One of the reasons Invincible is so great is because of its hyper violence and gore. But it’s not gratuitous. The violence is something very much a part of the story.
How the brutality, the murders, and the killing impact the naive and idealistic hero, Invincible himself.
One of the ways the story is so effective is by combining brutal violence and cruelty from an unexpected source: the hero’s father. While every good story from Darth Vader in Star Wars to Kylo Ren in—new Star Wars, I guess— has had great redemption arcs.
The few glimpses we have gotten thus far in Invincible Season 3 of Omni-Man seem to tease a similar fate for the main antagonist of this series.
*Please note that following will contain major spoilers for Invincible Season 3, which is currently streaming on Prime Video.
Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons) was basically the main villain of Invincible Season 1. The twist of the big bad being the hero’s father and the brutal way that he beats down his own son in the season 1 finale was heartbreaking.
Even the final reveal when Omni-Man basically lays out his plan to conquer Earth and how his wife and son mean nothing to him but pawns in his conquest. It was such an earth-shattering reveal that it kind of informed the show’s story for the next two seasons, it seems.
Invincible Season 3 Hints at Omni-Man Redemption
While Season 2 briefly touched upon Omni-Man’s weird change of heart, it was more about his son, Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun), and how he battles with the change in this status quo. Not just in his home life and relationship with his father, but also as the superhero Invincible and the impact on the universe as a whole.
So when Invincible Season 3’s Omni-Man is coming off as kind of sympathetic, it seems to be hinting at a redemption arc, especially with the ending of Invincible Season 3 Episode 4, where Omni-Man actively sides with Allen the Alien against his own people, saving Allen’s and killing another Viltrumite.
Now, full disclosure: I haven’t read the Invincible comic book series, so I’m focuing on the events and story arcs set up in the Invincible series on Prime Video.
Currently in Invincible Season 3, Omni-Man is hanging out with Allen (Seth Rogen), after breaking out of a Viltrumite prison together, where he was awaiting execution for abandoning his post on Earth. Before the breakout, Allen, there to rescue Omni-Man to help in the fight against the Viltrumites, seemed to wear him down.
During their conversations, Omni-Man behaves in a way that can only be described as: remorseful. The cliffhanger ending of Invincible Season 3 Episode 1 was him declaring that he missed his wife.
After his comments about her being a pet in the Season 1 finale, it’s a little upsetting. And trust me, of all the things to have an emotional reaction to, I’m just as surprised as you that this is my breaking point.
Omni-Man Redemption Began in Invincible Season 2
But despite my reaction, this Omni-Man redemption technically began in Season 2. His wandering through space and about to end his own life in a black hole was the first sign of his guilt over almost killing his own son in Season 1.
Finding new purpose and a new family with the Thraxans, Omni-Man’s second life was brutally ended when the Viltrumites found and killed everyone. That’s a pretty traumatizing few months. For anyone.
So it’s quite possible that, while Viltrumites are physically indestructible, maybe their emotional state is not as invincible? (ha!)
Clearly, his time on Earth, his long and loving marriage to Debbie (Sandra Oh), and his becoming a father to Mark had some impact on Omni-Man.
While he hasn’t articulated any thoughts of guilt, regret, or apology, it feels like Invincible Season 3 is heading there. Only a few episodes in, it feels like we are headed for an Omni-Man redemption. It’s likely only a matter of time before he goes from villain to hero.
Should There Be Limits to a Character’s Redemption?
While I trust creators Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, Ryan Ottley, and writer Simon Racioppa to take us there in a way that makes sense and will probably be emotionally gut-wrenching, I can’t help but wonder if Omni-Man even deserves to be redeemed.
Omni-Man’s only hint of humanity thus far in over 2 seasons of this series has been to not brutally murder his own teenage son with his bare hands. Which, by no means, should be the bar that we hold a redeemable character to.
Omni-Man is basically a genocidal warrior, who committed his life to a mission of slaughter and conquest. The fact that in his spare time, he was a decent father to Mark and a good husband to Debby, doesn’t feel like it’s enough to wipe that slate clean.
Everyone Loves a Redemption Arc
This wouldn’t be the first time a reprehensible villain has been redeemed… and we actively supported it. In pop culture, we have gotten redemption arcs for characters who have killed children in temples or killed their own defenseless father.
But is there a line to which certain characters are held? How far is too far before we can turn around and start rooting for them instead of against them?
Despite these concerns, I trust the Invincible writing team enough to know that they can make an Omni-Man redemption work. So far, the writing of the show has been so groundbreaking, sometimes subverting expectations or playing right into them, that I’m excited to see where they take Omni-Man’s arc in the show.
Given how meta they like to get, these concerns may even be folded into the narrative, void by a character within the show. In any case, we’ll have to wait as Season 3 unfolds to see where Omni-Man’s story goes.
How do you feel about an Omni-Man redemption in Invincible Season 3? Let me know in the comments below, and follow me on X (formerly Twitter) for more Invincible discussion.
Invincible is available for streaming on Prime Video.
Follow us on X and on Instagram!
Like us on Facebook!
Shah Shahid
Entertainment Journalist. Movie & TV Critic. Bollywood Blogger. Proud Geek Girl Dad. Lover of all the Stars(Trek/Wars/Gate) and everything in between.
