Invincible’s Comic Actually Explains Why Mark Doesn’t Have a Mustache

If you’re an Invincible fan, chances are you’ve had the same question almost everyone wonders yet no one seems to have an answer to: Why is it that all the male Viltrumites have mustaches except for Mark Grayson? From his father’s incredibly full mustache to the push broom on Grand Regent Thragg’s upper lip, everyone who has the ability to grow a mustache has one, always neatly trimmed and impeccable. So why is it that Mark doesn’t have one? He’s a Viltrumite, arguably one of the strongest of his kind, yet he lacks any sort of facial flair.

To be fair, Mark is only half-Viltrumite, and much of the story is about him reconciling his connection to an incredibly violent and warlike empire. Even so, we see Oliver, Mark’s half-brother, grow up to adopt the Viltrum Empire’s standard look while his sibling continues to present clean-shaven. The Viltrumites and their mustaches aren’t exactly a focal point of the series, but they are something fans noticed, and at the tail end of the comic, we finally get an answer for why Mark doesn’t have a mustache and what that choice means for him.

Invincible Sees Mustaches as a Symbol of the Viltrum Empire’s Past

Invincible #144 by Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, Cory Walker, Mark Morales, and Rus Wooton is the final issue of the series, and it’s a whopper. With Omni-Man having passed away after the final battle with Thragg, Mark has assumed a new role as the leader of the Viltrum Empire. He tells his son Marky everything about their people, from their violent history to the massive changes that have occurred because of Invincible and everyone else’s hard work and sacrifice. With his goodbyes said to his family, Mark heads into space to lead his people into a new era.

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This issue treats fans to flashes of the future. New teams, new enemies, new threats. Years pass by and the world continues to grow and change, as does the Viltrum Empire under Mark’s rule. The people accept him as a kind and benevolent ruler, and one day, Mark decides to address his people to talk about something unexpected: His lack of a mustache. Mark reveals that this is something many people have wondered about him, so he tells the Viltrumites assembled that he’s always seen mustaches as a symbol of their homeworld, Viltrum.

Viltrum, of course, has been gone for years at this point, destroyed by Mark, his father, and Thaedus. Mark notes that this all came at a period where the Viltrum Empire was fractured, but things have changed for the better. Mark, wanting to keep that change going, has decided to eschew ever growing a mustache. He claims that the old ways died with Viltrum and that no one should have to keep doing things the way they’d always been done. To Mark, his cleanly-shaven face is a way to honor the peace the Viltrum Empire now stands for.

Invincible’s Lack of a ‘Stache is Meant to Break the Cycle

I know it seems silly that the comic would even focus on this, but I mean, it’s kind of an odd detail to never bring up, right? Literally every male Viltrumite character aside from Mark (even the background ones) has a mustache. But as much as Mark embraces the Viltrumite parts of him, his powers, his people, his society, he never opts to try a mustache. We did get a funny gag in the animated series fourth season that revealed Mark seemingly can’t grow a mustache. But Invincible choosing not to have a mustache makes way more of an impact.

Invincible is a story that explores a lot of themes, from the relationship between parents and children to the true cost of heroism. And among these themes is the idea of change. Can we become better people, can we make the world a better place? Invincible takes the optimistic approach and says that yes, change is indeed possible. But it requires breaking away from the patterns that keep us stuck in the cycle. For the Viltrum Empire to be the people they need to become, they must shed their old ways (and their mustaches).

Mark was born outside of the Viltrum Empire and had the benefit of being able to question it’s traditions. He never felt that he had to embrace their cruelty or their sense of uniformity. And as their leader, Mark gets to be the change he wishes to see for the Viltrum Empire. His lack of a mustache isn’t just a grooming choice, it’s a symbol that the Viltrumites are free to be more than what they were indoctrinated to be. Invincible doesn’t need a mustache, because his lack of one says so much more.

What do you think about Invincible and his lack of facial hair? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!