Invincible Season 2 Part 2: Rebuilding and Setting Up Major Battles

After last year’s midseason finale left Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) bruised and bloodied at the hands of Viltrumites, the second half of Invincible’s second season kicks off with an entry that, despite being occasionally rushed, is focused on rebuilding. Season 2 opened with Mark recovering from his beatdown by Nolan and taking it rather poorly. He begins the second half in a similar position – i.e. in a bloody pulp – but this time around, he comes out of it in a much healthier place, not only helping the Thraxans rebuild their fallen kingdom, but believing that Nolan is a better man.

Two months go by, and while his younger, purple-skinned half-brother remains an infant, the child’s mantis-like mother Andressa (Rhea Seehorn) hopes to charge Mark with his care once she passes. Mark, though reluctant to take him (and to return home so soon), has evolved considerably. He’s a responsible hero now, so he accepts what’s best for his yet-unnamed sibling.

Guardians of the Globe vs. Omnipotus

In Mark’s absence, things remain a combination of goofy and dangerous on Earth. The Guardians of the Globe battle Omnipotus, a giant, Skeletor-like creature, who commands them to “tremble before my unlimited power” – to which The Immortal (Ross Marquand) retorts in deadpan fashion: “No!”

Emotional Moments and Character Development

On the plus side, a conversation that plays out to its fullest potential involves not only Atom Eve (Gillian Jacobs) but surprisingly, Rex Splode (Jason Mantzoukas), her ex who finally slows down to have a serious, meaningful chat. Eve, having turned her back on heroism after messing up one too many times, is in desperate need of a pep talk, and the fact that Rex steps up works as its own little redemptive arc.

Consequences and Major Battles

Everything goes wrong at once for Mark and the Guardians. Just as Cecil is about to send his men to snatch Mark’s baby brother from Debbie’s arms, the show’s Martian chickens come home to roost. The real Rus, now controlled by an alien hivemind, makes his way to Earth as part of a conquering mission, forcing Cecil to ask Mark to return to space despite admonishing him for leaving in the first place.

On Earth, and in space, the Guardians are in a spot of bother. However, once the episode’s credits play for a few seconds, the story starts back up again and presents us with Invincible’s most consequential mid-credits scene thus far.