Warning: Spoilers ahead for the Invincible Season 2 Finale
The greatest superhero show in the universe returns for its Season 2 finale! The Invincible Season 2 Finale sees Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) pushed to new limits that change the hero forever. Will Mark be able to stop Angstrom Levy and save his family? Will Allen survive in his Viltrumite confinement? Can the Guardians of the Globe recover from their recent losses? All of this and more on an all-new episode of Invincible now available on Prime Video. This episode is packed with Easter eggs and references to the comics. Let’s look at some of these references and the changes from comic to screen.
The ‘Invincible’ Season 2 Finale Features Spider-Man and Batman References
Much of this episode is based on Invincible #33-34, with some minor changes. As Mark fights Angstrom Levy (Sterling K. Brown), he is sent through different dimensions, similar to the comic. The key difference in the series is Mark landing in a universe with a character named Agent Spider (Josh Keaton), an obvious homage to Spider-Man.
In Invincible #33, one of the dimensions Levy sends Mark to is the Marvel Universe. He does team up with Spider-Man, but readers don’t see their interaction. The comic shows Mark crashing into the back of Doc-Ock and then coming back with webs on his feet. However, a proper crossover does take place in Marvel Team-Up #14, where Mark helps Spidey take down Doc-Ock and even meets the Avengers.
Agent Spider isn’t the only familiar superhero fans see in the Invincible Season 2 Finale as it also features a quick glimpse of Mark talking with Batman but, like the comic, the Dark Knight isn’t fully shown. Another of Robert Kirkman’s famous properties is showcased when Mark is transported to the Walking Dead universe. This happens similarly in the comic and was even teased in Invincible Season 2, Episode 6.
Mark Keeps His Cool Better Than the Comics
While the battle with Levy plays out similarly to the comic, one addition to the show is that Mark tries to reason with Levy and apologizes for what happened to him. Levy doubts himself and struggles with the memories from his alternate selves.
This addition showcases Levy’s descent into madness much better than the comic while also highlighting Mark’s unwavering resolve to do the right thing and not kill Levy. Mark’s decision at the end of this fight and the guilt he feels from it is much more impactful because of this change.
Another slight change from the comic is that Debbie (Sandra Oh) fights back against Levy. The show has given Debbie more character development than in the comic, and having her fight back and stand up for Mark is just another excellent example of that.
The bloody conclusion to Mark’s fight against Levy is stripped right out of the pages of Invincible #33 with an almost perfect one-to-one translation. The whole sequence of Mark being trapped in an alternate dimension, dealing with guilt, and the future Guardians coming to save him from Invincible #34 plays out similarly, even down to the dialogue.
However, one difference is that the series introduces Knockout and Kid Thor, who are minor characters in the Invincible Universe and appear in their book Capes, also written by Kirkman.
The ‘Invincible’ Series Provides More Depth Than the Comic Book
The revelation that Dupli-Kate (Melise) is alive is taken from Invincible #46. But following this moment, the series adds new scenes that expand on the fallout from this news.
One of these is the scene with the mummy Ka-Hor (Clancy Brown), who was introduced in Season 1, Episode 4. Ka-Hor is not a character from the comic books, and while he is added as more of a comic relief type of character, it will be interesting to see what role he could play in the future.
Another moment in the series that isn’t featured in the comics is when Mark flies through the city, struggling with what has happened to him and wondering if he is becoming more like his father. In the comics, after Mark escapes the alternate dimension, that is the last readers see of him feeling guilty over Levy.
This added scene drives home the gravity of Mark’s decisions and how they weigh on him. This is very core to Mark’s character in the comics, and something he struggles with throughout the entire series. Having scenes like this to dig into Mark’s feelings showcases these characteristics from the comics in a much more impactful way.
Mark and Eve Have a Heart-to-Heart Talk in the ‘Invincible’ Season 2 Finale
Another reference to the comics in the Invincible Season 2 Finale is when Mark looks over Amber (Zazie Beetz) in the sky, and as she looks up, he flies off.
It is a very small thing, but it is an Easter egg to the comics and showcases the differences between Amber from the comics and the show. In Invincible #32, Mark and Amber visit Eve at her home in Africa. While there, Mark and Eve discuss his and Amber’s problems with him being a superhero.
Eve tells Mark that regular people like Amber can’t relate to them and that ordinary people “never look up” because they are blind to their world. In the show, Amber does look up, symbolizing that she is not blind to Mark’s world and that she is much more of an equal in their relationship.
Nolan Finds His Humanity in the ‘Invincible’ Season 2 Finale
Throughout this episode, Nolan (J.K. Simmons) is in the Viltrumite prison as they prepare him to stand trial, and he meets Allen (Seth Rogen). These scenes are from the closing pages of Invincible #46 and the opening pages of Invincible #47.
At the end of the episode, Nolan professes a change of heart and admits he misses his wife. This is from the last page of Invincible #45, with the one difference being that Nolan says this to a random prisoner. But in the series, he reveals this to his cellmate, Allen the Alien. Nolan and Allen don’t open up to each other until much later in Invincible #55.
‘Invincible’ Season 3 Can’t Get Here Fast Enough
Invincible continues to outdo itself with each new episode, and this season is no different. Invincible Season 2 improves on almost everything from Season 1 and proves why it is the best comic book adaptation on television. It not only stays faithful to its source material but also improves on it, making both of these mediums better. This is a true achievement that will be studied for all future comic adaptations moving forward.
If you are sad that this is the last episode, don’t worry, because Mark Grayson and the rest of the Invincible cast will be back for another season, filled with even bigger stakes, villains, and adventures. If you think the show has been wild thus far, trust me, we haven’t even scratched the surface of everything this franchise is capable of.
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