Spoilers forInvincibleEpisode “You Were My Hero"TheInvinciblefranchise is more popular than ever thanks to the acclaimed Prime animated series, but for those who haven’t yet checked out the original comics by creators Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley, it’s the perfect time to dive in and see some of iconic moments from the comics that have yet to be animated. One moment in particular is practically begging to make it into the show.
Back in 2008,Invinciblecrossed over withThe Astounding Wolf-Man, another series created by Kirkman along with artist Jason Howard. Wrongfully accused of killing his wife, Gary Hampton (the titular Astounding Wolf-Man) found a friend in Mark Grayson - otherwise known as Invincible - who actually believed his innocence during their team-up, which concluded inThe Astounding Wolf-Man#11 by Kirkman and Howard.
Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Global Defense Agency head honcho Cecil Stedman, who wasn’t willing to give Hampton the benefit of the doubt and opted to lock him up and throw away the key. Naturally, this fate doesn’t sit well with Mark, who decides to break the Astounding Wolf-Man out of his prison, consequences be damned -leading to an unbelievable fight with Immortal.
Invincible Faces Off with Immortal in a Jaw-Dropping Comic Book Battle
The Astounding Wolf-Man#11 by Robert Kirkman, Jason Howard, Cliff Rathburn, FCO Plascencia, Ivan Plascencia, and Rus Wooton
The breakout warrants the attention of the Guardians of the Globe, including Black Samson, Dupli-Kate, Shapesmith, Darkwing, and their leader,the Immortal. After being killed by Mark’s father, Omni-Man, earlier in the series and living up to his namesake, the Immortal has had some trust issues with Invincible to say the least. The tension between the two titans had been building for some time prior to their encounter in this issue. Inone of the most hilarious moments inInvinciblehistory, Mark grabs Immortal by the head and swings him around to knock out the Guardians of the Globe.
Omni-Man Is Awful, But the Invincible Villain’s Death Goes a Little Too Far
Omni-Man quickly cemented himself as a popular version of the evil Superman trope, but his death maybe takes “love to hate him” a little too far.
As much as the animated series makes changes to the source material, it actually hews closer to the comics than one might expect. In fact, lines of dialogue and images are lifted directly from the comics. For example, Omni-Man’s rant and the line “think, Mark, think” from the season one finale “Where I Really Come From,” which launched a thousand memes, can be found in the pivotal and gut-wrenchingInvincible#12 by Kirkman, Ottley, and Bill Crabtree. The series is replete with countless moments that deserve to be adapted into animation, but this particular fight with Immortal takes the cake.
Fans Have Been Waiting for This Invincible vs. Immortal Fight
Talk About a Humiliating Defeat…
Though immensely strong with powers of durability, the Immortal doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to fighting Viltrumites. He certainly must be feeling quite humiliated after this particular ignominious defeat. As viewers who caught the recentInvincibleepisode, “You Were My Hero,” know, Mark traveled to the future to confront a tyrannical version of Immortal, who pleads for Mark to mercifully end his life with Mark reluctantly obliging - another moment taken directly from the comics. Given the dark nature of that fight,Invinciblefans definitely deserve this hilarious moment.
The Astounding Wolf-Man#11is available now from Image Comics.
Invincible
Invincible is a multimedia franchise that began with the graphic novel series by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley. The series follows Mark Grayson, the son of Earth’s strongest hero, Omni-Man, as he enters into his powers at the cusp of adulthood. A television adaptation began in 2021 and retells the core story of the comics while fleshing it out and expanding on characters and concepts introduced in the medium.
