Invincible Season 3 Finally Explores Cecil’s Origin Story (& How He Got That Scar)

Invincible is now back in action with Season 3 of the animated series, and the first few episodes of the season have finally revealed Cecil Stedman’s origin story. Invincible’s return for Season 3 was one of the most anticipated animated series premieres of the year overall, and the hype has gone through the roof as the new season was clearly a hit with critics before its full premiere. Now that the new season has kicked in, things are already getting more complicated than ever for Mark Grayson and Cecil’s working partnership as they debate about how far they should go to protect the Earth.

Invincible Season 3 has now premiered its first three episodes with Prime Video, and the new season is clearly laying out the new trajectory that Mark will be going on this time around. It’s all sparked from a new disagreement between Mark and Cecil, and with it fans actually get to see how Cecil got to where he is today. Finally showing off his origin (and revealing how he got his scar), Cecil is now revealed to be even more complex and mysterious than he had seemed before.

Invincible Season 3 Reveals Cecil’s Origin

Invincible Season 3 Episode 2 kicks off with a look into Cecil’s past as an agent working for the Global Defense Agency and he comes across two villains who were about to unleash a deadly gas on the public. But when he fails to stop them from activating the device, he tries to stop from as much gas from getting out while destroying his own body in the process. Though his director, Radcliffe, told him that the gas would have killed thousands had he not stopped it, Cecil beat himself over the fact that there were still victims that he couldn’t save as a result of his failure.

Later when the Pentagon is under attack, Radcliffe reveals that he had saved and essentially reprogrammed the two villains to work for them instead. Radcliffe had noted how they were two assets that the GDA could use to fight to save the Earth, but Cecil killed them as he did not agree with using these mass murderers in this way. So Radcliffe sends him to one of the deadliest prisons for punishment, only for Cecil to actually take control and turn it around years later.

It’s explained that in those three years he was there, Cecil turned the prison into a much more controlled environment with less death and chaos seen before. It’s why Radcliffe also personally picks Cecil to be the next director of the GDA, and revealed that this prison sentence was both meant to be a punishment and a way to reform him back into society. A full circle kind of moment that allows Cecil to see that sometimes these uglier methods will be necessary to save the world.

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Why Cecil’s Origin Matters

This look into Cecil’s past reveals why he is now using methods like working with murderers such as Darkwing 2 and Dr. Sinclair as they are what he deems necessary to save the Earth. Fans see it in the premiere actually save the world’s heroes, and even Invincible wouldn’t have been enough to save them in that case. But this is also what has turned Mark against Cecil, as he’s firmly against working with killers just as Cecil used to be all those years ago.

It’s clear that through his life’s experiences he’s begun to think this way, and Cecil will do whatever it takes to save the Earth. If that means not trusting Mark at his word after everything Omni-Man had done before (something Cecil was always prepared for too), then Cecil is all but willing to get the necessary results. It’s an origin to help fans see Cecil’s side of things as just Mark’s alone doesn’t tell the full story.

What did you think of this look into Cecil’s past with Invincible Season 3? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments!