Invincible [COMIC SPOILER Discussion] - S01E06 - You Look Kinda Dead

[u/SeacattleMoohawks]

Episode 6 - You Look Kinda Dead

Mark joins William and Amber on a campus visit to Upstate University, hoping to discover a new future for himself. Debbie makes her own disturbing discovery.

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[u/mwthecool]

Hey everyone, I hope you're enjoying Invincible! This is a friendly reminder that this is a COMIC SPOILER POST. That means that you WILL SEE posts about future events from the comics. If you do not want spoilers, you can discuss and read what others think here without being spoiled:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Invincible/comments/mrrd1p/invincible_episode_discussion_s01e06_you_look/

[u/mmcintoshmerc_88]

Cecil: "Impressive technology though, for something built in a sewer."

Mark: "Sick you mean?"

Cecil

[u/Roy-Southman → u/mmcintoshmerc_88]

We all saw the drool on Cecil's mouth when he found that technology. Hopefully no pickles will find their way into his secret base.

[u/Hashbrown4]

Me looking at show only folks getting tired of mark getting his cheeks clapped

You get used to it

[u/ahjm → u/Hashbrown4]

Everyone in the other thread was complaining about it and all I can think is they're in for one in the Finale, lol

[u/Hashbrown4 → u/ahjm]

Lol yeah, at least with that one they can understand, it’s Nolan ya know.

I think the biggest issue is they assume because mark is Nolan’s son that mark must also be this overpowered beast.

While mark has displayed some incredible feats so far, that doesn’t mean he’s doing stuff others on earth couldn’t do. It won’t be until next season toward the end or maybe even season 3 that Mark starts to really step into a league of his own.

[u/ahjm → u/Hashbrown4]

That's a good take. He needs to get beat up at the beginning of his character arc.

[u/MindlessOpening318 → u/Hashbrown4]

Even when he steps into his own the issues just become much more massive. He still gets his cheeks clapped a lot!

[u/TeRey09 → u/Hashbrown4]

Mark is...…. Clappable.

[u/CyberSolider2077 → u/Hashbrown4]

Didn’t he get his ass beat a lot in the comics? I don’t remember it been a long time.

[u/Pathogen188 → u/CyberSolider2077]

Yeah he gets ripped to shreds like every other week. After Nolan leaves it's mentioned that Mark began doing some real training and by the Invincible War (which I think was around like issue 50) he was definitely the strongest hero on Earth.

[u/Hashbrown4 → u/CyberSolider2077]

Oh yeah, one of the things that I really enjoyed, nothing comes easy for Mark it’s hard work from the start.

[u/mmcintoshmerc_88]

Really like that they kept the detail of the reanimen being one of the strongest enemies Mark faced in his early career.

[u/[deleted] → u/mmcintoshmerc_88]

Mark's show strength is all over the place tbh not so the reanimen seem much less visceral than the comics.

[u/Ren_Davis0531 → u/[deleted]]

Mark does start off weaker in the comics and gradually gets more powerful, but he didn’t get beat this badly in the comics in the beginning. I’m wondering if they actually did nerf the Viltrumites long term. That would be unfortunate given that I feel that would lessen the impact of how much of a threat they are.

[u/Neurotic_Marauder → u/Ren_Davis0531]

Tbf, the show has Mark fighting the Reanimen right after he got his shit beaten in by Battle-Beast.

The comic never had Mark get beaten by Battle-Beast this badly so early on either.

[u/Hellknightx → u/Neurotic_Marauder]

I think the show is trying to start Mark off much stronger than he was in the comic so that they can afford to race through most of the plotlines without having to show his gradual power growth.

It makes sense that Battle Beast would whoop his ass. Hell, Battle Beast would probably kill Nolan 1v1 too. But I think the reanimen end up being too strong compared to this powered-up version of Mark we have in the show.

Having Mark stop an asteroid this early on is making his power level feel inconsistent.

[u/Tellesus → u/mmcintoshmerc_88]

It never made sense to me that some random dude in a sewer grafting steel onto regular guys could make something that could threaten someone who can throw an asteroid.

[u/Hellknightx → u/Tellesus]

Mark didn't stop the asteroid until much later on in the comics. The show is shuffling things around so his power level is fluctuating, too. It is weird how strong the reanimen are, though, especially considering they could easily fight off most top-tier characters pretty easily. Even in the comic, they stay relevant until late into the series.

[u/Tellesus → u/Hellknightx]

I don't remember it ever being explained in the comics how just borging can make them so tough?

[u/Hellknightx → u/Tellesus]

I don't think it's really ever explained. Sinclair is just really good at what he does, apparently. At least later on it makes sense when he uses the alternate reality versions of Mark as his spare parts.

[u/IBetThisIsTakenToo → u/Tellesus]

random dude in a sewer

Eh, I guess it’s just a trope that I’ve been conditioned to accept, but he’s not just a random dude, he’s Comic Book Genius ^TM. They can do all kinds of stuff that is 100% impossible in the real world. How do the Mauler twins escape from prison then build a full fledged cloning and super powers lab? How does Robot build anything, let alone multiple super powered robots, in the state he’s in? It’s because they’re Comic Book Geniuses, just roll with it

[u/HonestJon311 → u/IBetThisIsTakenToo]

In the web serial Worm (which I recommend, it's a great interpretation of the superhero genre), the comic book genius is explained as its own class of superpower that one can get the same way you get super strength or flight, which is a fun way to reinterpret the trope.

[u/mmcintoshmerc_88]

Love that they're making eve's dad a dick like the comics.

[u/Neurotic_Marauder → u/mmcintoshmerc_88]

He's slightly more sympathetic here, but he's very much true to the comic version of the character

[u/Roy-Southman → u/Neurotic_Marauder]

Yeah, he still seems controlling and misogynistic, but the voice actor also adds a healthy amount of love and care to his arguments. He is still a jerk but at least they portray him as a concerned father. Remember that their original baby died, but then they told them it reanimated however it was a baby swapping situation.

[u/The_Vikachu → u/Roy-Southman]

Yeah, the VA is doing an incredible job. He still comes off as a dick at first, but underneath it all is a terrified father who cares more about his daughter being safe than the world.

