The latest season of “Invincible” brings an invigorating return of Mark Grayson, questioning what is right and wrong and for the greater good. This adult-style animated show is an adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s comic books and mimics DC’s Justice League characters. Mark’s character development and the overall plot make the third season of “Invincible” the best one yet.
This review is solely based on the television series and not the comics.
The first two seasons of “Invincible” display the Grayson family: alien father, Nolan Grayson, otherwise known as Omni-Man; human mother, Debbie Grayson; and their hybrid son, Mark Grayson, better known as Invincible. Unknown to the family—and even the rest of the world—Nolan has some underlying interests on Earth, which are covered up by his apparent good deeds.
Nolan comes from the planet Viltrum, with Viltrumites being one of the strongest and most enhanced beings in the universe. The planet sends Viltrumites to other worlds to breed, conquer, and bring them into their empire. Falling in love with Debbie and raising Mark leads Nolan to some unexpected humanity in his life that Viltrumites are instructed not to experience.
Earth sees the supposed hero, Omni-Man, in a new light whenever he dukes it out with Invincible. Nolan took it upon himself to go off-world after this physical father-and-son fight that almost killed Mark. He travels to a distant planet and has another Viltrumite hybrid son named Oliver that Mark later brings back to Earth.
Mark’s experience of protecting and thwarting off his Viltrumite lineage, among other threats from conquering Earth, leads into the third season, where the cliché line “With great power comes great responsibility” is really put to the test.
The Earth that we see in the show leads the majority of superpowered beings through the Global Defense Agency (GDA). Cecil Stedman is the cut-throat leader of the GDA, making decisions that no one else can apparently do in protecting Earth’s well-being.
Cecil’s actions cause Mark to truly wonder whether he’s fighting for the good guys or the bad guys. In efforts to utilize resources, Cecil rehabilitates people who have committed crimes such as murder and puts their skills to good use. Mark sees them as the criminals they once were without question, which leads him not to put up with the GDA any longer.
Mark trying to find his place in the world and deciding whether killing enemies is the best route causes major internal conflict within his relationships.
Samantha Eve Wilkins, otherwise known by her superpowered alias Atom Eve, is Mark’s long-awaited girlfriend this season. They’ve had emotional tension throughout the first two seasons and finally decided to commit to each other and prove that their superpowered lives make them the most compatible. Eve brings a calm state over Mark through any problem he has, reassuring him that he has control over his life.
Mark’s little brother, Oliver, is a newly introduced character in the series and is a fully coherent child with superpowers in season three. Mark’s powers didn’t even come to fruition until he was older, so trying to teach Oliver the ropes of being a superhero at such a young age is very trying for Mark as Oliver is an impressionable child.
The most trying period of all for Mark in this season comes at the end with the arrival of Conquest, a Vilrtumite, with the sole mission of ensuring Mark prepared Earth for Viltrum’s arrival by whatever means necessary. Conquest pushes Mark to the limit, almost killing him with a ruthless battle, killing a multitude of civilians and bringing in help from both Atom Eve and Oliver, which almost kills them, too.
Mark gathers his strength from the extra help in the battle against Conquest, gaining a new outlook on life. Throughout his challenges this season, he learns that not everyone deserves second chances and that some people will never change.
The ending of the season draws on Mark’s newfound outlook on killing or sparing the lives of villains and foreshadows how he’ll act in future seasons. Post-credit scenes speculate his challenges to come and put his mental state to new extremes.