The central plot of Invincible follows Mark Grayson, a young superhero struggling to live up to his father’s example. After his old man reveals his intentions, Mark must learn to live down his father’s legacy. The maypole of the story exists in the middle of several dozen other superhero stories, many of which feature fascinating characters with long personal histories. Take the Immortal, the one member of the Guardians of the Globe who seemed to hold his own against Omni-Man.
Most heroes in Invincible are parodies or expropriations of well-known Marvel or DC characters. Robert Kirkman was rarely as blatant as the creators of The Boys, but the Guardians of the Globe are straightforward answers to the Justice League with Omni-Man in the Clark Kent role. Immortal is less obvious next to Martian Man, War Woman, or Red Rush, but his familiar presentation remains fascinating.
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What are the Immortal’s powers in Invincible?
The Immortal earned his name for his most notable superhuman ability. He can recover from almost any injury and does not age. The Immortal is more than 1,000 years old. He’s physically died countless times during his long life. If he’s killed, his unstoppable healing factor can resurrect him. Only separating his body parts can keep him incapacitated. Few forces on Earth can harm him. The Immortal doesn’t need to eat, sleep, drink, or breathe. No illness can infect him, nor can any traditional weapon injure him. Beyond the Immortal’s immortality, he’s almost as strong and fast as Omni-Man. He can break Mach-3 and toss foes into space. His power set is simple, but he outclasses most other heroes on Earth through physical might and millennia of experience. The Immortal mirrors Omni-Man’s relationship with humanity. Where Nolan Grayson is an alien pretending to be human, The Immortal embodies the species through the generations. He is among us, while Omni-Man seeks to be above.
What happens to the Immortal?
The Immortal was born more than 1,000 years ago. The show depicts his early days as a Celtic warrior without revealing further details about his first life. The Immortal later resurfaced as a knight, ostensibly using his power to defend the innocent from a position of power. He returned in the 1800s, taking the name Abraham Lincoln and becoming the 16th President of the United States. Sometime in the early 1900s, The Immortal became a costumed superhero, possibly one of the first of his kind. His story features several significant gaps, but The Immortal became the leader of the Guardians of the Globe, where he met Omni-Man.
The Immortal is the last Guardian of the Globe to die when Omni-Man betrays the heroes. His co-workers struggle to hold back the Viltrumite. The Immortal almost stands up to Nolan but fails alongside his allies. The Immortal is out of commission for several episodes. His brain is separated from his heart, leaving his healing factor unable to bring him back into the fight. The Mauler Twins resurrect him weeks later, intending to control him with a collar. He flies after Omni-Man in a near-psychotic rage. His second attack was no more successful. His efforts, with a loose kaiju and young Mark Grayson, fail. He’s left to regenerate again, returning after Omni-Man left the planet to lead the Guardians again.
The Immortal in Invincible Comics
The Immortal is distinctly similar to his TV show counterpart. He dies at Omni-Man’s hands after admitting to having always hated him. The comics add details to his backstory, implying he may have been Christopher Columbus and depicting him fighting in the American Revolution and World War I. He became a superhero in the 1930s, undergoing the same escalation before Omni-Man’s attack. He also returns, loses to Omni-Man again, and becomes the leader of the Guardians of the Globe. The comics feature an alternate timeline in which Mark warns the Guardians before Nolan attacks. That version of The Immortal still loses his heart and still survives. He will seemingly return under any circumstances. He outlines his philosophy in a conversation with Mark that hasn’t made it to the screen yet:
I’ve been around a long time. This world is stupid and messy and nonsensical…and it needs to stay that way.
The Immortal is a minor character in Invincible. His most notable moments in the series all involve being butchered by Omni-Man next to countless heroes and innocents. The endless good he may have done for the people of Earth goes unmentioned. The Immortal has a difficult personality. He rubs awkwardly against most of his co-workers. Even Omni-Man hated him. He’s the old pro, trying his best to do the right thing. His brief appearances in Invicible’s second season make him seem bitter and arrogant. The Immortal is a bizarre figure in the superhero side stories of Invincible, but the man who can’t die seems to spend more time in a grave than on the screen.
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