One of the greatest superheroes of the 21st century, Mark Grayson, aka Invincible, has become among the most popular Image Comics and Skybound characters of all time. His comic series is considered by many to be a subversive masterpiece that tackles themes of heroism, family, trauma, legacy, and more. The comic follows the teenage human/Viltrumite hybrid son of the Earth’s strongest hero, Omni-Man. Invincible’s popularity has only skyrocketed with his Amazon Prime TV series, with Season 4 set to be released on March 18th. The show draws most of its inspiration from the numerous incredible story arcs in the comics. From brutal action to complex character developments, these are the greatest stories in the Invincible comic line.
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The Invincible comic series is well-known for its singular, straightforward story, making it hard to distinguish specific arcs. Still, there are many significant events in the series that unfold across several issues and fundamentally change the characters and their universe.
10) “Family Matters”
For a comic introducing an all-new superhero with no connection to either Marvel or DC, Invincible needed a strong start to get the attention of readers. Luckily, the introductory storyline “Family Matters” more than delivered. Spanning the first four issues of the series, the story sees the teen Mark Grayson finally gain powers like his Viltrumite dad, Omni-Man. Once he gets a handle on his new powers, Mark takes on the name Invincible and begins his long superhero career fighting bad guys and meeting other heroes like Atom Eve. And of course, the series ends with the shocking twist of his father, Omni-Man, slaughtering the superhero team, the Guardians of the Globe, setting up a mystery with Earth-shaking consequences.
9) “Reboot?”
Invincible has always wondered what if events had played out differently, and the storyline “Reboot?” gave him the chance to change everything. Spanning issues #124 to #126, Invincible discovers a cave with a strange entity that takes him back in time to the beginning of the series when he first gained his powers. With his future knowledge, Invincible manages to thwart Omni-Man’s betrayal, save the Guardians of the Globe, and stop numerous invasions from claiming millions of lives. Yet, even with all the horrible things Invincible prevents, he still can’t help but wish for the chance to return to the present to be with Atom Eve and their daughter. “Reboot?” has Invincible faced with one of his greatest moral dilemmas.
8) “What’s Happening?”
Running from issues #92 to #96, “What’s Happening?” focuses on the heroes Robot and Monster Girl. In a previous storyline, Robot and Monster Girl went to the Flaxan Dimension to stop their invasions once and for all. “What’s Happening?” focuses on their time with the Flaxans and the aftermath. Since time moves faster in this dimension, Robot and Monster Girl not only became the leaders of the Flaxans but also ruled for over 500 years, despite aging only 12. In that time, Robot temporarily became a tyrant, and Monster Girl joined a rebellion against him. When they return to Earth, the past catches up with them as a mysterious Flaxan arrives for revenge. It’s a shocking story full of twists that fundamentally changed both heroes for better and worse.
7) “Invincible War”
One of Invincible’s darkest moments occurred after he thought he had killed the multiverse-travelling villain Agstrom Levy. Invincible #60 revealed that not only was Angstrom alive, but he had a plan to make the world hate the hero. In “Invincible War,” Angstrom unleashes over a dozen evil versions of Invincible, who lay waste to the Earth. Only the combined might of every superhero on Earth stands a chance against this threat. Not only does this story sow the seeds of other heroes distrusting Invincible, but it also serves as one of the biggest crossover events in Image Comics history. Every hero from Spawn, Savage Dragon, Youngblood, Witchblade, Shadowhawk, Pitt, and countless more make appearances in this epic story full of death and devastation.
6) “Friends”
In one of the biggest twists of the Invincible series, Robot decides to conquer the Earth and turn it into a utopia. Spanning issues #109 to #115, “Friends” is set after Robot traps Invincible in a parallel universe. Once Invincible gets back home, Robot enacts his brutal plan. Armed with a legion of enhanced drones, Robot slaughters or captures everyone who could potentially stand against his new regime. The corrupted Robot butchers many fan favorite characters. And despite Invincible’s best efforts, Robot wins and becomes the new ruler of Earth. “Friends” offers a dark tale of how the desire for peace and prosperity can turn people into monsters who will do anything to see their dreams come to fruition.
5) “The Death of Everyone”
One of Invincible’s most disastrous mistakes happens when he works with the eco-terrorist supervillain Dinosaurus to make a better and cleaner world. Despite Invincible’s belief that he had reformed Dinosaurus, his error in judgment is revealed in the storyline “The Death of Everyone” that ran from issues #98 to #100. In a twisted plot to reduce humanity’s population, Dinosaurus triggered massive floods across the planet, killing countless people. Overwhelmed with the tragedy that he had inadvertently set into motion, Invincible sought to fix his mistake by stopping Dinosaurus once and for all. “The Death of Everyone” is a tragic and gripping story that challenges the meaning of heroism.
4) “Viltrumite War”
Made up of the galaxy’s most powerful and ruthless warriors, who have conquered countless worlds, the unstoppable Viltrumite Empire was the overarching villain of the entire Invincible series. In the climactic “Viltrumite War” that lasted from issues #71 to #78, Invincible and his allies in the Coalition of Planets seek to end the Viltrumite Empire once and for all. A war of intergalactic proportions, the story sees heroes like Invincible, Omni-Man, Tech Jacket, and Allen the Alien fighting for their lives as they battle vicious Viltrumites like Conquest and Grand Regent Thragg. Additionally, not only does the story end on a chilling cliffhanger, but it also sows the seeds for the eventual redemption of the Viltrumite people.
3) “Conquest”
While the world is left in ruins in the aftermath of the “Invincible War,” things go from bad to worse when the Viltrumite known as Conquest arrives on Earth. Spanning issues #61 through #64, “Conquest” sees Invincible face off against the titular villain, who the Viltrumites sent to force the hero to take over the Earth in the Empire’s name. When Invincible resists, Conquest gleefully takes the opportunity to unleash his full power. A sadistic monster who revels in causing destruction, Conquest pushes Invincible more than any other villain has before. And, never had Invincible been so determined to kill someone. “Conquest” is a gory, emotionally charged clash that perfectly encapsulates the characters and challenges what can be presented in comics.
2) “Perfect Strangers”
The true turning point of the Invincible series, “Perfect Strangers,” reveals the horrible truth about Invincible’s father and heritage. Running from issue #9 to #13, Invincible finds out that Omni-Man had come to Earth not to be a hero, but to prepare for the Viltrumite’s coming invasion. Crushed by his father’s betrayal, Invincible makes the difficult choice of fighting Omni-Man to defend his home. What follows is a brutal and tragic father-son battle as Invincible is beaten to a bloody pulp by Omni-Man. “Perfect Strangers” sets the tone for the rest of the series by forcing Invincible into the role of being Earth’s strongest protector and facing off against the man he spent his whole life idolizing.
1) “The End of All Things”
Spanning issues #133 to #144, the appropriately titled “The End of All Things” is the perfect finale for the Invincible comic series. With the combined forces of the Coalition of Planets, the reformed Viltrumite Empire, and the heroes of Earth, Invincible faces off against the exiled Grand Regent Thragg and his army of Viltrumite hybrids. Not only that, but the storyline also has Invincible finally seeking to end Robot’s tyrannical hold over the Earth. Every issue in this storyline is more epic than the last and emphasizes the comic’s overarching themes. The culmination of 15 years of storytelling, “The End of All Things” sees all the characters have satisfying conclusions to their personal arcs while also offering a glimpse into their bright futures.
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