[u/mmcintoshmerc_88]

Given how this ended with immortal getting dug up I'm convinced next episode will be the big fight.

[u/5am281 → u/mmcintoshmerc_88]

I wonder if the fight will happen next episode or if the reveal will happen, then the fight episode 8

[u/tehvolcanic → u/5am281]

After credits scene next week will 100% end with "We need to talk"

[u/N0_B1g_De4l → u/5am281]

I'm not sure you can really fit an episode's worth of stuff between what's happened here and the start of the fight. Even without Immortal showing back up, Nolan has to be feeling like his life is about to explode. At this point, what option does he have (in his eyes) but to move forward?

[u/Neurotic_Marauder → u/mmcintoshmerc_88]

I think the cliffhanger for the next episode will be Mark finding Nolan with his fist in Immortal's stomach.

I think the next episode will be mostly Robot getting his Rex body, Mark telling Amber he's Invincible, and maybe a small intro for Angstrom Levy after Robot throws the Mauler Twins back in prison.

[u/SnukeMaster21 → u/Neurotic_Marauder]

Oh 100% Robot is gonna put the Mauler Twins back in prison and then like 2 seconds later a portal will open up with Angstrom Levy offering them an escape. For my friends who haven't read the comics their favorite bits of the show so far have been the beats with the Mauler Twins

[u/mmcintoshmerc_88]

"One day you've got all the time in the world...then it's gone." Loved the allegory to Nolan running out of time now mark's developed powers.

[u/ymcameron]

Boy those cyborgs sure did cause some issues for Mark. Good thing DA Sinclair is behind bars and he’ll never have to worry about them again!

[u/prfarb → u/ymcameron]

Impressive tech though

[u/incredibleamadeuscho]

I like that Debbie has much more to do here than in the comics. What a terrifying reveal. And Art getting scared by Nolan popping open from a beer.

Lots of development and combined storylines here. I like how William found out and how William got in trouble because Mark prioritized Amber. It’s looking clear that Mark will have to make a choice soon because he can’t keep lying to her.

And Mark finally flew while carrying William!

[u/88Sheep → u/incredibleamadeuscho]

Kinda sad we didn't get to see them fly, it does make sense but I wish we'd seen that iconic scene with it's dialogue.

[u/AmishZed]

"Maybe fighting off alien invasions isn't in either of our futures."

Sure Mark, keep telling yourself that

[u/mmcintoshmerc_88]

Really liked that samson got his powers back like he did in the comics.

[u/Ren_Davis0531 → u/mmcintoshmerc_88]

But no coma and no badass reintroduction. Does this mean no Omnipotus? I always thought he was fun.

[u/GiGeGe3 → u/Ren_Davis0531]

Seems like they're trimming a lot of the fat from the comics and Omnipotus was in like 2 scenes so he's an easy cut. But I do agree that re-entrance by Black Samson was incredibly bad ass.

[u/faithplate → u/GiGeGe3]

I REALLY loved his re-entrance in the comics. Here it felt like he was a grandpa that had a really good night's sleep. "Oh wow I feel better. Alright, I'll leave you kids to it, bye"

[u/mmcintoshmerc_88]

That scene with Cecil saying he thought he knew damian was a great parallel with Nolan.

[u/Head_Vibes]

“You’re the only one here that actually understands me and you’re a Robot” Lol she has no idea

[u/[deleted] → u/Head_Vibes]

"I'm actually a gross deformed baby in a test tube"

[u/MNight_Slam → u/Head_Vibes]

I still love him talking about his "programming"

[u/Club_Penguin_47]

This might be a improvement of the Reanimen arc! I really enjoyed myself in this episode, and I'm really looking forward to the big fight. Some considerations:

- The extention of the Reanimen arc was welcome, since it gave a creepier vibe to DA Sinclair

- Atom Eve's little journey helping people was really neat to see

- Mark and Amber have some interesting moments different from the comics, which gave moer depth to their relationship (which is always a good thing)

- Debbie was freacking phenomenal in this episode. Her wine addiction foreshadowing was really nice and completely heartbreaking to remember what will happen to her.

- Robot's two plotlines were really well done, being quick but also planting seeds for future events

- Nolan, as opposed to his comic counterpart, will possibly give me nightmares, but other than that he was amazing!

- And, FINALLY, we got to see the Mauler Twins getting Immortal's body!!!!!!!!

In conclusion, this episode was both fun and scary, while also planting and irrigating future narrative threads. 9/10 can't wait for the fight!

[u/jmp764 → u/Club_Penguin_47]

Honestly, I completely agree. The show is taking everything I love about the comic and completely enhancing it. There’s so much more growth to many characters, with the biggest being Amber. Debbie is getting more to do earlier on, which is a big change, but one I think gives her more agency. I liked that Eve had more to do in the episode and hope that continues as she becomes more important in the series.

I can see where people are coming from when they feel the show is rushed: it’s an eight episode show, but I really don’t see a better alternative. I think spending two episodes at the college or helping Titan fight Machine Head would feel like a stretch, to be honest.

[u/[deleted] → u/jmp764]

I think people would get bored out of their mind listening to Amber raging about Mark for another episode

[u/Desperate_Beautiful1 → u/Club_Penguin_47]

I absolutely love the pacing, and this episode was downright chilling. I was worried for William. I had a feeling that if anything happened to him, my wife would quit. I think the body dismorphia of the re-animen was walking a fine line for her, but I think that's what I love most about this adaptation. It walks a fine line. I am constantly feeling very somber during these action sequences. It's a different experience than the comic, and I love it.

[u/SHAD0WBENDER]

I think we need to realise that it’s impossible to fit in every single side story into an 8 episode series. There will be some stuff that’s cut. Should definitely have pulled the trigger on telling Amber his identity tho. Every episode he messes up and promises to do better... it works better in the comics because it’s more spread out rather than happening in every single episode.

Also Rick being missing for an hour compared to being missing for months is a bit weak lol

I agree with the take that Debbie finding out will lessen the emotional impact. I don’t dislike it but I don’t think it was necessary.

