The first three episodes of Invincible’s fourth season have landed, and to no one’s surprise, Nolan Grayson has taken a major role in the build-up to the Viltrumite War. With the previous season seeing Omniman teaming up with Allen the Alien after returning to the light side, the J.K. Simmons-voiced character has mostly stayed true to his comic book origins. However, the second episode of season four, titled “I’ll Give You The Grand Tour,” makes a major change to Nolan’s backstory, showing us far more of the Viltrumite society and how Omniman played a role in the race’s thirst for conquest.
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Warning. If you have yet to watch the first three episodes of Invincible season four, be forewarned that we’ll be diving into spoiler territory. At the start of episode two, viewers were given a new look into the Viltrumite Empire that hadn’t been featured in the original Skybound/Image comics. As a method for Viltrumites to enter adulthood, each member would have to fight their parents, with the mother and father doing everything they can to kill their own offspring. Such is the case with Nolan, as we get to see his parents for the very first time, as they were never revealed in the comics proper. Luckily, if you want to check out this scene for yourself, Amazon has shared the clip online to watch at your leisure.
The Viltrumite Empire’s Dark Secret
While this flashback gave us a good idea of how the Viltrumite Empire operates, giving each member of its society a personal test like no other, the real meat of this scene from the past is the “Scourge Virus.” Unleashed upon the alien race, the virus eradicated nearly all of the Viltrumites, with few escaping the ravages of the biological assault. Even with the empire ravaged by the virus, the few dozen remaining powerhouses are still causing major problems for the Coalition of Planets, as Nolan looks to assemble a team to help defeat his former allies once and for all.
This new look into Viltrum’s past is far from the only thing that the Invincible animated series will change from the comics. Series creator Robert Kirkman, who also plays a significant role in creating the Amazon show, has stated in the past that a brand new storyline will be a part of season four. As teased in the season three finale, Damien Darkblood has a problem on his hands in the depths of the underworld, and this head-scratcher is set to be Mark’s problem as well. In the Skybound/Image comics, Damien held a far less significant role, but Kirkman has stated he has been aiming to change that in the animated series. While said arc has yet to take place in the first three episodes, fans should prepare themselves to witness a hellish endeavor completely original to the show.
What do you think of Nolan’s new backstory that wasn’t shown in the comics? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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Screenshots from Samurai Showdown, Mortal Kombat II, and Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes.
