Omni-Man VS Bardock

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WARNING: This page may contain spoilers for Invincible. Read this page at your own risk.

Omni-Man VS Bardock
Season	'24
Episode	1
Overall	188
Episode Link	YouTube
Air Date	October 6th, 2024
Producers
Written by	Ben Singer
Animated by	DevilArtemis
Fight
Combatants
Winner	Omni-Man
Battle Score	"Solid State Invincible" by Brandon Yates
Fight Length	4:00
Episode Guide
← Previous	Galactus VS Unicron (S10 Finale)
Next →	Joker VS Giorno

the moment he goes full tilt gorilla is crazy

—Tagline

Omni-Man VS Bardock is the 188th episode and '24 Premiere of Death Battle, featuring Omni-Man from the Invincible series and Bardock from the Dragon Ball series in a battle between alien warrior fathers of great heroes. Omni-Man was reprised by Tom Schalk and Bardock was voiced by Kamran Nikhad.

Interlude

The episode opens with Bardock exiting his Saiyan Pod after landing on Thraxa and using his scouter to search for any nearby life before Omni-Man comes to punch him from behind, which pauses and grays out as Ringmaster shouts...

The screen then statics into playing the Death Battle intro.

Wiz & Boomstick by Brandon Yates

Boomstick: Omni-Man versus Bardock.

Wiz: The ostracized Viltrumite and the doomed Saiyan.

Boomstick: He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick.

Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win... a Death Battle.

Omni-Man

First In Command by Gregor F. Narholz

Wiz: Omni-Man: Earth's once greatest hero. Alongside the Guardians of the Globe, he protected the world from all manner of threats.

Ultrapolis by Philippe Jean Claude Briand, Salvador Casais & Thomas Pierre Christian Dubreuil

Wiz: And then, in a single day, it all went horribly wrong.

Boomstick: Why, Omni-Man? How, Omni-Man? WHO, Omni-Man?

Wiz: Who, indeed. Champion of Earth, bestselling author, J. K. Simmons, yet it was all a charade, with his murderous rampage only brought to a halt thanks to his own son.

Boomstick: It all starts with his home planet, Viltrum, which I hear is a totally lovely utopia!

Wiz: Through brutal mortal combat.

Boomstick: With a "K"! Or... wait, no, that came later.

Wiz: Viltrumites are among the most powerful beings in the universe, even more so after they purged the weaker members of their species. As a vanguard of the Viltrumite Empire, Omni-Man infiltrated Earth as "Nolan Grayson", expected to prepare the planet for imperial assimilation.

Boomstick: Which should've been easy, since he's got your classic strongman superpowers and he's basically invulnerable, easily knocking around asteroids the size of Texas.

Wiz: He can fly at unbelievable speeds, soaring from Earth to the planet Thraxa in under one week. Thraxa is, quote, "a couple galaxies away, give or take," so a minimum of two galaxies.

The last word of Wiz's sentence echoes as the screen zooms out from the Milky Way.

Wiz: Beyond the Milky Way's neighbor Andromeda is the lesser-known Triangulum Galaxy, which is over 2.7 million light-years away. Reaching it in under one week means Omni-Man must've flown over 142 million times faster than light.

Splendid Suns by Jason Stuart Bowld

Boomstick: Oh, and Viltrumites can't breathe in space, so he held his breath the whole way! And it's not like he was in a rush; he was on a soul-searching trip, contemplating the significance of smashing his own son's face in. Think, Nolan, think!

Wiz: Yeah, this is why I'm never having kids.

Boomstick: You're missing out. But according to another Viltrumite, Thaedus, a bunch of other Viltrumites who actually were in a hurry flew to Viltrum across the Virgo Supercluster in less than 24 hours.

Wiz: That's over 20 billion times faster than light!

Boomstick: They don't really need to rush anyway; the older a Viltrumite gets, the slower they age.

Wiz: According to the Invincible Handbook, Nolan is over 2,000 years old. And regardless of age, Viltrumites don't suffer muscle fatigue like humans do, so they rarely ever tire out.

Boomstick: Seriously?! He's got parenting easy mode on and he couldn't even handle that? I would have killed for that back when my daughter was born.

Wiz: Well, you would have to be a Viltrumite first. A Viltrumite's body contains Smart Atoms, which they subconsciously manipulate. This cellular structure can effectively recall certain states of being regardless of their present environment, reacting to changes at an atomic level to perform the impossible.

Popup: Conquest's smart atoms resisted attacks from Atom Eve, who can alter matter at an atomic level.

Boomstick: Yeah, like surviving your intestines getting ripped out!

Man Machine or Beast (Instrumental) by The Plague

Boomstick: Or even more scary... ripping out your whole beard all at once!

---

Thadeus is shown ripping off his beard in front of Allen the Alien, with the Vine boom sound effect playing as he does so.

---

Boomstick: Gugh... only a Viltrumite could pull off something that disturbing.

Wiz: Nolan is incredibly tough, but if he faces superior forces, his Smart Atoms can adjust to make him even stronger by comparison. This is why Viltrumites are considered in—

The Invincible title card appears, interrupting Wiz.

Wiz: -vincible!

Boomstick: Most weapons in the universe can't even scratch a Viltrumite like him.

Wiz: Even a ship's cannon like this one can't take down a Viltrumite, and it obliterated a massive solar disk nearly half the size of a star.

Boomstick: Speaking of planets, he's strong enough to shatter one by flying straight through it! A planet so big it has a whole ring around it!

Wiz: The Roche limit factor dictates the size a celestial body must be in order to disperse orbiting material as a ring.

Popup: Earth-sized planets could only sustain such a ring temporarily, while Viltrum's rings existed for thousands of years.

Wiz: In short, an Earth-sized planet can't support such a ring, meaning this one must be much larger.

Boomstick: And don't get me started on how the ring is actually made up of dead bodies, because, uhh... spoilers? Just go read the comic.

