Mark Grayson had always known he was meant for great things.
As far back as he could remember, and long before that, his father had described in great detail the life he had in store for him. A life in which he helped him conquer every other world in existence in the name of the Viltrumite Empire. Their names would be remembered for all eternity, and they would live nearly long enough to see it.
In his earliest memories, he felt his father's arms around him as he carried him through the sky.
"One day, you'll fly on your own and know boundless freedom."
Mark got to see the entire world this way, and couldn't wait until he could do this on his own. And not just that, but one day he would become stronger than everyone around him. Nothing would be able to hurt him, no one would be able to stop him. All he had to do was wait a few years, and then he would finally have the life he deserved.
Dreaming of gaining powers of his own, he would watch his father easily defeat all the bad guys on TV. His mother would at times have to try to hide her worry when one of his enemies seemed to have the upper hand over him, but Mark never feared for him. No one could take down his father, no one was stronger than him. And sure enough, Nolan Grayson always came out on top and returned home with a smile on his face.
When he was very little, he had been confused to see his father waste everyone's time by saving lives and bettering the planet. Nolan had explained that he had to gain their trust, and he had to play nice until Mark's abilities developed so they could take over the planet together.
"After all, you don't want me to start without you, do you?" Nolan had asked.
Mark most certainly did not. This was their true, shared purpose. They were destined to fulfill it as father and son. But in the meantime, it meant that they had to blend in with the creatures of this world. The inhabitants looked like him and his father, but were nothing at all like them. The fact that their appearances were so similar was useful for the mission, but otherwise, it was a disgrace that such a lowly, pathetic species resembled them so closely.
Humanity was weak and fragile. At their worst, they were filthy animals who tore each other apart for nothing and reveled in it. At their best, they lived such short, meaningless lives that they served very little purpose in the grand scheme of things. Either way, they were unaware of how insignificant they were or they refused to see it. But that would change. Nolan would break them down in order to build them up into something better, allowing them to finally reach their true potential. And one day, Mark would join him in that pursuit.
He dreamed of one day seeing Viltrum for himself. His father had painted a glorious mental picture of it for him, but he knew it could not compare to the real thing. When the time came, he would meet his true people and become a part of their perfect society. He would prove himself to them and further their cause, making it clear that although he possessed human DNA, it didn't change a thing about his true lineage. One day he would join Viltrum. One day he would finally find his true home.
Nolan had worked endlessly to prepare him for this. He kept Mark out of school and taught him himself, instilling the vast, incredible wealth of Viltrumite knowledge within him. He had trained him in combat from the day he could walk, molding him into a fierce warrior that would one day be unstoppable. And most importantly, he had kept him separated from humanity so that they could not taint him or corrupt him in any way.
There had been times in his childhood when he had seen other kids playing outside, and he had been tempted to join them in their games. But his father had always helped him regain perspective.
"I understand why you want to join those children, and I know you feel lonely at times," he would say. "But you must remember that you and I are different from them, and that they're inferior to us. I have no choice but to engage with the humans for the good of the mission, but you must not stoop to their level. Not only would it be a waste of time, but it would be detrimental to your growth and training."
That was difficult to understand when he was little, but every year he understood more and more of his father's mission and he accepted it wholeheartedly.
The Viltrumite cause required sacrifices. Living an isolated life was one of them, but the sacrifice of his mother hurt more than any other.
Nolan had done what he could to keep her in the dark as long as possible, and had instructed Mark to do the same. He came up with excuses for why Mark couldn't go to school and make friends, but she was a smart woman and so the excuses didn't work for very long. She never found out exactly what Nolan's true purpose was, but she came close enough and so he'd had to take drastic measures.
Debbie was never the same after what he did to her brain. He explained to Mark that she had undergone surgery that would erase her anxieties and make her happy again, but the six year old boy could clearly see that that was not the case. She never smiled again, and she grew listless and forgetful. She spoke less and less, until she finally went completely silent. She lost the ability to function on her own and people on the outside started to wonder about her, so before a year had passed since the "surgery," Debbie tragically passed away. It was necessary, Mark knew it was and never questioned his father about it, but he still grieved for her. On the rare occasions when he left the house, he always took time to visit her grave.
Nolan doubled down on Mark's training after that, relentlessly pushing him to grow stronger and to become what he was meant to be. His powers could manifest at any time, so it was imperative that he be ready for them.
