Marvel’s Inhumans made a powerful showing at San Diego Comic-Con, and here’s what you need to know.

The Inhumans panel was led by Comic-Con staple Jeph Loeb, Marvel’s Head of Television. Loeb emerged to the panel in Medusa’s long red wig, teasing the fans for their vocal disapproval of the costume.

Thankfully, the offending article was plucked from Loeb’s head by actress Serinda Swan, who plays Medusa, and the panel proceeded. The hefty lineup included the entire cast, as well showrunner Scott Buck, and premiere director Roel Reine. Clips were show, laughs were had, promises were made — so what did we learn?

The show begins with an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. crossover — sorta

The first clip shown from Inhumans was the series’ very first scene, in which the amphibious Triton (Mike Moh) attempts to rescue a young Inhuman from Earth. As becomes clear in another clip, Black Bolt (Anson Mount) has become aware of the outbreak of Inhuman transformations on our planet — thanks, of course, to the events of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Triton’s apparent failure amps up the tension in the Royal Family, with Maximus (Iwan Rheon) convinced that his king and brother is taking the wrong path. The other Inhumans are split. Perhaps they can get Coulson in to moderate?

Iwan Rheon is convinced he’s not the bad guy

Rheon, fresh off his historically villainous term as Ramsay Bolton on Game of Thrones, was initially reluctant to tackle the role of Maximus the Cunning. (“You bastard!” Loeb joked.)

Rheon admits that he had a “fear of being typecast” in villainous roles. “But as we discussed it more and more, I really [thought] that wasn’t at all what we were trying to create with this show,” he says. Instead, Inhumans will “tell the story from another perspective.”

“This young man went through his Terrigenesis and he became nothing… he’s the lowest of the low and the only reason he’s not working down in the mines is because he’s the brother of the king,” the actor reveals. Moved by the plight of powerless Inhumans, Maximus aims for change.

“In order to make this happen, these are the things that he has to do. He doesn’t like it,” Rheon insists. “He’s just trying to stop suffering. The cost of the decisions that he makes really starts to corrupt him. it’s very Shakespearean.”

The Inhumans find a friend on Earth

Also revealed at the Inhumans panel was the identity of Ellen Woglom’s character, Louise. Invented for the series, Louise is a normal human woman who becomes an ally of the exiled alien royalty.

“There was a sort of levity that was there in the material and in the script that I enjoyed doing,” Woglom says, that made up for being the only non-powered character in the show. She’s still determined to change that, though — it’s only season one, after all.

Anson Mount invented Black Bolt’s whole vocabulary

Tasked with the role of a character who does not and will never use his voice on the show, Anson Mount worked seriously with linguists and experts in sign language. He learned “how sign systems work,” and “studied not just signers, but orchestra conductors” as well to craft Black Bolt’s manual language.

Mount was careful to note that he did not co-opt any real sign language for fictional purposes. “It’s not sign, it’s a Bolt’s language he created for Medusa,” he says, and as such is unique to their characters.

Mount also thanked Swan for her collaboration in their complex communications. “It was easy on my side,” Swan says, as Mount gave her plenty of emotion to play off of.

“It was much easier when I’m speaking for him,” she muses, “But if it’s a more intimate scene between the two of us, I’m speaking to myself!”

Maximus has a serious crush on Medusa

Aside from being nobly motivated to save the downtrodden of Attilan’s class system, a clip from the Inhumans first episode fills us in on the fact Maximus also has some personal motivations.

“Do you ever think about how much better your life would be with me?” he asks Medusa, reflecting on youthful days spent in mischief together. The queen is not impressed — but clearly the frisson between them will serve as an important spur in the eight-episode season.

The cast got up to some real shenanigans

Filming in Hawaii, often deep in the jungle, the Inhumans cast still managed to entertain themselves thoroughly.

On meeting Eme Ikwuakor, who plays the wild and formidable Gorgon, Isabelle Cornish (Crystal) recounts that she challenged her co-star to bench press her. Later in filming, Ikwuakor did just that, as Mike Moh filmed, still transformed by green prosthetics.

“I didn’t stop [because I was tired], I realized I could do this all day,” he says. “I was like, we gotta go, we have stuff to do.”

Ikwuakor was also involved in an ongoing battle of ideas with LOST alum Ken Leung (Karnak.) “We started a very casual debate over what’s your favorite superpower,” Leung says, to which Ikwuakor interjected, “I won.”

“I think it’s still ongoing,” Leung concludes.

Karnak and Gorgon are awesome

Another scene revealed the brutal work of Maximus’ coup of the Attilan throne — but more tellingly, revealed the incredibly fighting styles of Karnak and Gorgon. Gorgon’s physical strength is incredible (and he takes a cue from Iron Fist in his punching strategy) while Karnak is cold and ever calculating.

The movements of his brilliant mind are displayed with CGI enhancements, and it’s an instant insight into a character whom Leung says “is so formidable, physically, intellectually, spiritually, that I’m constantly challenged by being in the position to play him.”

The hair is fine

Concluding the ongoing theme of discontent with Medusa’s prehensile hair, Loeb displayed a clip of Medusa making moves wit her long, red mane. Our verdict?

Well, the wig still looks kind of plastic-y. But the effects themselves are fine. Decent CGI; it’s not going to win any awards, but fans entranced by the story of Inhumans shouldn’t object too strenuously.

The panel concluded with the debut of a new IMAX trailer for Inhumans, revealing new footage, moving hair, and the core of Maximus’ discontent.

Human, huh? That stings, Medusa. That really stings.

Marvel’s Inhumans will debut in IMAX on Sept. 1, and premieres on ABC on Sept. 26.