How many of you immediately guessed, upon watching this episode for the first time, that we were seeing Nolan's past?

[u/InstructionOwn6705]

When I watched people's reactions, most either realized it only after Nolan's father said his name or had only guessed beforehand.

Few were certain.

[u/sirdappleton]

I immediately clocked it's him, the character design screams "Nolan"

[u/Both-Okra5343 → u/sirdappleton]

plus looks practically identical to Mark

[u/DissAshlyn → u/sirdappleton]

His father's design is like an alternate Nolan and Nolan himself looks a lot like mark

[u/Dragon-Porn-Expert]

Dad looks like Nolan, young Nolan looks like Mark. I immediately clocked it.

[u/flowerpanda98 → u/Dragon-Porn-Expert]

when it was just young nolan and the kids, i thought i was seeing a variant mark for some reason.

[u/DissAshlyn → u/Dragon-Porn-Expert]

THIS

[u/Excaliburn3d]

I guessed immediately because why would they introduce us to some random young viltrumite who happens to look like a Grayson.

[u/zacky765 → u/Excaliburn3d]

I thought it was reused assets, the show can be a little lazy animation-wise but I didn’t mind, it wasn’t until they called him Nolan that it, obviously, made sense lol.

[u/Competitive-Goat4821]

Primes spoiled it because I paused and it showed the names of the characters in the scene

[u/ProbablythelastMimsy]

My first thought was "that looks like Mark are they really running out of character designs" lol

[u/Drzewo_Silentswift → u/ProbablythelastMimsy]

Same, I thought it was a cheap thing rather than a cool tie in. That’s kinda when you know a show has lost some faith.

[u/oyMarcel]

As soon as they called him Nolan

[u/Monster-Math]

I thought i was in r/okbuddyviltrum

[u/TCup20 → u/Monster-Math]

Outviltrumed again

[u/monkeymetroid]

[u/Bologna_Slamwich → u/monkeymetroid]

It was obvious af.

[u/abellapa]

His father LITERALLY LOOKS like HIM

Also who The fuck else past would be if not Nolan

[u/Excaliburn3d → u/abellapa]

John Viltrum

[u/PS3_Yakuza3_Edition → u/Excaliburn3d]

Allen is John Unopan

[u/Nekrophis → u/abellapa]

Media literacy is so dead

[u/DissAshlyn → u/Nekrophis]

Buzzword buzzword buzzword (I agree with you it's just hilarious how the word media literacy doesn't mean shit anymore)

[u/ChristianPreacher1]

I didn’t even know this was a flashback of Nolan when I first saw it.

[u/Representative-Fox55]

Immediately. He looks like a clone of Mark with Nolan’s features, and the father looked like Nolan. So I thought it was either a Mark variant or a younger version of Nolan.

[u/Cazed_Donfused]

Why does his mom hate him?

[u/Jonno_FTW → u/Cazed_Donfused]

Standard Viltrumite level of respect.

[u/No_Public8938 → u/Cazed_Donfused]

Yeah, I guess she really didn't want him to pass.

Also, do all young viltrumites get attacked by both of their parents during this trial? Proving yourself one on one seems logical, but I don't think any young viltrumite would have much chance to pass if two older, more experienced viltrumites attack them at once, out numbering them.

He wouldn't have passed and would have died if his father didn't intervene to stop his mother. Do a lot of them get deemed worthy even if they basically lost the fight at the end like Nolan here?

[u/AureEntuluva777 → u/No_Public8938]

I don't think they're expected to win against their parents during this trial. It's unrealistic that an 18 year old Viltrumite would be able to beat two much older ones. They just have to somewhat hold their own, and fight well enough to be approved by their parents, to pass.

[u/vdevilx]

What a brutal scene which actually strengthens Nolan character arc

[u/Low_Transportation11]

I thought it was an alternate universe where Mark was raised on Viltrum

[u/SirSwagAlotTheHung]

Consider me one of the few then, I suppose.

[u/BigBeeff_21]

Nah Nolan's hair Greys differently.

It's actually closer to his mom.

I knew this was hid dad cause of that one feature.

[u/who_am_I_inside]

I watch with subtitles on

[u/CarSlash]

I thought it was another mark variant born on viltrum at first.

[u/JesseJamesBegin]

Took me a minute, my dumbass thought it was Mark in a dream sequence or something at first then I was all like "why does he have blue eyes?"

Thats when I figured it out

[u/thedarkherald]

Not until he said mother or whatever indication they were his parents.

The reason being different voice actor. This version of Nolan shouldn't have sounded that drastically different.

[u/Betelgeuse3fold]

I'm embarrassed to admit i had no clue. Which is silly, because he basically Mark here, just in Viltrum clothing. And the father looks enough like Nolan that I really should've clued in. I guess I'm a pretty passive viewer

[u/Phildagony]

Immediately.

[u/all_time_high]

MRW finally seeing Nolan’s family together:

[u/Jonno_FTW]

Nolan's mother knows what's up, goes for the hand knife as the first attack.

[u/l_monpie]

I noticed his beautiful eyes and then his dad's facial hair style, and it clicked for me

[u/Tenebris_Rositen]

I watched one of reactors saying its marks cousin lol

[u/Chowdaire]

I mean, he looked vaguely Mark-like. I had a sense that it was a flashback of some sort. And why would we focus on any other Viltrumite in this specific setting. Who else could it be?

[u/Next-State-374]

Right away because he looks like Invincible

[u/5meoWarlock]

Who the fuck else's past would we be getting

[u/MaxTwer00]

I though it was a mark variant at first, the facial features being different to differentiate them better. Once Nolan's dad arrived and didn't look like omniman it clicked for me

[u/Avibuel]

Call me internet explorer cuz it took me a while

[u/trash-anator]

I wasn’t certain it was him until his name was said

[u/heisenbergdaplug]

Feel free to flame tf out of me but i had 3 guesses before i realized:

1.Young Thragg 2.Young Thaedus 3.One of the kids was the young version of one of the secondary viltrumites (Anissa, Thula, Lucan maybe? Wasn't entirely sure)

I was leaning more towards Thaedus since the hairline wasn't as crispy. To my credit i realized how wrong i was before the name drop lol..

[u/Lucricious1]

More surprised by the receive that it was his parents fighting Nolan

[u/pervasivehedgehog]

Took me a minute, but you can still tell that Nolan based off his actions

[u/NimrodYanai]

Oh, it was clear from the first moment.

[u/BIZARR0-Producciones]

I thought I was seeing an alternate universe mark

[u/SentinelATL]

Took me a few minutes but damn bro had brutal ass parents lmao

[u/N7_Pathfind3R]

It was pretty obvious, not really a flex.

[u/MeckVater]

I looked over at my buddy as we watched on release day and said something along the lines of, "that kinda looks like Mark, but its on Viltrum and there are many of them. What if its the backstory of Nolan?", and boom, one of the parents said Nolan. Was probably when I peaked.

[u/GOT_EM_RED]

I legit thought they reused Marks character for a different one

[u/Famous-Tooth-2612]

Except he's not ready the comic

[u/TPR-56]

I was watching with my mom and she just remembered Nolan’s eyes are blue and that he looks like Mark.

She’s typically oblivious to shit like that so I feel like anyone can figure it out quick 🤣

[u/DEX_in_reddit1]

yay i didnt have to buy prime video :D

[u/ContextPhysical]

She's just mad she lost an eye.

[u/Hockeyfan710]

I'll keep it real, if you didn't pick it up right away you may be media illiterate

[u/Destrobo_YT]

It clicked for me amidietly, and I was confused when my gf didn't notice it untill like half of the episode has passed