The following contains spoilers for the Invincible comics.
In the Invincible franchise, there have been many deaths. Some have been gory, others have been slow, patient burns. It’s expected in a series that ran for 144 issues. This is why fans are now locked in, emotionally connected to see how Prime Video continues to adapt the Image Comics book from Robert Kirkman and his team.
Interestingly, in a Reddit AMA, Ryan Ottley, one of the artists who drew the franchise, was asked which death hit home the hardest. He had an answer that might surprise some who didn’t catch up with the comics’ final issue. But for those who read the books, it makes perfect sense.
Ryan Ottley Was Crushed By Omni-Man’s Death
The Invincible Artist Revealed a Vulnerable Take On The Incident
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- Invincible was created by Robert Kirkman in 2003.
- Artists Ryan Ottley and Cory Walker have been tagged as co-creators.
- Ottley’s visual style has influenced the TV show; Walker is an executive producer.
Ottley admitted that it was difficult to draw Omni-Man’s passing. He said it was tough because he sat with these characters for so long. So much so that he considered them like family. Even when he drew Angstrom Levy attacking Mark’s mother, Debbie, there was immense pain. That came 100+ issues prior, so by the time Ottley got to Nolan’s death in Invincible #141, it stands to reason it would sting.
By this time, Nolan had fully embarked on his redemption. Omni-Man had become a hero, to say the least. “[…] Mark’s parents felt real at those times and I hated putting them through so much pain. I know, it’s silly, it’s lines on paper,” Ottley posted when asked which death stung most to sketch. “But to create those lines I have to go through the emotion of it all and put my anger and sadness on paper in hopes that the readers feel what me and Robert [Kirkman] want you to feel.”
That’s a very deep way of looking at it. It shows how creative teams pour their heart and soul into these characters. Nolan did have a flawed human journey in the series despite his Viltrumite blood. It might be that drawing a father, son, and someone who atoned for their sins in their dying moments resonated on a personal level for Ottley, who has done interiors for The Amazing Spider-Man, Hulk, and a Superman/Batman Annual in 2006.
How Did Omni-Man Die In Invincible?
Omni-Man Died In a Quiet, Sombre Manner
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Omni-Man died when General Thragg brought his new Viltrumites to Earth. Thragg wanted his children and soldiers to inherit this planet. It was about survival, as well as ego. Thragg hated that the Emperor’s blood flowed through Nolan and his son, Mark (aka Invincible). This was the DNA of Argall. Thragg was jealous and wanted the throne. It’s why he seized it years before once Thaedus launched his attack and created a civil war. Thaedus tried to stop the Viltrumites from committing more genocide, but he only created a power vacuum for Thrall to fill.
Nolan learned the error of his ways and decided that he needed to stand with Earth. He worked for years on steeling the planet up and the Coalition of Planets. He and Mark already had Viltrumite defectors join them. It resulted in a bloody battle in the depths of space. Sadly, as strong and powerful as Nolan was, Thragg was driven by rage and became the better warrior.
- Omni-Man died in Invincible #141 in 2018.
- It was written by Kirkman and drawn by Ottley.
- Mark Morales was the inker; Nathan Fairbairn colored; Rus Wooton did the lettering.
He punched through Nolan’s chest and split him open. Mark eventually killed Thragg in the sun, but after he recovered, he was broken, knowing his father wouldn’t survive. They did have a sentimental goodbye where Nolan admitted the damage done to his heart was too much to heal. He thanked Mark for showing him the light. Nolan fought out of Viltrumite incarceration when he abandoned the empire and came to Earth for this very reason. Mark was adamant that he got a second chance, whether it be as Debbie’s husband or a warrior that Cecil and the Global Defense Agency could use.
Nolan repaid that faith, working on his marriage again while finding allies and tools for Earth to use against the Viltrumites. Without his genetics, the first batch of Viltrumites wouldn’t have also aligned. As much as Nolan wanted to give Mark credit, Nolan was the anchor for this alliance. Alas, Nolan died in bed after begging Mark to lead a new era of unity between humans and the Viltrumites. For anyone who has lost a loved one, particularly a parent or grandparent, while sitting by their bedside, this would have been a tough read.
Mark cried, knowing he now had Nolan’s burden and crown on his head. But amid that destiny, he just wanted to make his father proud. As much as he made Omni-Man a better, well, man, the inverse applied. Mark wanted to live up to that legacy, right the wrongs of old, and show that his people could be better. This was Nolan’s dying wish. It became Mark’s ultimate dream.
How Did Omni-Man’s Legacy Live On In Invincible?
Omni-Man Motivated Invincible To Keep Creating a Cosmic Utopia
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With three issues left, Kirkman kept throwing obstacles at Mark. Robot kidnapped the hybrid children on the planet and tried to get the Viltrumites to leave. However, Mark took him down and ensured Earth remained home even to Thragg’s repentant army. As time passed, however, Mark knew there would always be tension. He took the Viltrumites away, along with his family: Atom Eve (his wife) and Terra (their daughter). No matter what, Mark had to live up to Nolan’s billing, so he thought they’d rove space for a bit.
Even when Terra became a hero and rebelled, Mark showed compassion. When the son he had with Anissa, Marky, became an impulsive hero, Mark showed empathy. He also kept the peace with Allen the Alien and the Coalition of Planets. He didn’t care that they had contingency plans to murder his species if they got out of control. Mark kept believing in a brighter tomorrow and the future his father wanted. Hope, inspiration, optimism and second chances were all he embodied.
By the time of his death, the people of Earth, the Coalition, and the Viltrumites all viewed Omni-Man as a war hero. They saw him as the catalyst to believe his alien race could be more than conquerors and destroyers.
These were themes that stood out in Nolan’s final words. Ottley’s sharp pencils and attention to detail played it all up, creating a sentimental death and a passing of the torch. It was clear Nolan left a signature on Mark in this last lesson. As Ottley imbued that warmth on those pages, readers knew it would last forever in Mark’s mind. Invincible ended with Mark continuing to eke out peace across the cosmos. He would live for thousands of years in the galaxy. So would his family, as Eve was more or less immortal.
Through it all, he wanted to keep honoring Omni-Man. And it came right down to that last will and testament that Ottley drew. Moments of anguish, agony and hindsight, all awash with tragedy and sympathy. It was ironic that such a ferocious warrior who slaughtered many graphically would perish in such a serene sequence. It was him and Mark alone. Debbie and Co. came in after. That sort of isolation seems to have hit Ottley more, too. It felt like a eulogy that everyone could relate to and a capstone for this remix of a dark Superman.
Invincible (TV Show)
An adult animated series based on the Skybound/Image comic about a teenager whose father is the most powerful superhero on the planet.
- Release Date
- March 26, 2021
- Cast
- Steven Yeun , J.K. Simmons , Sandra Oh , Zazie Beetz , Grey Griffin , Gillian Jacobs , Walton Goggins , Andrew Rannells , Kevin Michael Richardson
- Main Genre
- Superhero
- Creator
- Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley and Cory Walker
- Writers
- Robert Kirkman
- Streaming Service(s)
- Prime Video