Wiz: If Roche isn't doing it for you, this planet also supports five moons in its orbit, and even the smallest is a perfect sphere, meaning its own gravity shaped it. At minimum, a moon like that must have a diameter of 600 kilometers, or 370 miles. Comparing this to the planet's diameter, we can tell this world is nearly 14 times larger than Earth.

Boomstick: Or... it was, before... y'know... kablam!

Wiz: Now, Omni-Man does have his weaknesses. Monsters like Rognarrs can pierce Viltrumite flesh, and he's extremely sensitive to a specific high-pitch frequency, which can destabilize his body's equilibrium.

Boomstick: But his real weakness turned out to be... you guessed it, fatherhood.

Where Spirit Meets Bone by Coping Method

Boomstick: Thanks to his son, Mark, Nolan began to reexamine his perspective and his place in the universe. He settled down in a new place, got himself a new job, and even had a new kid with his new wife. Who's a bug. A bug... lady? Eh, he banged a bug.

Wiz: Why, Omni-Man? HOW, Omni-Man?!

Boomstick: Hey, everyone deals with parenting stress in their own way. When Nolan was lecturing to Mark about how "insignificant" people are, Mark wasn't the only one he was trying to convince, if you catch my drift.

Wiz: Nolan Grayson's real mission isn't planetary conquest or saving the innocent. It's to discover if a violent man who can break the world can also be a good father.

Boomstick: Godspeed, Omni-Man!

Bardock

Fraction Of Calm by Mark Andre Kilian

Wiz: In the far reaches of the cosmos laid a world with a people like no other, born and raised to do just one thing: fight.

Boomstick: The Saiyans. A proud warrior people from the planet Vegeta, ruled by, uh... King Vegeta! Wow, narcissist much?

Wiz: Exactly. Their pride blinded them to the truth of their impending doom. But perhaps one Saiyan represented the best of them, even during their waning glory days.

Grind House by Brian James Brasher, Sonny Del Grosso & Jesse Owen Astin

Boomstick: Bardock! He's cool, he's crude, he's got a bad attitude, and if he goes apeshit, you're totally screwed!

The March Of Progress by Sammy Burdson & John Charles Fiddy

Boomstick: And... And guess what? He's... the father of Goku!

Wiz: (sarcastically) Oh wow, I never would've guessed.

Boomstick: Right? What a curveball.

Wiz: So, what does that make Turles?

Boomstick: Who?

Wiz: (clears throat) Bardock was a cold-blooded killer, ruthlessly conquering planets in service to the Saiyans' true overseer, Lord Frieza.

Boomstick: They didn't just conquer planets, they wiped out every living thing, leaving Frieza uninhabited rocks to sell away. Bardock... was an asshole. Well, until he wasn't.

Wiz: Bardock's story has evolved over the years, with multiple iterations to draw from.

Boomstick: Including one where he's a "brilliant scientist"! Haha...

Wiz: But only one is considered officially canon. Bardock's demeanor began to shift when he met and eventually married fellow warrior, Gine, and had two sons: Raditz and Kakarot.

Boomstick: No, Bardock didn't go totally soft; he was still a ruthless warrior. You know that iconic red headband of his? It's stained with the blood of his fallen friends. Hardcore!

Wiz: Bardock could fly, move faster than light, and was naturally adept in using his ki as an explosive weapon.

Boomstick: AKA shooting lasers from his hands! True to his brutal "screw you" nature, Bardock's moves are all about overwhelming power. His Final Spirit Cannon is like a ki-powered bazooka, his Rebellion Hammer Punch ignites enemies on contact, and his Rebellion Spear basically turns him into a supercharged battering ram! The guy has no chill! He will run you over, break your spine, light you on fire, and then move on to the next guy. All in a day's work for a Saiyan.

Wiz: Marriage didn't change that. While Bardock cared for Gine — in fact being one of few Saiyans of his time to actually have a romantic partner — he was still no family man. Like most Saiyans, he saw his sons as nothing more than future soldiers.

Boomstick: Bardock was a low-class warrior, so it was unlikely his kids would grow up to be anything more than battlefield fodder.

Torpedo by Alex Roberts

Wiz: But they would still possess the Saiyan's power, a transformation that was the key to their planetary devastation...

Boomstick: Big monkey!

Wiz: Under the light of a full moon, a Saiyan with a tail manifests the Oozaru.

Boomstick: This Great Ape form increases Bardock's power tenfold, turning him into an unstoppable kaiju. Quick, someone call Yajirobe!

Wiz: While some Saiyans can maintain control over this berserker form, low-class warriors like Bardock don't receive the same level of training as those of higher birth. Prince Vegeta's control is so precise he can speak while changed, but Bardock cannot.

Boomstick: Hell, it's questionable if he even remembers everything that happens when he goes full-tilt gorilla. The Saiyan strategy is pretty much just "monkey see, monkey smash!"

Wiz: Despite being "low-class", Bardock's power level nearly matched that of King Vegeta, who could destroy multiple planets at once. At about this time, King Vegeta's power level was around 10,000.

Popup: Vegeta's power level of 18,000 in the Saiyan Saga, having long surpassed King Vegeta's, supports the dub's claim. Bardock also survived a one-sided fight with Dodoria, whose power level was 22,000.

Boomstick: Yeah, we know power levels are kinda janky. Nobody can agree on what the number really means.

Wiz: Outside of his fight with Gas, Bardock doesn't really show any high-end feats in canon, but we can use power levels to compare him to other characters with similar levels to better understand his potential.

Boomstick: Like when his son fought Prince Vegeta. What's the scouter say about his power level? It's over... 8,000! Yeah, the dub changed it to fit Vegeta's lip flaps, but we only cover the cold-hard truth, dammit!

Wiz: According to this movie pamphlet, Goku's power level between his fight with Vegeta and his trip to Namek was 10,000. This lines up with that previous reading and puts him on par with Bardock. Goku's training during the trip eventually raised him to 90,000 upon arrival, but this gives us a clear window.

Boomstick: Yeah, early in the trip, he had to dodge a bunch of incoming asteroids and blast his ship away from a star, which is impressive considering the speed involved.

