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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.