[u/F00dbAby → u/SHAD0WBENDER]

I think having Rick and William having a previous relationship compensates for the short disappearance imo

I actually disagree I think her knowing makes finding out worse because I think she will have survivors guilt of not stopping him I also thinks it makes the conflict harder for nolan

[u/nameless_stories → u/SHAD0WBENDER]

I actually had a problem with Rick being missing for months because it felt like Mark really just shrugged it off and ignored it even when William kept bringing it up every other week. Like, you're a superhero, couldnt you find a way to help lmao

It does feel weird how quickly Sinclair is able to make those Reanimen and make them so strong they're able to go up against Invincible off rip

[u/SuchPsycho]

Super nitpicky complaint here... but I wish Mark said "SHUT UP" when backhanding Sinclair like in the comic, see some more of that viltrumite rage. It looks like it was originally intended to be included, his lips sync up with it in the animation. Good episode!

[u/SuchPsycho → u/SuchPsycho]

YO!!! He says it in the commentary for episode 6 through amazon's x-ray bonus features. Now I really wonder why they cut it, it sounded great!

[u/calaaaa]

I’m loving the streamlining of everything and overall faster pace compared to the comics. The Debbie stuff is phenomenal, big fan of her being involved in the investigation and confronting Nolan way earlier as opposed to the alcoholism that consumes her for so long in the comics until she picks up real estate. This as well as not having Rick missing for almost a year with Mark not looking for him was a welcome change for me.

Love that Kirkman is so involved and basically gets to polish up and make his ideal version of Invincible with almost 20 years of hindsight. Really hope the show goes on for a long time and gets the proper budget needed for some of those later arcs.

[u/Neurotic_Marauder → u/calaaaa]

I'm hoping the Debbie stuff is a hint at the show nixing a lot of Debbie being a drunken mess following Nolan's betrayal.

She basically became a non-entity for a good chunk of the comic until Oliver went to Earth with Mark.

[u/calaaaa → u/Neurotic_Marauder]

Agree 100% they’ve already handled Debbie so much better than her early days of the comic. It took her a while to even get the idea to get her real estate license whereas in the show she’s already working when it begins. The alcoholism already seems like it’s seeping into the show which is fine and understandable considering what happens

[u/N0_B1g_De4l → u/Neurotic_Marauder]

She basically became a non-entity for a good chunk of the comic until Oliver went to Earth with Mark.

If the rumors about them already having a voice actor for Oliver are true, we're probably going to see him this season, which means that whole chunk of time is going to be basically removed.

[u/Neurotic_Marauder → u/N0_B1g_De4l]

I'm curious how they're going to implement Oliver so soon.

It's possible that the cliffhanger for the season is the reveal to the audience that Nolan settled down on the bug planet after leaving Earth, with Oliver shown to be a kid already.

Mark traveling there so soon after his fight with Nolan feels... wrong. Like it would rob the impact of the fight and Nolan's betrayal.
But I guess we'll see. I never thought they'd implement the Reanimen this soon and yet here we are, and they did a pretty damn good job at adapting that story arc too.

[u/Shopworn_Soul → u/[deleted]]

Haven't we pretty much skipped all of Mark's local superheroing and Teen Team subplots? We met Doc Seismic but that felt like it was really just to set him up for later. Folks who have only seen the show aren't really wrong in noting that Mark seems to get roughed up a lot.

Mark's problem right now is inexperience more than weakness but I don't think the show is doing a great job of communicating that.

[u/ImperfectRegulator]

Did, did William just park in the middle of campus like a massive asshole?

[u/prfarb → u/ImperfectRegulator]

Lmao I’m glad I wasn’t the only ones

[u/MNight_Slam]

I suspected William and Rick would be an item from the start, and that definitely added a lot more emotional weight to the Reaniman plot. That said, while I definitely don't mind them condensing that plot to one episode... Sinclair had Rick in his dungeon for what, two or three hours? Hell of a turnaround rate, especially as compared to the comics. Not that hard to forgive in a superhero show, though.

I think the Mark/Amber stuff is actually working for me pretty well. It could feel redundant, but showing Amber trying to help out with crowd control during the Reaniman attack really hammered home how shitty it would be for Mark to just disappear. And her anger afterwards felt very real, and much heavier than anything from the previous episode where he stood her up. Like this version of Amber is obviously very principled, so Mark being a flake is nowhere near as bad for her as him being a coward. It really added to the mounting pressure on Mark in general, and that paid off with him shattering Sinclair's jaw - I love that they recreated that comic panel. In the comics themselves it was really just Mark's rage at Sinclair for what he did to Rick, but here it's Mark taking out all that frustration with Amber, plus seeing Sinclair ruin the much happier relationship between William and Rick, and going just a little bit overboard.

Basically Kirkman is taking all these disconnected elements from the comics and weaving them together in a really compelling way along with his changes to the show. Just two more episodes left, right? I actually wouldn't be surprised if they have the Mark/Nolan fight next week, with the finale serving as the fallout.

Also, Cecil. With the audience privy to both his and Omni-Man's secrets (or at least the fact that they have secrets) I really liked that sort of poker-faced conversation about Damien at the beginning. Then when he comes back at the end to clean up after Mark's fight with Sinclair: "I would have done the same thing." The same thing as who, Cecil? 😏

[u/Beerbaron1886 → u/MNight_Slam]

By fleshing out amber (even her influencing Eve), she’s more than the blonde bimbo type from the comics

[u/Roy-Southman → u/Beerbaron1886]

Yeah, show Amber is awesome. They already introduced what’s-his-face too, I think they might get rid of the abusive boyfriend subplot. It makes sense for comic Amber because she is more of a bimbo, but show Amber is not gonna take that. Goatee either gets his ass kicked by her or he gets a new characterization.

[u/Beerbaron1886 → u/Roy-Southman]

• mark tells her and they try to have a working relationship but fail. She eventually gets abused like in the comic (not likely)
• mark tells her, they try but amber cheats with what’s his face because mark is always gone (not likely)
• mark doesn’t tell her and they broke up. Maybe after he confronts Nolan and sees his devastated mother, Mark is too afraid to tell more people about his secret identity (likely)
• mark tells her and they try but fail. She doesn’t get abused. We see that she gets close with what’s his face though (likely)
• a shocking twist

All the female characters in the comics but Eve and Amanda were not very well written. To me, everything about comic Amber was to check boxes about cliches, even the abuse and that she stayed with the guy.

