The Immortal Arc

Lore & Background

Despite his name suggesting invulnerability, The Immortal was ultimately felled by the overwhelming strength of a Viltrumite. During the infamous attack on the Guardians' headquarters, Omni-Man turned against Earth, and The Immortal perished alongside most of the team. His death marked a turning point for Invincible, highlighting that even the oldest heroes are not safe from cosmic threats.

In Their Own Story

The room was silent save for the hum of failing life support systems. Dust motes danced in the shafts of light piercing through the shattered ceiling. The Immortal stood amidst the wreckage, his ancient eyes reflecting a sorrow older than the city below. He did not fear death; he had seen empires rise and fall like tides. But as the Viltrumite descended from the smoke, fists clenched with cosmic power, he knew this was not an end of an era, but the beginning of a war.

Reader's Guide

The narrative begins with The Immortal's tenure as a Guardian, establishing his age and authority within the team. Invincible learns of him through flashbacks and the surviving members' memories. The climax occurs during Omni-Man's betrayal on Earth. The Guardians assemble to stop him, believing they can protect humanity from their own leader turned traitor. The Immortal confronts the overwhelming force directly. Resolution follows his death, which galvanizes Invincible's resolve. Long-term consequences include a shift in how heroes view invincibility and mortality, proving that age does not guarantee survival against superior power.

Did You Know?

• The Immortal was alive during the time of ancient civilizations before joining modern society.
• His death occurred simultaneously with the destruction of most original Guardians members.
• He possessed regenerative abilities but could be killed by sufficient physical trauma.

Origins and Early Heroism

Mark Grayson's journey begins as the seventeen-year-old son of Debbie and Nolan Grayson, the latter being Omni-Man, Earth's most powerful protector. When Mark's latent Viltrumite abilities finally manifest, he adopts the moniker Invincible to combat local crime, quickly distinguishing himself from typical teenage heroes. His early career is defined by his integration into the Teen Team, a group comprising Robot, Rex Splode, Dupli-Kate, and Atom Eve, with whom he forms deep bonds while learning the ropes of superheroics. Beyond Earth's atmosphere, Mark establishes contact with Allen the Alien, an agent representing the Coalition of Planets, an intergalactic organization dedicated to safeguarding worlds from existential threats. These initial years set the stage for a complex narrative where Mark must balance his human upbringing with his alien heritage. The series, created by Robert Kirkman and illustrated by Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley, ran for 144 issues between 2003 and 2018, establishing a rich universe that would eventually spawn numerous spin-offs and a highly successful animated adaptation on Amazon Prime Video.

The Omni-Man Betrayal

The narrative takes a devastating turn when Mark's father, Nolan, abruptly slaughters the Guardians of the Globe, Earth's premier superhero team. Initially believing his father is under external control, Mark's worldview shatters upon witnessing Nolan kill the resurrected Immortal on live television. In a harrowing confrontation, Nolan reveals his true mission: he was sent to conquer Earth for the Viltrumite Empire and attempts to recruit Mark as an ally. When Mark refuses, a cataclysmic battle ensues, resulting in thousands of civilian deaths and leaving Mark beaten near death. Despite his overwhelming power, Nolan is ultimately moved by Mark's love and the resilience of humanity, choosing to flee Earth rather than kill his son. This pivotal event forces Mark to confront the darker realities of his lineage while working with Global Defense Agency director Cecil Stedman to rebuild a new Guardians team from the ashes of the old.

Multiversal Threats and Revenge

Mark's life becomes increasingly complicated by the machinations of Angstrom Levy, a scientist capable of opening multiversal portals. After Mark inadvertently causes the deaths of Levy's alternate selves during an intervention, a disfigured and vengeful Levy vows retribution against Invincible. This animosity stems from the fact that in many other dimensions, Mark has sided with his father against humanity. Angstrom orchestrates attacks that send Mark through various universes to weaken him and severely injures Mark's mother, Debbie. Although Mark seemingly kills Angstrom in a fit of rage, he is horrified by his own actions. Later, it is revealed that Angstrom survived with the aid of the Technicians, returning to attack Earth with twenty evil alternate versions of Invincible. These multiversal conflicts force Mark to grapple with the consequences of his choices across different realities while protecting his family from those who seek to exploit dimensional rifts.

The Viltrumite Empire and Future

As Mark matures, he becomes deeply entangled in the politics of the Viltrumite Empire. His father Nolan is eventually captured by Viltrumites led by General Kregg, who appoints Mark as Earth's subjugator. However, Mark defies this order, returning home with his half-Viltrumite, half-Thraxan nephew, Oliver, whom Debbie names after the child's accelerated growth due to Thraxan DNA. The narrative expands to include Nolan's escape from a Viltrumite prison ship alongside Allen and Battle Beast, revealing that fewer than fifty pure-blooded Viltrumites remain following the Scourge Virus. Mark is warned by Anissa, another Viltrumite, of impending consequences for his defiance. Meanwhile, Cecil secretly retains the body of Conquest, a ruthless Viltrumite who attacked Earth, hoping to extract intelligence on how to stop the Empire. This era marks a shift from personal heroism to galactic warfare as Mark prepares to challenge the very empire he is part of.