Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Invincible season 3, episodes 1-6.With Mark Grayson frequently on the losing end of so many fights, hisInvinciblealias has started to become a running joke, but season 3 has proven exactly why he’s earned the name. Being the son of Omni-Man, Mark has always had great potential, as his half-Viltrumite, half-human blood has made him one ofInvincible’s most powerful charactersright from the very first season. However, despite his strength and abilities, the protagonist has suffered many crushing defeats throughout his time in the series, mainly because he has bitten off more than he can chew before he’s fully developed.
Tangling with the likes of Battle Beast and the ReAnimen in season 1 was perhaps a little naive, while Anissa and the other Viltrumites in season 2 were far more powerful than Mark, despite his impressive skills.Season 3 proved that Mark is stronger than the Immortaland Earth’s other heroes, but despite his drastic improvements,the protagonist’s emotions have still allowed the likes of Doc Seismic and Mister Liu to get the better of him. Despite all these tough battles, Mark continues to keep fighting, and his tussle with Powerplex highlights why he is really called Invincible.
Mark’s Invincible Alias Represents His Mental Strength, Not His Physical Powers
The Protagonist’s Spirit Is Invincible, Hence His Superhero Moniker
Given how often Mark has been left bloodied and bruised, his Invincible name may feel more like a gag, but it actually represents his mental strength, not his physical abilities. Despite being incredibly strong and capable of going toe-to-toe with some of the franchise’s toughest villains, Mark’s greatest trait isn’t his raw power. Instead, it’s his spirit and mentality that are unbreakable, asno matter how many times he gets beaten up or experiences extreme trauma, the protagonist keeps on fighting. Being overly emotional may be one ofMark’s biggest weaknesses inInvincible, but it’s also what keeps him going.
His morality and desire to do good is what motivates him to be a superhero, not the potential fame or fortune that could come with it. Choosing to defend Earth has only made his life more difficult, yet Mark refuses to quit, even when times get tough. His family has even been targeted and villains like Angstrom Levy and Powerplex have formed vendettas against him, but nothing has managed to keep him down, no matter how often he questions himself.
Therefore, the Invincible alias doesn’t refer to how much punishment he can take, but rather how much he can endure mentally. Most heroes would have retired after what happened in Chicago with Omni-Man, while very few would have survived what he went through in season 2 without permanent psychological damage. However, Mark is special. He has an unmatched desire to prove the world wrong and protect people, no matter the cost to himself, and while he has shown some violent tendencies and had slightly questionable moments, his morality has never been compromised.
Mark’s Conflict With Powerplex Shows Exactly Why He Has Earned The Invincible Nickname
Being Part Of Such An Emotional Fight & Dealing With The Aftermath Shows Mark’s Unbreakable Mentality
Of all Mark’s confrontations throughoutInvincible, his encounter with Powerplex may be his most emotional yet, cementing his Invincible name. After Scott Duvall’s sister and niece were killed in Omni-Man and Mark’s Chicago fight, Scott held a grudge against Invincible that grew larger and larger the longer he was ignored, leading to him becoming Powerplex. Despite continuously calling out the hero, Mark ignored him until he eventually had to foil Powerplex’s staged kidnapping, which ended in tragedy for both characters. Mark suffered severe physical pain during the battle, while Scott accidentally killed his wife and son after losing control.
Despite all the horrors Mark has witnessed so far, being brought into a fight he didn’t want any part of and watching a man unintentionally kill his family is one of the toughest things he has gone through so far. To make matters worse,Scott’s hatred for Invincible all stems from believing he played a role in his sister and niece’s deathswhen he actually tried to save them, something the protagonist still feels guilty about. Had they been able to have an actual conversation, things might have been different. Instead, they both suffered.
Fighting someone so emotionally damaged while also being blamed for his father’s sins despite being a victim himself shows just how courageous Mark truly is.
Even after going through all this, Mark still showed his humanity by consoling Scott in prison and telling him he remembered the victims, only for Scott to throw that compassion back in his face. Despite Powerplex andInvincibleseason 3 painting Mark as a villain, he continues to risk his life for the greater good. Fighting someone so emotionally damaged while also being blamed for his father’s sins despite being a victim himself shows just how courageous Mark truly is, and coming out of the battle with his heroism still intact is proof he has earned the name Invincible.
Mark’s Past Already Showed How Mentally Tough He Has Been Throughout Invincible
His Battles With Omni-Man, Angstrom Levy & Cecil Have All Felt Extremely Personal
Although Mark’s clash with Powerplex was emotional, it’s far from his first rodeo, as he has gone through so much throughout the seasons. Learning to be a hero was brutal for the protagonist, but his fight with Omni-Man is by far his toughest test in season 1. Finding out his father had been lying to him his whole life was bad enough, but watching him kill thousands of people was unbearable.Omni-Man even used Mark as a weapon to murder civilians and nearly beat his son to death, yet Mark kept true to himself and continued protecting Earth.
His confrontation with Cecil was another betrayal of his trust, as the GDA Director installed a device inside Mark’s head as a failsafe. Despite his actions being somewhat justified,Invincibleseason 3 has portrayed Cecil as a villainat times, and the breach of Mark’s goodwill is a prime example of his ruthless nature. Still, Mark was able to overcome this, alongside his brother murdering the Mauler Twins, even though these events undoubtedly had an impact on him mentally.
An Ominous Line In Invincible Season 3 Teases Mark Grayson’s Dark Future & Possible Death
Invincible season 3 sees King Immortal tell Mark about his future, teasing that one of the biggest Viltrumite weaknesses may get Mark Grayson.
Perhaps his most personal conflict before Powerplex was his showdown with Angstrom Levy, who resents the protagonist. Much of his hatred is based on the murders alternative versions of Invincible committed across the multiverse, and with the show’s main version of Mark accidentally scarring the villain, Levy’s anger is being taken out on him. Mark did eventually manage to get through the trauma of supposedly killing the antagonist, reinforcing his Invincible title, but their feud isn’t over yet.
Angstrom Levy’s Return Suggests Invincible’s Mentality Will Continue To Be Tested
The Invincible War May Be Mark’s Biggest Test Yet
As of season 3, episode 6, Mark still believes Angstrom Levy is dead, but the villain’s return is set to change that. Episode 3 teased that the antagonist was still alive as a figure strongly resemblingAngstrom Levy was seen watching Invincibleand his family. Now, his survival is confirmed, and he has assembled several versions of Mark from across the multiverse, which will presumably start the Invincible War. Having already fought his own father, it seemed like almost nothing could faze Mark, but having to face off against evil versions of himself is destined to have a heavy impact.
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Not only is it an example of what his future could look like, butthese Invincible alternatives won’t be holding back, putting both Mark and his allies in danger. There is no extreme Angstrom Levy won’t go to when it comes to hurting the protagonist, and it’s hard to imagine a tougher challenge than fighting these sinister alternatives. With that in mind, the upcoming arc appears as though it’ll be incredibly violent and mentally taxing, yet it’s unlikely Mark will give up inInvincibleas his Powerplex fight proved, confirming exactly why he deserves his superhero alias.
