Invincible Season 2 Episode 5 Recap (Spoilers)

Invincible Season 2 Episode 5 isn't just carrying the pressure of continuing the dense and layered Season 2 storyline – it also serves as a major return event. Invincible's showrunners chose to break Season 2 up into two halves, with Part 1 airing weekly last fall, and Part 2 now premiering on Amazon Prime Video this spring. 

As such, the Invincible Season 2 Part 2 premiere had to get fans re-invested, after being away for considerable time. But Robert Kirkman and his showrunner team understood the assignment, because "This Must Come As A Shock" is an episode that certainly lives up to its title! 

Invincible Season 2 Episode 5 Recap (SPOILERS)

Ruins of Thraxa – "This Must Come As A Shock" opens right where the Season 2 Part 1 Finale left off: Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) bloodied and battered on planet Thraxa, where he fought alongside his father Nolan/Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons) against a trio of Viltrumite warriors, who were hunting down Nolan for desertion. Mark is horrified by the mayhem and death left in the aftermath of a Viltrumite fight, but can't stay conscious. When he awakes, two Thraxans are examining him, trying to ascertain how injured the human must be (unclear to them). Mark is helped by a temporary triage site where medical aid is being administered. Nolan's new Thraxan wife Andressa, and his half-Thraxan little brother are there to meet Mark, who is heartbroken about what his presence on the planet has done. Andressa makes Mark see the hopeful side by pointing out that Thraxan lives aren't long, and that Mark protected her and his half-brother so that they can live a little longer. Andressa conveys that Thraxans know how to rebuild and move on, and Mark leans into that sentiment. A montage indicates that weeks pass as Mark heals from his injuries and helps rebuild Thraxa. 

Time To Go Home... Eventually – One day, an elder Thraxan comes to let Mark know that a ship has finally been prepared to take him back to Earth. However, instead of rushing to get gone, Mark demurs, claiming that he should finish the rebuild on Thraxa and that Earth is probably doing okay without him. Cut to Earth and things are definitely NOT okay, as the Guardians of the Globe and other heroes unite to battle "Omnipotous," a Skeletor-style villain. Andressa is shown to be older and now holds the title of Empress; she tells Mark he must go home, and take his half-brother with him, as she will reach the end of her life-cycle before he's even a toddler, and generations of Thraxans will be gone before he's fully grown. She says that if Nolan is alive he will one day seek out his sons – but until then, her baby will need someone: 

[Invincible Title Screen Revealed] 

Debbie Needs A Drink - Debbie gets dropped off by her real estate partner Paul, who gifts her with a bottle of wine, in a somewhat flirtatious display. Paul is reserved, but let's Debbie know her company is appreciated. Debbie goes to drink but is hesitant, having just gotten loose of her demon in the bottle. Mark being home instantly changes her focus, as it's been two months since he left. Debbie then sees the purple baby in Mark's company, and ends up needing that glass of wine when she gets the full story of what happened on Thraxa. Debbie is obviously flabbergasted and conflicted, angry that Nolan has once again destroyed lives and a planet, and is not around to answer for it. Mark is prepared to leave college and take care of his brother, but Debbie is against that idea. She ultimately decides to take off of work and care for the baby, not being able to ignore her maternal instincts. 

Donald's Moment – At the GDA, administrator Donald Fergusion (Chris Diamantopoulos) is desperate to talk with his boss Cecil Stedman (Walton Goggins) after learning that he's no longer a living man, but rather an android recreation of Donald, who clearly died fighting Omni-Man. When Cecil ignores him, Donald has a startling outburst, ordering all personnel out of the room. Cecil obliges and tries placating Donald, telling him it was a bad injury – but when Donald exposes the robot arm he slashed his skin off to find, Cecil knows the lie won't do. Cecil leads Donald into the GDA's infamous "White Room" where he reveals that Donald never saw an extra-secret space hidden from nearly everyone: a production line for programming and skinning android agents. Cecil lets Donald in on the truth: that the GDA took his brain from his damaged body and gave it a mechanical upgrade. Donald is furious, but Cecil says this is the job they do – a GDA agent interrupts them with an urgent alert that Mark is back. 

