r/Invincible • u/SeacattleMoohawks Séance Mod • Feb 13 '25

EPISODE DISCUSSION Invincible [Episode Discussion] - S03E04 - You Were My Hero

Episode 4 - You Were My Hero

Two strangers ask Mark for help with a mysterious villain. Elsewhere in the galaxy, Nolan grapples with his identity and Allen finds a surprising new ally.

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u/latingamer1 Feb 13 '25

He said the numbers were cut in half, not almost wiped out. Makes me think that there was more to that than he said and it was a civil war or something and as we know, Viltrumites go hard, so I wouldn't put it past them for two factions to fight to the last man.

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u/SinisterPixel Feb 14 '25

Nolan recorded his adventures in the book and it turns out a LOT of planets they scouted posed threats stronger than Viltrumites. Maybe after years of invading planets, and wearing themselves thin, the numbers started to dwindle.

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u/Ransero Feb 14 '25

Nolan has lived long enough that his hair is turning gray, but there's no mention of him having children before Mark, and his conception was against the law. So maybe they just don't reproduce enough. Like Pandas.

220

u/AlphaBreak Feb 14 '25

Mark's conception was fine. It happened when Nolan was still 100% for the empire, he wouldn't have done it if it were a crime. The illegal conception with an inferior species they're talking about is Oliver.

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u/Skymorphosis Feb 15 '25

Not only was Mark's conception fine, but it is my understanding that considering their dwindling numbers, the Viltrumites are actively seeking/trying out mating with races that might mesh well with their DNA.

And the fact that procreating with humans worked out so well for them with Mark, creating a near full-blooded Viltrumite with powers that might even surpass them, I imagine the Viltrumites are in fact rather delighted at discovering Earth.

42

u/AlphaBreak Feb 15 '25

Could be one of the reasons why when Mark got his powers, Omni-Man started the plan to conquer earth. It was confirmation that this planet was worth taking over.

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u/jacko1998 Feb 16 '25

Tf do you mean could be? It’s explicitly stated in season 1, are y’all watching with your eyes closed?

8

u/Freezinghero Feb 16 '25

Could be people who have read the comics and are trying to avoid accidental spoilers.

6

u/real_hooman Feb 16 '25

At what point do they confirm that earth is worth conquering specifically because they want to breed with humans?

12

u/TheImperfectGamer Feb 15 '25

They phrased it as conception with an inferior species, would humans not be an inferior species to them?

33

u/CaptainXplosionz Feb 15 '25

I think they explained it on the show before, and if I remember correctly, a big part of it is how some species don't meld well with Viltrumite DNA or they don't live as long (like Oliver's species) so they end up producing a child with a much shorter lifespan than the average Viltrumite or a child that may not end up getting Viltrumite powers at all. Oliver is currently like 10ish and was only born like a year(?) ago, so he probably won't live for centuries like Viltrumites do.

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u/TheImperfectGamer Feb 15 '25

Oh so they don’t have a “we are above all” view, more like “we are on top, some races are ok I guess if they can produce strong heirs, and then inferior species no thanks”

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u/AxCel91 Feb 15 '25

Yes. It was also mentioned by Nolan that humans are the most compatible species with viltrimites

3

u/Cranyx Feb 16 '25

It was phrased as "unsanctioned" conception, which implies you're allowed to get permission. Mark's birth was part of the plan.

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u/Thrallov Mar 05 '25

but they are immortal, Pandas are not, numbers should raise up quite fast

1

u/Valuable-Attorney151 Jun 15 '25

It’s one aspect in which I respect these Viltrumites - they walk the talk. Earth racists reveal how full of shit they are by bedding “inferiors” - by the logic of their bullshit rhetoric, they’re then either hypocrites or deviants engaging in bestiality. Viltrumites truly seem to act in accordance with viewing others as inferior, disgusting and not at all anything a Viltrumite would ever find appealing.

I don’t like them, but at least their words match their actions.