Years dragged by in this way, with Mark endlessly preparing himself but with no results. Nolan wasn't worried at first, assuring him that he was just a late bloomer and that his powers would be all the greater for the time he had to wait for them. Mark often tried to force them to emerge in secret, knowing his father wouldn't approve. He would sneak out at night and intentionally put himself in perilous situations, hoping fear and adrenaline would spark them. Jumping off roofs, coming close to getting hit by cars, and even letting himself get mugged were just a few methods he tried, but nothing worked.
Late into his teen years, Nolan seemed to have the same idea, only he took it to greater extremes. He dropped Mark off cliffs and put him in the path of raging volcanoes and ferocious hurricanes. He made him endure blistering heat and frigid cold, while going without food and water. He made him face the most dangerous places he knew of in the galaxy, and brought him face to face with bloodthirsty monsters. He never let Mark get too seriously hurt, though there were some occasions where he seemed to consider not coming to the rescue. He also fed his son various elixirs and strange concoctions from other planets, and he used technology from these places to try to trigger his abilities. None of these methods worked either; they either hurt him or made him sick, or they had no effect at all. Nolan tried to mask his frustration and disappointment, but Mark could always see it and he despised himself for it.
His eighteenth birthday had come and gone. Nolan had told him many times that even the latest blooming Viltrumites always got their powers by then. Mark had grown all the more desperate and pushed himself to his most extreme limits, landing himself in the hospital more than once. But in spite of his efforts, his eighteenth year had ended just a few days previously. He was nineteen years old now, it was clear that his powers would never come. Even so, he still spent each day trying to make them emerge, refusing to admit defeat.
Nolan had disappeared the day before his birthday. Mark had at first assumed he had left on Omni-Man business, but there was nothing on the news about him being in any heroic battles. That is, until the day came when it was announced that the Guardians of the Globe had been slaughtered.
Mark watched the broadcast in utter shock, refusing to believe what he was seeing for himself. He had known about this part of the plan for years, they had discussed it at length many times. But it wasn't supposed to happen until after his powers manifested. They were supposed to do this together, so why would Nolan go ahead without him? How could he betray him?
Nolan didn't stop there. He struck all over the world, targeting major cities but causing massive destruction everywhere. Governments and superheroes from around the globe united to try to stop him, but were utterly powerless to do anything. The world lost what semblance of peace it had as it fell to Nolan Grayson and became gripped by fear.
Mark had to find a way to reach out to his father, he had to prove that Nolan hadn't given up on him. Nolan would not return home, and he had no way to get a message to him. He could think of only way to get his attention, and he didn't know how his father would react. But he had to try something.
He put together a costume of his own, knowing it didn't look legit like Nolan's but hoping it would be good enough. He wore it as he walked out onto the mostly intact streets surrounding the house. He went into the city and up to the roof of the tallest building still standing, and from there announced his new identity for anyone listening.
"I am Invincible!" he cried out, trying to sound confident while feeling incredibly anxious and awkward. "I am a Viltrumite, son of Omni-Man! He and I will rule together!"
He didn't get much attention, given that most people were barricaded in their homes and everyone else had more important things to worry about. Mark had expected this, and had prepared himself for the long haul. He brought a sleeping bag and a pack of supplies to tide him over. He kept it up at all hours of the day for nearly a week, trying not to lose hope.
When he finally saw his father flying toward him, he felt a surge of relief. That is, until he saw the look of anger on his face. Without a word, Nolan grabbed him up and carried him out of the city.
"Why haven't you been back?" Mark asked. "Why did I have to pull that stunt to get your attention?"
Nolan continued to say nothing, until they had reached the peak of a tall, snowy mountain. It was freezing, but Mark tried his best not to show how it affected him. He couldn't stop himself from shivering, in spite of his efforts. Unaffected by the cold, Nolan glared down at him, making him feel small for the first time in his life.
"Mark, what were you thinking?" he demanded.
Mark was taken aback by the coldness of his father's voice. He struggled to think of the right words to say, and debated within himself if he should even say anything at all. Was it right of him to stand up to his father? He never had before, to do so was unthinkable. But he couldn't let this go, he had to know what was going on.
"Why are you conquering earth now? We were supposed to do it together!"
"Mark, you're not an idiot. It's obvious that you don't have powers, you're not a Viltrumite."
His dreams of going to Viltrum and joining his people were shattering around him. Deep down he had already realized this, but to hear his father say it without even a hint of sympathy was devastating.
