There is no way to understate the greatness of the Amazon Prime hit series “Invincible.” In one moment, it is a youthful story about a teenage hero coming into himself. In the next moment, it is a murderous rampage that dives headfirst into the darkest complexities of life. The series certainly packs a punch, not only with its vastly ambitious take on a world of heroes, but also for the emotions it touches on and the memes it inspired. The nuance and style of the series cultivated a large audience, and with nearly the whole world anticipating Season 2, people are wondering what will come next.
Many viewers became aware of “Invincible” through the Amazon Prime series, but others have been in tune to this story for a long time. “Invincible” actually originated as a comic book, written by Robert Kirkman, the creator of “The Walking Dead.” The comic stretched for 15 years, beginning in 2003 and coming to a conclusion in 2018. The brilliance of this love letter to the superhero genre is undeniable, as it became one of the most beloved superhero stories outside of Marvel or DC — and thus came Season 1 of the series. Even Kirkman did not expect the world to love the series as much as they do, yet Amazon confirmed it will renew the series for a second and third season. With so much comic book content, there are a thousand different directions and universes “Invincible” can explore in the next installment.
Most of the first season was pulled directly from its comic book counterpart, but not all of it. Just because there exists context for the story in the comics does not mean it will be exactly replicated in the animated series. There were quite a few twists and turns from the first season that differentiated it from the comics, and this will likely be the case for Season 2 to keep audiences on their toes. However, there are certainly a few things “Invincible” fans can expect in the next season besides the unexpected.
Firstly, Kirkman confirmed the introduction of Angstrom Levy. This character serves as one of Mark Grayson’s primary and most formidable foes throughout the comics, and his multi-dimensional maniac mind is sure to cause quite the ruckus next season. In the comics, Levy is a giant pain in Grayson’s backside, which eventually culminates in a war between Grayson and his evil, alternate selves from different realities. It would not come as a surprise at all if this serves as one of the primary plotlines. It’s only a matter of time before Levy begins to torture Grayson, and with Omni-Man currently off-world, it seems like there’s no better time for this deranged villain to attack than in the next season.
The first season concludes with Omni-Man, otherwise known as Nolan Grayson, revealing himself as a genocidal conqueror to the world by killing Earth’s greatest heroes and thousands upon thousands of innocent people. Grayson even attempts to murder his own son, Mark Grayson, when he refuses to join him in enslaving the planet. As Omni-Man uses bloodlust and the power of his fists to prove his point, Mark chooses to battle with his words in the face of death. In just one line in the most emotional scene of the series, Omni-Man rethinks his millennia-long destiny and flees Earth instead of killing his son. This storyline will obviously be continued in Season 2 — perhaps with even more ingenuity than the comic book version — and will hopefully prompt audiences to fall deeply in love with the dynamic between Nolan and Mark Grayson.
In the “Invincible” comics, Mark searches for and eventually finds his father on a different planet where it is revealed that he started a new family and feels great remorse for his sins on Earth. As the threat of Omni-Man’s home race, the Viltrumites, lurks in the shadows to punish him for not conquering Earth, he looks to his son to protect that world from certain destruction.
With the internet talking so much about this gory and glorious father-son duo, it’s to be expected that the plotline of Season 2 might go a bit differently than the comic books. This may be because of one thing: Comic book readers are likely more willing to suspend their disbelief than TV audiences. Comic book readers are accustomed to the dramatic rises and falls of characters, fantastical plot points, mind-boggling stories and all things of that nature. However, it may be a bit more difficult to convince the general TV audience that Omni-Man is capable of change or deserving of forgiveness. Perhaps Omni-Man will continue to be villainous in Season 2. Even worse, he may be regretful of his failure to conquer Earth as he goes to gather the rest of the Viltrumites across the galaxy.
Many characters that play gigantic roles in the comics only appear briefly or in minor parts in Season 1. These characters, including Battle Beast, Atom Eve, Allen the Alien, Immortal and the Mauler twins, will surely play at least somewhat larger roles in Season 2. The Sequid and Flaxan races, whom the Guardians of the Globe will probably go to war with, are especially likely to make a huge appearance in the next season.
Audiences can also certainly expect to see more on Cecil Stedman and Mark’s mom, Debbie, as well as her depression. In the comics, tension develops between Cecil and Mark as the young superhero starts to disagree with Cecil’s methods of protecting Earth. While the two seem to grow close in Season 1, this could change in the blink of an eye, considering the fact that Mark is still recovering from the most traumatic event somebody could ever possibly think of.
“Invincible” is truly a once-in-a-lifetime story. For somebody who’s looking for a more serious yet simple style of superhero stories, this one is for you. There is something about this series that resonates with so many people. The show contains a character to relate to in every corner, even if they’re lifting buildings and shooting lasers out of their eyes. The series can go from heart- to gut-wrenching before tears even have the chance to fall down your face. But just know that there is plenty, plenty more to come. The story has just scratched the surface. To get through all of the tragedy, tears and blood that is sure to come from this series, one may need to be …
Invincible.
