Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

In a world like Invincible, one question I'm sure many people have is of the origins of the Viltrumites. And after much thought, I came up with some believable headcanons for this universe.

Origins

Long before most societies had even formed, there was a race of people so advanced and ancient that the still young and forming universe was practically their playground. These people– whose real name has been lost to time– valued science and discovery above all else. They were a curious and creative people, using their knowledge and tech to effect and experiment with the universe around them.

Most signs of their existence are gone, with only some abandoned planets covered in foreign and mystical tech remaining; glyphs in an unknown language can be found all across the universe, on planets light years apart. A sign that these people had once been there.

The most common name for these lost people is “Architects”, others are “The First Ones” and “Precursors”. They were the first to expand to other planets, the first to unlock the mysteries of the universe, the first to play God in an universe ungoverned.

It was they who created the Viltrumites.

Based on the fact Thaedus wasn't recognized as a Viltrumite, one must assume that there are other humanoid species in the known universe.

Here, that is true.

The Architects found a species of humanoids and took a few for sampling and, due to their curious nature, started an experiment.

On multiple planets, they planted groups of these people– all different, yet similar in base form. Using their advanced technology, they ensured these groups would “fit in”, so to speak, making them a part of the local ecosystem biologically, adapting their DNA to fit in and resemble the other lifeforms of their new homes.

Humanity was placed on Earth, integrating seamlessly into the environment. Average and without anything unique, the species took some time to thrive, but inevitably did. The same genome that had been introduced to the Viltrumites existed within humans as well, but splintered and with room to grow. This led to the very rare occasional human developing powers– if an outside force did not do so, that is.

Viltrumites had been placed on a large, dangerous planet they would call Viltrum. Within a much shorter time frame than humans, they conquered their surroundings, powerful and godlike; but the Architects knew this would happen and wanted to see what happens when these subjects were pushed. The planet was filled with equally as dangerous creatures, which forced the Viltrumites to learn and adapt, no longer able to rely on their brute strength, but needing to use their minds and strategize too.

Other species the Architects created from the original humanoid species include: Elfens (a species of humanoids with elongated ears, longer lifespans, and with much more fragile bodies), Etherians (a humanoid species that rapidly mutated and evolved due to their ability to breed with all life they came across; too varied to summarize), and The Risen (a humanoid species who gave up their physical forms for digital ones, with an odd resemblance to angelic beings from Earth mythology).

The humanoids weren't the only species/group the Architects experimented with, but are the most noteworthy ones.

Timeline

The timeline of Viltrumite history.

• 0–1000: Viltrumites go from “cave men” pretty early on to beginning to conquer the lands they live on. Language begins to develop and small groups of civilization form. The fauna of their world proves a good challenge, forcing the first few generations to focus on teamwork and strategy than brute force.

• 1000-1500: Viltrumites all over the planet discover each other. Fighting ensues until the strongest among them put a stop to it. A tentative peace is established.

• 1500-2000: Viltrumites focus on their planet, building rudimentary homes and gardens, coming up with a written language and creating schooling/education for the younglings.

• 2000-2100: A few Viltrumites volunteer to fly into space, their species developing a curiosity for what lies further beyond their world. During this excursion, they find a planet close to their own and that there is life on this planet.

  • Due to Viltrumites being the “perfect” lifeforms, they have not needed to develop much in terms of technology, tools, or even basic things such as clothes and cooking. So when they meet the people of this planet, they are the ones who appear like savages, barely clothed and not very clean.

  • The small group observe their neighbours and, over time, begin to feel a volatile mix of superiority and inferiority. These people are weaker, lesser than them, dying within just a few decades and incredibly weak, yet their cities rise into the sky and their food is cooked and tasty and their people clean and garbed from head to toe.

  • The Viltrumites go home and share what they have observed. This kick-starts Viltrum's own version of the industrial revolution.

• 2100-3000: over the next millennia the Viltrumites rush to catch up to their lesser neighbours, different sciences being discovered and learned. Education and training become the top priority for their people, the desire to be just as, if not better, than other species beginning to cement itself into Viltrumite culture. During this era, Viltrumites become much more “civilized” and look down on their past selves (and therefore any species who are still like that).

• 3000-4000: many things happen during this era.

  • Viltrumite nobility becomes a thing, with each noble family having better traits than others (faster healing, better durability, grand strength).

  • The “Day of Adulthood” ceremony is established, with colosseums erected all over the planet for people to witness the new generations prove themselves against parents and/or teachers. It is usually followed by a day and night of revelry.

