WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for the broadcast premiere of Marvel's Inhumans.
When Auran shows up on Marvel's Inhumans, she doesn't look like the short-lived comic book character that inspired her -- and she doesn't act much like her, either. Using a rough idea of Auran, the ABC show has crafted more of an original character than an adaptation of the existing one.
In December 2014, Auran debuted in Charles Soule, Pepe Larraz and Ryan Stegman's Inhuman #7, which takes place soon after Attilan came crashing down into the Hudson River. She was able to escape the destruction with her two daughters, but lost friends and family in the disaster. Even so, she stepped up to become a crucial member of the New Attilan Security Force, where she was joined by NuHuman and ex-cop Frank McGee, aka Nur. A loyal guard, Auran was entrusted by Medusa with the search for Black Bolt, who went missing in the disaster.
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When Auran and Nur discovered Black Bolt, he was under the control of his brother Maximus the Mad. Maximus ordered Black Bolt to stop them from drawing their weapons. As Black Bolt opened his mouth to speak, Auran jumped in front of Nur to save him. Nur survived the attack, but Auran was killed in the blast.
Later on, Auran's daughters attempted to bring her back with some help from Reader, an Inhuman who has the ability to will anything he reads into existence. A duplicate of Auran was thus brought to life, though she cannot control her abilities. She also struggled with an identity crisis in the wake of her resurrection.
In the comics, Auran doesn't look quite human. She has yellow skin and large, bat-like ears, which she uses for her parabolic hearing. That is to say, she was gifted with the ability to hear any word she wants to anywhere on Earth after she underwent Terrigenesis. She used this ability to track down Black Bolt by searching for the word "Maximus," which allowed her to find Black Bolt.
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If you caught Inhumans on TV, you likely saw that the show's version of Auran is, frankly, completely the opposite of that. Though she is an Inhuman who developed powers after Terrigenesis, the Inhumans' adaptation of the character looks and acts completely human. What's more, she has a completely different set of abilities. As seen at the very end of the premiere, Auran has healing powers, not unlike Wolverine. Though she was stabbed multiple times by Medusa and died, she came back to life hours later and healed her remaining wounds, after which she called in to report to Maximus.
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The show's version of Auran is a member of the royal guard like her comic book counterpart, but that's where the similarities end. In the show, Auran is not loyal to the crown; instead, she is loyal to the traitorous Maximus. She seems to revel in being a deadly weapon and kills on Maximus' command without any hesitation or remorse. She even threatens the family of Eldrac the Living Door, who is all but helpless to oblige.
Over the first two episodes of Inhumans, the show makes it clear that its version of Auran is nothing like the source material. The Auran of Inhumans is hardened, traitorous and eager to kill, where -- in the comics -- she is steadfast, loyal and willing to give her life for others. Of course, since the series is only two episodes in, it's possible for Auran to turn around and develop a conscience. However, given her willingness to kill Medusa, that seems highly unlikely. As of the series' second episode, it looks like Auran will continue down a dark path with Maximus, her partner-in-crime.
The first two episodes of Marvel’s Inhumans debuted in IMAX theaters on September 1, kicking off a two-week run. On September 29, the show made its broadcast debut on ABC. The network will show the eight-episode first season of Inhumans in its entirety, airing Fridays at 8 pm EST/PT. The drama stars Anson Mount as Black Bolt, Iwan Rheon as Maximus the Mad, Serinda Swan as Queen Medusa, Ken Leung as Karnak, Isabelle Cornish as Crystal, Eme Ikwuakor as Gorgon, Mike Moh as Triton and Sonya Balmores as Auran.