Wiz: The planet Namek is outside Earth's quadrant of the universe, and it took his ship six days to make the journey. Traveling a quarter of the universe's diameter would put the ship over 9.5 trillion times the speed of light.

Hero's Requiem A by Otto Sieben, Adam Saunders, Mark Stephen Cousins & Gregor F. Narholz

Boomstick: And Goku would've had to keep up with that kind of speed to do all that other stuff.

Wiz: Makes sense, given far weaker characters can reach the Moon in a fraction of a second; should be trivial enough for Bardock.

Boomstick: All this speed and power meant when Bardock and his team assaulted the planet Cereal... they went "Cheerio!"

Wiz: Bardock ravaged the planet, annihilating its people, until he found two survivors: a mother, and her child. Some may call it weakness, others, a moment of clarity, but Bardock was suddenly reminded of his wife and recently born son. He chose to spare the two and even pushed himself far past his limits to protect them from his own Frieza Force allies, who taunted that Frieza had dire plans for the Saiyans' future.

Popup: The Heaters and Gas were comparable to Elite Frieza soldiers, such as Zarbon or the Ginyu Force. Bardock's mid-battle increase was also compared to Great Ape, implying a 10x boost.

Boomstick: This moment changed Bardock, making him more appreciative of his family and cautious of Frieza. When all the Saiyans were called back to Planet Vegeta for "mysterious reasons", he had a hunch something was up. So, before his final stand, smashing through hundreds of soldiers before coming face-to-face with the tyrant, he sent his youngest kid away for protection, a choice that allowed his son to thrive. And hey, that's what good parents do!

Wiz: A choice that would have a greater significance than Bardock could ever imagine.

Boomstick: And then dildo-dickhead blew them all up and he died... Or DID HE?!

Quest For Knowledge 1 by Adam Saunders & Mark Stephen Cousins

Boomstick: Bardock got killed so freaking hard, he got blasted back in time!

Popup: Bardock briefly survived Frieza's Supernova attack in this continuity, an attack with a yield of 20 quettatons of TNT. As a Super Saiyan, he'd also scale above Saiyan Saga Vegeta, who's destruction of Arlia equaled 4.5 quettatons.

Wiz: Actually, he was pulled away by these two, who miscalculated and misplaced him incorrectly in the timestream—

Boomstick: Blah, blah, blah, non-canon, whatever! He survived! And when he realized what happened, he got so unbelievably pissed off, he went Super Saiyan?! WHAT?!

Wiz: Alright, this is very much an alternate universe "What If?" scenario, and it is jarring, but think about it. The Super Saiyan form is not achieved through training alone; it requires dedication, introspection, victory, failure, love, and loss. Frieza destroyed the Saiyans because he feared the possibility of the Super Saiyan; a Saiyan with power that could rival his own. But perhaps Bardock's transformation was more than simply a what-if. He had begun to take the very steps his son later would to achieve the form. Perhaps, if Frieza had hesitated, even for a moment, his fear would have manifested before him right then and there.

Boomstick: Damn! Pour one out for Bardock, who figured out how to be the truest Saiyan right at the end of it all. I know Kakarot would be proud.

Prelude

Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set. We've run the data through all possibilities.

Boomstick: IT'S TIME FOR A DEATH BATTLEEE!!!

Death Battle

In the orbit of the world of Thraxa, a blue streak zooms towards the surface of the large pink planet before cratering in a city. As the smoke clears, it's revealed to be an Attack Ball. The pod door opens as Bardock stands up to recuperate from the crash landing and inspect his surroundings.

Bardock: Great. Another gross bug planet.

Solid State Invincible by Brandon Yates

He flies up and activates his scouter to detect other lifeforms on the planet, but immediately after notices a caped man coming in from behind to punch him, who he barely dodges. Having missed his surprise attack, this planet's protector, Omni-Man, continues to zoom toward and clash fists with the invader regardless, declaring his refusal to let his new home be invaded.

Omni-Man: This planet isn't anyone's to conquer.

Omni-Man shoves back Bardock before landing a solid blow on his upper chest, pushing him back some more and causing him to grunt a bit from the blow.

Bardock: Don't underestimate me!

He knocks Omni-Man a far distance with a left hook, giving him the opportunity to power up with a war cry and unleash his white aura before charging headstrong at his opponent. Quickly catching up, both alien warriors land more solid blows on each other in mid-flight combat before Bardock knocks Omni-Man back to Thraxan ground, who remains undeterred.

Omni-Man: Just like my son; sticking his nose in places he's not ready for!

He flies up for more close combat, in which he knocks off Bardock's scouter and causes blood to come out onto his jaw. Bardock merely rubs it off and scoffs over his opponent's remark. His right hand begins to glow as a energy ball is formed.

Bardock: Heh. My sons would kick his ass!

Bardock charges up a Final Spirit Cannon and throws it at Omni-Man, who braces himself and is knocked backwards into a large building, only to recover with little issue. Bardock follows up with a barrage of white Ki Blasts that Omni-Man uses his speed to maneuver around. With no way to close in, he instead flies down to Bardock's Attack Ball and throws it at him, forcing the Saiyan to catch it.

When Bardock lowers the ball a bit, Omni-Man takes advantage of the opening to close in and throws a powerful punch to implode the ball, sending Bardock down to the ground, losing his headband due to the explosion. Omni-Man approaches a weakened Bardock down in the crater where the Attack Ball and Bardock lie. Omni-Man stomps down onto Bardock's shoulder and crushes his arm, splattering some blood and causing him to cry out. Unbeknownst to Omni-Man, the clouds behind him are clearing to reveal a full Moon.

Omni-Man: Whatever you are, you're an embarrassment.

Seeing the full Moon, Bardock's chest starts convulsing rapidly as he absorbs Blutz Waves and his pupils disappear, with his eyes shortly turning orange. Not taking too kindly to Omni-Man's words, he warns him of what's about to come.

Bardock: Wait 'til you see... the real power... of a Saiyan!

