Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Invincible Season 2.
InvincibleSeason 2 is finally here, and through only one episode, it is already handling a contentious plot device far better than Marvel or DC has. As fans of comic book media already know, the concept of the multiverse has become omnipresent in superhero shows and television. The main reason for this is that the idea of alternate dimensions leaves the door open for established interpretations of popular characters and the beloved actors who portrayed them. Not to mention, the A24 multiverse-focused filmEverything Everywhere All at Oncetook home several Academy Awards, including theOscar for Best Picture.
Couple that with the massive success ofSpider-Man: No Way Home, which of coursebrought backTobey Maguire,Andrew Garfield, and their iconic rogues galleries, and now the leaders of the comic book media world are trying to capitalize on that. However, Marvel and DC, in particular, don’t seem to understand what made movies likeEverything Everywhere All at OnceandSpider-Man: No Way Homework, which were gripping, cohesive storylines. No, this “multiverse” era of comic book filmmaking feels like the studios just using it as a gimmick to revive popular characters and interpretations of them, regardless of whether it even makes sense in the plot. Examples likePatrick Stewart’s Professor X inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessandMicheal Keaton’s Batman inThe Flashfeel more like cheap fan service than necessary introductions.
With the notable exceptions of theSpider-Versefilms andLoki, Marvel and DC really need to evolve the way they handle multiverse stories by focusing on good stories first. The premiere episode ofInvincibleSeason 2 is a flawless example of how to do multiverses right. Instead of using the multiverse to pander to its audience, the multiverse storyline introduced here challenges its audience with an original story and a sympathetic villain.
Invincible
Invincible is an adult animated superhero series that revolves around 17-year-old Mark Grayson, who’s just like every other guy his age — except his father is the most powerful superhero on the planet, Omni-Man. But as Mark develops powers of his own, he discovers his father’s legacy may not be as heroic as it seems.
‘Invincible’ Season 2 Begins With an Evil Alternate Mark Grayson
InvincibleSeason 2 begins right off the bat with a shocking and horrifying subversion of expectations. The first thing we see is Invincible (Steven Yeun) having a fierce battle with Immortal (Ross Marquand), only for Mark Grayson to be saved by his father, Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons). Together, the unlikely father and son duo slaughter Immortal, and the cryptic conversation they have afterward confirms that this is not the Invincible we all know and love. Those suspicions are confirmed when we see this alternate reality’s destroyed city landscapes, all thanks to the Viltrumite might of these evil Invincible and Omni-Man versions.
There is a fledgling resistance in this dystopian hellscape, though, consisting of alternate versions of Robot (Zachary Quinto) and Atom Eve (Gillian Jacobs), as well as a new character named Angstrom Levy (Sterling K. Brown), who will become much more important later in the episode. This resistance is quashed by Invincible and Omni-Man, all to predictably horrifying results. Omni-Man slaughters Robot (even destroying the fallen hero verbally by saying he should have died at birth) while Invincible paralyzes Eve. If that wasn’t evil enough, the evil Invincible says he wants to keep Eve on life support, so he can visit her, essentially imprisoning her in her own body. With their vile deeds done, Omni-Man and Invincible deal with the rest of the rebels.
Evil alternate versions of noble superheroes are nothing new, even before the current multiverse era of superhero content. However, what makes this evil Invincible unique and interesting is how close his personality is to the hero we know from Season 1. Even though this alternate Mark Grayson is committing heinous acts of violence, he still acts like a lighthearted and lovable wisecracker, all while slaughtering civilians. It’s a brilliant way to start the season as this alternate reality ties into Season 2’s overarching personal conflict within the mainline Mark Grayson, who fears becoming the same monster his father is.
Angstrom Levy Goes from a Pacifist into a Madman in ‘Invincible’ Season 2
InvincibleSeason 2’s multiverse is truly introduced throughAngstrom Levy, who is already primed to be a fantastic big bad forInvincibleSeason 2. This version of Angstrom Levy is one capable of creating portals to other dimensions, and he has created an entire society of alternate versions of himself, including the Levy from the universe where the evil Invincible resides. Levy enters Invincible’s world after he breaks out the Mauler Twins (Kevin Michael Richardson) from prison, recruiting them to build another miraculous scientific device. This time, he wants the Maulers to make a device that will sync his minds with all of his versions, creating a sort of super being so he can make the perfect utopia.
As radical a solution as this may seem, Angstrom Levy’s intentions seem entirely noble, hoping to use his knowledge to create a utopia free of any war and hardship. Regardless of his intent, Cecil (Walton Goggins) picks the energy signatures up from the device as a potential threat and sends Invincible to investigate. A fight breaks out between Invincible and the Mauler Twins (as well as some versions of the Maulers), leading to the device’s destruction and all of Levy’s alternate versions perishing. Angstrom Levy prime survives but is now disfigured due to the explosion. He does, however, gain the consciousness of his clones, most of which experienced great suffering from alternate Invincibles. With a debilitating appearance and a brilliant mind filled with his variants' suffering, Invincible has a new dangerous foe.
Within a single hour,InvincibleSeason 2 has already crafted a well-developed and even sympathetic villain in Angstrom Levy. While the remainder of the season will no doubt expand on the villain more, it does legitimately seem that Levy’s intent is noble. He wants to make a better world and initially has a staunch sense of pacifism (though he admittedly stretches that definition at times), but that all crumbles when yet another Invincible causes torment for an Angstrom Levy.
Why ‘Invincible’ Season 2’s Multiverse Works Where Marvel and DC’s Haven’t
Being only one season deep (plus the prequel spin-offInvincible: Atom Eve), Season 2 ofInvincibledoesn’t have to deal with a hurdle that Marvel and DC hit. Being younger than those franchises,Invincibleisn’t forced to rely on bringing back established nostalgia to pander to fans. Professor X’s return and the rest of the Illuminati inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessfelt like pointless cameos. Michael Keaton’s return as Batman inThe Flashwasn’t even consistent with the film’s own rules on the multiverse (and don’t even get us started on the tasteless ending where the multiverse of DC’s past collides).
Another big thing thatInvincibleSeason 2 has already that a lot of the aforementioned heavy hitters lack is a compelling antagonist that we can understand and relate with. So far, theMarvel Cinematic Universe’s big bad Kang the Conqueror(Jonathan Majors) has failed to fill the Thanos (Josh Brolin)-shaped void of the MCU, even being upstaged by his other variants likeLoki’s He Who Remains. What Kang really lacks right now is a compelling motivation beyond taking over the multiverse, and Levy has that as a well-meaning foe who has inherited hundreds of years of grief.
However, perhaps the biggest reasonInvincibleSeason 2 is on the right track is how the multiverse is handled in service to the story, not the other way around. Instead of using the multiverse as an excuse to introduce crazy characters and overwhelming visuals, Season 2 instead uses the multiverse to progress its already established characters. The sprawling alternate worlds serve as a painful reminder that Invincible really needs to live up to his name, lest he become just like his disgraced father.
InvincibleSeason 2 is available to stream on Prime Video.