[u/Roy-Southman → u/Beerbaron1886]

You are right about the likely outcomes. I’m glad the show characters are better written. I think Kirkman realized his weak characterization of several supporting characters and worked to improved them for the show. He is also older now and probably has improved in his storytelling. Amber was too much of a stereotype in the comics. Show Amber might eventually fade in the background, but at least she is better written and seems to be having a positive impact on the overall arcs of people other than Mark.

[u/Desperate_Beautiful1]

I'm calling it right now: next episode starts with the title cards as Mark tells Amber he's Invincible, and ends with Mark catching Nolan red handed with Immortals guts all over him!

[u/TheSweatband]

I gotta say, I was really worried for Art this episode despite knowing he made it through the comic run. A surprise death to him would’ve really hurt me.

Excited for the immortal to return, with that foreshadowing I’m pretty sure I know where the season will end which has me excited.

Debbie knowing about everything before the confrontation between Mark and Nolan is an interesting development.. I wonder if she’ll try and tell Mark?

Seeing a lot of subtext from Nolan about how he wishes he had more time, or it’s all going so quickly which I think supports his statements in the comics that once Mark got his powers he realized he couldn’t just stay in standby mode living his life on earth.

I like the change of having William being out right off the bat, think it allows for some good friendship moments between him and Mark, like we saw Mark comfort him after the fact

[u/Jackmace → u/TheSweatband]

I was a little worried they were skipping the immortal revival and dropping him

I just binged the comics this last week and that convinced me there was no way they’d leave him out, and I was immediately vindicated lol

[u/TheSweatband → u/Jackmace]

Yeah I finished the first 3 episodes and immediately started the comics, finished them in a week I was so addicted.

Yeah I thought they might leave immortal out too, especially cause Debbie knows a lot more here than in the comics

[u/Jackmace → u/TheSweatband]

Yup, I’m glad they’re keeping him in for sure. Hope he’s still the catalyst for the Omniman vs Invincible fight, that worked so well imo

[u/EndlessMorfeus]

In the show, the Guardians are burried on a secret location so dumb fucks won't dig up them... Dumb fucks still dig up them using his stepdad's info. Funny.

Cecil is definetely recruiting Sinclair, seeing how much strugle the Reani-men gave Mark, he has a hell of a reason to recruit him.

[u/5am281]

I really like what they’re doing with Robot and Monster Girl, also amazing voice for robot from Zachary Quinto

[u/Tellesus → u/5am281]

Yeah he's really killing it. I've always liked him and felt like he fell off a bit in Hollywood for no good reason, he brings in good performances consistently and does interesting things with oddball characters.

[u/HellsNels → u/[deleted]]

Jason Mantzoukas doing a Quinto impression would be dope.

[u/SnukeMaster21 → u/HellsNels]

Yeah I love Jason but he does basically do the same exact schtick for every single one of his voice-over roles. I'm not complaining since I think he's hilarious, but allowing him to actually change it up and play a different character could be interesting.

[u/csummerss]

Next week is THE big week.

[u/ManCalledWest]

Any ideas on what Debbie confronting Nolan and basically telling him she knows is going to lead to? Also, did anyone catch that when Mark went down in the sewer and got jumped by the Reanimen, there's a brief shot of Mark's phone getting lost. I wonder if that means he's going to be cut off and unaware when Immortal gets brought back and goes after Nolan?

[u/Shopworn_Soul → u/ManCalledWest]

Not sure on the phone, I hadn't thought of that but it's a good angle.

As for Art, Debbie and Cecil all tipping their hands in front of Nolan, I think they're just showing Nolan's "weakness" ahead of schedule.

I do think he's going to find his footing long enough to try and recruit Mark but I think his inability to commit to being the Bad Guy isn't going to be as much of a surprise as it was in the comic.

Or he's going to take an even darker heel turn and it will be even more of a surprise. Like, he'll say the things he said to Mark directly to Debbie, scare the shit out of her and then fly off to try and kill her son on television.

[u/ManCalledWest → u/Shopworn_Soul]

I imagine now that with 3 people (4 if you include Darkblood) more or less knowing what he did, I think Nolan's going to start buckling under pressure and try to move up his timetable to recruit Mark while still trying to look innocent. But then Immortal comes back and destroys the whole facade. My guess is ep 7 is going to be Nolan vs. Immortal with Cecil deploying the monster they found in either ep. 2 or 3 while Mark tries to fix things with Amber, unaware of what's happening on account of his phone being lost.

[u/Roy-Southman]

I’m glad they already foreshadowed that Black Samson is recovering his powers, I hope he joins in the action of fighting off Nolan along with the Inmortal.

[u/MutantNinjaAnole]

So it’s been awhile since I read the first half of the comic run, but does it feel like they are trying to hint at Nolan’s conflicted feelings more here than in the comics? I’m curious how they’ll execute the talk with Mark.

[u/Shopworn_Soul → u/MutantNinjaAnole]

Yes. They are absolutely suggesting that Nolan is wavering much earlier than before.

I still think he's gonna beat the shit out of Mark and leave, though.

[u/answermethis0816 → u/MutantNinjaAnole]

I'm not picking up on any conflicted feelings. I think he's trying to keep the lie going as long as he can. So far his only emotion seems to be anger- maybe mad at himself for being sloppy and leaving a trail.

[u/Sick-Shepard → u/answermethis0816]

That's where he's at during the end of this episode as well. It's forming into a calculated wrath which we'll see when he inevitably turns on Earth and beats the crap out of Mark.

[u/amphetaminesfailure → u/MutantNinjaAnole]

So it’s been awhile since I read the first half of the comic run, but does it feel like they are trying to hint at Nolan’s conflicted feelings more here than in the comics?

They are.

I expected it after the first couple episodes, and personally don't mind the change.

He's still going to beat the shit out of Mark, but I don't expect the show dialogue to be as harsh against Deborah.

[u/Cheekywanquer]

Anyone else iffy with how weak Mark is in comparison to the comics?

On one hand I like it. Makes his eventual OP feel earned.