Emitting a fiery white aura once more, Bardock then transforms into the Great Ape form as Omni-Man is blown away from the sheer force and the Oozaru lets out a monstrous roar. Omni-Man is as monotone as ever over his foe's new transformation.

Omni-Man: Am I supposed to be impressed?

Great Ape Bardock moves with incredible speed, attacking Omni-Man only for him to dodge the blow. The transformed Bardock moves again right in front of Omni-Man, charging up a Super Rebellion Cannon and firing it point-blank. Chasing after his opponent who is sent through a building, he lands three mighty blows before Omni-Man manages to stop himself in mid-air.

Looking around, Omni-Man turns just in time to see his opponent, but is too slow to avoid getting caught in the Great Ape's grasp. While being crushed, he musters the strength to break out of Bardock's grip and punches him in the jaw. Bardock retaliates with a swing of his tail, destroying a building in the process.

However, Omni-Man is revealed to be unharmed, having grabbed his opponent's tail. He spins around and attempts to disorient Bardock, only for the tail to be torn off before the first spin is even complete, sending Bardock flying away and leaving Omni-Man slightly surprised.

Omni-Man: Wha-?

Realizing something, he looks in the direction his opponent is launched. Meanwhile, Bardock manages to come to a stop, floating in place as he realizes that he is no longer in his Great Ape form, as he looks around, gauging his surroundings, his still massive tail is hurled at him by the Viltrumite warrior. Sensing something approaching, he sees his detached tail heading towards him.

Bardock: Shit.

He tries to react, but the tail hits him dead-on. Clubbed out of orbit by his own tail, Omni-Man chases after and grabs him, flying away to take the fight to a nearby blue star and choke out a bloodied Bardock, who grows desperate in a will to survive.

Bardock: No... my sons... need... me...!

Bardock's eyes flicker a sapphire blue as a gold aura begins to emanate from his hair, his resolve clear as he prepares to fight for his family rather than succumb to death.

Bardock: I won't let you take me FROM MY WOOOOOORLD!!!

Omni-Man is pushed back by a sudden burst in power as Bardock unlocks his Super Saiyan form and quickly blitzes him multiple times, landing multiple blows that cripple him. As a bloodied Omni-Man recovers and notices Super Saiyan Bardock behind him, he goes for a punch, only for Bardock to dodge and counter with a fierce three-hit combo that knocks away Nolan with every attack.

With an opening, Bardock charges a powerful Full Power Energy Wave and fires it at Omni-Man, who again recovers and catches the energy attack with his bare hands. Shouting loudly in a war cry as his smart atoms adjust, he is able to finally toss it aside with all his might before charging at the Legendary Super Saiyan, who charges up and does the same.

The Saiyan and Viltrumite exchange blows before Omni-Man takes another swing, which Bardock dodges to knock him away with a spin kick. Finally having enough, Nolan throws out one last-ditch punch, putting all of his power into the blow.

Omni-Man: YOUR TIME IS UP... SAIYAAAAANNN!!!

Both alien fathers clash punches one final time, but Nolan's blow is too much for Bardock to endure as his arm starts to strain and crackle red as he screams in pain. After a few moments, his forearm explodes in a burst of blood as he is forcefully knocked out of his Super Saiyan form, his pool of ki having been exhausted. Coughing out blood and knowing he has lost, all he can do is give Omni-Man a weak but dire warning.

Bardock: (coughs) You said... "Saiyan"... remember it...

With his last breath given, Bardock closes his eyes as his body drifts away into the star. Omni-Man is left alone, apparently despondent over his victory, knowing full and well he killed a family man like himself. Wiping his nose, he closes his eyes and lets out one word of self-disdain.

Omni-Man: ...F***...

Results

Solid State Invincible by Brandon Yates

Boomstick: Okay, these Gokus have got to stop picking fights with guys in capes.

Wiz: Pitting Saiyan against Viltrumite is fascinating. Among the many similarities, five specific categories stand out.

SPEED

Boomstick: Starting with speed.

Popup: Bardock's future sight from his original appearance was not influential due to its unreliability and inconsequential influence on presently occurring events.

Boomstick: Bardock is much faster, given his power level matched Goku dodging asteroids at 9.5 trillion times lightspeed, much higher than the Viltrumite's fastest feat. Add on the 50x multiplier from Super Saiyan and it's a huge difference.

Popup: Omni-Man could possibly scale to Universa, who flew from beyond the observable universe to Earth and back in under a day; 34 trillion times FTL. Bardock would still exceed such speed with Super Saiyan.

STRENGTH

Wiz: Right, Bardock clearly has the speed advantage, but strength and durability are another story.

Boomstick: Though it doesn't seem like it at first, Bardock scales to King Veggie, who wrecked three planets at once, and Omni-Man only smashed one. But, given how big that one planet was, the numbers are actually pretty similar, until we factor in the Super Saiyan boost, right?

Popup: Note that the numbers listed do not include division between participants, as equal effort is uncertain.

Wiz: Well, there's a catch: a major plot point in Invincible involves the Coalition of Planets admitting that their weapons cannot hurt Viltrumites.

Boomstick: So, when their ship's cannon obliterated this gigantic solar disk, it highlighted just how tough the Viltrumites really are.

Wiz: This disk completely blocked the sunlight and heat between a planet and its star, and this is no ordinary planet. Its size and density are so high that its inhabitants are as strong as Viltrumites JUST due to living in its natural gravity.

Popup: The cannon that destroyed the disk has a smaller diameter than the body of a Viltrumite, so the blast's large surface area at a distance would not impact scaling. Conquest also destroyed the ship later despite the fact that it can withstand its own firepower, again cementing Viltrumites as superior to it.

Wiz: To fully block the light of such a planet and remain in consistent orbit, the disk would need to be positioned at its L₁ point — the spot that creates an uninterrupted view between sun and satellite, and the disk itself must be about half the diameter of the star in question. This means the scaling of the disk puts it at three septillion tons.

Popup: Weapons that can kill Viltrumites, such as the Infinity Ray, have greater feats like causing supernovas. This also applies to Viltrum's destruction, which could have been deadly due to the core's heat, the Infinity Ray, and the speed at impact.

