There are quite a few differences between Invincible as a comic series and Invincible as an animated series. Within those differences, comes years to change what was once deemed as funny or appropriate, or even years to reflect on certain choices, like the actions of certain characters or the ways that they are portrayed.
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While Invincible as a comic series is one of the best out there, there are a few characters that seem a tad dated, and the animated series from Amazon Prime Video has made it better for some audience members to enjoy and deconstruct as characters with mature personalities and complexities to them.
8
William Clockwell
Proudly Gay Instead of Just a Dude-Bro
- Played by: Andrew Rannells
William Clockwell is introduced as Mark Grayson’s best friend, and he’s shown to be a typical dude-bro who likes girls and flunking out of school to play video games. There isn’t much more to his character than being Mark’s best friend, and he does receive some development later down the line when he comes out as gay, but it’s seemingly played as a gag.
The animated series shows William as proudly gay from the moment he’s introduced, and it’s a nice and welcoming change to his character that allows his relationship with Rick in college to feel more emotional and fleshed out and makes his friendship with Mark all the more fun with how he knows he’s a hero.
7
Rex Splode
An Extremely Sassy and Cocky Superhero
- Played by: Jason Mantzoukas
Rex Splode is arrogant, brash, immature, and rude – but he’s a hero. Rex isn’t the nicest guy in the world, and he usually brushes off responsibility due to his childish behavior that ends up hurting other people, like how he cheated on Atom Eve. Rex’s lack of responsibility in the comics never seems to cease, until it’s too late and he makes a final sacrifice play to prove he’s a hero at heart, now and forever.
While Rex is quite a few negative words, he’s still funny and charismatic to his team and will fight to save them through his arrogance. The animated show version has received further development from the talented Jason Mantzoukas including trying to tone down his antics and do things for other people.
6
Atom Eve
Often Sexualised in the Comic, Now Fleshed Out as Her Own Hero
- Played by: Gillian Jacobs
Atom Eve is one of the best characters to come out of Invincible, and her status as a hero and her blossoming romance with Mark are some of the best pages of the comic, but there are certain elements that maybe shouldn’t be brought into the animated series, like how Eve can enhance her breasts or give herself alternate figures to suit the eyes of lewd readers.
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So far, the animated series has ignored the sexualization of Atom Eve and has instead dedicated more time to the origins of her powers, how she chooses to wield them as a hero and a civilian, along with her new life as a partner to Invincible, which solidifies her place as a strong and independent female hero with a story we love to follow.
5
Amber Bennett
Mark Grayson’s First Girlfriend Who Showed the Complexity of Relationships
Amber Bennett gets a lot of unfair hate in the animated series from fans because she isn’t as passive and immobile when it comes to talking about her own feelings. In the comic, Amber is mainly reserved as Mark’s girlfriend who is there to just have fun with him and enjoy the perks of a superhero boyfriend, and this passive attitude doesn’t leave much room for her own humanity.
The show presents Amber as far more human, and she makes it quite clear that she is a victim of the superhero life because she can’t spend time with Mark, or she has to put her life on hold through college while being scared that her boyfriend is getting killed in space. Amber’s emotions are real and showcase the complexity of being in a relationship with someone, especially one with god-like abilities.
4
The Immortal
An Immortal Human With Enhanced Abilities Who Lets Arrogance Get the Best of Him
The Immortal can be frustrating in the comic, and it’s not a surprise. After all, the Immortal cannot die and has incredible powers that no other human can obtain. However, there lies the fault – at the end of the day he’s still just a human with enhanced strength, the ability to fly, and the curse to never die, he’s not a Viltrumite, which is why his arrogance and the comic can come off as obnoxious, especially when he butts heads with Mark for no reason other than that his father is Omni-Man.
When it comes to the show, the Immortal still has these traits, but he’s somewhat more respectable than Mark to the point where he can shake his hand after being proved wrong. The characters are similar, but it’s nice to see the Immortal have more development over his feelings, and that’s in part due to the brilliant performance from Ross Marquand.
3
Donald Ferguson
A Man Who Must Come to Terms With the Fact He’s More Machine Than Man
- Played by: Chris Diamantopoulos
Donald Fergurson is an important assistant to Cecil Stedman, and together they protect the world as the most important figures in the Global Defense Agency. Donald always has Cecil’s back, and in the comic, there isn’t much more to it than that. Donald will gladly die and be rebuilt time and again to protect his country and his allies, with little room for his own personal growth.
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For the animated show, Donald actually has a lot more feelings and a personal arc that perseveres throughout Season 2, where he discovers that he has died many times and is now over 90% machine. Donald must come to terms with his new identity as a cyborg, which leads to emotional frustrations for him, as opposed to his comic counterpart who just accepts it’s part of the parcel of his being to have machine guns for hands.
2
Allen the Alien
A Charismatic and Fun-Loving Powerhouse of an Alien
Those who aren’t aware of the Invincible comics, might not know that Allen is such a big deal later down the line, and he becomes integral moving forward, which is why it’s such a surprise to hear Seth Rogen play the character that most might have assumed was just going to be a one-off gimmick character. Rogen as Allen is perfect casting, as it embodies the fun attitude of Allen, and still leaves growth for more range later down the line.
While Allen is near pitch-perfect to his comic counterpart, it is worth noting how much personality Seth Rogen brings to the table, especially with Allen’s enthusiasm about beating Viltrumites instead of just enjoying being strong and chilling.
1
Debbie Grayson
A Woman Who Grieves Her Husband and Her Life
There’s an immense tragedy in the feelings of Debbie Grayson, a woman who fell in love with an alien and had his son only for their perfect life to be ruined after her husband revealed his identity as a planet-conquering Viltrumite. Debbie personally heard Nolan call her a pet, to their own son, and ever since, it’s been hard for Debbie to move on from not just the loss of the man she loves, but the feeling that he never cared in the first place.
While in the comics, Debbie is just seen as a fun-loving stay-at-home mom who wants to raise Mark and Oliver, the show gives her far more complexity by allowing audiences to follow her through her grief and support as she tries to find her independence again after the loss of Nolan.
Invincible
- Release Date
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March 26, 2021
- Network
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Amazon Prime Video
- Showrunner
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Robert Kirkman, Simon Racioppa