"Where I Really Come From" is the eighth and final episode of the first season of Invincible, and the eighth episode of the show overall.
Synopsis[]
Mark must prove he's become the hero he's always wanted to be by stopping an unstoppable force.
Plot[]
Picking up from where the previous episode had left off, Immortal's bisected corpse drops to the ground. Mark stares at Immortal's remains and manages to piece together that it was indeed Nolan who had killed the Guardians of the Globe. Nolan attempts to de-escalate the situation and explain, only for Mark to attack him, believing Nolan to be controlled by some form of influence. Nolan distances himself from Mark and reveals that he is indeed acting of his own accord. Nolan then takes the time to explain the truth about him and Viltrum to Mark.
Where Nolan really comes from.
Nolan hadn't lied about Viltrum's existence but had lied to Mark about its true nature. He states that Viltrumites are a species of conquest and that they only became as strong and advanced as they are by weeding out and slaughtering the weakest among them. When only their strongest remained, they began to expand their empire to the stars, quickly conquering planet after planet. Planets that submitted would benefit from Viltrum's technological advancements, while those that resisted would be culled.
"We decided to make it the ONLY Empire in our Galaxy."
However, their forces began to thin after so long, making it more challenging to conquer more readily defended planets. As such, they elected to change their strategies. Select Viltrumite soldiers would be sent to planets marked for conquest and would whittle their defenses covertly. Nolan was chosen to do the very same for Earth. He had waited until Mark had demonstrated Viltrumite powers before setting the next stage of his plans into motion.
Despite Nolan's reassurance that it's for the greater good, Mark needs to take this information better. Mark cannot shake the callousness of Nolan's plans, believing himself to be another human to rule over had his powers never manifested, even calling Nolan's love of him and Debbie into question. Nolan continues trying to explain delicately how long Mark will live and how futile resisting the Earth's conquest is. Nolan then states that while he does love Debbie, he considers her a pet, a remark that sends Mark over the edge. Mark takes a firm stance against Nolan and vows to defend Earth from him and the rest of the Viltrumites. Nolan attempts one more time to talk his son down, but when it becomes clear that Mark will not change his mind, Nolan relents, and the two engage.
Mark engages Nolan, a fight he is truly unprepared for.
A brawl breaks out between them, with Nolan having the clear advantage from the get-go. All the while this is occurring, Cecil tracks the fight, which is broadcast in full view of himself, Debbie, and the New Guardians. Cecil orders the Guardians to remain at their headquarters, knowing well and damn well that Nolan will kill all of them if they interfere. The team objects, but both Rudy and Samson insist on following Cecil's command. Rudy hopes aloud that Mark will live up to the title of Invincible.
As the fight is taken to the sky, Cecil sends out jets in the hopes of distracting Nolan and enabling priceless seconds for Mark to gain the upper hand. Mark attempts to reason with his father, only to rebuff him. The jets arrive and target Nolan, dealing no damage to him whatsoever. Nolan takes his attention off Mark and retaliates, destroying one jet. Mark rushes to the pilot's aid, saving him from a fall to his death. The pilot expresses gratitude to Mark, only for Nolan to effortlessly crush the pilot's skull to illustrate how meaningless Mark's efforts are.
Mark is horrified at the destruction he caused when Nolan punched him.
Nolan continues to ridicule Mark's love of human life before punching him with such force that he causes an earthquake-level shockwave upon landing in the city streets. The results of the catastrophe traumatize Mark, who quickly rushes to the aid of the people in the building he had crashed through. He desperately tried to reassure the occupants of the building that everything was going to be okay. However, his stress, alongside the structure's sheer weight and faltering integrity, resulted in the whole thing collapsing. Standing amidst the rubble, Mark holds the severed arm of a mother whom he had attempted to save from the building.
Nolan's final attempt at demonstrating his ideals.
Nolan shows up, and the two argue once more. Nolan attempts to blame Mark's insubordination for the loss of so many civilian lives, mockingly asking how many more need to die before he gives in. Nolan goes on about the worthlessness of human life and, when asked if Debbie's life is just as worthless, coldly replies that it is. Debbie overhears this and begins to break down. Mark becomes enraged and attacks, accusing his father of lying, landing several blows, and catching Nolan off guard. Nolan quickly recovers, grabs Mark's arm, tells him for the first time in his son's life Nolan is telling the truth, and hurls Mark into the subway. He once again forced Mark to witness complete and total carnage by holding him in front of a moving train and allowing it to hit the both of them. The train is ripped in half, and the people inside are continually minced until Nolan stomps, sending the remaining cars careening in random directions. When the dust clears, Nolan caps the event off by squishing a civilian like a bug as he reaches for his unresponsive daughter.