Boomstick: That's 24 zeroes!

Wiz: Which makes Omni-Man over 11,000 times stronger than base Bardock.

Popup: Examining this another way, the high end for King Vegeta's planet bust is 12.8 quettatons, putting Bardock's max potential at 7,704 quettatons. The disk feat's high end is 120,000 quettatons.

Boomstick: Not even the Great Ape or Super Saiyan forms could make up that difference, so strength goes to Nolan.

VERSATILITY

Wiz: Still, numbers aren't everything. As far as versatility and combat goes, neither had one distinct advantage that could win outright.

Boomstick: Omni-Man survives in space for much longer, but Bardock barely squeaks out the edge here thanks to his ranged versatility with ki attacks, and of course, Super Saiyan.

Wiz: Okay, let's address the Super Saiyan Bardock thing. It's perfectly fair to question whether or not the form should be in this comparison at all. However, even with the form included, Nolan still takes this, especially when it comes to our last two categories: experience and stamina.

EXPERIENCE AND STAMINA

Boomstick: Yup, Omni-Man's been around a lot longer than Bardock, over 2,000 years! And even with Super Saiyan, Bardock's no master of the form.

Popup: Regardless of Bardock's own endurance, even with his tail, the Super Saiyan form requires extensive training to improve its power and efficiency over extended periods.

Wiz: And without that mastery, the form drains the user's energies at an increased rate, which brings us to what may be Omni-Man's most surprising advantage.

Boomstick: Those weird Smart Atoms.

Wiz: Saiyans like Bardock can fight for days on end, but only for so long. Bardock possesses a limited pool of ki, which only depletes faster when using super forms like the Great Ape. In contrast, Omni-Man's biology prevents him from tiring in most cases, letting him travel across whole galaxies for weeks non-stop, and his Smart Atoms adjust to counter whatever physical strain he's subjected to.

Boomstick: Bardock's crazy speed and power made him a real challenge.

Wiz: But Nolan's strength, experience, and sheer endurance presented an unstoppable and unshakable force that would inevitably land the killing blow.

Boomstick: When push came to shove, Omni-Man raised the Bar...dock.

We cut to the Winner card.

Wiz: The winner is Omni-Man.

Comparison

Omni-Man

+ Higher strength

+ Better durability & stamina

+ Far more experience

- Less versatile attack options

Bardock

+ Higher speed

+ Better ranged options

- Limited pool of ki

- Hasn't mastered Super Saiyan or Great Ape

Original Track

Solid State Invincible by Brandon Yates

Composition

The track for this fight is "Solid State Invincible" by Brandon Yates. It is an electronic vocal rock track whose lyrics reflect Omni-Man and Bardock's emotional journeys from cold-blooded empire servants to regretful individuals grappling with the consequences of their past violence, their internal conflicts, and their desire for redemption and protection of their loved ones. It also features some orchestral elements, essentially being a higher tempo remix of "Diabolical Invincible Me", the track from Omni-Man's previous fight. Like the aforementioned track, this one is highly reminiscent of "Tom Tom" by Holy F***, which played in the Invincible animated series during the scene where Omni-Man decimates the Flaxans' home world. Aside from the similar style of the tracks, this one also reuses several instrumental motifs from its predecessor and puts a tragic/heroic spin on its lyrics, likely to represent Omni-Man's redemption. Bardock's theme of "Solid State Scouter" can be heard in parts of the track, specifically when he transforms into the Great Ape and Super Saiyan. The track also begins with a voice clip of Bardock before the music starts, possibly referencing how his theme starts off in a similar fashion.

Title

The title references the name of Bardock's theme, "Solid State Scouter", with "Scouter" being replaced with "Invincible" to reference Omni-Man's home series.

Cover Art

The cover art done by John Mitchell depicts Bardock (in his Great Ape form) and Omni-Man's fists clashing, releasing a shockwave. Bardock is holding a piece of Omni-Man's torn, bloodstained suit, while Omni-Man is holding Bardock's blood-soaked bandana.

Lyrics

NOTE: The asterisks * in front of certain lyrics means they're cued while certain lyrics stuck between more asterisks play. (Great. Another gross bug planet.) Give up (x15) All those normal people down there feel the same (Feel the same) And I can't bear to see their faces looking my way (Shame, shame) Take another world, add it to the fold 'Til it's all so cold and sterile, for the empire Keep emotions chilled, just do what you're told Don't live 'til you're old, already got a cause to die for * Give up (x8) * Is it ever gonna be enough To make up for what you've done? * Is it ever gonna be enough To bring back the ones you love? With every step, you feel the threat yet? (Shame) Now that we've met you won't forget it (Shame) Further you get the more you regret (Shame) Pay back the debt with your death (Shame) You feel the threat 'cause every step is like a mountain movin' All those normal people that I couldn't save (Couldn't save) Take another world, add it to the fold 'Til it's all so cold and sterile, for the empire Keep emotions chilled, just do what you're told... * Give up (x16) * Is it ever gonna be enough To make up for what you've done? Is it ever gonna be enough To bring back the ones you love? * All those normal people down there feel the same (Feel the same) And I can't bear to see their faces looking my way With every step, you feel the threat yet? (Shame) Now that we've met you won't forget it (What else could you do?) Further you get the more you regret (No one to blame but you) All those normal people down there feel the same (Feel the same) And I can't bear to see their faces looking my way...

