Why Omni-Man Killed The Guardians Of The Globe In Invincible, Explained

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Like the comics it's based on, "Invincible" is a show full of layered characters, intense fights, and surprising twists, all of which feature in the story of Omni-Man (voiced by J.K. Simmons). Though he at first appears to be a loving husband and father to his son Mark aka the superhero Invincible (Steven Yeun), as well as a courageous protector of Earth, that whole portrait shifts at the end of the show's first episode, in which Omni-Man assembles his allies, the Guardians of the Globe, at their base of operations only to ambush them, killing every single member in brutal fashion. It's a shocking, visceral scene that sets the tone for everything that follows on the show, and it's more than a little confusing at first if you haven't read the series' source material.

Over the course of "Invincible" season 1, the truth of the matter comes out. As a Viltrumite, an alien race that's quickly subduing the galaxy under it fascist imperial thumb, Nolan was sent to Earth to prepare it for conquest. The method? Ingratiate himself to the human masses, make them rely upon him for their protection and safety, and then eliminate any potential threats to himself or the Viltrum Empire in preparation for the arrival of his people.

Even in "Invincible" season 2, the murder of the Guardians of the Globe remains a central and highly influential event. Since they're basically the Justice League of the "Invincible" universe and represent the most powerful heroes on the planet, they're the ones Omni-Man needed to eliminate first to secure a smooth transition of power when the Viltrumites arrive. Of course, in his own warped worldview, these killings were actually merciful to the people of Earth.

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It isn't until the end of "Invincible" season 1 that Omni-Man explains his true motivations for killing the Guardians of the Globe. He tells Mark all about the real Viltrum, how his people decimated their own planet to produce a race of only the strongest, and how all-out war became too costly, so the empire began sending individual soldiers to subdue planets. Nolan seems to genuinely believe he's doing what's best for Earth, and he tries to win Mark over by mentioning the advanced medical technology that the Viltrumites can bring — how Earth will no longer know war once it's part of the empire.

Through this lens, it's easy to see how Omni-Man could convince himself that the Guardians had to die for the greater good. It's not just that they were the greatest threat to a potential conquest. If the Viltrumites arrived and the Guardians fought back, which they certainly would have, it would have led to widespread destruction and death rather than a "peaceful" surrender. Omni-Man likely believes he's saving lives by killing the superheroes.

Of course, that whole perspective is deeply flawed in basically every way, especially when you start to see what subjugation under the boot of the Viltrumite Empire really looks like. There is no kindness in conquest, but because the Viltrumites see other species as deeply inferior, Omin-Man finds nothing wrong with his actions. At least, not at first.

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Looked at objectively, there's no excusing, forgiving, or redeeming the totality of Omni-Man's crimes. He murders countless people in his battle with Mark at the end of "Invincible" season 1 alone, not to mention the Guardians and everything else he does in service of the Viltrum Empire. But the thing about fiction — especially high genre like sci-fi and fantasy — is that it lets us pull back from extreme scenarios and look at them more analytically.

For as much as Omni-man is fully responsible for what he does, he's also clearly the victim of a violent culture and fascist brainwashing. The whole Viltrumite ethos hinges on the inherent inferiority of other species — the idea that if a creature is physically weaker or lives for less time, it essentially doesn't matter at all. This is the same kind of philosophy that real-world fascism has embraced throughout history, sectioning off groups based on ethnicity, nationality, or religion in order to perpetuate the grand lie that violence can be good when employed against intrinsically bad people.

In "Invincible" season 2, Omni-Man begins to change and unlearn some of these screwed up ideas, in time coming to realize just how deeply evil the things he's done truly are. He can't believe the lie anymore that violence is commendable, and his justification for killing the Guardians of the Globe fades away.

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While Omni-Man lays waste to the Guardians in the first episode of "Invincible," a couple members make it out alive. First and foremost, Black Sampson, a member of the original Guardians roster, is retired at the time of the attack due to losing his powers on a previous mission. As a result, he isn't considered a threat by Omni-Man and doesn't get the call, though he later rejoins the group to help guide the new members who replace the Guardians killed by Nolan.

Of those who do take part in the fight against Omni-Man, all die, although the Immortal (Ross Marquand) is later resurrected (as his name suggests), reasserting himself as the strongest member of the group. Red Rush does a decent job against Nolan early in the fight, but he isn't fast enough to avoid his attacks for long. Meanwhile, Green Ghost, Aquarus, Martian Man, and Darkwing all go down pretty easily, though War Woman puts up a decent fight alongside the Immortal before Omni-Man takes them both out.

As a unit, the Guardians manage to do enough damage to knock Omni-Man out after the end of the fight, ensuring that there are enough loose ends for the truth about Nolan's betrayal to eventually be brought into the light. But considering that the fight was one-versus-seven, that's still a pretty terrifying display from the Viltrumite.

"Invincible" is streaming on Prime Video.