Who Or What Is Lockjaw, The Inhuman Teleporting Dog?

[jackolover]

I have a question. Was Lockjaw a boy before he went into the terrigin mists, and came out a huge dog with teleporting powers? Or, are there animals with Inhuman DNA that get powers like Inhumans?

[WheelchairX]

I have a question. Was Lockjaw a boy before he went into the terrigin mists, and came out a huge dog with teleporting powers? Or, are there animals with Inhuman DNA that get powers like Inhumans?

His true origins aren't known, but in one story Quicksilver saw a humanoid shape go into the T mists and become Lockjaw. However this was revealed to be a prank so I would be more inclined to go with an animal with inhuman DNA

[Byakko]

I remember quite some time ago, there was a 'reveal' of Lockjaw talking to Ben Grimm, and revealing not only was he a sapient Inhuman with a really unfortunate morph, but that he was in constant pain from the forced dog-form. It's implied that he doesn't just have physical difficulty speaking, but that he suffered brain damage after mutating that makes him think slower than before, so he has a hard time communicating at all.

And then apparently, there was an outcry because a) Lockjaw was no longer an alien dog but an Inhuman and that means b) the other Inhumans were forcing him into a subservient role because of his dog-like form that c) was causing him great pain to be in, and difficulty even speaking or thinking anymore. Basically all feel-good aspects of Lockjaw evaporated. He went from more intelligent-than-average alien bulldog with a nifty power, to lower intelligent-than-average Inhuman being treated like a dog because of his mutation.

It got retconned into a prank by Eros or Quicksilver, I can't remember. I thought it was actually a really important idea about non-beneficial mutations, and also played into the Inhumans' elitism when it came to unfortunate morphs. I thought it would have been telling that they were willing to basically breed in dog/animal traits into one of the Inhumans, just to get the teleportation ability as well, despite the pain and social stigmatization it causes that Inhuman.

[Sutekh]

1) Doggie with powers. (Perhaps experimented on by unethical Inhuman scientists (most likely during the reign of the Unspoken, when all sorts of sketchy stuff was going on), and probably rescued by the current Inhuman Royal Family.)
2) Inhuman who assumed a doggie form, as a result of Terrigenesis. (Possibly the long-lost brother of Gorgon, who is the only member of the Royal Family to not have a sibling, which is kind of a thing in their zero-population-growth arranged-marriage closed society. Every couple has to have two kids, just to keep their numbers up, and that's assuming that nobody ever dies or leaves Attilan!)
3) A loooong-term Skrull sleeper agent who prefers being Crystal's dog to the assassin he was supposed to be.
4) Xorn, pretending to be Magneto, pretending to be Xorn, pretending to be Lockjaw.

[SpiderClops]

1) Doggie with powers. (Perhaps experimented on by unethical Inhuman scientists (most likely during the reign of the Unspoken, when all sorts of sketchy stuff was going on), and probably rescued by the current Inhuman Royal Family.)
2) Inhuman who assumed a doggie form, as a result of Terrigenesis. (Possibly the long-lost brother of Gorgon, who is the only member of the Royal Family to not have a sibling, which is kind of a thing in their zero-population-growth arranged-marriage closed society. Every couple has to have two kids, just to keep their numbers up, and that's assuming that nobody ever dies or leaves Attilan!)
3) A loooong-term Skrull sleeper agent who prefers being Crystal's dog to the assassin he was supposed to be.
4) Xorn, pretending to be Magneto, pretending to be Xorn, pretending to be Lockjaw.

Sounds plausible.

