Marvel Universe's Terrigenesis Explained
After that 'Ms. Marvel' episode 5 you might want a little update on how this Terrigen thing works.
Warning: the following article contains spoilers for 'Ms. Marvel' episode 5
While we are still in the dark about Kamala's plausible connection to the Inhumans, it seems that 'Ms. Marvel' just won't stop sprinkling its episodes with small hints.
In episode 5, when Najma decides to sacrifice herself to close the Veil between the Noor dimension and our world, we see that she seemingly turns to stone before becoming a skeleton and collapsing to the ground. Her death looked a lot like Terrigenesis – a process when the Inhumans inhale the Mists produced by Terrigen crystals that help them unlock their alien genes.
In the comics, Terrigenesis is established to be lethal for humans. Given that Najma died because of whatever turned her into stone, some fans were quick to think she was affected by nothing short of Terrigenesis, but others immediately argued that it might be too early to call.
Terrigenesis envisages the one undergoing it inhaling the Mist, and then cocoon forms around the person, with the outcome depending on who is going through the process. In 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.', Terrigen would crumble up and kill non-Inhumans that were exposed to it. The comics had people dying inside the cocoons formed by the Terrigen wave – Inhumans, for their part, exit the cocoon with new powers.
Another thing that falls out of place is how Najma seemingly transferred her powers to her son Kamran moments before she died. With this, as well as her transformation into a skeleton, the process that some fans have already dubbed Terrigenesis might as well be something completely different.
To parallel 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' with the scene from 'Ms. Marvel' would also be way too soon, because the former is officially not canon. However, it would not theoretically prevent Kevin Feige from taking inspiration.
As of now, 'Ms. Marvel' played coy when it comes to establishing the new rules of its world. With only one episode left in the season, it might simply be not enough to explain everything that fans are now questioning, and there has been no official confirmation of the show being greenlit for season 2.