Invincible (comics)

AUTHOR: Kirkman, Robert

ARTIST: Ryan Ottley (illustrator); Corey Walker (illustrator); Cliff Rathburn (inker); Bill Crabtree (colorist); FCO Plascencia (colorist); Rus Wooton (letterer)

PUBLISHER: Image Comics

FIRST SERIAL PUBLICATION: 2003-

FIRST BOOK PUBLICATION: 2003-2010

Publication History

Invincible was created by Robert Kirkman and Corey Walker in 2003 for Image Comics’ superhero line, which was started by publisher Jim Valentino to bring superheroes back into Image’s focus while avoiding the grim and gritty superheroes with which Image was strongly associated when it was founded in 1992. Kirkman and Walker developed the idea together, and Kirkman recruited Bill Crabtree to color the book. Of the comics included in Image’s superhero line, Invincible was the only series not quickly canceled and was still being published as of 2011.

Walker soon found himself unable to keep up with a monthly schedule. The book disappeared from circulation until Ryan Ottley replaced Walker as penciller on issue 8. Invincible remains the center of the “Kirkmanverse,” a universe where the Kirkman-penned series of Tech Jacket, Invincible, Brit, and The Astounding Wolf-Man all take place. As of 2011, the series has been collected in thirteen volumes (each named after a television sitcom), containing several issues and a variety of bonus material in each. Additionally, the series has been collected in five hardcover editions. Three miniseries have spun off from Invincible—Invincible Presents: Atom Eve (2009), Invincible Presents: Atom Eve and Rex Splode (2009), and Guarding the Globe (2010). Since issue 75, Invincible has been published under Kirkman’s personal Image imprint, Skybound.

Plot

Invincible tells the story of Mark Grayson, also known as Invincible. Mark is a regular teenager—he hangs out with friends, toils at homework, and works a dead-end job at a burger restaurant. However, Mark’s father is Omni-Man, the world’s greatest superhero. Omni-Man, also known as Nolan Grayson, is an alien known as a Viltrumite. Raised on the Viltrumite story of a peaceful race that spread prosperity across the universe, Mark has waited his whole life to inherit his father’s powers. Soon after obtaining them and becoming Invincible, Mark has his first collaboration with the Teen Team, a group of local superheroes that includes Atom Eve, Mark’s primary love interest later in the series, and others. During his first few adventures, Mark fights the Reanimen and befriends Allen the Alien, a representative of the Coalition of Planets.

Issue 7 is a turning point in the series. The Guardians of the Globe, the world’s foremost superhero team, are murdered by Omni-Man. Soon after, Cecil Stedman of the Global Defense Agency forms a new team. Mark begins dating Amber Bennet, a girl from his high school. It is not long before Nolan is forced to reveal the truth to Mark: the Viltrumites are not a peaceful people but a race of bloodthirsty warriors obsessed with conquest and war. Nolan did not come to Earth to protect it, but to conquer it. Mark refuses to aid his father, stating his intent to defend Earth. For his effort, he is savagely beaten by Nolan. However, before delivering the fatal blow, Nolan flies away with tears in his eyes, abandoning Earth and his family.

In the aftermath, Cecil hires Invincible to be Earth’s foremost protector. Not long after graduating high school, Mark aids a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) expedition to Mars. One of the astronauts is mistakenly left behind and becomes a host for the Sequids, a parasitic, hive-mind race used as slaves by the Martians. Mark heads to Upstate University, where his superhero responsibilities keep him from studying. Upstate University is also home to D. A. Sinclair, the young man who has been kidnapping people and turning them into murderous Reanimen.

