Murder of the Guardians of the Globe

This foundational event sees Omni-Man bait the Guardians of the Globe into a deadly trap inside their own base of operations. It marks the first stage of his covert effort to weaken humanity's protectors ahead of the Viltrum Empire's designs on Earth. Though staged as a betrayal among trusted allies, the slaughter also leaves Nolan himself gravely wounded, a rare display of what the fight cost even a Viltrumite of his stature.

During a lull in their duties, each Guardian receives an urgent distress signal that draws them back to headquarters. Gathered and uneasy, they fall silent as Darkwing arrives last; when The Immortal asks why he called them together, Darkwing denies doing so, and the team senses a setup. A hidden attacker lunges at The Immortal, only for Red Rush to whisk him clear, and the assailant steps into view as Omni-Man. War Woman strikes first, with Darkwing, Aquarus, and Red Rush following, but Nolan seizes and kills Red Rush.

Martian Man pins Nolan while War Woman and The Immortal batter him, yet Omni-Man breaks loose and cuts the team down in turn. He slams Darkwing lifeless against the floor, then hurls the body at Green Ghost and drives his hand through her skull. Using her corpse as a shield against Aquarus, he kills the Atlantean with War Woman's own mace. Even as Martian Man restrains him again and the last defenders pound at him, Nolan tears Martian Man's core apart, punches through The Immortal, and snaps War Woman's neck. The wounded Immortal, the final survivor, asks what drove the rampage; Omni-Man answers only by beheading him, then collapses unconscious among the friends he has slain.

The GDA finds the carnage and revives Nolan, while the public learns nothing until the deaths are broadcast. At the funeral, Omni-Man delivers a pointed eulogy and vows to lead humanity toward a brighter future. Cecil, Donald, and the demon detective Damien Darkblood open an investigation, and the GDA turns to Robot to assemble a new roster of Guardians. Over the following months the truth surfaces: the agency comes to suspect Nolan, and Debbie, working from Damien's notes and Art's help with the damaged super-suit, confirms her husband is the killer. That revelation, paired with The Immortal's resurrection and Nolan's public murder of him a second time, ignites the ruinous battle between Omni-Man and Invincible that levels much of Chicago. In time the world disavows Nolan entirely, and the grief ripples outward to the loved ones of every fallen hero.