Created by Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker, Superman’s greatest physical feats, the Viltrumite powerhouse also managed to do the one thing even Superman failed to do by making peace with his human/alien heritage.
Unlike Kal-El of Krypton, the character Mark Grayson was born with a claim to his alien species’ ancestral throne that he uses to bring the Viltrumites into a new era of prosperity. Meanwhile, when Clark is presented with a similar opportunity during the “New Krypton” storyline, he fails spectacularly. And though Mark makes plenty of choices that directly lead to the betterment of his two peoples, especially in comparison with Clark’s, the real betterment of his races ultimately wasn’t because of his actions, but because of the nature of his story.
Over the course of the Invincible series by Kirkman, Walker, and Ryan Ottley, Mark Grayson slowly comes to with the Viltrumite people’s violent history. Along with his father Omni-Man, he helps change them for the better – even taking his father’s place as their leader upon his death. Under Mark’s leadership, the Viltrumites become a race of peacekeepers and heroes, changing the universe for the better and creating a legacy that lasts for centuries. Meanwhile, Superman has no such luck.
When the Kryptonian race reemerges following the events of Superman: Brainiac by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank, Earth and the Kryptonians are almost instantly at odds with one another. Superman does his best to bridge the divide between his two peoples throughout this “New Krypton” saga by Johns, James Robinson, and many more, but ultimately his fellow Kryptonians are all but wiped out by the machinations of Lex Luthor and his fellow humans. This leads Superman through a profound period of disillusionment that fans see in Superman: Grounded by J. Michael Straczynski and Eddy Barrows, but really, Clark isn’t to blame for the death of his people.
Invincible’s success and Superman’s failure in uniting their two worlds doesn’t come down only to the two characters’ differences as individuals or the choices they made. In reality, it’s all a matter of sales. Although it launched an entire universe of beloved characters and made it to 144 issues, Invincible was meant to be a finite series with a definitive ending, allowing for Mark Grayson’s journey to ultimately be completed. Meanwhile, Superman and the DC Universe as a whole are constantly growing, constantly evolving as an ongoing universe with no end in sight.
Narratively, an entire world of Kryptonians in no conflict at all with the human race can only go so far. And while there’s an argument to be made that the trauma of forcing Superman to lose yet another word or refitting him back within the confines of sole survivor keeps the character stagnant, there’s a certain evergreen quality to which popular characters within the mainstream DC or even Marvel Comics universes will always revert. The characters are only ever allowed to change so much before they are returned to their more iconic and recognizable status quos.
Both Invincible and Superman are world-class heroes, but undoubtedly, Mark Grayson succeeded where Clark Kent failed. Though not for lack of trying, the Man of Steel had no chance of uniting his two worlds, where his counterpart managed to thrive. While the finite nature Image Comics’ Invincible ultimately worked in the titular character’s favor, it’s the nature of ongoing storytelling for DC Comics’ Superman has to keep fighting a truly never-ending battle.
