The 7 Best Invincible Episodes from Seasons 1 and 2

Prime Video’s mega-popular adult animated series Invincible is poised to fly onto our screens for season 3 in February, hopefully providing a dash of escapism from these cold winter months. While it’s easy to compare Invincible to The Boys, there’s an element of hopefulness amid the constant bloodshed and violence that offers a clear contrast between the two. However, Invincible does examine the nuances of heroism and how absolute power corrupts quite well.

To celebrate the return of Invincible, I’ve compiled a list of the best episodes in the series thus far.

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“It’s About Time” (Season 1 Episode 1)

Invincible’s pilot episode lays a solid foundation for what’s to come, even if you’re unfamiliar with the source material. There’s a hopeful, idealistic feel as we view the world of super heroes through Mark Grayson’s naïve teenage eyes. Mark wants to be just like his dad, Omni-Man, and when his powers finally kick in, he jumps at the chance to fulfill his purpose.

The outing does a great job introducing Omni-Man’s insidious nature. We see the cracks form in his carefully curated façade. However, all pretense vanishes when Omni-Man brutally slaughters the Guardians of the Globe. That jaw-dropping cliffhanger gives us a good indication of the tone of the series.

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“That Actually Hurt” (Season 1 Episode 5)

“That Actually Hurt” is an action-packed thrill ride from start to finish while Mark learns the nuances of being a super hero. It shows the plight of everyday people and how BIPOC and marginalized communities don’t benefit from Mark’s heroics. Plus, that opening scene with Titan and his bullet-ricocheting skin is pretty fun.

Episode 5 also propels the overarching narrative, with Debbie learning the truth about Omni-Man’s murder streak and Battle Beast beating Samson and Monster Girl within an inch of their lives. Mark goes beyond his moral limits by essentially fighting to kill, but he almost loses his life in the process. Oh, and plot twist: Titan is really the bad guy. Here’s hoping we see more of his storyline in season 3.

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“We Need to Talk” (Season 1 Episode 7)

For most of season 1, Mark tries desperately to conceal his super hero identity from his girlfriend, Amber. “We Need to Talk” sees Mark finally tell her the truth, only for her to reveal she already put two and two together. Meanwhile, Robot enlists the aid of the Mauler Twins to build him a new human body so he can romance Monster Girl. The jury’s still out on whether that’s weird or sweet.

Debbie gives Omni-Man the boot after calling him out for murdering the Guardians of the Globe. The Viltrumite takes on the newly revived Immortal, kills poor Donald (RIP), and battles Cecil’s ReAnimen. For Mark, though, it quickly becomes a moral — and emotional — dilemma when Cecil orders him to kill his own father. The episode concludes with Omni-Man preparing to tell Mark the truth. It’s a compelling watch.

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“Where I Really Come From” (Season 1 Episode 8)

The Season 1 finale delivers a heaping helping of much-needed exposition as Omni-Man explains to his son why he killed the Guardians of the Globe. Viltrum believes it should be the premier – and only – empire in the galaxy, conquering worlds and leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. So, Omni-Man must make Earth submit to his people. It’s a clever metaphor for colonization and white supremacy.

Naturally, Mark, who’s half-Viltrumite, only identifies with his human side. He’s a champion of Earth, refusing to allow his dad to bring its people under Viltrum’s thumb. Much of “Where I Really Come From” zeroes in on Omni-Man and Mark’s fracturing father-son dynamic as they fight to the near death, hurtling through mountains, barreling through skyscrapers, and punching through fighter jets.

Omni-Man is also a prime example of toxic masculinity and abuse, constantly spewing language straight from the Abuser 101 Handbook. Additionally, the new Guardians of the Globe finally come together as a team to support Mark. After Omni-Man leaves Earth, Allen the Alien tells Mark about the long-game plan from the Coalition of Planets to stop the Viltrumites.

It’s a high-octane, propulsive, and ultraviolent episode.

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“It’s Been a While” (Season 2 Episode 4)

If you desperately needed a montage featuring Omni-Man flying through space to Nick Cave’s haunting cover of “Avalanche,” look no further than “It’s Been a While.” Season 2 episode 4 shows us what Omni-Man did in the aftermath of his bloody confrontation with Mark. He saves a new planet, Thraxa, and shacks up with a Thraxan woman to produce purple offspring (as one does).

Meanwhile, Debbie spirals while grappling with her grief and the trauma of almost losing her son Mark to her husband’s brutality. Elsewhere, Atom Eve squares off against Killcannon and saves a couple from drowning in their vehicle. After some time away from the super hero world, this creates more moral qualms for Eve.

It’s a fascinating character study for Omni-Man, in particular, who claims he feels guilty for the Viltrumites killing Thraxans but uses his anger as a placeholder for that remorse, channeling his rage into hurting Mark (again).

It all culminates in Mark and Omni-Man fighting a handful of Viltrumites, with the latter taking Omni-Man into custody for failing to fulfill his mission. The outing is pure wall-to-wall action.

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“I Thought You Were Stronger” (Season 2 Episode 8)

Angstrom Levy returns in the season 2 finale to exact revenge against Mark for a perceived wrong, even though it’s not our titular Invincible’s fault that Angstrom’s device backfired spectacularly. This episode deftly balances high-stakes tension, action, and cheeky fun as Mark bounces through the multiverse, thanks to Angstrom’s portal-opening abilities.

“I Thought You Were Stronger” blesses us with some delightful pop culture references, from Mark encountering Invincible’s version of Spider-Man and Doc Ock in one dimension to meeting Batman in another (and poking fun at the Caped Crusader’s moniker without saying it). There’s even a nod to Robert Kirkman’s other famous comic book series-turned-TV-show, The Walking Dead. In one dimension, Mark stumbles upon a horde of zombies.

Mark kills Angstrom in a fit of unadulterated rage. The aftermath sees Mark rationalize his actions, although, let’s be honest, Angstrom broke his mom’s arm and threatened to kill his family. Mark’s been adamant about being the polar opposite of Omni-Man, so naturally, killing Angstrom unravels that belief. It’s a heartbreaking mental spiral all the same, with a beautiful vocal performance from Steven Yeun.

All this sets the stage for season 3, especially the final scene between Allen and Omni-Man, as the latter awaits execution courtesy of the Viltrumites. Omni-Man seems genuinely remorseful this time. Is redemption possible for him?

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Honorable Mention – Invincible: Atom Eve

Samantha Wilkins, AKA Atom Eve, finally takes the spotlight in this Invincible special dedicated to her backstory. In it, we learn her awful parents adopted her. Then, while enduring emotional abuse at home, Eve develops her superpowers. Of course, said powers are courtesy of Dr. Brandyworth injecting her biological mother with a special serum to alter the amniotic fluid, resulting in Eve becoming a superhuman.

We also meet Eve’s “siblings,” children who grew up in a lab and underwent the same experimentation she did. However, the military considers Eve a success story. Eve slowly grows more confident in her abilities and acts on her desire to help others. There are fun action sequences and a deeper dive into precisely what Eve can do, reminding us why she’s so damn cool.

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What are your favorite Invincible episodes? Join the conversation with other super hero fans over at Sideshow Social Network or in side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!