Superman Analogue: Omni-Man (Nolan Grayson)
In the world of Invincible, one #supermananalogue proved to be more conflicted in his role than most, despite being one of the most powerful!
Music: “The Rise of Heroes”
by Shane Ivers – https://www.silvermansound.com
Original Thread: https://x.com/CaseAiken/status/111524...
Original Text: The best "fallen Supermen" are the ones that are morally gray, son. So for this #SupermanAnalogue, let's chat about Invincible's dad: Omni-Man
There are going to be some MAJOR spoilers for the first 50ish issues of Invincible, but I won't spoil anything past that.
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
Anyway...
(Spoilers)
I've often described Invincible as the western comics version of Dragonball Z. The action is comprable and the power levels in play are equally over the top. The primary alien race, the Viltrumites map pretty analogously to the Sayans, too.
Even though the series opens with Omni-Man being a protector sent from a benevolent race to protect Earth, we find out that he's more of a Shepherd protecting a flock from wolves while preparing us to be slaughtered for a feast. He secretly took steps to eliminate other heroes.
This is by the way where we get the power scales established. Invincible is a series rich with characters who could pass for Superman. We establish early on that Omni-Man is a head above most (and later find out that he's not even the toughest of his race). Like I said: DBZ
Nolan Grayson, Omni-Man, reveals all this to his son, Mark, and it doesn't go well. Mark tries to protect Earth but he's just a teenager at this and we are treated to our first devastating super fight that the series becomes known for. The kicker is that Nolan can't finish it.
This begins one of the huge themes of the series: how do you handle great power? Nolan comes from a culture dedicated to the hoarding of power and advancement of their own species. Both he and Mark go on a journey over the run to define what is the greater good and what is moral.
Nolan shows up again, summoning Mark to aid him in defending the world he had fled to after their fight. He's become a monarch at the behest of these aliens and has started to understand the responsibility of power and the value that others bring to the table. He was growing.
The Viltrumites attack, seeing both Nolan and Mark as traitors to the species, kicking off the larger plot that guides the rest of the series. We are reminded how powerful they are, showing them easily handle Mark, who has become quite the veteran at this point.
Despite them.putting up a fight, Nolan is taken, but Mark is spared. Nolan then goes on a journey to understand what his species' role in the universe is. He comes to understand the pain they caused but also holds onto hope that they can be redeemed.
The Arc of Omni-Man is one of a heroic facade crumbling to reveal a villain, only for that villainy to wither in the face of love and responsibility. Nolan (and Mark/Invincible too) goes through the stages of comic book heroism, beginning as a childish save the cat from tree type
To a philosophical and pensive hero, adolescently grasping for meaning...
Finally coming to understand that his own strength is meaningless next to his ability to lead, assuming the adult role, with all of the burdens it entails.
Most of the main characters in the book have great arcs. Nolan is no exception. @RobertKirkman did a beautiful job on this series.
Lastly, this is one where we get some direct comparisons: Omni-Man actually fought Supreme! And it's no surprise, seeing as how Omni-Man shares some direct design similarities. They also come from more reflective commentaries on the genre.
Anyway, Invincible is one of the best #SupermanAnalogue books ever and I encourage anyone to read it to the end.
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