On the other hand ;-; why did they have to do him like that

[u/TableHockey31313 → u/Cheekywanquer]

this episode makes sense tbh, he's still recovering from Battle Beast's beatdown and his confidence is at an all time low

[u/AgrallBlood → u/Cheekywanquer]

I agree, but I also remember him getting his ass kicked by the Reanimen in the comics, what my problem is is that it took DA Sinclaire weeks in the comics to fully turn Rick into a Reanimen, but in the show it happened in less than thirty minutes.

[u/[deleted] → u/Cheekywanquer]

They really jumped his ass lol

[u/PK_RocknRoll]

There’s some pacing issues but I’m willing to accept them due to the eight episode count.

I’m still really enjoying this adaptation.

[u/DoktorSleepless]

It a sucks that they didn't show Mark carry William for his first flight. That was one of the best gags in the comics.

[u/lanceturley → u/DoktorSleepless]

I assume they wanted to avoid the running gag of characters saying "This is so gay," but if that's the case, it seems like they could have just changed the line to something like "This is so embarrassing."

[u/Fantasy_Connect → u/lanceturley]

They already had the "this some bullshit" in ep 5, so idk why not here.

[u/bluesblue1]

I’m glad they’re not explicitly mentioning Eve going to Africa to save the starving children.

[u/faithplate → u/bluesblue1]

I don't think Eve's ever going to go to Africa in the show. It would be too "white-savior"y for 2021. I'm glad they changed it.

[u/Ren_Davis0531 → u/bluesblue1]

I thought the same thing. That was something that I knew they would change as people might find that insensitive.

[u/mmcintoshmerc_88]

Love that Mark breaking DA's jaw was just like the comics.

[u/mmcintoshmerc_88]

Love that DA cut out the voice box just like the comics.

[u/mmcintoshmerc_88]

So happy William figured out it was mark right away.

[u/xaelyn]

I really like how they're accelerating Robot's affection for Monster Girl. Seeing him with her in the hospital was really sweet... and then I thought about what's coming and it crushed me. I can't wait, even though I know what's going to happen and desperately want it to be different.

[u/MrHero429]

This might be my favorite episode with how personal the sewer fight was (with great examples of how good the flying looks in this show) and my new favorite new scene with Art.

A lot of people are calling this “filler” (even though the story is Mark getting pulled a away from a simple life) but man this episode really does balance the character lives along with the genuinely unsettling dangers that they face.

Can’t wait for season 2 to get announced!

[u/[deleted]]

Building Nolan up as this perfect hero for longer in the comics made it more of a twist though. The show is pretty goated tho

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I think this scene was mostly aimed at creating shock for the viewers and make them watch more episodes.

[u/Izzartho]

Ok so I know they’re saving the big Omni-Man vs Invincible fight for the season finale, but what I loved about the comic was that it was issue 11. It wasn’t a landmark issue like 25 or 50, it just happened, because the comic wasn’t about Omni-Man turning, it’s about Invincible, they needed to get Omni-Man out of the way

[u/Beerbaron1886]

The episode was okay. I didn’t like it particularly well in the comics because it is still too much build up and e.g. was more an introduction to the whole Cecile is hiring villains arc. It reminded me of a buffy episode. The art and Nolan conversation was tense though and I like that Debbie finally found out. The show could use more dry humour. And I hope they don’t drag it too much with Amber because that gets annoying really fast (and we all know that it Leads just to mark realising that he can’t have a normal life). Amber should have found out this episode too.

[u/Roy-Southman → u/Beerbaron1886]

I thought it was 8 episodes?

[u/TJGibson]

I think I've pinpointed my main issue with the adaptation (I really LOVE it overall though).

My issue is that by taking things that happen sporadically throughout the comics and condensing them into 1 episode (Falxxans, ReAnimen) is something that sounds good in theory it really makes it feel more monster of the week than I think the show wants to. Compared to the comics where things happen seemingly randomly chapters apart it makes the world feel way more real.

I think that's why episode 5 is probably the best so far since the Titan/Machine Head arc was pretty much one and done in the comics also so it worked more naturally in the show.

I don't know just random thoughts after watching the episode. Like I said, ovferall I think this is a great adaptation, even if deep down I still prefer the original

[u/Shopworn_Soul → u/TJGibson]

I honestly think they're just trying to get some character development that takes literally dozens issues for some characters out of the way up front and set up the longer story. Judging by how long they've played out Nolan trying to recruit Mark I think they're optimistically shooting for maybe five seasons? I don't know.

Has that been discussed by the showrunners at all? I honestly haven't looked.

[u/asb0047 → u/Shopworn_Soul]

I think they said 5 condensed, and 7 if they got to really flesh things out the way they want

[u/MrHero429 → u/TJGibson]

I mean that what comic books are at they’re best.

A great trade with an overacting narrative over the whole run. It’s a formula that works.

[u/LickyMcSticky]

Prediction: After credit scene shows Immortal in the process of being revive at the GDA.

[u/PmYourWittyAnecdote → u/LickyMcSticky]

Close but no cigar

[u/mwthecool → u/LickyMcSticky]

That was my prediction too, but maybe not at the GDA. Don't tell me if I'm right, I can't watch for a while!

[u/pilot3605]

So if season 1 is just now ending with the Nolan and Mark fight, what is the trajectory for a season 2 with a similar number of episodes? It’ll probably tackle birth of Oliver, return of Sequids, some Allen stuff, but do you guys think we get to Invincible War and Conquest?

I wanna see the show capture just how horrible those events are, they absolutely destroy Mark, physically and mentally.

Honestly I wanna make sure they do the whole Blue Suit era right, with how dark it gets I don’t want the show to pull any punches.

I guess that would put Dinosaurus as the major antagonist of Season 3? If Angstrom Levy ends up being the major antagonist of season 2?

[u/mylegbig → u/pilot3605]

Season 2 will be Angstrom Levy in my opinion.

[u/kaliskonig → u/pilot3605]

I think Invincible War and Conquest will be season 3.

Season 2: Angstorm Levy, Mark meets his dad again, Allen gets beaten by the Viltrumites, Mark/Nolan V Viltrumites, Takes Oli to earth, sequids...there is plenty to cover before Conquest. Angstorm needs to be the focus though.

