‘Invincible’ Season 2, Episode 1 Recap: Mark Returns With a Violent Bang - Agents of Fandom (2024)

In perfect alignment with the conclusion of The Boys superhero spinoff series Gen V, Prime Video has released four episodes that serve as part one of two in Season 2 of Invincible. After the Season 1 finale released in April 2021, the two-year wait is finally over and the time has come to explore the next chapter in Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) and Omni-Man’s (J.K. Simmons) story.

Watching the vicious Viltrumite Omni-Man progressively become more sinister throughout Invincible Season 1 paired with J.K. Simmons’ unbelievable voice performance is part of what made the first installment so popular. But following his departure from Earth in the Season 1 finale and the announcement of a renewal for two more seasons, the question surrounding the series has been: how much Omni-Man will we get in Season 2? Creator Robert Kirkman wastes no time in answering the important questions, so let’s dive into all the action in our Invincible Season 2, Episode 1 recap.

The first five minutes of Invincible Season 2 opens with the shocking revelation that Mark Grayson has joined the Viltrum empire and is working with his father to conquer Earth. The duo brutally murders Immortal (Ross Marquand), showcasing a frightening display of teamwork and setting an immediate tone of intense violence. This comes as quite a surprise given their massive battle in the climax of Season 1 — until these disturbing events are revealed to be taking place in another dimension. Establishing a multiverse raises the stakes immediately, unlocking the potential for different versions of the same character to interact.

We’re quickly pulled back to reality and reintroduced to the familiar versions of the beloved characters from Season 1. Roughly one month has passed since the battle between Invincible and Omni-Man, and Mark is struggling to reconcile his father’s actions. Nolan Grayson was a respected hero and adored father and husband; his betrayal weighs heavily on Mark and his mother Debbie (Sandra Oh).

Flash forward to two more familiar faces, albeit not ones who are remembered as fondly as Mark and Debbie. The Mauler twins (Kevin Michael Richardson) are imprisoned — that is until ominous green portals appear in their cell and transport them to safety. They have Angstrom Levy (Sterling K. Brown) to thank for their newfound freedom, a mystery figure who boasts the ability to travel between dimensions.

Angstrom shares with the Mauler twins that their home dimension is one of the few where Invincible and Omni-Man fought one another; the father-son duo has taken over the world in most other universes. Angstrom, a pacifist, is uninterested in interfering with an Earth/Viltrum war, and instead enlists the help of the Mauler twins to build a device that will imbue him with the knowledge of all his multiversal counterparts. The conditions of their agreement are as follows: they help him build the device and promise not to harm anyone, and he’ll send them to the dimension of their choosing.

As much as Mark is struggling to process his father’s treachery, it’s nothing compared to his fear of becoming the very person he now despises. He spent his entire life looking up to his father and wanting to grow up to be just like him, yet struggled to step out of his shadow once he gained his powers. Mark now has to discard his childhood dream of being the next Omni-Man, and live with the trauma of knowing his entire life to this point has been a lie.

The Invincible Season 2 premiere also establishes the new Guardians of the Globe team, led by Cecil Stedman (Walton Goggins). The new crew pales in comparison to its predecessors, but Cecil believes with the right training and proper leadership, they just might have what it takes. He adds new team member Bulletproof (Jay Pharoah), appoints Immortal as the new team leader, and benches Mark until he gets his head back on straight. This story within Episode 1 concludes in a harrowing sequence where Immortal tells Mark he does not trust him after his father’s betrayal, and he’ll be keeping a close eye on him this season.

The first episode in Invincible Season 2 peaks when the Mauler twins complete work on the device that will help Angstrom unlock infinite knowledge, but things don’t go according to plan. Invincible steps in to save the day and destroys the device, a feat that nearly costs him his life. Several versions of the Mauler twins are seconds away from beating him to death — a direct violation of their agreement with Levy — and, when Angstrom removes his helmet to try to help Mark, he destroys the device, the building, and seemingly everyone inside.

Mark survives the explosion and flies off to share a final moment with his girlfriend Amber (Zazie Beetz), where it’s revealed the two will be attending college together. In the aftermath of the massive detonation, one Mauler twin and one version of Angstrom survived, both severely marred. Angstrom’s chance at a peaceful life where he’s free to cure all universes of any afflictions is gone, and he has only one plan for revenge: kill Invincible by any means necessary.

The first episode of Invincible Season 2 proves the creators haven’t lost a step. The Season 2 premiere effectively raises the stakes for both Mark and the entire world, while keeping all the humor and violence that drove this series to popularity. Great things are undoubtedly in store for the final three episodes in Part 1 of the second season.

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