WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the fourth episode of Invincible,“Neil Armstrong, Eat Your Heart Out,” streaming now on Amazon Prime.
Amazon Prime Video’s Invincible is certainly taking liberty with the Image Comics source material, making quite a few changes as Mark Grayson charts his path as the titular hero. As a result, we’re getting more nuanced takes on the Guardians of the Globe, Robot and his new recruits for the team, as well as different versions of Mark’s inner-circle as he tries to balance his social, superhero and school life. Most notably, the series has also made some alterations to his dad, Nolan/Omni-Man, and with the latest — and biggest one — we’re really seeing just how dangerous he really is.
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Nolan’s a major suspect after he killed the Guardians, unlike the comics where he left the crime scene without a clue. Cecil Steadman and the Global Defence Agency nursed him back to health here as he was bloodied at the scene, but they realize his story doesn’t add up. With Damien Darkblood also investigating and unearthing clues as a supernatural detective, even Nolan’s wife, Deb, thinks something’s amiss — so much so that she’s doing her own research amidst her skepticism.
But when Deb confronts him, Nolan spins it with a slant like a true public relations professional. It’s crisis management and media manipulation 101 as he admits that he’s a suspect, but he quickly gaslights her into thinking he’s innocent. He even whisks her away to Europe to their favorite café where he regales her of their past, reconditioning her. Shockingly, even as there’s a terrorist attack by a dragon nearby, Nolan says that it’s for Cecil and the GDA to handle as he’s there on a date with his beautiful wife.
There’s no resistance at all from Deb, despite her past reservations and seeing him ignore saving people. She literally gives him a free pass, ignoring the villainous signs in front of her. To make it worse, when Mark gets back from Mars, he walks in on his parents quickly getting dressed after hooking up. Sure, it’s decades of love, but it proves Nolan’s biggest strength isn’t his physical prowess as this series’ evil Superman — it’s his forked tongue and ability to sway minds using politics and lies.
One has to wonder that if Mark finds out what his father did, if Nolan could then convince Mark to join the dark side. His intentions aren’t known regarding killing the Guardians, but should he get Mark to buy into whatever he’s planning, Nolan and Mark will definitely be an unstoppable force. It could leave Cecil, Robot and the GDA without an equal response because Nolan seems to have a grip on his loved ones. And if Deb buys in, then we can see Mark unfortunately ascribing to his dad’s warped ideals too.
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. New episodes premiere Fridays on Amazon Prime Video.
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