The Guardians and Eve elect to disobey their orders and save lives.
Mark attempts to strike his father again, but Nolan does not buckle a second time. He remains unaffected by the strike and retaliates by launching Mark into the air and brutally pummeling the boy through the clouds. All the while he's doing this, he lectures Mark, coldly remarking that raising him as a human was a mistake and that the current battle is the beginning of his proper education as a Viltrumite.
Meanwhile, seeing an opening, Samson orders the Guardians to head into the city and aid civilians while Mark and Nolan are in the air. Rudy hesitates to disobey Cecil's orders, but Monster Girl reassures him that he's not just a robot anymore, pushing him to follow the others.
Nolan forces Mark underwater, nearly drowning the boy. Just as Mark begins losing consciousness, Nolan throws him into the side of a mountain before landing and dealing a punch so powerful that it causes an avalanche, destroying a small village nearby. Mark vows to stop his father, but Nolan beats him down, insistent on making Mark comply or killing him in the process. Nolan kneels over Mark and brutally batters him, all the while continuing his callous lecturing. However, when Nolan reals back to give the killing blow, he hesitates. As he stares at Mark's broken body, he has a flashback.
In a scene from Mark's childhood, Nolan and Debbie watch a young Mark play baseball. Debbie from the bleachers and Nolan standing off to the side. Debbie gently confronts Nolan about his antisocial behavior. Nolan sees the baseball game as pointless, but Debbie gently confides in him the significance of sharing such moments of happiness with his family. Nolan is, at first, resistant, but seeing the excitement and joy in Mark's eyes as he manages to hit the baseball triggers Nolan's fatherly instincts. He joins Debbie in excitedly cheering their son on as he rushes to home base. Mark succeeds in getting a home run and sprints to his parents. Nolan picks the boy up and proudly congratulates him.
"Why did you make me do this?"
Back in the present day, Nolan finds himself unable to kill his son despite everything he had said prior. Exhausted and unable to continue his physical assault, Nolan yells at Mark, who can do nothing but listen and weakly breathe. Nolan tries one final time to instill in Mark's mind how futile it is to save the humans. He asks Mark what he'll have in five hundred years after every human Mark presently knows will have died of old age or other causes. Mark weakly responds by saying he'd still have his father.
Nolan is horrified by what he's done.
The seemingly simple response resonates with Nolan. As the seconds pass, the gravity of his actions slowly dawns on him. He pulls himself to his feet and stares at his hands, drenched in his son's blood, before staring straight ahead as if in a trance. Mark weakly calls out to his father, causing Nolan to flinch and whimper. Nolan is washed over with pained emotions before immediately flying off, leaving Earth entirely. He begins crying as he exits the atmosphere, leaving a single tear floating in space.
Nolan weeps as he leaves earth.
Mark remains on the mountain, where Cecil sends a chopper to rescue him. During his rescue, it's revealed that William, Art, and Amber have all witnessed the events on the news and are devastated at the potential loss of their friend. The news reports go on to mention the extreme loss of life, only mitigated by the help of the Guardians and Atom Eve. The report expresses concern about what could have caused the attack, not knowing the true motives behind Nolan's actions.
Elsewhere, the Mauler Twins burn down their makeshift lab but are then apprehended by GDA agents. They briefly attempt to fight back; however, more GDA units appear, and realizing they're outnumbered, the two of them surrender. Mark recuperates in the GDA's medical bay for the next few weeks.
Mark eventually regains consciousness but is still severely injured. Debbie attempts to comfort him, but Mark is still so heartbroken by what happened that he can only cry. Debbie understands and leaves the room to give him space. The moment she leaves the room, however, she breaks down and cries, feeling the same heartbreak as her son. Cecil approaches, offering her and Mark a safety net by forging Nolan's death. Debbie is hesitant to receive the help, but Cecil insists, feeling he was somewhat to blame for what happened, as he didn't foresee Nolan's betrayal.
The Guardians eventually return to their headquarters, exhausted from their rescue efforts. As the group reflects on what happened, Rex eyes the last bloodstain from the original Guardians' murder. He grabs a rag and begins to clean it, only to be stopped by Samson, who proclaims that the team hasn't yet earned the right to do so. He's met with opposition not just from Rex but also from every member of the Guardians. Upon seeing them all willing to stand together, Samson smiles and relents. The whole group then works together to clean the bloodstain away.