In the six-part story line “A Different World,” Mark travels to a planet of bug people. The planet’s ruler is none other than Nolan Grayson. Nolan has remarried and has another son, Mark’s half brother, Oliver. Nolan, whose leave of Earth was a betrayal of the Viltrumite empire, brings Mark to the planet to help him fight off the Viltrumites. The two work together but are ultimately defeated, and Nolan is captured. Mark returns to Earth, bringing Oliver with him. Upon Mark’s return, Mark and Amber visit Eve, who has been doing humanitarian work in Africa. However, the vacation is cut short when the villain Angstrom Levy takes Mark’s family hostage. During the fight, Angstrom takes Invincible to a number of alternate universes (including the DC and Marvel Universes), until, in a fit of rage, Mark seemingly kills Angstrom, an act that goes against his moral code.

Following this is a two-issue story arc in which Invincible defeats the Reanimen and Sinclair is taken into custody. However, the arc ends with Cecil exonerating Sinclair and offering him a job. In the next story, the Sequids prepare an invasion of Earth. After defeating the Sequids with the Guardians of the Globe, Mark breaks up with Amber.

Issues 49-50 mark another turning point for the series. A villain captures all of Earth’s superheroes. To Mark’s shock and dismay, they are saved by Darkwing and an army of Reanimen. Mark demands an explanation from Cecil as to why he is employing murderers. Mark’s anger escalates until Cecil attacks Mark in response. Mark severs all ties to Cecil. Following this, Mark gets a new costume; Oliver becomes Kid Omni-Man, Mark’s sidekick; Mark quits school; and he and Eve begin dating. In one of Oliver’s first adventures, he kills two villains, prompting Mark to question his own stance on killing.

Working together, Nolan and Allen escape the Viltrumite prison and Nolan reveals that only fifty Viltrumites are still alive.

In issue 60, Angstrom Levy returns. He has recruited Invincibles from alternate universes. In a parody of “crossover events,” several Image characters appear to fight off the Invincibles. Following this is the five-part “Invincible War: Aftermath” story, in which Mark and Eve fight and appear to kill a savage Viltrumite named Conquest.

After a two-issue arc in which Nolan and Allen gather weapons to fight the Viltrumites, the Sequids take over a city. In order to stop them, Mark murders the innocent man that was the Sequid host. Realizing how dark he has become, Mark opts to start a new chapter in his life. To symbolize the decision, he returns to his original costume. Starting from issue 71, Mark, Nolan, Allen, and Oliver journey into space to defeat the Viltrumites once and for all.

Volumes

•Invincible: Family Matters (2003). Collects issues 1-4. Chronicles Mark’s first adventures as Invincible.

•Invincible: Eight Is Enough (2004). Collects issues 5-8. Ottley becomes the regular penciller for the series on issue 8.

•Invincible: Perfect Strangers (2004). Collects issues 9-13. Shows the fight between Invincible and Omni-Man and sets the new status quo for the series.

•Invincible: Head of the Class (2005). Collects issues 14-19 and Image Comics Summer Special. Introduces several villains who come into prominence later, including the Sequids, Angstrom Levy, and the Order.

•Invincible: The Facts of Life (2005). Collects issues 0 and 20-24. This volume includes short origin stories for Monster Girl, Rex Splode, the Immortal, Dupli-Kate, and Atom Eve.

•Invincible: A Different World (2006). Collects issues 25-30. Mark goes into space and meets his father and half brother.

•Invincible: Three’s Company (2006). Collects issues 31-35 and The Pact, issue 4. Mark crosses a dark line when he kills for the first time.

•Invincible: My Favorite Martian (2007). Collects issues 36-41. Invincible faces D. A. Sinclair and the Sequids.

•Invincible: Out of This World (2008). Collects issues 42-47. Allen the Alien prepares for war with the Viltrumites, and a Viltrumite agent visits Earth.

•Invincible: Who’s the Boss? (2009). Collects issues 48-53. This features the origin of Cecil Stedman.

•Invincible: Happy Days (2009). Collects issues 54-59 and The Astounding Wolf-Man, issue 11. Invincible crosses over with The Astounding Wolf-Man, another creator-owned series by Kirkman.

•Invincible: Still Standing (2010). Collects issues 60-65. Includes cameos from a wide variety of Image titles not generally in the “Kirkmanverse” including Youngblood, Dynamo 5, Cyberforce, The Darkness, Witchblade, Pitt, Savage Dragon, Spawn, and Shadowhawk.

