Everything leads back to Mark
The opening of this episode sees a return of Titan, the street-level “villain,” as his family is attacked. To protect them, he goes berserk and presumably kills the attacker. Back to Mark, we see the reactions of others to Mark’s decision to kill the sequid host. As Cecil points out, what Mark did is what he would do, but that’s not Mark. Even the Guardians are split on whether Mark was right or wrong to do what he did. Mark himself grapples with it the entire episode.
When Cecil calls him in to talk, it’s clear that Mark believes he can make these decisions. Or rather, he needs to make these decisions because his indecision in the past has gotten people hurt and killed before. And while it was unplanned, D.A. Sinclair trying to apologize to Mark is another test of his rage, and if he can handle it.
But while Mark is struggling, so is Eve. Her powers get more and more out of whack as she tries to figure out what’s wrong with them. She goes to Robot/Rudy (who renamed himself Rex in honor of Rexplode) to see about ways to restore her powers to normal. And while both Mark and Eve are sort of out of commission, Oliver tries to step up and pick up their slack by taking on a job for Invincible Inc. Unfortunately for him, it ends up being way out of his depth.
Mr. Liu, the old man who can turn into a dragon from last season, has returned and has a grudge against Titan. While Oliver is hoping Mark can come to help, another old foe, the Flaxans (the aliens who age faster when they invade Earth), have returned. So as Mark and the Guardians hold off the Flaxans, Rex and Monster Girl head into the portal to damage the machine keeping the Flaxans alive. But Rex realizes that to stop them for good, they will have to stop them on their own planet. And because they are so scared of Mark, the Flaxans destroy the portal, leaving Rex and Monster Girl on the other side. Which means, unfortunately for Eve, any answers they could possibly find to fixing her powers are stuck in another dimension.
As Mark aids Oliver and Mr. Liu’s dragon slips away, Mark heads for Titan and beats him pretty badly. It isn’t until Oliver tells Mark to stop that he regains awareness, which is a stark contrast to last season, when Mark had to create a no-killing rule for Oliver and teach him the importance and value of life. Additionally, Mark is in the same position Titan was at the beginning of the episode, showing it’s only a matter of time until the line is crossed once again.
The final bombshell reveal of this premiere: Eve is pregnant. Even with the major reveals that happened in this premiere, this might be the biggest one of all, and the one that could change Mark and Eve’s lives forever.
The three-episode premiere of Invincible was nothing short of amazing. After getting to really know these characters after 3 seasons, they really make you invested in the changes each character is experiencing. The voice acting has always been great, but it is very underappreciated in how much it elevates the tension and emotional impact of each episode. Mark’s uncertainty and unease make you feel for him because you know he wants to and tries to do the right thing, but you also know that with decisions like the ones he has to make, it can never simply be black and white. And even with other characters’ struggles, they are in some way connected to Mark as well. This premiere did an excellent job of planting seeds that will bear fruit in later episodes this season, and even in later seasons. We are in for an exciting season, sure to be full of even more major twists, reveals, and incredible foes for Mark.
Rating: ★★★★★
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