This past October, I binged the hell out of Invincible. As a superhero fan, I’d seen it around social media whenever a new season came out, but I didn’t know much about it and because I was so used to Marvel/DC, I never really got into it. Let me say that was an absolutely colossal mistake because Invincible is a masterpiece.
I started watching the pilot on a whim — I think, maybe, that I got an edit of it on my TikTok For You Page,and after only ten minutes in, I knew the show was going to be peak media. It might be one of the greatest pilots of all time, but I’m definitely biased in saying that.
The show first premiered on Amazon Prime in 2021, based on the comics released between 2003 and 2018. Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) is a high school senior when his powers first show up. His father (J.K. Simmons) is Omni-man, an alien superhero from the planet Viltrum. As Mark learns how to use his powers, donning the name Invincible, he has to balance school, save the world, and spend time with his girlfriend, Amber (Zazie Beetz). But something sinister is going on — the Guardians of the Globe were murdered, and now some villains just don’t seem to be defeatable— and Mark’s dear old dad might just be at the core of it. (Seriously, go watch the pilot if you haven’t. I was absolutely gagged when I finished it for the first time.)
With a wide cast of characters, including Atom Eve (Gillian Jacobs), Allen the Alien (Seth Rogan), and Rex Splode (Jason Mantzoukas), we get a lot more perspectives than the usual hero story. Obviously, the show revolves around Mark, but some of the best scenes are ones he’s not involved in.
And that’s not to mention the villains! They’re always cool as h*ll: The Mauler Twins, Angstrom Levy, Powerplex. I love the way Invincible can incorporate villain plots that don’t feel silly or offhand — they deliver on every level.
Season one culminates with Mark realizing his dad is evil, leading to the two of them fighting about it (and destroying the city of Chicago). During it, Omni-man rants about how useless the people of Earth are when Viltrumites are stronger and live longer. Mark refuses to give up on them, even though he is immortal like his dad. Omni-man, while simultaneously beating Mark up, asks him: “What will you have after 500 years?”
Mark’s reply is devastating: “You, dad. I’d still have you.”
(Omni-man hides on a different planet after this fight. Mark does not still have him. Yikes!)
In season two, Angstrom Levy, a man with the ability to travel through universes, almost dies while trying to combine all his different minds into one because of Mark’s interruption. Beyond that, we meet baby Oliver (my favorite character, well yes!), Mark’s younger half-brother because his dad found a new wife… awkward. There’s also sequids (alien parasites on Mars), and Omni-man ends up being imprisoned by the Viltrum empire.
Season two ends with a cross-dimensional battle between Mark and Angstrom, where Mark ends up “accidentally” killing Angstrom. (Or so he thought.)
In season three, Oliver has gotten his powers and is trying to get Mark to teach him how to be a superhero. Very sweet. Mark and Eve now have a thing going on, which is also very sweet. Allen the Alien and Omni-man are teaming up in Viltrum jail, and while that’s happening, not only are Viltrumites constantly trying to get Mark to join them, but Powerplex (who lost his sister when Mark and Omni-man destroyed Chicago) is out for revenge. And oh! Angstrom Levy is not dead and is instead assembling an army of Evil Invincibles to take Mark out once and for all.
The season three finale is absolute cinema. Conquest, a victory-seeking Viltrimite, has an epic battle with Mark and Oliver that made me actually start screaming because of the changes in FPS (animation is so cool, guys. Shoutout to animation). Then, Eve and Mark team up against Conquest, and Eve literally dies, but her powers are so strong that she can bring herself back to life. A true girlboss. Most powerful character on the show, for sure. Unfortunately, Rex Splode dies (of course the jerk redeeming himself gets killed off), so the end of the season is a funeral.
The last thing Mark says before credits roll is “If anyone else ever puts my family, or anyone I love, at risk… I won’t hesitate to kill them.” Mic drop.
Season 4 is definitely going to take a darker turn. Just from the trailer, we see: Mark having nightmares; Eve’s powers diminishing; Allen, Omni-man, and Mark preparing for a war; and the line “there will be loss, there will be sacrifice.” It is not looking good!
Since I finished the show, I’ve been working my way through the comics. It’s honestly shocking how spot-on the adaptation is. For so many scenes of the show, you could hold up the pages of the comic to the show in the background, and it would look almost identical. The Invincible team is doing a fantastic job. Make sure you tune in March 18 for the first three episodes, and every week until April 22nd. I’m so excited for a spring full of sunshine, The Pitt, and Invincible: I couldn’t ask for a better destresser in the midst of the semester two scaries.