The start of Invincible season 2 means being reminded of just how great a villain Omni-Man is. I mean, the Superman analog not only being evil but actually part of a fascist alien race who was scoping out Earth the whole time? That’s some really diabolical stuff.
And everyone in Invincible knows it by now, after the grueling fight Omni-Man had with his son Mark Grayson. Mark refused to give in to his father’s whims for the domination of mankind, leading to a skirmish that’s worthy of the best superhero movies (seriously, when Omni-Man pushed Mark through an oncoming train? Hardcore).
When he realizes there’s no convincing his son, Omni-Man flies away, something that’s not addressed much in the latest episode of the Amazon Prime series. And why would it be? People have to live in the aftermath of his heinous lies. That doesn’t stop me wondering where he’s gone, too, though, and I have a few ideas.
One obvious suggestion is the Viltrum Empire, but I don’t think that’ll be the case. Omni-Man hasn’t completed his mission. If he goes back to his people empty-handed, it’ll be seen as a disgrace, and he’ll likely be killed. These are pureblood space fascists we’re talking about – you’re either useful or you’re a waste of living tissue.
Omni-Man could be planning to get executed in the thriller series, but that diminishes his own ego. He would be giving up very easily, and while it’s still entirely possible for him to complete his goal and make us part of the Viltrum stronghold. He hasn’t left because enslaving Earth would be hard. He did so because he’d need to go through his son, and he can’t do that.
One thing the last season of Invincible made clear is that Omni-Man has no clue how to process the emotions he feels towards Mark. It turns out that raising a well-rounded son in a loving home with a supportive partner has actually led to a would-be intergalactic Hitler developing real feelings.
Now he’s gone haywire with frustration and mixed emotions. The plan was to have Mark by his side, as we see in the opening of season 2, where a version of them from across the multiverse conquered Earth together. As Angstrom Levy points out, the anomaly is Mark refusing Omni-Man’s hand – in most timelines, the son follows the father hook, line, and sinker.
This leads me to think the answer to Omni-Man’s destination should be rethought. It’s not a place; it’s a perspective. He’s gone to find some sort of equilibrium between who he is and who he wants to be. Does that mean someone else has to suffer his wrath? I don’t believe so because now that Omni-Man has realized there’s more gratification in the universe, he probably won’t find taking down other civilizations quite as validating.
Wherever he is, I don’t think he’ll be gone for long. Invincible and his father have unfinished business, and when that happens, expect some fireworks and probably more Viltrumites, too. You can watch Invincible on Amazon Prime Video using our free trial, where you’ll also find the best Amazon Prime movies, best Amazon Prime horror movies, and some of the best drama series too.