Trivia

Production

• The core connections between Omni-Man and Bardock are that they are both members of an alien warrior race who conquer planets, usually killing off their populations as they do so (Viltrumites and Saiyans, respectively), and are fathers to powerful champions on Earth (Invincible and Son Goku, respectively). Both were initially loyal to their empires and emperors (the Viltrum Empire led by Thragg and the Frieza Force led by Frieza, respectively) until they rebelled against them upon realizing their true, lethal intentions for them (Thragg wanted to kill Omni-Man and his sons since they are the rightful rulers of the Viltrumites, while Frieza wanted to kill the Saiyans out of fear of the potential Super Saiyan) along with the fate of their worlds (Nolan's desertion from his mission marked him to be executed by the Viltrum Empire and going rogue has put his new home of Thraxa at great risk, while Bardock sought revenge against Frieza for the death of his comrades and learning of his plans to annihilate the Saiyan race). Both then soon fought their former leaders until their deaths, but despite this, they knew their sons would succeed by defeating their killers. In addition:
  • Both of their unique alien heritages allow them to adapt to stronger foes when faced with brutal situations (Viltrumites like Omni-Man subconsciously utilize Smart Atoms to adapt to opponents mid-combat, while Saiyans like Bardock become more powerful whenever they survive a life-or-death situation).
  • Despite their tough and harsh personalities, both also have wives to whom they show their softer side (Debbie Grayson and Gine, respectively) despite hailing from a culture where romantic relationships are considered abnormal.
  • Both have a history of protecting a species of purple-skinned aliens from harm (the Thraxans and the Inhabitants of Plant, respectively).
  • While not directly a connection in itself, Omni-Man and Bardock's similarities to Superman (as Nolan is an anti-heroic analog of Superman) and Son Goku (as Bardock is his father and greatly resembles him) respectively is noted at the start of the episode's post-analysis, making the pair a partial reference to one of the show's most iconic match.
• This episode was revealed in the Save Death Battle Kickstarter along with Bowser VS Eggman, with both episodes having been part of the base $75,000 stretch goal along with the then-unrevealed Joker VS Giorno and Among Us VS Fall Guys.
  • Backers of the Super Tengen Toppa reward tier (as well as other people who bought a ticket) were given VIP Access to watch this episode with the Death Battle crew three days prior to its release on YouTube in Dallas, Texas.
  • In the preview shown to promote the Save Death Battle Kickstarter, Bardock didn't have his bandana from Bardock - The Father of Goku despite his model being based on his design from that special. DevilArtemis confirmed in a Reddit AMA that this was because the preview was a work-in-progress version of the fight, and the final animation would indeed feature the bandana for the first third of the fight before it disappears partway through.
• This is the first Death Battle episode to be released following Rooster Teeth's shutdown on May 10th, 2024 and Death Battle becoming independent on July 25th, 2024.
  • It's also the first episode not to be released under a seasonal format due to its removal from the show.
• This episode wasn't originally planned to be the premiere of Season 11 (back when it was referred to that before Rooster Teeth's closure), but by the time of the Save Death Battle Kickstarter, this episode was chosen to be the show's 2024 Premiere, one episode before the originally planned one.
• The episode's YouTube release date is five days before the premiere of Dragon Ball Daima and two days before Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO's early access release.
• Bardock's analysis preview was originally titled "Bardock is EVIL! ...right?", though it was later changed to "Is Bardock EVIL enough to beat Omni-Man?" within the next 24 hours.
• This is the seventh episode whose track references a previous one (in this case being "Diabolical Invincible Me"), after Madara VS Aizen, Scarlet Witch VS Zatanna, Deku VS Asta, Gogeta VS Vegito, Darth Vader VS Obito Uchiha, and Goku VS Superman (2023).
• Unusually, Bardock lets out a large breath in the fight's interlude sneak peek instead of saying "Great," but this is not the case in the fight itself.
• This is the first episode:
  • since Season 3 where the Board of Wizdom makes an appearance.
  • since Scrooge McDuck VS Shovel Knight in which Boomstick announces the next episode by saying "Next time on Death Battle..." at the start of the Next Time trailer.
  • since Nightwing VS Daredevil to not feature cutaways to Wiz and Boomstick in any capacity.
  • whose Next Time trailer at the end takes up the top half of the screen rather than the left.
• Shortly before the episode premiered, the series pairing in the parenthesis was changed from "Invincible VS Dragon Ball" to "Invincible VS Dragon Ball Z", either for SEO reasons (as DBZ is the most popular Dragon Ball series) or to more clearly label Bardock as originating from that part of the franchise.
• The storyboards by John Mitchell reveal numerous differences and cut scenes compared to the final episode. In order, they are as follows:
  • There were initially piles of purple blood where Bardock's Attack Ball crash-landed in the crater, presumably from the corpses of Thraxans, and thus being the indicator as to how he was aware he's on a "bug planet".
  • Instead of merely punching Bardock away after shoving him in their first interaction, Omni-Man zooms around the planet to do so like in his Mortal Kombat 1 intro animation.
  • Bardock does not let out a war cry and aura power boost before chasing Omni-Man, instead doing so immediately after knocking him away.
  • Both combatants continue brawling mid-air even during their first banter exchange about their sons.
  • Omni-Man was initially struck by one of Bardock's ki blasts in his barrage attack before moving to throw the Attack Ball at him.
  • Bardock's Great Ape transformation initially started with his arm coming from the ground and crawling out instead of immediately transforming. Omni-Man also flies back away from the transformation instead of being knocked back in the final episode.
  • When taking the fight to the blue star, Omni-Man originally repeatedly punched Bardock towards it rather than merely carrying him there before choking him out, after which he sarcastically jokes with a cut line of "Aaaand there go his lungs".
  • Omni-Man is shown to take actual battle damage during the fight with Super Saiyan Bardock, suffering a dislocated right knee from a kick, blood pouring out of his mouth in the whole scuffle, and a bloodshot left eye. In contrast, all he sustains in the final episode are blood splatters all over his body.
  • After Omni-Man adapts to Super Saiyan Bardock's speed and takes a punch to the head to catch his wrist (a reference to how he caught Red Rush before killing him), the two repeatedly and bloodily headbutt each other before the final punch clash, similar to Hulk VS Broly.
  • Bardock does not power down from Super Saiyan in his death scene after his forearm explodes.
• Solid State Invincible, like most other tracks before Death Battle went independent, went up the day before the episode's release, with its availability around the world being based on time zone. However, this wasn't supposed to be the case, as newer track releases are now meant to be released based on location instead.
• In response to people upset at the episode's controversial verdict, DevilArtemis posted an intentionally poorly animated "alternate ending" to the episode as a joke, in which Super Saiyan Bardock wins by smacking Omni-Man towards the blue star seen at the end of the fight and destroying it with a ki beam, all with overexaggerated voicing.
  • This makes it the second episode to receive an alternate ending, after Shao Kahn VS M. Bison, and with the next four being Joker VS Giorno, Bowser VS Eggman, Among Us VS Fall Guys, and Kratos VS Asura.
• Strangely, this episode initially lacked a tagline in the episode description before being given one at a much later date.
  • A similar situation would later occur with Bowser VS Eggman and Master Chief VS Doom Slayer.

