With the first season of Invincible completed, Mark Grayson has endured more than most teenage heroes ever should. From intense physical traumas to the heartbreaking truths he has had to face since taking up the name "Invincible," it would've made sense for Mark to avoid the hero life for good come the close of Season 1. However, rather than fall into his negative thoughts, Mark relied on a power that his father, Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons), never gave him: a support structure.
The first season of Invincible has seen Mark meeting even more superpowered characters and being nearly beaten to death multiple times. But nothing compares to the trauma he endured upon learning the truth about his father. Yet, even through all of the highs and lows, Mark kept fighting because, unlike his father, he is a hero and isn't afraid to risk his life and test his limits for what he believes in.
One of Mark's earliest physical trials came at the hands of Battle Beast (Michael Dorn) while helping Titan (Mahershala Ali) take back his life from the crime lord Machine Head (Jeffrey Donovan). Battle Beast's brutality proved to be too much for Grayson to handle. Invincible was nearly killed in the battle and was forced to take time to recover, physically and mentally.
Even then, Mark knew the best way to cope with what happened was to clear his head. He joined his friend William Clockwell (Andrew Rannells) and girlfriend Amber Bennett (Zazie Beetz) on a college tour. It worked for a time, but following his return home, he had to come face to face with the truth that his father was actually an alien conqueror. Mark had always looked up to his father, but after learning that Omni-Man had murdered the Guardians of the Globe and saw his own wife as nothing more than a pet, Mark's image of his father, and trust in him, shattered.
For refusing to join Omni-Man's crusade, Mark was nearly beaten to death a second time before being spared as his father still loves his son. The fallout from such a horrible ordeal nearly drove Mark into isolation, barely speaking to anyone, but when he arrived home, Amber, William and fellow super teen Atom Eve (Gillian Jacobs) came to check on him. At that moment, it became clear that the only way for Mark to be strong for himself and his mother was to talk about what happened.
Giving in to the darkness of Mark's thoughts and feelings would have been easy given the circumstances of what he endured, but by choosing to speak about his issues with people he held close, Mark inadvertently taught a lesson to others dealing with their own traumas. No matter how difficult things get, the best thing to do is talk about it with people willing to listen. Mark Grayson may be super strong and be able to fly, but being invincible means nothing without the friends and family that support him.
Invincible stars Steven Yeun, J.K. Simmons, Sandra Oh, Seth Rogen, Gillian Jacobs, Andrew Rannells, Zazie Beetz, Mark Hamill, Walton Goggins, Jason Mantzoukas, Mae Whitman, Chris Diamantopoulos, Melise, Kevin Michael Richardson, Grey Griffin and Max Burkholder. The series is produced by Skybound, and executive produced by Robert Kirkman, Simon Racioppa, David Alpert and Catherine Winder.