and communication. This is the kind of power than Lockjaw has.

Lockjaw is an enabler. He brings people together. He has no real enemies, he is free to come and go as he pleases and do whatever he wants. And he enjoys life! When there is a problem he can bring to the greatest heroes together in an instant, even if they are on different planets. Maybe Galactus and the Celestials can throw more fireworks at a problem, but they are usually defeated. Meanwhile, Lockjaw can enable a lasting solution. Hence Lockjaw is more powerful than Galactus.

Oh, and the most powerful character? Squirrel Girl of course. She's not just a joke character, but that's a topic for another time.

Is Lockjaw related to Black Bolt?

And what is it with those antenna? Only two Inhumans have that feature: Black Bolt and Lockjaw. As one reviewer said, "Why does Black Bolt always wear a mask? Is he the 'ugly' Inhuman?" Black Bolt is the king, the one person who surely does not need a secret identity! So what is he hiding? Could it be the two non-speaking Inhumans have more in common than we thought? At least one Marvel writer has suggested (in an interview) that maybe Black Bolt and his dog went into the Terrigen mists together - either deliberately or by accident.

When Lockjaw was first introduced, we were told that Black Bolt is his master, not Crystal. Even though Crystal is most often seen with Lockjaw. Right up to 1970, in Amazing Adventures 2, Lockjaw is referred to as belonging to Black Bolt. In the recent Inhumans miniseries, Lockjaw is shows as being closer to Black Bolt than even Bolt's wife Medusa. Does the relationship go beyond simply king and transport?