  • Near the end of the millennium, multiple royals come into being, kings and queens all ruling over different parts of the world. This would not last long though, as within only a few centuries the first emperor would rise to power.

• 4100-5000 | Rule of the First Emperor [Name Unknown]: Lost to history, the first's name and most information about him was lost. What is remembered was how during his Day of Adulthood, he directly challenged the King of his land and bested him, crowning himself soon after. But he did not stop there. His vision was of a united Viltrum, all following one person's word– one who embodied the Viltrumite spirit with all their being; the strongest, the fastest, the smartest– all following the words of their emperor.

  • Between 5000-5100 he began his campaign, defeating each and every royal in his path. By the end of the millennia, he was crowned in a ceremony witnessed by millions.

  • He ruled for three thousand years and was succeeded by his daughter, first Empress of Viltrum, Britta.

• 5400-10,000: Following in her father's footsteps, Empress Britta would proceed to continue his work and further lead Viltrum into the future. She ruled until 5608, when she was succeeded by her son, Andul, whom ruled for a much shorter period before dying at the hands of his own heir in 5770. Many more Emperors and Empresses followed, all trying to better their people and rise further.

  • To better themselves, Viltrumites during this time focused on their own biology, seeking ways to make themselves stronger, adapt faster. Many technologies were invented to simulate harsher environments to train in.

  • One of the discoveries they made during this era was of “smart atoms” and how they worked. Many attempts to experiment and research them were made with varying levels of success.

  • Near the end of the 9th millennium, Emperor Ansal abolished the noble class, forcing the nobility to breed and spread their superior genes with the rest of the population.

• 10,000-20,000 | The Expansion: Emperor Val-hor was known for many things. His lustful pursuits, his virility and the dozens of children he sired, his fascination with the exotic… but what the emperor was most well known for was beginning Viltrum’s conquest of the galaxy. It was he who assigned his people to begin expanding to the other planets in their solar system, to research and report what they found. It was also Emperor Val-hor who began the vile practice of enslaving other species.

  • A less known fact of the deceased emperor was that his love for the exotic also extended to alien women, known to have taken many as concubines and sired half-breed children upon them.

  • All concubines and children were later killed by the emperor’s heir upon his death, Empress Ahn-ga reportedly displaying immense disgust at their existence.

  • Following her was: Emperor Lor-qan, Empress Thaena, Empress A-lae, and Emperor Korcin, all of whom extended the Empire's reach to every planet within their solar system.

• 20,000-41,000 | The True Rise of The Viltrum Empire: With their solar system conquered and all its planets under their rule, it wasn't long before the Viltrum Empire began looking further. Their technology advanced as need for it grew, space ships of all kinds being made, equipped with all sorts of tech to search for materials and other life. It wasn't long before they found more planets, and those planets soon learned to fear the name Viltrumite as people in white and silver descended upon their worlds, taking what they wanted with no regard to lesser lifeforms.

• 41,000-53,000 | Argall’s Rule: Born late into the 41st millennium, Argall showed great skill even as a child. Among the many children of his father, the late Emperor Al-gur, he was the most powerful and skilled, quickly rising the ranks among the imperial heirs. By the time he was thirty, he'd already slain six of his siblings with only his elder sisters (twins) left. But he did not have to deal with them himself, as the twins soon fought over who'd be their father's heir, ending with both dead of injuries. A single record states the then-prince deeming it a “shame” and that he “had looked forward to killing the winner”. By the time he was sixty, his father was deemed too old to rule by his son, whom proceeded to give him a “mercy” killing by slicing his hand through his neck. Thus began the reign of Emperor Argall.

  • While he was not the one to suggest or start conquering planets outside their solar system, Argall was the one to truly lead their people into a prosperous age. Prior to his reign, the empire had thirty-three planets under their control. Within the first decade of his rule, that number had tripled. And it continued growing throughout his rule.

  • By the time he was three thousand years of age, Argall decided it was time to sire an heir. Yet instead of taking a mate or more and keeping them close, after impregnating a handful of women, he sent them off with an order to not tell the children the truth until they were old enough. He'd not have his heirs receive preferential treatment or grow arrogant due to knowledge of who their sire was. His reasoning was that, if they were worthy of being his heir and ruling after him, then they'd survive, make it. If not… then they would die; whether as children or during their Day of Adulthood or even on a mission. It didn't matter. He'd only have the most worthy as his heir.

