Omni-Man vs Mark: How Invincible Changed One of Its Best Fights For TV
One of the most shocking moments in season one of Invincible was the grand finale, which showed a fight between Mark and his father, Omni-Man. Despite Mark's best attempts, he was brutally beaten and barely managed to survive the encounter. But the entire conflict wasfar different in the original Invincible comics by Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley.
In the TV show, the major turning point in Mark's life is when it's discovered that his father, Nolan, killed the Guardians of the Globe. Seeing that it's time to shed his human identity and reveal himself as a Viltrumite, Nolan takes off to find Mark, all while being heavily pursued by the GDA.
Nolan has to fight through an orbital laser, reanimen, and even has a confrontation with Cecil himself before he finally makes contact with Mark. It's here that Nolan tries to convince Mark to side with him and take over the Earth, but Mark refuses him, leading to a very bloody fight.
Omni-Man's Confrontation with Mark Was Much More Subdued in the Comics
Invincible #12 by Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, and Bill Crabtree
The big difference between the Invincible TV show and the comic was mostly that some peopleactually figured out who Nolan was in the TV show,leading to the abrutal tear through of the planet as he searched for Mark. This change was likely due to having a better lead-up, especially since if there are going to be a lot of side characters in a TV show, it's usually best for them to be involved in the finale somehow. Whereas in the comic, Nolan approached Mark alone, with no one else having figured out who he was yet.
Forget Omni-Man, Invincible's Worst Character Isn't the Person You'd Expect
The worst villain in Invincible isn't Omni-Man, or any other maniacal super-powered mastermind. The truth is, he's not even the worst father.
Nolan's confrontation with Mark was a lot softer, with the comic portraying it as mostly being an inner conflict for Nolan. Nolan knew that he had to bring Mark into the Viltrumite empire, but he just wasn't sure how to go about it. While a fight does break out between the two, it's far less brutal than in the TV show. The TV version of Nolan seems to intentionally try to cause as much chaos and death as possible to prove a point to Mark, but that's not the case in the comic. The comic doesn't even have the famous subway scene, for example.
The Invincible TV Show Made Nolan Far More Villain-Like
And It Just Might Work Better Than the Comic Version
The ending plays out roughly the same, with Mark and Nolan battling one another, the fight culminating on top of a mountain. The conversation between Mark and Nolan here is, again, roughly the same as in the comic; the TV show adapted it very faithfully. The only major difference is, in the TV show, Nolan is much more brutal, punching his son several times while on the mountain, while he only punches him twice in the comic. This change was likely because in the comic Nolan was presented as more of a conflicted and tragic figure, while in the TV show, he was an outright villain.
It really does make more sense that Nolan would be given a more villainous and brutal personality.
There's a lot that has changed between the Invincible TV show and the original comic. Most of the changes are for the best, and others are up to personal preference. But in the case of Nolan's confrontation with Mark, it really does make more sense that Nolan would be given a more villainous and brutal personality. Not only does it make for a harsher confrontation, but it also means that his eventual redemption will feel that much better. Kirkman has improved Invincible a lot through the TV adaption, and this iconic fight is just another in a long list of changes.
Invincible #12 is available now from Image Comics, and Invincible is now streaming on Amazon Prime!
- Created by
- Robert Kirkman
- First TV Show
- Invincible
- Cast
- Steven Yeun, Sandra Oh, J.K. Simmons, Gillian Jacobs, Andrew Rannells
- Video Game(s)
- Invincible: Guarding the Globe
Invincible is a multimedia franchise that began with the graphic novel series by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley. The series follows Mark Grayson, the son of Earth's strongest hero, Omni-Man, as he enters into his powers at the cusp of adulthood. A television adaptation began in 2021 and retells the core story of the comics while fleshing it out and expanding on characters and concepts introduced in the medium.
