r/Invincible • u/mwthecool Omni-Mod • Nov 17 '23

Invincible [Episode Discussion] - S02E03 - This Missive, This Machination! EPISODE DISCUSSION

Episode 3 - This Missive, This Machination!

Mark starts his college career, Debbie struggles with personal trauma, and Allen the Alien returns home to find a new threat facing the Coalition of Planets.

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u/Business_Reporter420 Nov 17 '23

It’s crazy how Allen turned out to be such a good-natured person despite being breeded into a fighting machine. Wish I could say the same about a villain in another fellow Amazon prime video superhero show

844

u/regretfulposts Doc Seismic Nov 17 '23

Probably because

A) he seems to experience life normally rather than being in labs for most of his life

B) There's still a lot of people who can literally tore open his asshole, so he can't be a bully. At least he knows that he should use his skills for good rather than abusing it.

293

u/raknor88 Show Fan Nov 17 '23

There's still a lot of people who can literally tore open his asshole, so he can't be a bully. At least he knows that he should use his skills for good rather than abusing it.

For all we know, he very well could've been on his way to being Homelander until he had his first fight with a Viltrumite. Then he had a reality check.

1

u/Zankman Nov 23 '23

I mean, that's a 50/50 of turning a new leaf or doubling down on toxic behavior.

169

u/Napalmeon Nov 17 '23

Exactly. He has a job, but then he comes home to an apartment, has a girlfriend, and otherwise lives a normal life. 

39

u/GrimResistance Nov 17 '23

Knowing that you can get a good ol' tentacle-ing at home keeps you grounded.

19

u/RadioSlayer Nov 17 '23

I can't believe you forgot about his alien cat

10

u/kniGhgArdlyb-G89 Nov 17 '23

Fr easily the best character in the show for me. Mark should have us pets too if they were supposed to be the perfect American family at the start.

13

u/FaithfulBarnabas Nov 17 '23

He’s also got a pretty tentacle girlfriend who loves him

5

u/DoctorJJWho Nov 17 '23

But he’s shown basically fully grown in a tank? There’s no evidence he experienced “normal life” outside that tank until he left it.

12

u/regretfulposts Doc Seismic Nov 17 '23

I don't think he was entirely conscious during his time in the tank until he was fully out. Homelander was a kid that was completely isolated and aware of his isolation for many years which can definitely affect his psychological behavior compared to Allen. Also, Allen still have a normal life even as a super powered being. He has a typical apartment, pet, and a significant other while his planetary exploration was just a job. To Homelander, he just views himself as a god and he has nothing if he were to lose his status as a hero. Nothing except his son, but he's definitely going to give Ryan a god complex just like him.

As for Allen, he was able to live normally among the denizens in the capital planet and is quite humbled without developing any god complex. He has something to fight for other than himself unlike Homelander, and he would definitely know how it would feel being seen as weak when fighting the Viltrumites. Or maybe he was literally built different where the scientists may had modified his behavior to prevent Allen from going power hungry.

2

u/Shrekosaurus_rex Rex Splode Nov 17 '23

I mean, he could be a bully still, he just wouldn’t be the biggest fish in the pond (and would have to account for that).

Either way, it’s good that he turned out to be a chill guy.

19

u/LMkingly Nov 17 '23

Tbf it depends on how he was raised. If he was raised the Homelander way he probably would be more fucked up lol.

17

u/Future-Muscle-2214 Nov 17 '23

To be fair his race also seemed to be much more good natured than humanity.

4

u/zombizle1 Nov 17 '23

are you talking about the tick?

5

u/LilKaySigs Nov 17 '23

Allenlander

3

u/TelevisionExpress616 Nov 17 '23

In the comics he’s actually hesitant to have sex with Telia because of his asexual creation. He claims that’s not part of his Unopan culture and is sacrilegious. She wears him down though…pretty easily lol

2

u/siriusham Nov 17 '23

Allen's got big Beta Ray Bill vibes

2

u/kjm6351 Allen the Alien Nov 17 '23

Allen vs Homelander, let’s do it!

2

u/virgilhall Nov 17 '23

But you can say the same about Eve

2

u/LittleDoge246 Feb 24 '24

Kinda 2 reasons

  1. Homelander was not treated the way Allen was. It's clear that despite him being genetically engineered, he was still very much cared for, and he ends up in a good place later on in life too. Not only that, but unlike Homelander, he doesn't have to lie about who he is for anyone else's sake. He can freely be himself, which is something Homelander never could.

  2. Homelander isn't really a fighter. Allen has to put in work and training, and actually fight his enemies. This would give him a purpose, and a drive to get better and not get too cocky or be too risky. Homelander, on the other hand, is just kind of the strongest. Physically, he can kill anyone around him with ease. This is reflected in the fact he gets his ass beat by Soldier Boy, and even Queen Maeve, because they actually have combat experience. This would probably make Homelander's "purpose" as a hero kind of pointless. This means he's just a media personality at a certain point, and as a media personality, his personality is fake and doctored. He doesn't really have any purpose at all.

Idk if I'm off base here been a while since i watched The Boys and also I'm really tired lol. Just bored and felt like ranting on.

1

u/ALTofDADAcnc Feb 24 '24

Homelander is a fascist monster bordering on a nazi. I wish Butcher had stuck with the plan and blasted him apart

1

u/LittleDoge246 Feb 25 '24

Never said he wasn't. God no, of course he is. Just pointing out most of his horrible traits come from his upbringing. It doesn't excuse any of it, he's not really a victim of circumstance since plenty of other heroes wnded up more or less OK, but it does explain why he became so mentally ill.

1

u/ALTofDADAcnc Feb 25 '24

It's true he was bought up almost isolated emotionally.

The Dr did say that.

You're right

I just really wish the show makers had stuck with that earlier series vibe instead of sliding backwards into the bullshit of "killing the bad guy mass murderer makes you just as bad" liberal horseshit you know? I. Just wish they'd kept butcher true to form.

And now... That raping mass murderer is raising an even more powerful version of himself.

1

u/Initial-Ad8009 Omni-Man Nov 17 '23

Homelander?

1

u/nerdguy1138 Nov 20 '23

The explicitly bred homelander to be a weapon. That's what you get.

That's why that's a bad idea.