#ihumans

Inhuman of The Day

August 6th - Meruda 

A latent Inhuman whose powers and transformation were caused by exposure to the Terrigen Cloud.  Meruda was bestowed with an enhanced stature and greatly augmented physical strength and durability.  He was also empowered with a moderate level of weather control and manipulation; in specific the ability to summon violent sandstorms, gale force winds, and bolts of lightning projecting from his fingertips.  Meruda claimed to possess knowledge over arcane magical spells, but any actual evidence of such powers has not yet been shown.

As a younger man, Meruda lived in a village in a rural area of the African country of Kenya.  At one point he watched as the X-Men, Storm, and her then husband, The Black Panther, were surveying the game park near the village, tracking down a group of illegal poachers.  The two heroes were ambushed by these poachers and The Black Panther was captured.  Enraged, Storm lashed out with her powers.  The anger Storm felt toward these poachers got the best of her and she ended up creating a destructive sandstorm.  This storm freed The Panther, by rolled on and ended up destroying Meruda’s nearby village.   Meruda was one of the sole survivors.

Understandably, Meruda blamed Storm for the death of his family and friends and sought out a vendetta to kill Storm for what she had done.   The Inhuman powers bestowed unto Meruda by way of Terrigenesis finally gave him the abilities he needed to seek out his vengeance.  So to lure Storm to Kenya, Meruda abducted her cousin Abuya and held her captive.  Once Storm finally arrived, she and Meruda engaged each other in a terrific battle.  Meruda intimated that he was summoning forth the magical spirit of Gawa, the godly lord of the undead (whether or not he was able to do this remains a matter up to speculation).