Easter Eggs

• Omni-Man's analysis preview's title, "Omni-Man is MORE Invincible than you think!", is a combination of and reference to both of his previous episode's preview titles of "Omni-Man Thinks He'll Win Death Battle!" and "Omni-Man is Invincible in Death Battle!", the former of which directly references the infamous "Think, Mark!" meme.
  • Boomstick also directly references the meme in his analysis, replacing Mark with Nolan.
• A few references to Omni-Man's status as a DLC character in Mortal Kombat 1 are made throughout the episode:
  • After the hosts note how Viltrum built its utopia "through brutal mortal combat", Boomstick remarks how "combat" is spelled "with a 'K'" as a reference to Nolan's playable status before realizing that the game was released well after the original Invincible comic's run.
  • The Mortal Kombat 1 clip shown as Boomstick makes his realization is that of one of Nolan's fight intros against Homelander, who is also a DLC character for the game and which also serves as another call-back to Omni-Man's previous episode.
  • The shot of Omni-Man and Bardock clashing arms and talking followed by Omni-Man punching Bardock away at the start of the fight is based directly on the intro dialogues from the game.
  • Omni-Man's "Am I supposed to be impressed?" line when in response to Bardock's Great Ape transformation is possibly a reference to the fight intro between him and Mileena, where he responds to her saying "You stand in the presence of Outworld's empress." with the same line.
• During Omni-Man's analysis, the description for the Viltrumite's flight speed is "OMNI-MAN FLIGHT SPEED 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO," which is a direct reference to the film Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo, whose subtitle has since become a popular meme.
• The tweet revealing the thumbnail for Bardock's analysis preview says "AAAAAAAHHHHH-oh sorry, for a second I thought we were about to kill goku again...", referencing all three Goku VS Superman episodes.
  • They are also referenced at the beginning of the post-analysis, in which Boomstick remarks that "these Gokus have got to stop picking fights with guys in capes."
    • This post-analysis remark is similar to his "these symbiotes really need to stop picking fights with pink-haired anime characters" line from Venom VS Crona that calls back to Carnage VS Lucy.
• The revolver-holding Texas from the Rooster Teeth Animated Adventures series that appeared in Omni-Man VS Homelander when Boomstick mentions the former smashing asteroids around makes its second appearance in the show when Boomstick brings up the same feat.
• As Wiz attempts to say "invincible" in Omni-Man's analysis, he is cut off by the series' title card, referencing how when a character attempts to say Invincible's name for the first time in every episode of the show, they get cut off by the same card and gimmick.
• Bardock's "Background" slide mentioning he hates time travel is a reference to Dragon Ball Z Abridged's Episode of Bardock by TeamFourStar, where that iteration of him showed contempt over realizing he went backwards in time during his fight with Chilled.
• The scenes of the Leprechaun getting run over by a car in Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood, Bane breaking Batman's back in The Dark Knight Rises, and Celestia Ludenberg's execution in Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc are referenced by Boomstick in Bardock's analysis as he goes over the brutality of the Saiyan's attacks.
• Boomstick refers to Frieza as a "dildo-dickhead" in Bardock's analysis, which is reminiscent of a similar insult he used for him in Frieza VS Megatron.
• Bardock's first line that cues in the fight and when "Solid State Invincible" starts playing is likely referencing Arlia, a planet inhabited by an insectoid species that Vegeta had destroyed during his time in the Frieza Force.
• Bardock narrowly avoiding Omni-Man attempting to punch him from behind is reminiscent of the final scene from the first episode of the Invincible animated series, where Omni-Man attempts to do the same to The Immortal.
• In the beginning of the fight, Omni-Man declares that "this planet isn't anyone's to conquer," referencing his line "Earth isn't yours to conquer." before he starts his destruction of the Flaxans' home world in the Invincible animated series.
• Omni-Man throwing the Attack Ball at Bardock (thereby forcing him to catch it and distracting him long enough to be hit) may be a reference to Nolan doing the same thing with Darkwing's corpse before killing Green Ghost in the Invincible animated series.
• Bardock's "I won't let you take me FROM MY WOOOOOORLD!!!" line as he goes Super Saiyan is a reference to Goku's "I will not let you DESTROY MY WOOOOOORLD!!!" line before he turned Super Saiyan himself in Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods while fighting Beerus.
• Omni-Man catching Bardock's Full Power Energy Wave before tossing it aside appears similar to when Goku deflected Frieza's Death Ball into another planet during their fight on Namek.
• Bardock's death by having his forearm destroyed and his ki exhausted before falling into a star is strikingly similar to Thragg's death at the hands of Mark during their final fight in the Invincible comic, wherein Thragg gets killed by having his throat bitten off by Mark before his corpse falls into the surface of the Sun, burning it layer-by-layer until nothing is left.
• Boomstick says that the sun disk feat features "24 zeroes!" during the post-analysis, a line in reference to feats in the septillions that has been used since Goku VS Superman 1 and repeated in various episodes since.

