When Violence is Necessary

Violence is defined as the use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against a person, group, or community to cause physical injury, psychological harm, or property damage. Although the world sees “humanity” as a set of values that embraces empathy, care, and altruism, it can be argued to a great extent that the potential of committing acts of horrifying violence is also something ingrained in being a member of our species. Much of our history is populated with accounts of conflicts, disputes, duels, and abuses, all involving the core element of deliberately exercising our physical power to hurt or kill another party.

Yet, most of the superhero genre struggles to portray the reality and emotional weight burdened upon characters and individuals within their worlds. Although the worlds of idealistic peacekeepers, such as Superman and Captain America, create a sense of optimism and work to support our belief that innocent lives can be saved without taking any guilty ones, that is simply not the case. In Invincible, the comfort provided by past hero franchises is destroyed. Viewers are no longer observing men and women in capes flawlessly saving civilians from falling buildings, and managing to capture comically evil villains without causing any external harm. Rather, we are met with blood, tear-stained flesh, broken bones, and the lifelike carcasses that populate the Invincible’s runtime. The series focuses on the character of Mark, a half-human, half-viltrumite who struggles through the challenges of being a teenager whilst wrestling with his existence as a god-like being. In the first few episodes, we learn that Mark’s father, Nolan, is an alien from the planet Viltrum. A planet where the inhabitants are so powerful that they live thousand-year lifespans, do not require the use of weapons in warfare, and can create their own leverage, allowing them to move through physical space effortlessly.

An avid fan of comic books, Mark initially envisions superhero work to be clean and peaceful - an ideal that he later finds out to be a naive fantasy. During his first mission, Mark helps other heroes defend Earth against an invasion from another galaxy. The intensity of the battle and its carnage eventually stuns him into a frozen state of inaction, leading to the death of a multitude of civilians around him.

Over the seasons, the series shifts its focus from Mark’s development as a superhero to his struggle to manage his unmistakable dominion over the human race. This change is solidified at the end of Season 1, as the real intention of Nolan’s species is unraveled after Nolan single-handedly slaughters the entirety of the Guardians of the Globe, a Justice League-esque group within the show’s universe. Although appearing as a friendly agent whose mission is to ensure peace and tranquility on Earth, Mark’s father is revealed to be an advanced scout of the Viltrumite Empire, a fascist and supremacist regime whose goal is to spread its influence across the stars and conquer planets to facilitate the expansion of theViltrumites. The chaos that ensues leads to a direct encounter between Nolan and Mark, ending in Nolan’s abandonment of his family, fleeing into the stars as he could not bring himself to kill his only son. This fight, formally known as the Destruction of Chicago, leaves thousands of people dead in its wake, as well as causing immense destruction to the city and the surrounding region.

A scene in Season 1, Episode 8, still captures my memory every time I think of the series: Nolan holds an exhausted and defeated Mark up towards the path of an incoming underground train. As Mark’s hands flail about in desperation, the durability of his Viltrumite biology leads to the dismemberment and subsequent death of dozens of people on the train. This sequence demonstrates one aspect of violence: the raw, gritty, and determined acts of harm done by individuals in order to achieve their goals. Nolan’s lack of disturbance from his actions likely stems from childhood indoctrination and his upbringing. Viltrumite culture places a heavy emphasis on strength and survival - if an individual succumbs to disease or injury, it is deemed that they were never meant to be alive in the first place. This distorted view of power is exacerbated by senior members of their society to fuel a thirst for colonialism, expansion, and the belief that Viltrumites are at the apex of life in the universe.

Contrasting with this worldview, Mark was raised on Earth, where there exists varying cultures, values, and an overall emphasis on love, empathy, and learning to accept one’s weaknesses. As he grapples with the pressures of being the only individual capable of mustering a defence against an impending Viltrumite invasion, this distinctly human belief that one can protect their community without causing collateral damage manifests itself. In his missions, Mark originally employs deescalatory and non-lethal tactics to ensure that his enemies are not killed. As he helps his mother raise Oliver (his half-brother), Mark actively instills the sanctity of life when preparing Oliver for life as a super-powered being. Yet, Mark faces increasingly complex and persistent opposition, culminating in the rise of Angstrom Levy, a pacifist turned supervillain seeking  revenge after Mark unknowingly destroyed his project aimed to combine the knowledge of all his alternate variants in order to create a better world. As Angstrom is slowly driven insane by this, his resentment and hatred of Mark leads him to abduct Debby and Oliver and hold them captive. When Mark shows up, his rage, combined with his intense love for family, blinds his judgment - Mark beats Angstrom Levy into a bloody pulp and leaves him to die. Mark’s actions here are  a catalyst for a major internal ethical debate that ultimately leads him to decide that in order to protect those he loves and those who deserve to live an undisturbed existence, he would be willing to resort to the use of violence that he initially found so excessive.

The show’s representation of the human desire to protect and care for one’s loved ones primarily materializes in the form of Mark’s relationship with Atom Eve. Their bond evolves from a close friendship to a romantic connection. As the pair delves deeper into the intricacies of superhero life, Mark and Eve grow an intense love for each other. Eve is the tritagonist who serves as Mark’s emotional anchor, allowing him to express his unfiltered emotions and giving the audience a glimpse into his internal turmoil after each crisis. It is because of Eve’s importance to Mark’s life that he willingly adopts an entirely different philosophy to protecting humanity - in order to protect Eve, in order to continue to love her for all eternity. This helps us gain a better understanding that although eliminating the ‘no kill’ rule can be seen as a cold and analytical decision, many morally grey characters, similar to Mark, abandon their previous principles because of their dedication and compassion for other people in their lives. The decision to kill as an act of defense is almost always motivated by the importance of intimate connections, and an individual’s reliance on their support network and maintenance of their status quo.

Mark’s approach to the use of violence is an example of a different type of hero; one that understands that reality is not black and white, and in order for society to continue functioning normally, there are individuals who must take the necessary action to eliminate the threats that can plague humanity. Ultimately, Invincible argues that although ethical idealism is a noble and honorable pursuit, it is not a practical solution to safeguarding society - villains and criminals do not have an incentive to deescalate, and we are not accurate judges of the lengths they are willing to go to bring harm to people. Yes, it is correct to say that permitting groups to commit acts of violence, even if it is in the best interests of a community, can cause the rise of bias, uninformed decisions, and corruption that may very well turn the peacekeepers into the wrongdoers. Yet, Invincible does not argue for us to completely abandon our human ideals, but rather to incorporate them into a more realistic framework. When circumstances necessitate the taking of a life, the party responsible for the act must not shy away from the gravity of the death, and should acknowledge the value that the life gave to the world. We must not let our emotions cloud our thoughts, but we must also not let logic overshadow our innate empathetic and caring nature. Violence and love must be forced into coexistence in order to protect us from the evils inside and outside, no matter the cost, and no matter how paradoxical it is to hold both of these values so close to each other.