[Mike_Murdock]

In The Thing #3, Lockjaw brought Ben Grimm to Attilan. Quicksilver had discovered that his daughter, Luna, lacked the X-Gene and wanted to send her through the Terrigen mists so she could have some powers. Crystal was opposed to this because she was worried that Luna would end up deformed. Quicksilver said he would love her either way, which prompted Lockjaw to speak up and say "even if she turned out like me?" Apparently he was an Inhuman once and when he went through Terrigenesis, he turned into a dog. He isn't the only case, Eldrac turned into a gateway and Hub turned into a ship's engine. However, it's speculated that his whole way of thinking has changed because of that so now he thinks more dog-like. Certainly, speaking is more difficult for him. He can definitely understand what others are saying, but not always clearly.

In X-Factor #71, Quicksilver tells Jamie Madrox that Lockjaw is just a dog and Gorgon and Karnak were playing a prank on Ben Grimm back in that previous issue. After all, the Inhumans do treat him like a dog.

Since then, this debate has gone on since apparently neither one was satisfactory. The latter story undercuts the emotional weight of the former, which is unfortunate, but it doesn't do it in a way that definitively disproves it. Pietro could be mistaken, after all (interestingly, maybe his belief that Lockjaw is just a dog is helps him later decide to give Terrigen to Luna). Regardless, Saladin Ahmed has said an issue of Black Bolt will resolve this issue for good.

[norj]

Yes Cosmo Lockjaw is god.

[jackolover]

Wow, on the discussion on what Lockjaw is. I'm blown away, here. Myself, I do go by the "Lockjaw was a human first" idea, as the Eldrac and Hub examples also makes this possible. Quicksilver lies, or he did in those days where he lost his powers, so nothing Pietro says could be taken as truth.

[Punjabi_Hitman]

Apparently his origin will be revealed soon coming up. I can't remember which book will do it. I believe it's Priest's book but most likely I'm wrong about that. But I know his origin will be revealed as I've heard it in 2 podcasts now.

[ozoigbondu]

Black bolt was bored and took a stroll out of new Attilan. A cute bull dog started following him, they bonded and black bolt took him back to Attilan. Against the genetic Council wishes black bolt exposed the dog to the terrigen mist so he can become a true inhuman . A small bull dog went in and a gigantic teleporting dog known as lockjaw took his place.

And so one of the few likable was born.

That's what happened nothing is gonna change my head canon

[Drops Of Venus]

Now ain't that the million dollar question among Inhumans fans?

Saladin Ahmed has said an issue of Black Bolt will resolve this issue for good.

Oh, I was not aware of that. Maybe it's going to be the September issue, which features a picture of Black Bolt and Lockjaw when they were babies in the cover? I think that's going to be very interesting. Which reminds me that it was implied once (in Paul Jenkins' mini-series, I think?) that there was some sort of dark secret between Blackagar and Lockjaw. I'm on the team that belives that he was a pre-terrigenesis inhuman who turned into a dog after his transition.

My headcanon, so far: Lockjaw was a part of the Royal Family. Maybe he was Gorgon's brother, like it's been suggested. Or maybe he was a third Boltagon sibling (which would explain his ''dark secret'' with Black Bolt) who was forbidden to be born by the Genetic Council, so his parents, who weren't exactly known for being ethical people, decided to experiment on him in all sorts of ways with terrigen so he could turn out to look like anything but a child, attempting to disguise him. And just like that, Lockjaw was born. The modern Royal Family who treated him as a dog wouldn't necessarily look bad, because maybe they didn't even know about it. MAYBE Blackagar found out at some point, but he kept it as a secret because he was too ashamed of his family for what they'd done and he just thought it would be less painful if everyone (including Lockjaw) just didn't know about that, since there was nothing they could do to change him back anyway.

[Vegan Daddy]

He's everything you're not.

[Exciter]

I don't want him to be anything but a puppy that got powers.

[Digifiend]

Yes Cosmo Lockjaw is god.

lol, I didn't know Lockjaw and Cosmo were friends, that is SO cute!

[Phoenixx9]

I think originally, Lockjaw was meant to be a dog that went through Terragenesis. He was meant to be a pet for the Royal Family, especially Crystal. You know, a young girl and her dog.