School Daze – Mark finally returns to his college dorm room where his best friend William Clockwell (Andrew Rannells) has been enjoying the solo room experience. Mark vaguely fills Wiliam in on what happened during his time away, before Cecil appears with a serious bone to pick with Mark. Cecil asserts that Mark went AWOL by running off to Thraxa, something Mark promised not to do. Cecil's explanation (plus a quick flashback) confirms that Omnipotous nearly killed the Guardians of the Globe while Mark was away; Mark also discerns that Cecil has bugged his mom's house, and already learned what happened on Thraxa. Cecil has already made moves to collect Nolan's Thraxan son for safekeeping/study, but Mark won't have it, promising to stay on the leash if Cecil backs off. Cecil lets it go, throwing the shade that Debbie probably won't enjoy caring for Nolan's new child for very long. 

Long-Distance Relationship – Mark finally stops in to see his girlfriend Amber (Zazie Beetz), who has been living the college experience all alone for months. Mark starts to spill the tea until he realizes that Amber is in the middle of a study group. The conversation is awkward, as Amber has clearly been making excuses for her boyfriend's absence to the point that her school friends didn't even think he was real. When they're alone, Mark fills Amber in on his experience and tries to listen to hers; Amber has been through it: losing her grandfather, dealing with grief, and struggling in school. Mark realizes that he's been an absent BF, but Amber kisses him, stating she's just glad he's back. 

Donald v Robo-Donald – In the White Room Donald is examining the android body when it suddenly comes online and starts choking him to death. Donald wakes up and realizes it's a dream; a GDA administrator comes in to tell Donald they've picked up something on Earth's deep-space scanners. 

Tracking Cycles – The Guardians of the Globe are in their base training, with Monster Girl/Amanda (Grey Griffin) sparring with her teammates while wearing a blindfold. After the sparring session, The Immortal (Ross Marquand) has notes for Monster Girl – but Rudy/Robot (Marquand) interrupts with the "intellectual" pitch of a new method of training that will spare Monster Girl the expense of losing age with every transformation. Amanda is annoyed with Rudy for being so invasive – an emotional sentiment that Rudy cannot comprehend, intellectually. 

Return of the Parasites – As Rex (Jason Mantzoukas) is mocking Rudy about Amanda, Cecil appears with an urgent mission: A space station from Mars is heading for Earth carrying unidentifiable lifeforms. Black Samson sarcastically inquires whether anyone on the squad has knowledge of Martian tactics – looking directly at The Shapesmith (Ben Schwartz), who of course was a friendly Martian who infiltrated Earth out of a sense of adventure. Shapesmith thinks he's making a big confession about his true origin, but the Guardians and Cecil all know the truth, much to Samson's surprise. Shapesmith recounts how he was a curious young Martian obsessed with seeing the universe – which is why he knocked out American astronaut Russ Livingston and took his place. The Guardians realize that the parasitic Sequids the Martians kept as harmless pets became a galactic threat once they possessed a human host and created a hive mind, and are now headed to Earth to infect everyone. The dilemma the Guardians face is how to stop the Sequids without causing more parasitic infections; only some of the team can go on the mission, the ones who will be impervious to have their bodies pierced by Sequids. That's only half the team (Samson, Immortal, Bulletproof, Monster Girl, Rudy), but Rex jumps in with an additional idea... 

Return of the Atom (Eve) – Rex goes to see Samthana "Atom" Eve (Gillian Jacobs) at her parents' house. Eve has been depressed since failing to step out as a humanitarian superhero on her own (see Season 2 Part 1) and is wallowing in her sorrow. Rex kicks her in the butt, pointing out that every hero has taken major Ls at some point or another, and that Eve is very much still 'in the black' in terms of hero work. That's enough to convince Eve to give superhero work another try – just in time for Rex to ask her the favor of taking on the Sequid mission. 

Book Ban – Mark returns home to check on Debbie and his brother and also to begin looking into Nolan's last instruction to Mark: to find his series of sci-fi books and read them. Mark asks Debbie to turn over the books, but Debbie reveals she gave them away. She and Mark argue about the decision, until Cecil shows up at the door, recruiting Mark to join the Guardians on the Sequid mission. While Mark prepares to head into space (yet again), Cecil presses Debbie about having the GDA supply specialized childcare for the boy. Debbie and Mark refuse. 