[u/winazoid → u/kaliskonig]

Plus The Lizard League killing most of the Guardians is a great pay off for King Lizard and his men constantly being treated as a joke

[u/DrRadon → u/pilot3605]

Amazon dos a lot of eight episode seasons and animation is a pretty expensive and time consuming thing to do. I would say they probably will stay at eight episodes, yep.

Kirkman mentioned somewhere how many seasons he thinks this show would be to fit the comic. I think it was along the lines of 5-7.

[u/Krakenika]

Only thing I have liked in terms of changes so far has been the machine head episode. He felt way too throwaway in the comics. Loved the whole “I have money” line. This episode was not as great in terms of pace changes from the comics.

[u/BeWaterMF]

I have a question. What actually determines that a Virtrumite is going to survive or die from his wounds? We just saw Mark get a hole blown thought him and survive, yet we know that near the end, similar wounds mean death. On the flip side, one Virtrumite gets killed by getting choked. I don't get it or I don't remember comics as good as I think I do.

[u/chiknahuikoatl → u/BeWaterMF]

I believe that if their heart is pierced so that it cannot regenerate, they die

[u/Jackmace → u/BeWaterMF]

Mark choked Conquest to death because Conquest exhaled right before Mark choked him. Oliver and Nolan died because Thragg hit their heart when he punched through them.

[u/LaGoeba]

Now that we finally got more of William/Mark on the screen, I feel a little bit robbed that they haven’t used them more earlier in the season. I love the relationship between those two.

I really liked this episode, for me it’s one of the best so far. It establishes Marks humanity way more than the series has done so far, and I like that you actually can feel how Mark is divided between being Invicible and just another teenager.

I’m really curious of how they will devolop Debbie as a character from now on.

And finally more Art. More Art in the future, pls.

[u/jroaks]

Just nitpicking, but I missed Eve trying to say something to Mark, and sighing, when she announces her departure and hugs him. It was such a tender moment in the comics.

Anyway, amazing episode. Can't wait for Immortal returning and Nolan's main plot and big fight.

[u/Ren_Davis0531]

Nolan should have destroyed that costume. It feels like the only reason that he didn’t was just to advance the mystery subplot. Feels like a cheat.

[u/psyfren → u/Ren_Davis0531]

Why didn't he just throw it in a volcano?

[u/N0_B1g_De4l → u/psyfren]

Or into the sun. And it's not like he doesn't know it's incriminating, him asking for it back is what tips off the investigation.

[u/FakeTacos → u/N0_B1g_De4l]

Would’ve been cool if Debbie didn’t find the suit and eventually came to the conclusion that Nolan was innocent, only for immortal to come back and fuck everything up.

They could’ve played with her emotions a bit before destroying her world entirely.

[u/Shopworn_Soul → u/Ren_Davis0531]

So far that's my only real complaint. The smoking gun just feels cheap to me.

Overall I'm enjoying the compression of subplots like Eve and DA though.

[u/Cripski]

I overall think I like what they’re doing with Debbie knowing earlier on, but the way they did it feels very contrived. Did Nolan really have to just leave his suit around? I could have bought it if he wanted to be found out, which might still be the case. If not, it’s not the worst, but i would have personally preferred the comic version or having Debbie find out a different way.

[u/F00dbAby → u/Cripski]

Yeah im still trying to figure out why he kept the suit I still prefer this way compared to the comics purely because it gives her a lot more agency and will make it hit harder when it comes out for me

[u/kaliskonig]

Loved it honestly. Im surprised so many people are turned off by the changes. So far I feel like nothing major has been lost and what is there is mostly better than the comics in the earlier issues. With this being an animated show, I imagine they aim to wrap things up by season 6. If they do a full on animated feature as the finale that would be cool.

So I don't mind the changes tbh. Its an amazing adaptation and I appreciate Kirkman making so many things about my favorite comic better. Now it really depends on how many changes happen in later arcs. I feel that the comic found its stride for sure by its 3rd year and the quality increased heavily. So I dont see a need to change much once we get there. Other than what HAS to be changed thanks to the changes and rearrangements with Season 1 of the show of course.

[u/Beerbaron1886 → u/kaliskonig]

The women of the show definitely kick ass more than the comics. I can understand that some people think stories are rushed but not everything is super important and with all these famous voice actors, it’s probably not cheap. This episode was again build up for major storylines along the way

[u/DKR888]

Although it’s like what the hell happened to this part for comic readers, I do appreciate the show giving us something new where we don’t just know exactly what’s about to happen next

[u/IdeaOfHuss]

i feel like they are rushing stuff

[u/[deleted]]

Seeing Eve actually use her powers in animation form is very satisfying

[u/RampantRetard]

Despite the differences the show's had, I hope Kirkman sticks to the later plot progression because it's pretty solid.

I will say, I wish Invincible wasn't so clearly getting his ass beat. I have to wonder if they are going to use it to help bolster his power-ups eventually

[u/moose_man]

I don't love that Cecil knows already. Some of his shadier shit later on feels like it was founded on the whiplash of getting fucked over by the heel turn. If he knows all along it seems like he should approach things with a little less zeal.

[u/Falxman → u/moose_man]

I don't love that Cecil knows already.

Not commenting on whether or not it's a good change. However, it's revealed in the comics, in a later flashback that fleshes out Cecil's backstory a little more, that Cecil always knew that Omni Man couldn't be trusted and was lying when he said he was sent to help earth. The shadier stuff that Cecil does is based on his experiences losing his face in a much earlier encounter. By the time our story starts with Mark, Cecil is already ruthlessly practical when it comes to metahuman matters and protecting earth.

[u/MrHero429 → u/moose_man]

In the comics he always knew in a way, the show can just lay the ground better with more subtlety.