Cecil promises to look after Debbie and Mark.
It has been weeks since anyone has seen Mark; William visits the Grayson household to try and find him, to no avail. He's met by Eve, who had arrived for the same reason. In the process, William inadvertently reveals he knows that Mark is Invincible before Eve tells him she knows as well. The two of them lament that they know nothing of Mark's status.
Having nearly recovered completely, Mark is awoken by Cecil, who commends his efforts. Mark wishes the whole thing was a dream, a sentiment Cecil openly shares. Cecil informs Mark that he's recovered well and will be released the next day. Mark pries gently for information about Nolan, but Cecil has none to give. Instead, Cecil gauges whether Mark is still capable of being Invincible. He informs Mark that Debbie heard everything, and though this infuriates Mark, Mark ultimately agrees it is for the best.
William unintentionally revealing Invincible's identity.
In all this, Cecil guides Mark into a seemingly white room. When pressed, Cecil reveals it to be a secret laboratory that projects light in a wavelength normal civilian eyes cannot see due to a chemical suppressant the GDA puts in civilian drinking water. The laboratory contains various weapon tests, a Martian head being dissected, and Immortal being reconstructed, though Mark can only see all of this momentarily. Cecil informs Mark that Nolan's flown far past the solar system, and his current whereabouts still need to be discovered. He asks Mark to return to duty as Invincible, but Mark is still hesitant.
Mark's friends visited him in order to see how he was doing.
Cecil returns Mark and Debbie to their home and promises to be available if they need anything. Once inside, Debbie excused herself to her room, stating she was tired. Mark stares at a picture of his father and, overcome by trauma, places the photo facedown. He offers to order pizza but discovers Debbie crying hysterically in bed. Mark closed her door and left her be. He goes to leave only to be greeted by Amber and, shortly after that, by Eve and William. The three agree to go out to eat.
Debbie visits Art, and they share some scotch as they reminisce and express their disbelief at Nolan's betrayal.
Mark catching up with his friends.
Mark's friends are enthusiastic about his return, but their prying about the fight with Nolan causes him increasing discomfort. After he asks them to stop, Cecil suddenly contacts him, who informs him that an entity is traveling towards Earth. Mark suits up and confronts the potential threat, while Eve reveals herself to be Atom Eve. Neither Amber nor William know who Atom Eve is by memory, much to her chagrin.
Mark exits the atmosphere, bracing himself for the worst, only to be met by Allen. Frantically, Allen informs Mark that a Viltrumite is living on Earth, something Mark is already aware of. He invites a confused Allen to sit down and chat, just like they did when they first met. Once Allen hears the whole story, he expresses concern that Earth may be in even greater danger now that Nolan has left his post. Allen finds it puzzling that Nolan, a Viltrumite, would abandon his duty, as it is uncharacteristic of their kind. He shares his sympathy for Mark, who has been left by his father, though Allen candidly admits that fatherhood is a complicated topic for him since he never knew his own father. Additionally, Allen explains that the Coalition would be interested in Mark, especially as they plan to lead a rebellion against the Viltrumite Empire. Despite the overwhelming state of affairs in the universe, Mark feels a sense of relief as he realizes that his personal struggles are part of a much larger cosmic event. With that, the two begin discussing their plans for the future. At one point, Mark mentions that he wants to finish high school, prompting Allen to question what high school is.
Cast[]
Starring[]
Featuring The Voices Of[]
- Zazie Beetz - Amber Justine Bennett
- Chris Diamantopoulos - Donald Ferguson (credit only)
- Walton Goggins - Cecil Stedman
- Grey Griffin - Amanda/Monster Girl (human form), Shrinking Rae
- Gillian Jacobs - Atom Eve
- Jason Mantzoukas - Rex Splode
- Malese Jow - Dupli-Kate
- Ross Marquand - Rudy
- Khary Payton - Black Samson
- Zachary Quinto - Robot (credit only)
- Andrew Rannells - William Clockwell
- Kevin Michael Richardson - Mauler Twins, Amanda/Monster Girl (monster)
- Seth Rogen - Allen the Alien
- Gary Anthony Williams - Newscaster, Umpire, Scientist
Trivia[]
Nolan confessing his true origins to Mark.
- This title "Where I Really Come From" is a reference to a line spoken by Omni-Man to Invincible in the beginning of Invincible Issue 11.
- The title is also said by Omni-Man at the start of the episode.
