Invincible Teases The Real Reason Omni-Man Turned Good

Omni-Man was the main villain of Invincible season 1, but ever since season 2, the Viltrumite's agent of Earth has been going through a major redemption arc. Since leaving Earth, Nolan Grayson has had a ton of experiences that have changed his ways, with him beginning to turn his back on the culture of the Viltrum Empire. We've gotten to watch as Nolan has gone from a conquest-seeking champion to someone who understands empathy and love. Now that this redemption arc is continuing in Invincible season 4, we may know why Nolan has made this sudden change for the good.

Invincible season 4 just dropped its first three episodes, following up on the major cliffhanger of the Invincible War and Mark's fight with Conquest. Episode 1 focused on the increasingly hard-to-manage challenges that come with running Invincible Inc., pushing Mark to his breaking point. Episode 2 pivots, instead focusing on Nolan and Allen's adventures in space. The duo travels throughout the universe collecting Viltrumite weaknesses, preparing for the Coalition of Planets' war against the Viltrumites. Throughout this journey, Nolan opens up to Allen, revealing more about his backstory and hinting at why he is the way he is.

Invincible Season 4 Flashbacks Show Omni-Man's Father Was Kinder Than His Mother

Invincible season 4, episode 2 opens with several flashback scenes, showing what life was like for Nolan in the Viltrum Empire before the appearance of the Scourge Virus. One of the flashbacks takes place on the day when Nolan is set to become an adult. His mother tells him that he will become an adult if he can survive the day, with both of Nolan's parents then attacking them. Although Nolan holds his own, he is beaten pretty badly, especially by his mother. However, his father steps in and stops the battle, allowing a wounded Nolan to live.

This scene shows that Nolan's father was much kinder than his mother, and this definitely had an effect on him. Nolan's mother was clearly angry when his father made her stop beating their son. Although it may not have immediately clicked with Nolan, this act echoed throughout Nolan's life until years later, when he had Mark.

This completely changes viewers' perspectives on Nolan's fight with Mark at the end of Invincible season 1. Originally, it seemed like Omni-Man was committing an act of pure evil, nearly beating his son to death. However, this flashback scene paints a parent beating their child in this way as totally normal. To a Viltrumite, fights like this are as normal as breathing air. Nolan probably didn't see anything wrong with his fight against Mark, which is why Mark's loving confession to his father took him by surprise and caused him to leave Earth.

A later flashback scene shows Nolan assisting in the disposal of Viltrumite bodies during the Scourge Virus. He has to throw his own father's body into space, and this clearly had an effect on him. Viltrumites aren't supposed to miss people or feel love, but Nolan did for his father. This opened the door for Nolan to realize that he missed Debbie in season 2, and that he loves his sons now.

Omni-Man's Role As A Viltrumite Teacher Might Have Given Him Empathy

Before his battle with his parents, Invincible season 4, episode 2 reveals that Nolan was a teacher in the Viltrum Empire. He is seen teaching a group of Viltrumite children about the history of the Viltrum Empire, including how their original leader was killed by the Betrayer. Nolan's relationship with his students obviously had all the problems that were systemic to the Viltrum Empire, with him even telling his students that they would die in battle during school. However, his role as a teacher may have given him the empathy he needed to become who he is now.

Nolan's job was to work with children, and while the children were fascistic members of a colonial empire, they were still children. Nolan probably had to show mercy to them while they were learning, something that wasn't common in the Viltrum Empire. This probably made him a softer person than his peers, which could contribute to why he is able to love people in later seasons of Invincible.

Nolan's teacher role also highlights why he was able to be a father to Mark. Nolan was trained to raise young Viltrumite, show them their powers, and turn them into mighty warriors. He essentially did the same thing with Mark in Invincible season 1, even if he was lying about his true purpose on Earth. This small scene opens the curtain to some major aspects of Nolan's life, making this flashback even more interesting.

The Scourge Virus Did What It Was Supposed To With Omni-Man

Nolan's life was clearly changed by the Scourge Virus, and it may have had a better effect than Thaedus could have ever thought. At the end of episode 2, Thaedus reveals that he was the Betrayer, and that he was the one behind the Scourge Virus. He manufactured it in an attempt to bring down the Viltrum Empire, although he didn't know how successful the disease was in killing the Viltrumites. Thaedus hoped that the Scourge Virus would cause the Viltrumites to see the error of their ways, moving them away from their colonial tendencies.

However, the Scourge Virus only made the Viltrum Empire worse. Now, they had to colonize planets in order to secure their survival. They needed to find species that they could breed with to grow their numbers. After all, they had gone from a planet of billions to only about 50 Viltrumites left. Thus, Thaedus' Scourge Virus plan seems to have had the opposite of the intended effect.

Even though this may have been the case for most of the Viltrum Empire, Thaedus' plan may have had its intended effect on Nolan. The deaths of all of his fellow Viltrumites clearly had an effect on Nolan, as is seen when he threatens Thaedus at the end of the episode. However, the events that stemmed from this plague turned Nolan into the man he now is. Nolan is the second Viltrumite to turn his back on the Viltrum Empire, and he will be key to bringing them down. Nolan is the man he is because of Thaedus' plan, and this will have a major impact on the rest of Invincible.