Invincible: Why Omni-Man Didn't Want Mark To Have Powers

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In Invincible episode 1, Omni-Man, or Nolan Grayson, comments that he had always hoped Mark wouldn't inherit his powers, hinting at his true reason for being on Earth. Omni-Man's reaction to his teenage son's milestone is an unusual comment for a man who is so proud of his achievements as a superhero, and one who is later very strict in training Mark to follow in his footsteps. But there may be more to Nolan's wish than simply parental protectiveness. Based on the actions that unfold after Mark's powers manifest, it's possible that his awakening could trigger serious events in the world of Invincible.

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In Invincible, Omni-Man is a member of an alien race called the Viltrumites, making him the universe's parallel to Superman. Being a Viltrumite gives Nolan super strength, durability, speed and the ability to fly — all abilities that Mark seems to have inherited.  However, the Amazon show has hinted that the Viltrumite's intentions are not pure: In episode 2, Omni-Man tells another alien species that "Earth is ours to conquer," revealing that Invincible's Viltrumites (who, unlike the Kryptonians, are very much not extinct) are planning a full-scale invasion of Earth.

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Invincible episode 1 ends in a shocking twist, with Omni-Man slaughtering the Guardians of the Globe superhero team. The heroes had peacefully co-existed for decades, so it seems unlikely that Nolan choosing to turn on the Guardians immediately after Mark discovered his powers is a coincidence. Although the Viltrumite's reasoning has yet to be revealed, the season 1 finale looks to finally answer the mystery — and chances are, it involves an invasion of Earth.

Based on the timing, it can be assumed that Mark Grayson gaining his powers in Invincible episode 1 was directly related to the surprise ending in which Omni-Man kills the Guardians. Perhaps having a second powerful Viltrumite on Earth was the trigger for the invasion to begin: Omni-Man would have served as a kind of advance guard, scouting out Earth, winning the population's trust, and seeing whether or not Viltrumites and humans could fully interbreed. In episode 7, Nolan rehearses the speech he will make to Mark, and says that he didn't want to kill the Guardians, but it had to be done — suggesting that this was also part of his duties as a Viltrumite.

The emphasis in the Invincible season 1 premiere on whether or not Mark inherited his father's powers could suggest something about the Viltrumites and their plans. The ability to reproduce with humans could be important to the alien species in establishing whether Earth is worth invading. Perhaps the Viltrumites have a small population and need new genetic material to avoid the risk of interbreeding. This theory casts a rather dark shadow on Nolan's relationship with Debbie, one that appears to have some real feeling involved but could have begun for sinister reasons. It also suggests that the Viltrumites plan to keep humans as a servile race after their invasion.

Perhaps if Mark hadn't inherited Viltrumite powers, it would have signaled that Earth was less useful to the Viltrumites than they expected, and forestalled the invasion — and the necessary surprise attack on Earth's most well-established hero team. Nolan could have potentially remained on Earth indefinitely, retaining his idyllic family life. So while Mark is at first jubilant about getting superpowers in Invincible, he may ultimately end up feeling the same way his father did, wishing that he had remained ordinary.