Lift Off – Mark and Eve both join the Guardians on a rocket ship leaving Earth. When Rudy questions Eve's place on the team she generates her own armored space suit as proof she's ready. Rex states that either this team will save the day or everyone is F'd, and exits the ship. As the space team lifts off, Rex picks up Dupli-Kate (Malese Jow) and Shrinking Rae (Grey Griffin) and tells them they are going to all chillax while the space team is away. The girls chastise Rex that they're supposed to be watching for Earth-based threats, but Rex sarcastically proclaims that the odds of two major superhero emergencies occurring at once are almost non-existent. But not impossible...

C-List Threat – The C-list villain organization the Lizard League (a play on Marvel's Serpent Society or DC's Kobra Cult) follows its returning leader King Lizard in capturing a military base that stores nuclear missiles. League members Iguana, Salamander, and Komodo Dragon lead the attack, and King Lizard is delighted when the base alarms are set off, claiming he wants the heroes to intervene. As Rex, Dupli-Kate and Shrinking Rae try to relax back at base and order pizza, Cecil appears to send them on a mission to stop the Lizard League – much to Rex's chagrin. 

Mars Attacks!  – The Guardians' space team approaches the Martian warship, as Mark fills Eve in on what happened to him on Thraxa. Shapesmith reluctantly gives up intel on Martian military secrets – but not in time to protect the spaceship from Martian detection and attack. The shuttle is shot to pieces by missiles, but Eve keeps the Guardians alive in a Bubble and gets them onboard the Martian warship. The Martians being held prisoner onboard the ship are furious with Shapesmith for causing the calamity, but the Guardians calm them with promises of salvation. Bulletproof (Jay Pharoah) spots a Sequid in the holding chamber and demolishes it, thereby alerting the entire hive mind as to where they are. The Sequids come flooding in, and a massive battle with the parasites begins. 

Big Battles, Big Losses – The action breaks into two sequences running simultaneously: As King Lizard pontificates about taking the world hostage with the nukes, Rae shrinks down and infiltrates the room, opening the impenitrable blast doors so that Rex and Kate, and attack. On the spaceship, a horde of Sequids surrounds and attacks Invincible, Eve, and the Guardians, with the actual astronaut, Russ Livingston, leading the hive-mind. The hive leader remembers Invincible (from Season 1's Mars episode) and knows it can't possess him, opting to destroy the group instead.  While the Guardians can't be possessed, they can't battle the overwhelming numbers of enemy parasites – even when Robot shuts them down for a moment. On Earth, Rex, Kate, and Rae battle the Lizard League with everything they've got – but it's not enough. Komodo Dragon brutally murders Dupli-Kate by smashing her into one of her doubles. In space, Rudy starts a desperate gamble to short out the Sequids, but needs cover for at least five minutes. Shrinking Rae goes ballistic after Kate's death, shrinking down and jumping into Salamander's skull, wrecking his brain and killing him. As Rex is brutally beaten and slashed by Iguana, Rae is snatched up by Komodo Dragon and eaten. Rae tries to re-grow and explode Komodo from the inside, but his indestructible body crushes her instead. Rex is left to fight on his own but manages to blow Iguana in half, and even blows up Komodo's Dragon's head – but only after having his left hand bitten off. Rex is still in shock and King Lizard puts a pistol to his head, threatening to finish the job. Back on the spaceship, Eve's shield breaks, before Rudy can finish his disruptive pulse, and it looks like the Guardians will be annihilated by the Sequids

[Cut to End Credits]

Allen's Back! – The mid-credits scene reveals that Allen the Alien (Seth Rogen) survived his battle with the Viltrumite warriors that Mark and Nolan eventually fought on Thraxa. Coalition of Planets leader Thaedus (Peter Cullen) is there to greet Allen, revealing that he turned off Allen's life support on the gamble that the genetically engineered Unopan would either be forced to evolve or would die as many expected he would. The gamble worked and Allen's healed body is revealed to be at a power level that could rival a Viltrumite. Allen is reluctant to fight the Viltrumites again, but Thaedus rips off his beard to reveal that he is a Viltrumite – the only one to ever rebel against the empire. Thaedus gives Allen a critical mission: finding Invincible and bringing him to the Coalition, so that they can finally turn the tide of the war.