[u/PorscheUberAlles]

Two changes from the comics so far that I love:

1. I like how Debbie learns something about Nolan before the breakup; it’s less devastating for her this way. I felt so bad for her in the comics when it just came out of nowhere and ruined her life

2. I love how William is openly gay and in love with Rick right away; it made this episode so much more powerful. I loved his character this episode; he was so brave

[u/BigaretteBilly]

Although nothing is impervious to critique, I’m thoroughly enjoying this show with zero complaints. I’m a fan of the comics and it’s nice to see this revision of the story. Every episode has been stacked with content and I really couldn’t ask for more. That said, I don’t understand why anyone’s complaining about the pacing. What’s the rush? Each episode is 40+ minutes long. That’s nearly 2x the time you’d get watching most other animated shows (that get weekly releases). You have anime’s that will proudly spend 7 episodes on training the characters for a single fight that will last another 7 episodes. Not trying to bash anyone but damn y’all, we’re only in season one.

[u/suss2it → u/BigaretteBilly]

I think people just want to get to the parts of the comic they enjoyed the most.

[u/BigSadTIme]

great episode overall, but i felt it rushed so much stuff? like the whole reanimen arc happened in the course of months, here it was only what? 1-2 days? ik it's only 8 episodes so stuff had to happen on a faster rate, but still... that's the only issue for me tbh. it was very cool to see more of art and detective debbie on screen. really fucking hyped to see immortal on the next episode 0.0

[u/Roy-Southman → u/BigSadTIme]

I think they might rush through some arcs while they drag others. I’m ok with the reanimen arc being short, I also hope they don’t drag on the "Amber is emotionally cheating" arc.

[u/WarlordOfMaltise → u/BigSadTIme]

It sounds like they're cutting out the arc where the high school professor is turning kids into bombs - which kinda sucks because I liked it as an early on plot!

[u/Desperate_Beautiful1 → u/WarlordOfMaltise]

I wonder if that arc was kind of a first draft for the Re-animen. Now that we have reached this episode, it makes sense that they skipped the teacher. That was too similar. And you can only do so much body dismorphia in one season.

[u/Tibolegends]

wow too short... Surprised to see that both Art' and Debbie know about Nolan, it may ruins Nolan's speech to his son when revealing his true self

[u/SnukeMaster21 → u/Tibolegends]

I still think the gut punch of *why* Nolan did what he did will still stick. Mentioning that his time with Debbie was nothing compared to his long life span, the true nature of Viltrum, etc. Like yeah as an audience we already know Nolan did it but I think there's still a lot to surprise the audience (and Mark) with in terms of the reasoning behind his actions.

[u/Shopworn_Soul → u/SnukeMaster21]

I think he might actually say those things directly to Debbie before flying off to beat her son half to death in front of the whole world, making it even more dramatic.

They're already foreshadowing his "weakness" though so I don't know how convincing it will be.

[u/SnukeMaster21 → u/Shopworn_Soul]

You're right, with how involved Debbie is in the mystery this time around I wouldn't be surprised for Nolan to deliver that harsh truth to her directly.

There is something interesting the way it's done in the comic where it's part of the audio that is leaked to the public and that's how Debbie learns, but I can see the show making it pretty dramatic as a direct conversation.

[u/mmcintoshmerc_88 → u/Tibolegends]

I don't think it will because Mark still seems pretty trusting of him so it'll still break Mark's heart which to me was the most important part of the speech.

[u/[deleted]]

Anyone currently watching like me extremely confused as to why reanamen are being introduced THIS early on. Most changes that have been brought on earlier haven’t bothered me but I don’t know how to feel about this one yet

[u/GiGeGe3 → u/[deleted]]

I mean the first of the reanimen appeared when mark and william were touring college so if this is the college tour episode the timeline does add up

[u/[deleted] → u/GiGeGe3]

Yeah but they wrapped up the whole arc, even before the Nolan reveal

[u/billgatres]

I think we'll see a lot more relationship stuff the first half of ep7, then at the later half we'll get more Mauler twins. The episode will probably end with Mark discovering his father's actions. Episode 8 will likely start with the fight and the end of the episode will tie up other lose ends.

[u/winazoid]

Man can't wait for an end credits stinger of Cecil giving Sinclair a lab to make more cyborgs

[u/Cancelling_Peru]

Was glad to see Sinclair, but I felt like his machines made Mark look really weak. Think it could pose some serious problems later with his strength scaling. If he has to, at some point, fight dozens of those things after they’re upgraded. I was half expecting the end credits to show Sinclair getting the offer but glad they started introducing Immortal

[u/mandoman10 → u/Cancelling_Peru]

Mark will just get stronger as he learns to fight and ages. I think it’s cool they are so powerful.

[u/trainrex → u/Cancelling_Peru]

Possible that Mark goes ham on the strength training after the fight coming up

EDIT: And he's still recovering slightly from battle beast

[u/milkyginger → u/Cancelling_Peru]

He wasn't a lot stronger than them in comics was he? I remember him struggling a bit(though not this much). Wasn't this part of the reason Cecil wanted the tech?

[u/Comfort-Impossible → u/Cancelling_Peru]

Well he is still recovering from the battle with the beast dude and also mentally is not really giving it his all in the superheroing since that life and death fight

[u/Beerbaron1886 → u/Cancelling_Peru]

Isn’t the whole point at first that mark took his powers for granted and only later gets told by Nolan that he has to work out? So I am fine that he still has a learning curve

[u/WhatsBuzzing]

The only "gripe" I have so far with the show is the out of order storylines adapted from the comics

[u/WhatsBuzzing → u/WhatsBuzzing]

Though I assume they are doing that in order to truly ramp up the Viltrumite War storylines and focus on that for later seasons and get these minor Earth based skirmishes out of the way

[u/Slayerzilla54]

I'm starting to think that Nolan and Debbie won't reconcile in the TV Series.

[u/Neurotic_Marauder → u/Slayerzilla54]

I think that will be a much more gradual thing.

The comic kind of had Debbie seemingly forgive Nolan overnight after he came back.

I'm hoping Debbie's increased agency in the show means she'll be more involved going forward, instead of just being blackout drunk and fading into the background.

Sandra Oh has been amazing in the role and I really hope she gets more to work with.

[u/Ren_Davis0531 → u/Slayerzilla54]

That’s not necessary for the story, given everything else that happens, so I’m fine if they change that. Playing Devil’s Advocate, you can make the argument that Nolan and Debbie getting back together is too easy after what happened, so they could either be changing it so that they don’t get back together or really want to make that a more involved process. We’ll see. Here’s hoping it is good whatever they do. I just hope nothing changes Oliver from being born.

