Invincibleis shockingly violent with gore galore — a brutal and hilarious look into the private lives of superhumans as they attempt to find a work/life balance appropriate for people who can rip someone limb from limb. While the show’s fight scenes are incredible and can not be understated, the series also contains a depth of emotion that is atypical of superhero shows.The “will they or won’t they” relationship between Eve (Gillian Jacobs) and Mark (Steven Yeun) is particularly excellent,placing Mark’s desire to have an everyday life and a regular girlfriend against his responsibilities as perhaps the universe’s most mighty hero. In this respect, Eve is the only woman who can truly understand Mark and what he is going through, as their journeys are mirror images of each other. The smoldering desire for Mark within Eve is laid bare when a future version of herself confesses to Mark that she loves him, a comforting but challenging thing to hear after hisstint in the multiverse.
Invincible
Invincible is an adult animated superhero series that revolves around 17-year-old Mark Grayson, who’s just like every other guy his age — except his father is the most powerful superhero on the planet, Omni-Man. But as Mark develops powers of his own, he discovers his father’s legacy may not be as heroic as it seems.
‘Invincible’ Is Really a Teen Drama
At its core,Invincibleis ateen dramawhose characters undergo significant life changes like any regular teenager. When the audience is first introduced to Mark and Eve, they are high school students struggling to get their assignments in on time, trying to fit in with the crowd and even victims of bullying. These subjects are the hallmarks of any good teen show. However, these teens have great power, and with great power comes great responsibility. This fact exponentially raises the emotional stakes for the characters. It intensifies the drama as they are oftenforced to choose between their duties as super-beings and their alter-ego teenage lives.
But the work-a-day troubles of the average teen are a microcosm of the struggles of superhero life. Supervillains are just bullies in costume with some jacked-up skills,and Mark gets his first taste of this when he encounters Todd (Christopher Diamantopoulos), who seems to have it in for Mark. When Mark stands up to Todd for picking on Amber (Zazie Beetz), he gains the attention of Eve and Amber, forming the basis of a love triangle between the three. Todd is the first real villain that Mark comes up against and a baby step in his journey to realize his potential as a hero. Amber is quite taken with Mark, admiring his hero qualities. However, the realities of who Mark is and what it means to be a superhero will test their relationship and ultimately be the cause of their breakup.Mark can’t have a normal teenage relationshipprecisely because he is not average.
There Is a Definite Love Triangle Happening on ‘Invincible’
It’s easy to miss amid the buckets of blood and comedy, but adefinitelove triangleis happening between Mark, Amber, and EveinInvincible. Amber, of course, is Mark’s girlfriend. Amber and Mark’s relationship is adorable, and she shows great tenderness towards Mark and understanding concerning his alter-ego as Invincible. She is there to help ease his broken heart after his row with his father, Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons), but the cracks in the relationship are apparent. Amber and Mark’s relationship is doomed to break up because Mark’s identity as a superhero infringes on their identity as a couple. Mark’s needs are overwhelming, and Amber doesn’t have superpowers and deserves to live a normal life. Mark has already seen the dire costs of a human/superhero relationship throughhis mother Debbie Grayson’s(Sandra Oh) trauma with his father.
Then,there is Atom Eve, a superhero going through similar paces to Mark. Her family is so bound and determined to have Eve be normal that it damages their relationship. Her super-identity is repulsive to her father, and she struggles, as does Mark, to reconcile her alter-ego as Atom Eve with her identity as a teenager. Both Eve and Mark are just kids figuring themselves out andhave a lot more in common with each other than Mark does with Amber. This forms the basis of a deep friendship, and it becomes increasingly clear that Eve has some unrequited love for Mark. Respectful to Mark’s relationship with Amber, she never tells him how she feels, and Mark remains ignorant of her feelings. This back-burner relationship is a constant source of tension that bubbles underneath the show’s surface, enticing the audience to see if Mark will finally get with the woman he’s meant to be with.
‘Invincible’ Season 2 Didn’t Do Enough With Angstrom Levy
Invincible’s nemesis could have used more of a spotlight during the second season.
‘Invincible’ Focuses on Its Relationships Just As Much as Its Violence
By keeping Eve and Mark apart for most of the series, the writers can raise the emotional stakes for both heroes, making the uncertainty of their union all the more compelling. There is an intuitive understanding that these two are made for each other, making an emotional obstacle out of Amber for both Mark and Eve in a slow-burn love triangle arc that is refreshingly sophisticated for the genre. It isInvincible’s unique superpower. So, while the violence is indeed a stand-out feature of the show, what separates it from the white noise of an over-burdened genre is its ability to pull at the heartstrings of the audience and inject some very human drama into a genre that constantly veers out of the path of unreliability.
Most people can understand a love triangle, especially those lucky enough to have a loved one. However, no person can understand the burden of superpowers, entertaining as it is to watch. By steeping the superhero stuff in a candy shell of romance, the creative team behindInvinciblehas built a showwith many layers to significant effect.The show’s emotional themes make what is essentially a teen drama acceptable to an adult audiencewho has grown tired of the beat-up-the-bad guy’s default setting of the superhero genre.
Invincibleis available to stream on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S.
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