- This episode incorporates events from Invincible Issues 11, 12, and 13.
- After Immortal's attempt to blind him at the end of "We Need To Talk", Nolan's eyes remain bloodshot throughout the entirety of his appearance of the episode.
- The villainous Viltrumite, Conquest, has a cameo appearance during Nolan's explanation of who the Viltrumites really are, alongside General Kregg and Thula.
- The scene of Nolan yelling at Mark after having beaten him nearly to death has spawned a popular meme format titled simply "Think, Mark! Think!".
- It's worth noting that Nolan only says this in the comics. In the animated series, he simply says "Think,
- Mark!"
- The scene of Nolan watching Mark play baseball is an original scene from the series.
- Before Mark ends his conversation with Allen, a montage plays out, revealing the current status and plans of several characters in the series:
- Mars is being taken over by the Sequids, led by the mind-controlled astronaut that was left behind.
- The Mauler Twins are incarcerated. One gives a snide smirk to Pete, the guard that had his arm broken during the Twins' previous escape.
- The Flaxans are busy rebuilding their cities and planning another invasion on Earth, whilst seeking revenge on Nolan.
- A race of subterranean magma monsters pledge allegiance to a cackling Doc Seismic.
- Titan, along with Isotope, is confronted in his newly acquired office by Mister Liu.
- On an alien spaceship, two purple skinned guards are ambushed by Battle Beast.
- Cecil is overseeing the construction of an army of ReAnimen by D.A. Sinclair.
- This episode shows the Viltrumites invading Allen's home planet of Unopa. Allen later reveals to Mark that Unopa had been destroyed by the Viltrumites after his people had refused their conquerors' demands. To ensure their species survival, Allen's people began reproducing artificially and as a result, concepts such as parental relationships with their children is nonexistent, with Allen never even having met his father. In Nolan's flashback, he is among the invading Viltrumite forces and is lacking his current gray hair, meaning that he was younger at the time. Given that his people age much slower the older they get, able to live for thousands of years, it is implied that the invasion of Unopa must had happened centuries ago.
- A man that Titan spared was actually seen with his daughter before and during the incident in Chicago.
- Curt, an elderly man eating at the Beckwell Community Center, is among the passengers onboard the subway that Omni-Man destroys. He is seen reading a book, likely the same book that Amber had promised to lend/give to him during the events of the previous episode That Actually Hurt. Curt's fate is left ambiguous.
- The train station fight in the comics is entirely different, there is a lot causalities not shown on panel and Omni-Man forcing Mark to slam train at his face was not shown either.
- As was the Guardians watching the whole fight and helping the destruction after Chicago.
- In the comics Nolan was actually a leader of a small group of Viltrumites, before going to earth, but here he is shown to be elected to take over a planet.
- Following the previous episode, and this episode, many fans of the show expressed and reacted negatively upon Amber. Mostly how she reacted to Mark revealing his secret to her and the fact she knew for weeks, and many also found the idea of Mark quickly accepting her back without hesitation a very poor choice.
- Atom Eve reveals her secret identity to Will and Amber, who didn't know she was Atom Eve and mistook for Dupli-Kate.
- A statue of a man on Viltrum was seen before the Viltrumites slaughter each other, but it is unknown to tell if it was Argall, the original leader of the Viltrum empire from the comics or someone else.
- The song "Hate To Say I Told You So" is incorrectly titled as "Because I Wanna" in the Amazon subtitles.
- The scene of Nolan holding Mark in front of the oncoming subway car is referenced in Mortal Kombat 1 as one of Omni-Man's Fatalities. Unlike Mark, the victim of the assault does not survive.
- Following this episode, the show would no longer be animated by Wind Sky Entertainment, and starting in season 2, Skybound Entertainment along with Amazon MGM studios would animate the series.
- It is a common belief by fans that in this episode Nolan was incredibly close to convincing Mark to help him take over Earth, but threw those chances down the drain when he called Debbie a pet.
- Coincidentally, this is one of two times Steven Yeun (Mark's voice actor) voiced a character in an adult animated show who found out a shocking truth about his father in 2021. In Season 3, Episode 13 of Final Space, Little Cato, also voiced by Steven Yeun, discovers that Avocato is not actually his real dad, and in fact killed his biological parents.
- Earlier in Final Space as well, Little Cato had to shoot Avacato (similarly to how Mark tried to kill Nolan) after the villain Invictus possessed him and started using him to try to kill Little Cato and Gary, but that happened long before Invincible even came out.
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