Errors

• Due to Bardock's render being flipped in the current thumbnail, his scar appears on the wrong side of his face.
• In Bardock's analysis preview, as Wiz states that "only one [of Bardock's various stories] is considered officially canon," the cover for Episode of Bardock is shown on-screen. However, that story is officially considered a non-canon "What If?" scenario. This was fixed in the final episode, with it being replaced by the cover of Volume 18 of the Dragon Ball Super manga.
• Bardock's scouter and bandana disappear partway through the fight, the former after his opening combo and the latter after the Saiyan Pod explodes. While the bandana can be considered battle damage from the explosion, the scouter was lost before Bardock could take any hit that could've destroyed it or knocked it off.
• Bardock's neck isn't fully modeled when he starts speaking right before his Great Ape transformation, resulting in part of the background being seen behind him through his neck.
• In the shot right after the one of Bardock's arm exploding, the blue star can be seen behind him for one frame before disappearing.
• The speed and strength comparison graphics have a couple of errors, with speed depicting Bardock's base speed as lower than Omni-Man's when tacking on the 50x Super Saiyan multiplier despite the former having a higher number, while Super Saiyan Bardock's stats of 387 quettatons aren't reflective of his stats (as he would only be that high by multiplying the Great Ape's power by 50, even though the forms do not stack like other transformations), though the latter was likely done to give Bardock the benefit of the doubt.

Other

• This is the 16th Anti-Heroes-themed episode, after Kratos VS Spawn, Vegeta VS Shadow, Ragna VS Sol Badguy, Wolverine VS Raiden, Dante VS Bayonetta, Mewtwo VS Shadow, Wario VS King Dedede, Ghost Rider VS Lobo, Sasuke VS Hiei, Deadpool VS Mask, Winter Soldier VS Red Hood, Venom VS Crona, Hulk VS Broly, Shadow VS Ryuko, and Guts VS Dimitri, and with the next three being Kratos VS Asura, Ghost Rider VS Spawn, and Hulk VS Godzilla.
• This is the 16th Anime/Manga VS Comic Book-themed episode, after Goku VS Superman 1, Goku VS Superman 2, Android 18 VS Captain Marvel, Carnage VS Lucy, Optimus Prime VS Gundam, Genos VS War Machine, Venom VS Crona, Hulk VS Broly, Goku Black VS Reverse-Flash, Saitama VS Popeye, Thor VS Vegeta, Magneto VS Tetsuo, Trunks VS Silver, Frieza VS Megatron, and Goku VS Superman (2023), and with the next one being Gurren Lagann VS White Lantern.
  • This is the 11th time that the Comic Book character wins, after Goku VS Superman 1, Goku VS Superman 2, Optimus Prime VS Gundam, Genos VS War Machine, Goku Black VS Reverse-Flash, Saitama VS Popeye, Thor VS Vegeta, Magneto VS Tetsuo, Trunks VS Silver, and Goku VS Superman (2023).
• This is the seventh Comic Book VS Movie-themed episode, after Darth Vader VS Doctor Doom, She-Ra VS Wonder Woman, Hulk VS Broly, Iron Fist VS Po, Stitch VS Rocket Raccoon, and Galactus VS Unicron, and with the next one being Hulk VS Godzilla.
  • This is the fourth time that the Comic Book character wins, after Darth Vader VS Doctor Doom, She-Ra VS Wonder Woman, and Galactus VS Unicron.
• This is the 34th episode to feature a returning combatant, after Zitz VS Leonardo, Batman VS Captain America, Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (2015), Goku VS Superman 2, Pokémon VS Digimon, Mewtwo VS Shadow, Deadpool VS Pinkie Pie, Metal Sonic VS Zero, Thor VS Wonder Woman, Black Panther VS Batman, Ryu VS Jin, Mario VS Sonic (2018), Mega Man Battle Royale, Captain Marvel VS Shazam, Dragonzord VS Mechagodzilla, Ganondorf VS Dracula, Deadpool VS Mask, Leonardo VS Red Ranger Jason, She-Ra VS Wonder Woman, Venom VS Crona, Hulk VS Broly, Shadow VS Ryuko, Lex Luthor VS Doctor Doom, Link VS Cloud (2021), Batman VS Iron Man, Akuma VS Shao Kahn, Thor VS Vegeta, Boba Fett VS Predator, Excalibur VS Raiden, Darth Vader VS Obito Uchiha, Phoenix VS Raven, Guts VS Dimitri, and Goku VS Superman (2023), and with the next seven being Bowser VS Eggman, Kratos VS Asura, Ghost Rider VS Spawn, Master Chief VS Doom Slayer, Aang VS Traveler, Ash VS Yugi, and Hulk VS Godzilla.
  • This is the 23rd episode to feature a returning winner, after Zitz VS Leonardo, Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (2015), Goku VS Superman 2, Deadpool VS Pinkie Pie, Metal Sonic VS Zero, Thor VS Wonder Woman, Black Panther VS Batman, Mario VS Sonic (2018), Ganondorf VS Dracula, Deadpool VS Mask, Leonardo VS Red Ranger Jason, She-Ra VS Wonder Woman, Venom VS Crona, Lex Luthor VS Doctor Doom, Link VS Cloud (2021), Batman VS Iron Man, Akuma VS Shao Kahn, Thor VS Vegeta, Excalibur VS Raiden, Phoenix VS Raven, Guts VS Dimitri, and Goku VS Superman (2023), and with the next four being Ghost Rider VS Spawn, Master Chief VS Doom Slayer, Aang VS Traveler, and Hulk VS Godzilla.
    • This is the 11th time that a returning winner wins, after Zitz VS Leonardo, Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (2015), Goku VS Superman 2, She-Ra VS Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor VS Doctor Doom, Batman VS Iron Man, Akuma VS Shao Kahn, Thor VS Vegeta, Phoenix VS Raven, and Goku VS Superman (2023), and with the next one being Ghost Rider VS Spawn.
  • This is the second Premiere episode to feature a returning combatant, after Black Panther VS Batman, and with the next one being Kratos VS Asura.
• This is the second Dragon Ball episode since Roshi VS Jiraiya to not feature the infamous Universe 7 shockwave feat (which was repeatedly used following Beerus VS Sailor Galaxia for previous series combatants in the post-Dragon Ball Super era and has been heavily memed upon by the community for its repetitive usage), after Gogeta VS Vegito.
• This episode reached #4 on YouTube's Trending page.
  • This is the first Premiere to reach Trending, with the next one being Kratos VS Asura.