Omni-Man - Image Comics - Invincible Character - Kirkman - Profile (2023)

Context

Omni-Man is one of the main characters in theInvinciblesuperhero comic setting. For more context, seeThe character profile of Invincible- but you should be fine without it.

This article covers issues 1-67 of the series and includes S P O I L E R S for the events therein.

Background

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Powers and abilities

Nolan Grayson has thestandard suite of Viltrumite skills- incredible strength and durability (enough to quickly destroy major cities through brute force or kill entire teams of A-list superheroes in seconds), superluminal flight, the ability to live in hostile environments for up to two weeks, enhanced senses, and super speed.

Viltrumites also have a very long life; they mature normally to maturity, then age very slowly. A 500 year old Viltrumite looks like a thirty year old human.

History

The planet Viltrum is home to a race of extremely powerful humanoids committed to a powerful expansion of their galactic empire. The Viltrumites sealed their commitment to interstellar conquest by slaying the weak of their own race in a series of battles that left half the world's population dead.

The Viltrumites then explored the galaxy, looking for races evolved enough to contribute to the Viltrum Empire, but not strong enough to repel invasions. Selected planets were given a choice: become vassals of the Empire in exchange for technology that would improve their quality of life or be completely destroyed.

The program was so successful that some of the servant races even added their armies to the Viltrumite effort, conquering minor planets and freeing up the World Conquering Committee's Viltrumite explorers to focus on the most challenging adversaries.

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The Viltrumite who would one day be known on Earth as Nolan Grayson was born during this expansion of the Later Age. He was one of their best agents and brought many worlds into the fold of the Viltrum Empire. He did so well that he became commander of an entire division of Viltrumite warriors, leading them one conquest after another.

Eventually, the Viltrum Empire had grown so large that almost all of its troops were needed to guard its space. The expansion almost came to a halt. The Viltrumites did not want to give up conquest altogether, so they opted for subtler means suited to individual agents.

The most senior and most trusted officers would each be assigned a single world. They would live there for five hundred years, studying the planet, learning the weaknesses of its people, and preparing it for Viltrum's rule.

To Earth

One of the first chosen agents, the future Nolan Grayson, was sent to Earth. He was uncomfortable with the diversity of the human race compared to the uniformity of Viltrum. He was also appalled at how unexpectedly volatile Earth was, having not previously been aware of the extent of superhuman activity on the planet.

He soon fell into a routine of fighting full-time, just to keep Earth from being conquered by other threats, both native and alien.

During one of his missions as Omni-Man, the Viltrumite encountered a human female named Debbie Grayson. His interactions with her convinced him that he had to live like a normal human being to really understand them. Omni-Man created a human identity under the name of Nolan Grayson and learned about humanity under Debbie's guidance.

Nolan became a fairly well-known author, which allowed him to support Debbie when they decided to get married. At some point, Omni-Man got a contact in the US government called a high-ranking agentCecil Stedman. Stedman had a team that tracked and coordinated world events with various superheroes such as Omni-Man and the Guardians of the Globe.

After their marriage, Nolan and Debbie Grayson had a son, Mark Grayson. Nolan wasn't sure if Mark would actually display Viltrumite abilities, but he made sure to explain to young Mark the changes he might undergo as he grew older.

Nolan didn't tell his son Mark about his true reason for being on Earth because he didn't want Mark to accidentally reveal it to his mother. Instead, he claimed to be an explorer who chose to live on Earth after falling in love with his people. Mark began developing superpowers in high school and became a superhero himself, going by the nameInvincible.

Prepare to strike

Spurred on by Mark's emerging powers, Nolan realized he had to take the first steps toward establishing Viltrumite control over Earth. As Omni-Man, he called the Guardians of the Globe, the world's preeminent super team, to their own headquarters. Then he ambushed them and slaughtered them.

No one connected Omni-Man to the crime until one of the Guardians of the Globe was resurrected and attacked Omni-Man, seeking revenge. Nolan has theImmortalagain, but his son Mark had already seen the fight and heard Omni-Man brag about killing the Guardians.

With his complicity exposed, Nolan Grayson revealed his true mission to his son. He also asked him to establish Viltrum's rule over the world with him, but Mark refused. Omni-Man and Invincible fought, but the son was no match for the father.

