Comic Characters the Show Can’t Use

Invincible isn’t just its own universe, and in fact, many characters that cameo or even feature have their own spin-offs and comic entries in Image Comics, standing outside of the usual realm of Marvel and DC. While there is an abundance of comic characters within Invincible, there are a few characters that are unlikely to ever appear in the Amazon Prime Video adaption.

While fans do love Amazon Prime Video’s animated series Invincible, it’s worth noting a few characters that are held up in a web of rights issues that make it practically impossible that they will ever be seen in the show. While fans can still hope for the best, it’s more than likely that these Invincible characters cannot be used by the show.

8

Tech Jacket

A Highschooler With Incredible Alien Armor Helps Battle Viltrumites

• Featured in: Tech Jacket (October, 2002)
• Invincible Appearance: Invincible #71 (April, 2010)
• Created by: Robert Kirkman, E. J. Su

When Zack Thompson discovered a dying alien and the suit of armor that grants them immense power, the dying Geldarian ordered his armor to encase and bind to Zack to save his life and provide him with one of the most powerful pieces of equipment in the galaxy.

Tech Jacket might just be a high schooler, but his suit of armor is sentient with incredible potential that will keep him alive as its one defining mission. While Tech Jacket does hold a pretty big role alongside Invincible in the Viltrumite War, and even further arcs, it’s unlikely that Tech Jacket will be seen, or at least in the capacity he was in the comics due to his rights issues as a character co-created by Robert Kirkman.

7

Spider-Man

The One and Only Who Features in a Team-Up Comic

• First Appearance: Amazing Fantasy #15 (June. 1962)
• Invincible Appearance: Marvel Team-Up Vol. 3 #14 (November 2, 2005)
• Created by: Stan Lee, Steve Ditko

The time for Spider-Man to be within Invincible has been and gone, as the character only featured in an in-between spin-off during a confrontation with Angstrom Levy, which has been seen in Season 2’s finale. While Invincible does feature a play on the cameo with Agent Spider, played by iconic Spider-Man voice actor, Josh Keaton, there is no actual Spider-Man in sight.

Spider-Man’s rights are a mixture of Sony and Disney for television and animated appearances, so it’s no surprise that he didn’t feature. However, his comic with Invincible is one of the most fun for both characters, and it even allows Invincible to meet other Avengers, even if he’s not so impressed with their names.

6

Spawn

An Anti-Hero Hellspawn Who Battles an Evil Mark

• Featured in: Spawn #1 (May, 1992)
• Invincible Appearance: Invincible #60 (March, 2009)
• Created by: Todd McFarlane

Spawn is one of the most iconic comic characters created outside of DC and Marvel, and this hellspawn character serves a skewed image of justice as he establishes himself as one cool and dark anti-hero throughout his run in the comics.

Spawn has featured in a range of other collabs, but it’s very unlikely that Spawn will appear within Invincible, as he only appears for a short cameo alongside other heroes in the Invincible War, and while Todd McFarlane is generous with the IP that he owns with the character featuring in Mortal Kombat 11 and Call of Duty: Warzone, a short cameo in an animated show might not be enough.

5

Science Dog

Mark’s Favorite Fictional Superhero

• Featured in: Invincible #1 (January, 2003)
• Created by: Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker

Those who have watched the Invincible series, know that Mark Grayson’s favorite superhero is Séance Dog, a magician dog like Doctor Strange, instead of Science Dog, a more militarised dog with goggles, guns, and a jet pack. The reason for this change is pretty clear, as it’s more than likely that it stops Amazon Prime Video from owning the rights to use Science Dog, in case Robert Kirkman decides to do something with the character.

Science Dog doesn’t exactly play the biggest role in the series, as he’s mainly just a fictional superhero that Mark adores. However, he does feature a few times, and those cameos are going to have to be handled by Séance Dog going forward.

4

Wolf-Man

A Billionaire Werewolf Who Pursues a Heroic Life by Night

• Featured in: Astounding Wolf-Man #1 (May, 2007)
• Invincible Appearance: Invincible #48 (February, 2008)
• Created by: Robert Kirkman, Jason Howard

While Wolf-Man could debut in the Invincible War of Season 3, Episode 7, it’s more than likely that it isn’t going to be the main Wolf-Man that readers would know from the comic, along with his own comic spin-off due to rights issues with Image Comics and co-creators.

Wolf-Man features across the Invincible saga, and his story as a billionaire who was attacked by a werewolf that then made himself one, introduces a series of monster occults, including vampires and other werewolves. Wolf-Man is even the result of his own arc that results in a trial for a murder he did not commit, but that arc is likely to be forgotten.

3

Firebreather

Duncan Belloc-Rosenblatt is Fated to be the King of Monsters

• Featured in: FireBreather (January, 2003)
• Invincible Appearance: Invincible #60 (March, 2009)
• Created by: Phil Hester, Andy Kuhn

Duncan Belloc-Rosenblatt is born of demonic fate, where he discovers the fact that he is a hybrid of dragon and human. This dragon/human hybrid has quite the range of burning powers that he seeks to use for good, even if a whole assortment of monsters seek him out to destroy him and halt his impending fate as their King.

While Firebreather does have a pretty cool backstory, and his powers would fit right in within Invincible, it’s more than likely that he’s not going to appear in the show due to the fact that he was not created by Invincible’s creator, Robert Kirkman, and has his own rights issues to deal with, especially when his comic cameo was so brief.

2

Savage Dragon

The Super Strong and Super Green Hero

• Featured in: Savage Dragon #1 (July, 1992)
• Invincible Appearance: Invincible #60 (March, 2009)
• Created by: Erik Larsen

Like Spawn, Savage Dragon is an Image Comics character that is solely owned by its creator in terms of writing and artistry. Savage Dragon is pretty cool and has been featured in independent comics for decades now as a strong green-skinned, finned-head hero who loves to punch his way through the drama and action that plagues his city.

Savage Dragon isn’t just relegated to a cameo in the Invincible War, and he does actually have a history alongside the titular character as a fellow hero, which makes his established role in the universe even more important, but since it’s not a Robert Kirkman character, it’s unlikely he will show up.

1

Witchblade

An Ancient Gauntlet that Grants Incredible Power to Any Woman Who Wields it

• Featured in: Witchblade #1 (November, 1995)
• Invincible Appearance: Invincible #60 (March, 2009)
• Created by: Marc Silvestri, David Wohl, Brian Haberlin, Michael Turner

Sara Pezzini was an NYPD detective who came into possession of the Witchblade – a gauntlet of unimaginable power that could bring about immense destruction. The history of the gauntlet ranges centuries, from Cleopatra and Joan of Arc, and now, it falls to Sara to wield this great power for the good of humanity.

Witchblade is easily one of Image Comics’ greatest characters, but the fact that there are so many rights issues involving creators, editors, and publishers, it’s unlikely that she is ever going to ever featured, even if she has a decent history of spin-offs and team-ups with her own anime series, Lara Croft, and even Marvel & DC.