•Invincible: Growing Pains (2010). Collects issues 66-70 and Invincible Returns, issue 1. Original artist Walker returns for a two-part story.

Characters

•Mark Grayson, a.k.a. Invincible, is the protagonist. Tall and lanky with black hair, he hardly looks like a superhero. However, he is secretly the superhero Invincible. He has an uncompromising view of right and wrong and refuses to forgive those who have strayed or compromised their morality. He has a quick temper and, as he is repeatedly forced to confront the fact that things are rarely black and white, often needs that second chance he is so quick to deny others.

•Nolan Grayson, a.k.a. Omni-Man, is Mark’s father and a major supporting character as both a protagonist and an antagonist. A well-built man with salt-and-pepper hair and a fine mustache, he seems to be a loving family man. As the superhero Omni-Man, he is a paragon of nobility. However, he is really a brutal conqueror who came to Earth to enslave it. Eventually realizing his time on Earth changed him, Nolan strives to again be the hero and father he once was.

•Debbie Grayson is Mark’s mother who, after years of being married to Omni-Man, is barely phased when her son flies off into space or fights dragons. She is devastated when Nolan leaves Earth after claiming he never loved her.

•William is Mark’s good friend and college roommate. Immature and with a penchant for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, he is as much an annoyance as a confidant.

•Samantha Eve Wilkins, a.k.a. Atom Eve, a tall, beautiful redhead, frequently teams up with Invincible, and the two eventually fall in love. She is quite practical, as seen when she quits being a superhero for humanitarian reasons and later when she turns Mark’s superhero work into a source of income for them both. She is pregnant with Mark’s child but has yet to tell him as of issue 76.

•Robot is the leader of the new Guardians of the Globe. Incredibly intelligent, he lacks social skills and tact. Originally presented as just a bronze robot, his human form is horribly deformed. He later transfers his consciousness to a young clone of his teammate, Rex Splode.

•Allen the Alien is a large, orange, one-eyed alien. He is incredibly friendly and sociable, belying his tremendous strength. Originally a foe of Omni-Man (because of a clerical error), he forms a strong friendship with Nolan after the latter abandons the Viltrumite empire.

•Cecil Stedman is the head of the Global Defense Agency. An old man with thinning white hair and a partially burned face, he runs the Guardians of the Globe and employs Invincible after Omni-Man abandons Earth. He will do whatever it takes to keep Earth safe, including putting villains and murderers in his employ. As he says, “You can be the good guy, or you can be the guy who saved the world. They’re not always the same guy.” Faced with this choice, Cecil will pick the latter every time.

•Angstrom Levy is one of Mark’s greatest enemies. Originally a skinny African American, he was characterized by his friendliness and quest for knowledge. He stops an experiment prematurely in order to save Invincible, but the incident deforms him and drives him insane. As an adversary, he pushes Mark past extremes he never thought he would go, being the first person Mark actually sets out to kill.

•Oliver Grayson, a.k.a. Kid and Young Omni-Man, is Mark’s younger, alien half brother. He has long black hair and purple skin. The son of Nolan and an alien woman, he was brought to Earth by Mark and adopted by Debbie Grayson. Overeager and impatient, he seems like a typical kid, but he is still slightly out of touch with humanity.

Artistic Style

While Walker cocreated the series and continues to work on character designs, Ottley has drawn the vast bulk of the series. Both artists eschew the more realistic illustrations that have become the norm in favor of a more cartoonish style. This similar quality has helped give the series a distinctive and uniform look throughout. In maintaining a consistent look, the series benefits from Ottley inking over his own pencils. In sharp contrast to this cartoonish drawing style is the series’ penchant for showing graphic violence. Ottley’s art has evolved in his time on the book, but he has always been notable for his spread pages during chaotic and violent fights. The juxtaposition works to great effect, as its cartoony visuals keep the seemingly endless stream of torn limbs and blood constantly shocking.

