Originally Attilan was located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It was at one point relocated to the South American Andes and became known as, "The Great Refuge". The Great Refuge was ruled by Maximus, the mad brother of the rightful leader of the Inhumans, Black Bolt. After living in exile for many years, Black Bolt and the Royal Family returned to the Great Refuge, and forced Maximus to relinquish the throne. In an insane attempt to strike back against humanity, Maximus activated a device called the Atmo-Gun. By reversing the Atmo-Gun's polarity, he generated a null barrier that completely surrounded the Great Refuge, cutting them off from the rest of the humanity.