Invincible Season 2's Thaedus May Hide A Huge Secret That Will Change Everything
Contains spoilers for "Invincible" Season 2, Episode 3
Another week, another eye-popping violent encounter that saw a favorite character take a pounding, and unfortunately, in this case, the heavy-handed treatment fell on Allen the Alien (Seth Rogen) courtesy of violent Viltrumites. The close encounter of the painful kind came shortly after Allen defended the one Viltrumite that could turn the tide against the planet-wrecking empire, Mark Grayson, when he suggested the Coalition of Planets enlist him to their cause.
While most of those who listened to Allen's suggestion weren't very fond of the idea, one party member interested in Grayson was Thaedus ("Transformers" icon, Peter Cullen), leader of the Coalition and bearer of a very impressive beard. But while this stoic elder might be playing it cool both in the discovery of Mark and whatever he has planned for Allen, there's one minor detail that Thaedus has yet to reveal. In Robert Kirkman's original story, he's actually a Viltrumite, as well.
In the comics, Thaedus' entry is very similar to how he's arrived in the show, an Obi-Wan Kenobi of sorts watching over the Coalition of Planets' champion, who, following his injuries from the Viltrumite attack, returns to working order and even stronger than before. It hasn't happened yet, but, if the comics are anything to go by, Allen will likely be back on the mend and will be assessed by Thaedus as gaining strength on par with the Viltrumite people. When Allen asks how the Coalition head knows this, he admits that he is one himself, even revealing he's been wearing a fake beard the whole time, too! What could play out differently in the show as opposed to the comic, however, is just how much about Thaedus we come to learn about.
Before Mark, Thaedus was one good Viltrumite who took down a monster
It's revealed in "Invincible" #76 that before he built the Coalition of Planets, Thaedus turned against the Viltrumite Empire, even managing to kill its then-leader, Emperor Argall, before fleeing the scene. Leaving the planet in chaos, he started anew, prepping for his former people to continue their mission across space and take over the joint.
While it's only briefly mentioned in the comics, this would make for a great standalone episode to really show how much of an absolute brute Thaedus was before he went all, "Hey guys, not cool!" to his own people. Besides that, it would also give much more time to a character that has the voice of Optimus Prime and, therefore, never outstays his welcome.
For now, though, all we can go is by the (comic) book and expect Thaedus to eventually cross paths with Mark now that Allen has put him on his radar. Given that the toughest line of defense is currently held up in a hospital bed, Thaedus will undoubtedly want to meet one of Earth's youngest protectors that could change the tide on the Viltrumite scourge. More importantly, if it hopefully does stick to the comics, he'll also be able to get his hands dirty once more alongside "Invincible" in the future. Trust us, you're about to hear Optimus Prime like you've never heard him before.