In issue 51, Crabtree was replaced by FCO Plascencia. Plascencia brings with him a wider color range as well as deeper shading and improved use of shadows. However, both he and Crabtree make liberal use of vibrant colors. In conjunction with the less-realistic art style, the colors allow Invincible to retain a bright and innocent feeling despite the mature story matter. A recurring image in the book is a two-page spread close-up on characters’ heads. These usually come during battle, and the shifts in distance, going from wide scenes depicting entire cities or planets to incredible close-ups on a single person’s face, is an effective technique that keeps the action personal and projects an emotional weight to the fight.

Themes

At the core of Mark’s character are a loss of innocence and a corruption of ideals. Invincible is not a tale of cynicism, but rather one of the quest to reclaim those ideals. Mark has been raised and instilled with an ironclad sense of morality. Being a superhero is not a reaction to personal tragedy but the most natural thing in the world to him. Fighting evil and protecting innocents is simply the right thing to do. His dad does it, and so will he. When his image of his father is revealed to be a facade, Mark’s heroic ideals fail to diminish. Even if the messenger was false, the message is no less true. The series gives Mark the opportunity to develop his own moral code. He is constantly forced to confront gray in his world of black and white and ultimately becomes a greater superhero for it.

Much of the themes center on the morality of killing and the notion of redemption. This is best exemplified in Sinclair and Darkwing. Both committed atrocities in their lives. To Mark, that is the summary judgment. However, the two still have much to offer the world and make the most of their second chance. Mark’s haste to condemn them puts him at odds with Cecil, a man who operates in shades of gray.

By Mark’s own standards, he is a killer and a monster. He crosses the line, but does not let himself become lost; he finds a foothold on the slippery slope. He is able to learn from his mistakes and finds himself still a hero in a world where right and wrong are no longer so discrete. Most important, Mark’s own experiences let him give a second chance to the one person who has hurt him the most, his father. Just as the series began, the reader sees father and son standing side by side again.

Impact

Invincible was first published in 2003, with the Modern Age of comics in full swing, and stands out as one of the most successful independent superhero comics of the era. Despite struggling sales when the book debuted, it has persevered and become one of the most successful and famous titles in Image’s superhero line. Invincible has been hailed as a “genre-redefining classic melding a lifelong love of superheroes by its creators with modern sensibilities and the freedom to do things company-owned characters couldn’t do.”

Kirkman has been a longtime proponent of creator-owned comics, and the success of Invincible and his other title, The Walking Dead, have proven that independent books can thrive in a market dominated by Marvel and DC. Invincible’s status as an independent book allowed it to circumvent normal age ratings. Unlike other books, Invincible is able to switch quickly from lighthearted fun to dark and dramatic violence. The success of Invincible was a factor in the creation of the Skybound imprint, which Kirkman hopes will encourage and foster select creator-owned books in reaching their full potential within both comic books and other entertainment mediums.

Television Series

Invincible. Gain Enterprises, 2008. This program starred Patrick Cavanaugh as Invincible. The series is a motion comic of the first thirteen issues.

Further Reading

Bendis, Brian Michael, Mark Bagley, and Stuart Immonen. Ultimate Spider-Man (2000-2009).

Johns, Geoff, and Dan Jurgens. Booster Gold (2007-2010).

Kirkman, Robert, and Jason Howard. The Astounding Wolf-Man (2007-2010).

Bibliography

Arrant, Chris. 11 for ‘11: Things to Watch in the New Year—CHARACTERS. Newsarama, December, 2010. http://www.newsarama.com/comics/eleven-for-2011-characters-101227.html.

Khoury, George. Image Comics: The Road to Independence. Raleigh, N.C.: TwoMorrows, 2007.

Ottely, Ryan. “616 Exclusive Interview with Ryan Ottley!” Interview by Patrick Heagany. Earth 616, April 25, 2010. http://earth616.wordpress.com/2010/04/25/616-exclusive-interview-with-ryan-ottley.