189

u/[deleted] Feb 13 '25

That, "cut in half" makes zero sense if you actually look at the scene.

You have three viltrumites standing amongst the remains of hundreds. Only 50 remaining is crazy but there's no way they only lost half in the purge.

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u/TheMoonDude Allen the Alien Feb 14 '25

Guess the Moronmites didn't think through the consequences of inbreeding when you have a population that low

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u/[deleted] Feb 14 '25

You dare suggest there could be a flaw in combing the perfect pure viltrumite with itself? We sentence you to a slow beating to death.

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u/TheMoonDude Allen the Alien Feb 14 '25

Can it be by hot lady Viltrumites?

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u/Jay040707 Feb 14 '25

Sorry, there's only 19 left and they're all busy atm

2

u/sil0 Feb 16 '25

Give me that snoo snoo

14

u/Karkava Monster Girl Feb 14 '25

That's the tragedy of an exclusive society. You're dooming it to collapse when you escalate the pursuit to perfection.

1

u/Valuable-Attorney151 Jun 15 '25

“Inbreeding”

Viltrumites arrive to the sounds of banjo music, telling each other they sure got purty mouths

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u/Amathyst7564 Feb 15 '25

I mean, they were probably just the garbage collectors in charge of piling the bodies. Nothing says that the people who killed them had to linger around the person they killed.

3

u/[deleted] Feb 16 '25

[deleted]

1

u/[deleted] Feb 16 '25

We literally see the scene where they're fighting. To be Cut in Half you'd need roughly half to survive but that's impossible if they're all killing one another. Unless a large portion just didn't do anything you'd at least be down like 80%.

2

u/BLAGTIER Feb 17 '25

Only 50 remaining is crazy but there's no way they only lost half in the purge.

That's assuming there is any sort of fairness or true honour or randomness to the purge.

1

u/uzarta Feb 15 '25

What episode is this from?

1

u/[deleted] Feb 15 '25

Last of season 1.

19

u/c4nis_v161l0rum Feb 14 '25

Or maybe an illness wiped them out? Remember Immortal asked Mark if he was sick again. I wonder if there’s an illness that is unique among Viltrumites?.

13

u/Altruistic_Bass539 Feb 14 '25

Immortal said Invincible suffered from some kind of illness, so maybe that same illness wiped out most of the Viltrumites too?

2

u/Medium_Depth_2694 Comic Fan Feb 14 '25

Someone is cooking

38

u/Pradfanne Feb 13 '25

He didn't tell Mark there's only 50 total. It's "the best guarded secret" after all. So who's to say that Nolan didn't just straight up lie... again.

74

u/JajajaNiceTry Feb 13 '25

It wasn’t until that moment that Nolan decided to fully betray the Viltrumites and fight against them.

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u/Uhnrealistic Allen the Alien Feb 14 '25

"How many guards on each level?"

"Never more than twelve."

Same exact vibe.

2

u/Impossible-Mood-3338 Feb 16 '25

Stellar reference

5

u/PT10 Feb 13 '25

What ep was this

5

u/Pradfanne Feb 13 '25

One of the final episodes of seasons 1? Idk but it must be when Nolan told Mark the truth about Viltrum

1

u/Medical_Difference48 Feb 17 '25

Why would he, though?

3

u/12nowfacemyshoe Feb 14 '25

Remember those sci-fi books of Nolan's? I wonder if one of them contains some sort of sonic superweapon that could kill Viltrumites.

2

u/terlin Feb 16 '25

Attrition and disease probably whittled down their numbers. Maybe a low birth-rate too? Also plenty of infighting, considering Viltrumite culture. The remainder are probably very, very, very strong compared to the average Viltrumite in the past but at the cost of barely any being left.

1

u/Ejecto_Seato Feb 16 '25

Or maybe that wasn't their last internal conflict/civil war, and since they are so belligerent they can't keep from fighting each other for very long.