Although Omni-Man severely injured Mark, he could not bring himself to kill his own son and instead fled Earth in deep distress.

Thanks to the earpiece Omni-Man used to communicate with Cecil Stedman, Stedman had eavesdropped on Mark and Nolan's conversation during the fight. Stedman took it upon himself to look after Nolan's family. He arranged a horrible car accident that would have killed Nolan Grayson.

Stedman went on to ensure that Nolan's books became international bestsellers in the wake of his tragic "death." This would provide Debbie and Mark with financial support for the rest of their lives. Stedman also recruited Invincible into the same position his father Omni-Man had once held.

A rock and a hard place

After leaving Earth, Nolan realized he couldn't go back to the Viltrumite Empire. He would be considered a traitor for his weakness in giving up his post instead of killing his son Mark. He explored the galaxy, looking for a new world to conquer, hoping that finding another planet to meet the Viltrumite Empire would lessen his sentence.

Within a week he found a planet inhabited by humanoid insects with a very short lifespan. To beings for whom a generation was only six months, the mighty and many-millennia-old Nolan seemed especially divine. Nolan was quickly elected leader of the entire planet, dubbed the Mantis World in official records.

After a few months, Nolan had married and his new wife, Andressa, had given birth to a child, Oliver. This new son looked like a human, albeit with purple skin.

Realizing that the Viltrumites would soon be coming for him, Nolan called his son Mark from Earth to take Oliver under his wing. Nolan knew that the Viltrumites would consider his new son imperfect, punishable by death under Viltrum law.

Just as Nolan had explained the situation to Mark, a trio of Viltrumites arrived. Mark and Nolan hid Andressa and Oliver, then battled the Viltrumites, who were slaughtering the indigenous people of the Mantis World, just to frustrate Nolan.

The relentless fight ended with all five men seriously wounding each other before falling unconscious. When Mark woke up, more Viltrumites had arrived and took Nolan with them.

Prisoner of the Empire

Feeling that Mark had proven himself worthy of his Viltrumite heritage in battle and willing to overlook Mark's defiance as loyalty to his father, the Viltrumites left Mark to take on Nolan's mission on Earth.

Mark would have a hundred years to put the earth in order for the Viltrumites. If he didn't, he would be detained and executed as soon as they arrived at that point. Before being taken away, Nolan made a cryptic request for Mark to read "his books."

After helping rebuild the civilization of the Mantis world, Mark returned to Earth with Oliver. Mark learned that his father's books were a series of science fiction novels he had written before embarking on his more successful career as a travel guide author.

Reading the books, Mark realized that they were in fact diaries of Nolan's real life adventures before he came to Earth and that they listed the various things Nolan had encountered that could harm Viltrumites - knowledge that Mark could use to defeat them .

Nolan was imprisoned in a Viltrumite prison, his execution postponed until he recovered from his wounds, as the Viltrumites consider it unworthy to kill anyone in poor condition. He was eventually joined byAll the stranger, who allowed the Viltrumites to capture him by pretending to be weaker than he now was.

During long telepathic conversations, Allen and Nolan developed not only a prison escape plan, but also a friendship. When Nolan had sufficiently recovered and the requisite pair of Viltrumites arrived to perform the execution rite, Allen broke free of his bonds and helped Nolan and the other captives escape.

Break out

After the escape, Nolan confided in Allen about the true status of the Viltrumite Empire. One of their enemies had created a biological weapon called the Scourge Virus. The virus killed most of the Viltrumites and temporarily weakened all others, during which time many of those survivors also perished.

The bodies were so numerous that they now formed a ring around the planet Viltrum, a monument to the cost of conquest. Fewer than 50 full-blooded Viltrumites remained, and most of the hybrids had limited power. The tales of Viltrumites spread thinly because of the sheer expanse of their conquered territory were a ruse to cover their drastically depleted numbers.

This was why Earth had become so important to the Viltrumites - human DNA was almost one hundred percent compatible with that of the Viltrumites, as demonstrated by Nolan's son Mark. The Viltrumites planned to turn the Earth into a breeding camp and replenish their population.

Having renounced the Viltrumite ways of old, Nolan now agreed to work with Allen the Alien to find ways to defeat his people. Using the copies of Nolan's books provided to Allen by Invincible, they began tracking down various weapons, species, and individuals that could pose a legitimate threat to the Viltrumite Empire.