"I am a Viltrumite, and I'll prove it to you and to everyone else! I just need more time, it must be the human part of me slowing me down. I just need more time, and I'll-"
"You'll what? Mark, if it was going to happen, it would have by now. Time is up, I can't waste any more on you. I have to go forward with the mission, for the good of Viltrum. I already waited longer than I should have. I'm just supposed to give it up for you?"
"Yes! I mean, no." Agitated, Mark pulled at his hair. "I mean… even if I don't have powers, I can still help with the mission. I'll do anything, I can still be useful!"
"I have no use for you, Mark. There's nothing you can do for the mission now, except hinder it like you've been doing the last few days."
"I'm loyal to Viltrum, I always have been and I always will be. I swear I'll help you take earth, and then we can go back together. Please let me prove myself, just give me a chance!"
Nolan made a face like he had smelled something putrid. "Viltrum is a paradise, and it got to be that way through great power and sacrifice. To let a human, or any other inferior organism set foot on it would tarnish it."
Mark bit back tears. "So I'm nothing to you? I love you, Father! Do you really not love me? How could you betray me like this?"
"I betrayed you? I did all I could to form you into a worthy successor, you betrayed me with this failure. You can't expect me to let it stand in the way of what I was sent here to do." Nolan rubbed at his temples for a moment, calming himself. "No, I know it's not your fault. Mark, of course I care about you. It's why I'm leaving you out of the destruction, or trying to, anyway. You've been making it difficult as of late. In spite of that, I don't want to see you hurt. Keep your head down and stay out of trouble, and you'll have nothing to worry about. Once this planet has been absorbed into the Viltrum Empire, you'll be given a purpose with which to serve us. In that way, you'll finally be a Viltrumite."
"No! You can't abandon me like this! You can't treat me like the humans! I'm better than them, you always told me so. How can you just throw me away like this? Like garbage?"
Nolan's hardened expression finally softened, though it was replaced by one of pity. "I didn't mean to lie to you. I really believed you were a Viltrumite, and I wanted us to rule as father and son. I wanted to give you the entire galaxy, I wanted to share all that I have with you. You are my son, but I can't let that interfere with the mission. Stay here and do as I've told you, live the best life a human can. Try to find happiness, Mark."
Nolan leapt up into the air and grabbed him again. He started flying him home, with Mark's cheeks wet with tears and burning from humiliation.
Mark looked down as they flew and saw the carnage his father had left in his wake. Fire seemed to burn everywhere, and even from high up he thought he could hear the screaming of those down below. The suffering and pain of others had never bothered him, or at least, he had never allowed it to bother him. He had never let himself feel anything that would cause him to doubt his father, his belief in him had never wavered. Even now as he grappled with rejection, he couldn't help but feel it was his fault. If he had only been stronger, if he had only done something in his life different, his powers would have emerged and his father would still love him.
He was only human, and nothing more. How could he blame his father for not loving something so utterly beneath him?
Nolan dropped Mark off back at his old house. He refused to refer to it as home, as he had only the one and he would soon return to it.
He allowed himself one final look at his son and saw the devastation in his eyes. He wanted to say something to comfort him. He would have liked to tell Mark that he valued their time together, and that he had brought him joy in an otherwise unpleasant experience. He would have liked to say that this decision hadn't been easy to make, that he didn't want to leave him behind. He would have liked to tell him that the thought of never seeing him again… hurt. But he could not say any of that. It would only make this all worse for Mark, he had to make a clean break.
He took off into the sky without another word, wondering how this had all gone so wrong. Had he been mistaken to think he could have a Viltrumite child with a human woman? He would try again and find out. It was most likely bad luck, and this next attempt would bear fruit. He would have to wait eighteen more years, but the time would pass quickly and be well spent. He would create a true heir to inherit his legacy, and in time he would forget about Mark. Just as he would one day forget his mother. He was certain the grief he felt over what happened to her should have faded by now, but it still gnawed at him. In spite of his best efforts, he could still flawlessly remember the sound of her voice and the way she would smile up at him. He could still picture the sight of her holding their infant son, and gently placing him in his arms to cradle him. He recalled Mark's first words, first steps, and how proud he was to call him his father. He winced and shook his head in an attempt to dispel these memories, but they clung to him like a vise.
He would eventually forget all of this, or so he told himself. Debbie and Mark were so insignificant, the universe had already forgotten they existed. And so would he.
Because if he couldn't… he had a few thousand more years of life ahead of him. All the time in the world to spend with his thoughts and the feelings he worked so hard to suppress.
If he couldn't forget them, their memories would eventually drive him mad.