  • But Emperor Argall was no fool. Aware his descendants may be weak or… not prove themselves in a timely manner, he began a project to create the perfect specimen, a super Viltrumite. He ordered his top officers to breed with each other, one by one, and as their offspring grew into powerful adults, ordered them to breed as well. On and on until he was left with two. From there, an egg and sperm was taken from them and fertilized in a specialized chamber. As the fetus developed, Viltrumite scientists would carefully alter the fetus, trying to tamper with the child's DNA and the smart atoms they spent so long researching.

  • A few years into the 50th millennium, Thragg was born. Raised and trained to take after Argall should his heirs not be found, he was declared “Grand Regent” upon his Day of Adulthood, having fought and defeated the emperor himself.

• 53,000- … | Grand Regent Thragg’s Reign: After the assassination of Emperor Argall, Grand Regent Thragg took the throne. His first decree was for a purge of any and all weakness within his people's hearts. Having chosen to be merciful towards the Great Betrayer (Thaedus) only for the man to kill the emperor not long after, Thragg wishes to cull any sympathy and empathy from the Viltrumites, believing that if it could even weaken him, then it could weaken them all.

  • The population of Viltrum pre-Purge was around 12 billion. Afterwards, it was a little less than 6 billion. The bodies of the dead were used to create a ring around Viltrum.

  • A few centuries afterwards, when their population had almost returned to what it once was, the planet was devastated by the Scourge Virus, specifically engineered to attack all Viltrumite life. It also had an effect on all fauna on the planet, leaving what remains of it sickly and weak.

  • After the Scourge, their population is down to nearly fifty individuals, shrinking down to that exact number within the next few years as those too weakened from the Scourge pass on. The dead are added to the ring around the planet, making it thicker than before.

  • Afterwards, with there being an unequal ratio of males to females, there is little hope of continuing their species. Only a handful of children are produced from the remaining Viltrumites.

  • Around four hundred years later, Earth and its people are discovered. Thragg assigns Nowl-ahn to the mission of infiltrating and breeding to see if the offspring are viable a couple centuries later.

Other Notes:

• The Regression: despite the Viltrumites progress and advancements to match and exceed the technology and scientific knowledge of other, lesser species, it's clear at some point they just… stop. They've proved their superiority, proven they can do everything everyone else can, so they stop, focusing instead on their strength and military might (again). It definitely started before, but Argall was absolutely the nail in the coffin when it came to this topic. There'd been a decline in research and advancements over the last few eras but it completely stopped in Argall's, and even regressed due to his cruelty and beliefs about what Viltrumites should be like.

• Sometimes, if a Viltrumite didn't want to raise their child(ren), they'd be given over straight to the barracks– the Viltrumite equivalent of an orphanage. This came about somewhere around the 14th millennium and continued on until current day. Back then it wasn't as bad as it currently is, but with each generation and new emperor, it steadily got crueler and colder, children forced into the roles of soldiers as early as can be, forced into line, obedient and robotic. Even more so than normal children on Viltrum (though at least these ones got shelter). This is where Conquest comes from, given up by his parents and only given a proper “name” once he'd had his first mission. Prior to that he, like all the other barrack children, was simply known by a bunch of letters and numbers.

• Conquest, Thula, Elix, and Thaedus are around Argall’s age/generation, some born slightly before. They remember the previous emperor's rule, remember how things were… not great before, but better. Not that they truly care– they're Viltrumites, born and raised to kill and conquer. But they do remember a time when there were some allowances for pleasure and relaxation, when lessons weren't just on their territories and training. Again, not anything significant– Viltrum in its prime would've been further back– but compared to Argall's reign? Yeah, certainly better.

• Throughout Viltrumite history, there has never been a ruler who shared their title with a mate, not even during the early years. Obviously their mate would have some power– especially during those early few millenia when Viltrumites had much more going on that fight, train, conquer– and be in charge of certain things, but being known as emperor/empress alongside the actual one? Never. It was only ever “The Emperor/Empress’ Mate”.

• The Reverence of Children: for millenia, Viltrumites adored and protected their young, but somewhere along the years they began to grow stricter, colder with them. This was encouraged during the time of Argall's own grandfather, the man believing it made the children stronger. This belief was passed onto his son, and then onto Argall, whom didn't even raise his own heirs, believing they needed to prove themselves worthy of acknowledgement first. Likewise, with their immense numbers and short pregnancy period, it became common to “cull the weak”, children killed for any kind of perceived failure.