Description

Like all Viltrumites, Nolan Grayson is outwardly indistinguishable in physiognomy from a human. He appears to be a broad-shouldered white male in his early to mid-forties, with a somewhat muscular build. Grayson's square jaw and thick mustache, along with his physique, create the image of a tough but fatherly man.

As Omni-Man, Grayson wore a two-tone bodysuit, light blue above the waist and bright red below. The ensemble was completed by light blue boots, red gloves, a red "O" symbol in the center of the chest and a red cape.

The image of a young Grayson in the white suit shows him in his Viltrumite Empire uniform. The illustration of an elderly Nolan in the royal uniform shows him during his time as leader of the Mantis World.

After joining the Coalition of Worlds, Nolan had a new suit made. It is a gray bodysuit that exposes the head, forearms and lower legs below the knees. It is accessorized with a wide red band that goes around the upper body over the shoulders and extends down the outside of the sleeves, along with a short red cape.

Personality

Omni-Man's human personality is that of a fatherly hero who takes his responsibility to protect others very seriously. However, there are times in the battle where his domineering Viltrumite personality shows itself at the edges of Nolan's act, especially in his willingness to go on the offensive as his default method of handling uncertain situations.

He is very frank, speaks as openly and honestly as possible while remaining polite. But while Nolan seems to have much more self-control than the typical Viltrumite, he still has trouble controlling his temper at times. He can still act with the rampant ferocity endemic to Viltrumites if he chooses to do so.

Omni-Man preferred to work alone. As a result, although he was the most powerful and one of the most popular superheroes, he did not have very strong bonds with his associates.

Paternity

Nolan was a very devoted and understanding father. He didn't try to protect his son, but he did take the time to offer guidance and help as Mark learned to use his powers. While Nolan only loved his wife in the sense that one might love a favorite pet, he really loved his son as a fellow Viltrumite.

He ultimately chose to leave Earth rather than kill Mark, which was an extraordinary turn of events, as no Viltrumite had ever left their post for any reason.

Since his fight with Mark and his subsequent flight to Mantis-World, Nolan has reconsidered his commitment to Viltrumite ways. He developed a sense of empathy for others foreign to most Viltrumites and came to see their way of conquering as a mad quest that has driven them to the brink of extinction.

He now works to end the depredations of the Viltrumite Empire, but probably hopes to stop his people without destroying the last of his kind.

Quotes

(Home just in time for dinner) "Sorry I'm late. There was an enchanted flood in Egypt that I encountered along the way."

The Immortal: "I never liked you."
Omni-Man (slaps the Immortal's head off): "The feeling was mutual."

(After knocking his son through two tall buildings and demolishing both buildings): “Son, do you see it now? This is not your world. One blow from one of our people and thousands lose their lives. Can't you understand that? These people are below us. Their lives are insignificant at best. This place has nothing to offer you, or anything of our kind. It is here to be conquered and improved. Left to itself it would be a complete waste.”

(After seeing Mantis-World destroyed by his fellow Viltrumites) “They were inferior to us. They were lesser creatures. Their deaths are unimportant. These are all things I am fully aware of. I don't care if they're dead. I've had blood on my hands before - much more than this. And yet I care. I'M FURIOUS."

History of the DC Universe

Since Omni-Man and Invincible aided other heroes but worked independently (in other words, were not full-time members of a supergroup), they could be inserted as they are. Placing them on the west coast of the United States would give them enough distance from the home of most of the other major DC heroes to avoid any unsettling overlap.

Since the original Guardians of the Globe (GOTG) were obvious analogs for the Justice League, it's possible to integrate the events of the series by having Omni-Man slaughter the actual JLA.

Other than that extreme measure, it's entirely possible to just deploy the GOTG as a separate super team, especially since they were based in Utah, comfortably far away from the East Coast cities where the members of the JLA lived.

An interim measure would be to place the Global Guardians in place of the GOTG, which would also reflect the GOTG's more international membership.

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Door Roy Cowan.

Bron van karakter: Invincible-serie (Image Comics).

Helper(s): Chris Cottingham, Bryan Gittens, Eric Langendorff, Dr. Peter S Piispanen.