[u/davidngm → u/Slayerzilla54]

I don't really like how they handled the story line tbh, I would've much rather had her be suspicious and then have her suspicions confirmed when Nolan fights Markl

[u/meatball270 → u/davidngm]

Really loses its punch when she knows before hand

[u/DrRadon → u/Slayerzilla54]

Oh, they absolutely will.
The interesting part about Debby is that she dos not give a fuck about Omni-Man.
She is not afraid of the strongest being on the planet, she is pissed at her husband.
Thats were they can come back together. Love and understanding is stronger than fright.

[u/Returdedphoenixmorph]

Good episode overall, but I have a few criticisms.

I'm disappointed they're still having Amber get mad at Mark over the Reainimin incident, and I was hoping she'd at least connect the dots like William did. Frustrating since she's a far more engaging and intelligent character here than she was in the comics, so having drama like this feels contrived and unnecessary, especially since we just had last episode with them fighting.

Seeing Kyle replacing what looks like Gary is interesting, and I hope his story is better written, at least in regards to how it ends. The abuse story is one of the weirdest and most unnecessary parts of the comics, and I hope that if they keep that in, they'll change it for the better.

Sinclair was great, but it felt a little rushed, and honestly could've been better over the course of multiple episodes. Having Rick immediately become a Reiniamn also felt contrived, as it seemed to happen immediately, and even just having a day's gap between him going missing and William searching for him would've been better.

But expanding on Rick and William's relationship was a nice change, and the fight on campus between Mark and Doug was a much better done. Nice cameo of Justin Roiland as well.

[u/blud97 → u/Returdedphoenixmorph]

William only figured it out because he saw him up close. Amber also kind of has a low opinion of him and I doubt she’d come to the conclusion of him being a super hero with that opinion.

[u/MNight_Slam → u/Returdedphoenixmorph]

I think it's perfectly in character for this version of Amber to get mad at Mark - angrier than her comics version, even. Comics Amber was helpless, and just pissed that Mark abandoned her. This Amber was doing crowd control and trying to help, so seeing Mark just vanish and leave both her and the somewhat more helpless William to fend for themselves would be pretty infuriating for her on principle.

I agree on the Gary plotline. The abuse plot felt more like a reason to briefly bring Amber back than anything, and partly for shock value (something we know Mr. Kirkman indulges from time to time). It had a really awkward moral when she decides to take him back and Mark just leaves it at that. Yeah there's some closure when we see she's moved on to a different guy years later, but those kinds of stories don't generally end that way in real life.

[u/cerealkiller1036]

I really don't understand how strong Invincible is meant to be. Just last episode he threw an asteroid back into space, yet now he struggles to handle these purely mechanical enemies that get made in a few minutes. Maybe he's still beaten up from last ep, but these seem like they're meant to be street-level threats. Closer to Titan in power. Also, if he doesn't need to breathe in space then why would holding him underwater affect him?

[u/SeacattleMoohawks]

If you'd like me to set your user flair for you please comment on this comment with which character you'd like to have and I can manually set it for you

[u/mmcintoshmerc_88]

Luckily heart failure is something Mark and Rick won't have to worry about.

[u/GiGeGe3]

Why does Eve need luggage, can't she just make whatever she needs lol

[u/csummerss → u/GiGeGe3]

Some of it are probably mementos like pictures of her and the Teen Team.

I agree that she didn’t need two bags though.

[u/fumbles456]

Pretty sure they already casted the voice actor for marks half brother Oliver, so I’m curious as to how that will plays out for the rest of the the last 2 episodes of that’s true . I mean I did see it from Wikipedia so who knows

[u/mmcintoshmerc_88]

Really like that Art and Debbie's friendship is being adapted.

[u/Fuck_TikTok]

Alright, I've really liked the show so far, but there are definitely some changes that I'm not a fan of. Debbie already knowing and Nolan already showing signs of being redeemable both feel like they'll take away from the reveal. There's just a certain ambience that existed in the comics at this stage of the story that we don't really have anymore in the show.

And I understand the need to condense things into the episodic format, but man, turning these longgg storylines like the Reanimen into one-and-done's really hurts the pacing imo.

[u/mapleloverevolver → u/Fuck_TikTok]

I think that what we see as signs of possible redemption don’t come off that way to an audience who doesn’t know what’s about to happen. I pretty much binged the entire comics within the last week and before I read them I had NO clue that Nolan would spare Mark and basically exile himself. I legit thought Mark was going to die, or at least that he would essentially become his dads arch nemesis.

Like, to us, Nolan punching the wall is him redirecting his anger and frustration about the whole situation. To someone who has never read the comics, it’s him trying to stop himself from punching Debbie because he still needs her to keep his image of being a “good guy”.

[u/Far-Battle-3049]

Idk if anyone else agrees with me but I’m glad they’re making small changes! Its added more to Debbie’s, Eve’s, and Amber’s characters when they were a bit one-note in the earlier run of the book. I think Kirkman is seeing the show as an opportunity to flesh them out when he didn’t this early on in the book. Plus it makes it more refreshing because I’m excited to see what happens next episode too! My biggest complaint is that it sometimes feels a little too cliché but I think I’m fine with it so far.

[u/DrRadon]

This show is way to short.
I want more. :D

[u/DamienDarkblood]

Hurm

[u/Rice-a-roniJabroni]

This episode was a damn emotional rollercoaster

[u/314land]

For people complaining about the pacing. I think season 1 only gets 8 episodes. So for those of you who have read the comic it’s obvious what the final episode contains. And for that I think it’s paced appropriately considering where they have to get.

[u/HDI-X13]

Really not a fan of some of the changes, or I guess their execution. Mark said afterwards that he lost it with Sinclair, but in the moment, he really just didn’t seem that mad. I don’t like Debbie knowing because I think her being so blindsided is what put her in such a terrible position in the comics, but I’m open to see how the show handles it.

Also Sinclair reanimen’d Rick in like an hour lol.

[u/pilot3605]

I just finished the comic series a couple days ago and feel like this tv series is rushing a lot of things. I think the show is good in its own way and it’ll probably end up being better for the changes it made. Idk it just seems off