The following contains spoilers for “Invincible” Season 3, Episodes 2 and 3.
Following the gob-smacking events of “Invincible” Season 2, one of the best animated shows currently streaming is back for a third chapter in its signature blood-splattering fashion. After discovering that Cecil (Walton Goggins) has an army of ReAnimen at his disposal, Mark (Steven Yeun) quickly severs ties with his employer, though not before shredding Cecil’s mindless drones like tissue paper first. Fueled by his anger and a desire to confront the Global Defense Agency director, Mark’s actions serve as a violent, visceral, and explosive display of his power. His behavior is also unsettling for all who bear witness, echoing one of the most infamous and disturbing moments in the history of the “Invincible” universe.
Mark had already pummeled a wave of Cecil’s undead army in his secret White Room, but after Rudy (Zachary Quinto/Ross Marquand) manages to switch off his implant, our hero truly lets loose. Mark’s rage is fully unleashed as he snaps, swipes, and shreds through a second wave, sparking shock and perhaps even fear in those around him. From fighting patterns to blood splatters, this assault closely mirrors Nolan’s (J.K. Simmons) shocking betrayal of the original Guardians of the Globe in the very first episode of “Invincible,” and it happens on the exact same spot no less. It just goes to show: Mark really is a chip off the old Viltrumite block, whether he likes it or not.
Is history doomed to repeat itself with Mark, no matter how hard he fights against it? It’s a valid point and one that Cecil (fairly) does not hesitate to make here.
Mark Grayson proves he is his father’s son – and Cecil is right to be afraid
Mark might be hammering away at Cecil’s new defenses, but the one he just can’t breach is the GDA director’s rebuttal about who should and shouldn’t face consequences for their previous actions. After Mark argues that D.A. Sinclair (Ezra Miller) and Darkwing (Cleveland Berto) deserve justice and shouldn’t be given a second chance, Cecil quickly reminds our hero that he recently aided his “mass-murdering dad” and also killed Angstrom Levy (Sterling K. Brown). This proves Cecil doesn’t need a deadman switch to ground Mark. Instead, he just needs to remind him of the mistakes committed by the Grayson family that Mark would do anything to forget.
He might be seeing red right now, but Invincible has spent most of his life acting like a hero, viewing everything in black and white. Meanwhile, Cecil has built a career in the gray, even after years of trying to fight it (as revealed in Season 3, Episode 2, “A Deal with the Devil”). Their opposing views set the stage for another brilliant conflict in Mark’s struggle not to become what his father once was while also sticking to his “no killing rule.” Of course, that becomes even more challenging when his little brother spectacularly breaks this rule while facing the Mauler Twins (Kevin Michael Richardson).
Cecil should be just as worried about Oliver as Mark
With Invincible already under pressure from Cecil for being a hypocritical superhero, Oliver (Christian Convery) may quickly push his sibling to his breaking point when it comes to his understanding of the value of life. After absolutely decimating the Mauler Twins and ensuring that no other clone returns, it takes a stern talking-to from Mark for the message to sink in for Ollie — and even then, there’s a good chance that it might not stick.Â
Look, we understand. Coming from another planet, Oliver is understandably not fully accustomed to Earth’s ideas of right and wrong — that and the importance of avoiding sending someone’s head into oblivion with an uppercut. Such an encounter could create even more issues for Mark in the future as he tries to rein in Kid Omni-Man with the message that taking a life isn’t acceptable. But how can Ollie accept that when his brother acted without hesitation against Angstrom Levy? For now, we can only hope that the messages from both Mark and his mother, Debbie (Sandra Oh), have been received … because if they haven’t, Cecil’s focus could understandably shift, putting even more pressure on the Graysons as “Invincible” continues to break rules and bones alike.
New episodes of “Invincible” drop Thursdays on Prime Video.