This article contains minor spoilers from the Invincible comics.One of this year’s surprise streaming hits was the Amazon Prime series Invincible, based on the comic of the same name by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman. Despite being an animated superhero series not adapted from Marvel or DC, Invincible has managed to find a large, loyal audience thanks to its sharp writing, impressive animation, and compelling cast of characters.
But out of all the characters in Invincible, none have resonated with viewers as much as Nolan Grayson, aka Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons of Spider-Man fame). Omni-Man is initially presented as the Invincible equivalent of Superman — a brave and mighty hero who’s also a loving family man and a mentor to his son Mark, aka the titular Invincible (Steven Yeun). However, the unforgettable final scene of Episode 1 makes it clear that there’s much more to him than meets the eye.
Out of nowhere, Omni-Man appears to murder the entire roster of the Guardians of the Globe in their own headquarters, resulting in a fight scene that’s as awe-inspiring as it is terrifying. He remains silent for the entire battle, leaving no hints as to why he’s committed this atrocity. However, the ending of Episode 2 — which has likewise become one of the most iconic moments of the series — hints at Nolan’s true nature with the line “Earth isn’t yours to conquer,” delivered right before he goes on a rampage across the Flaxan homeworld, effortlessly destroying an entire civilization. Needless to say, Omni-Man is much more ruthless than the clean-cut hero he appears to be.
Throughout the season, Nolan’s motives remain a mystery, despite frequent hints that he’s not nearly as heroic as he seems. In the Season 1 finale, “Where I Really Come From”, the truth is revealed: Omni-Man’s species, the Viltrumites, aren’t really the benevolent peacekeepers he once claimed they were, but rather an empire of brutal conquerors, bent on ruling the entire universe. Nolan insists that Viltrumite rule will bring salvation, not oppression — that becoming part of the empire will end war, hunger, and disease on Earth. However, it quickly becomes clear that his desire to “save” humanity is tainted by a condescending disdain for a species he sees as little more than animals.
Over the course of the episode, Omni-Man becomes more and more despicable as his true colors are revealed. While he initially attempts to reason with Mark and peacefully bring him over to the side of Viltrum, Nolan soon begins to senselessly murder innocent people to prove how weak they are. This culminates in the infamous scene where Omni-Man slaughters an entire train full of people, forcing Mark to watch helplessly the entire time. But when Invincible refuses to give up on humanity, Omni-Man nearly beats his own son to death.
However, Nolan ultimately proves incapable of murdering his child. Deep down, beneath his authoritarian ideology and loyalty to Viltrum, he genuinely loves his family — even if he refuses to admit it. Moved by Mark's compassion for him even after all the death and destruction he’s caused, Nolan spares his son’s life and flees Earth, shedding a single tear as he flies off into space. It’s a poignant end to the season, but with two more seasons of Invincible currently in the works, it’s clear that we haven’t seen the last of Omni-Man.
Of course, regardless of when and where Nolan appears next, it’s unclear whether he’ll be an ally or enemy to Invincible when they next meet. At first, the idea of Omni-Man undergoing a redemption arc may seem ridiculous: how could he possibly atone for all the horrifying acts he’s committed? It simply wouldn’t be convincing for him to turn over a new leaf after the audience has already seen how utterly monstrous he can be. Yet despite all his cruelty, it’s obvious that he still deeply cares for his family — enough to abandon his mission of conquest and leave Earth, possibly for good.
Indeed, in the original Invincible comic written by Robert Kirkman, Omni-Man does indeed change his ways and choose Earth over Viltrum, teaming up with Mark to defeat the Viltrumite Empire and bring an end to the warmongering supremacist ideology that’s corrupted their society. But at the same time, it’s also worth noting that the battle between Invincible and Omni-Man is framed very differently in the comics. While Nolan still brutalizes his son in a battle that causes mass destruction, he never goes out of his way to hurt civilians like in the animated adaptation. The train scene and the earlier moment where Omni-Man kills a fighter pilot were new additions to the TV series, courtesy of Kirkman himself penning the script to the season finale.
The handling of Omni-Man’s redemption was already a point of contention among fans in the comics, so if he’s still on track to change his ways in the animated series, then it’s certainly an unusual choice to make him even more cruel and villainous this time around. In fact, it’s entirely possible that Omni-Man will remain as the main antagonist of the series — something that would be an absolutely massive change from the comics, but would also make sense for the character as he’s portrayed in Season 1. After all, even if Nolan were to attempt to make amends for his past crimes, it’s unlikely that Earth would ever see him as a hero ever again, to say nothing of his allies like Cecil or his wife Debbie.
So far, Mark seems to be the only one capable of seeing any humanity in Omni-Man, and it’s currently unclear whether that empathy will be the key to redeeming Nolan or only add to the tragedy of his spiral into villainy. On the one hand, showing Mark bring a seemingly irredeemable enemy over to the side of good could potentially be an engaging story of the power of compassion that shows how even seemingly heartless people aren’t beyond saving. But after seeing the depths of Nolan’s cruelty, the viewers may not be so ready to forgive him — and as such, keeping him as a tragic villain may be the most practical (and possibly the most interesting) option. Regardless of whether he’ll end up on the side of good or evil though, it’s clear that Omni-Man has already cemented himself as a truly memorable and fascinating character. Only time will tell where his story leads him next.