Invincible Season 3 Is Making Mark Grayson The Villain Of His Own Show

Caution: spoilers ahead for Invincible season 3, episodes 1-3.

Mark Grayson is slowly evolving into the villain of his own story as Invincible season 3 unfolds. Since the very beginning, Steven Yeun's Invincible character has been defined by his staunch moral boundaries. Mark bravely refused to join his evil father in Invincible season 1's ending, has always responded to requests for help, and felt great remorse after killing Angstrom Levy in Invincible season 2's ending. Indeed, the main version of Mark Grayson is a rarity across Invincible's entire multiverse, since many of his variants failed to resist the temptation of tyranny.

Mark may have been ethical, almost to a fault, across Invincible seasons 1 and 2, but season 3 begins pushing him down a darker route. While remaining the story's hero and protagonist, of course, Mark nevertheless begins acting in a way that makes him harder to root for, and whereas he previously saw right and wrong as black-and-white absolutes, Invincible season 3 pulls Mark into a moral gray area. If that pattern continues, Mark Grayson could be the villain of his own story by the time Invincible season 4 begins.

Invincible Season 3's First 3 Episodes Make It Very Difficult To Like Mark Grayson

Invincible Becomes Insufferable

Mark posing in his blue suit in Invincible season 3

The first signs of Mark Grayson's antagonistic streak begin to emerge during Invincible season 3's fight against Doc Seismic. While every hero trapped by Seismic is taken aback after receiving backup from Darkwing and D.A. Sinclair's ReAnimen, Mark fully loses his cool and attacks both, ignoring the real fight. At best, Mark's behavior here could be described as foolish and inexperienced. He could have at least waited until the Seismic crisis was over before picking a fight with the GDA. More severely, however, Mark's reaction could be seen as arrogance, hubris, and a belief that his awesome powers place him above the other heroes.

Killing Angstrom may have started Mark down a path where killing foes gradually becomes easier over time.

Mark Grayson's subsequent assault on Cecil and the GDA further highlights how increasingly problematic he's becoming. Getting angry with Cecil is one thing, but bringing his fight to the Guardians of the Globe, expecting them to take his side, then causing a split in the team are all hallmarks of an entitled brat, not a hero. Mark has a point, of course. Invincible constantly gives the audience reasons not to trust Cecil and the GDA, which exist within their own special ethical gray area. No grievance Mark holds is without merit, but by refusing to even have a discussion, Mark paints himself as the bad guy, and his attitude exudes the toxic aura of someone who expects to be obeyed.

There are also indications of Mark's moral rules loosening somewhat in Invincible season 3's opening three episodes. Previously, Mark was devastated after appearing to kill Angstrom Levy, aghast that he had taken another's life. When feuding with Cecil in season 3, however, Mark is comfortable threatening his former boss' life during a cold-blooded goodbye. Although he later insists to Eve and his mother that the threat was empty, killing Angstrom may have started Mark down a path where taking foes' lives gradually becomes easier over time.

At The Same Time, Invincible Season 3 Makes You Feel Sympathy For Mark's Enemies

Invincible Creates Sympathy For The Devil

Cecil standing in front of a computer screen in Invincible season 3

Aside from making him act like a flying Anakin Skywalker, the other way Invincible season 3 starts molding Mark into a villain is by showing the hidden side of his crime-stopping activities. Two Invincible scenes in particular are designed to draw sympathy for the show's so-called villains. Cecil, for example, receives a series of flashbacks that reveal he was once a moral absolutist like Mark Grayson, refusing to budge, even when it was to his own detriment. This revelation makes the present-day Cecil seem far more reasonable, but simultaneously casts Mark as immature. Invincible suggests that Cecil, through decades of experience, has learned something Mark has not yet realized.

Invincible the person keeps insisting that the line between good and bad is clear, solid, and immovable. Invincible the TV show keeps proving he's totally wrong.

Secondly, Invincible season 3 tells the story of a couple struggling financially due to various life hardships. They ultimately attempt to rob a bank, while avoiding causing harm to bystanders, but are thwarted thanks to the intervention of Mark and Oliver. Seeing the motivations of these two desperate thieves hammers home the idea that Mark's concept of "hero" and "villain" does not ring true in the real world. Moreover, the touching montage proves heroes like Mark generally fail to consider why crime is happening in the first place. Not everyone they battle is like Doc Seismic and the Viltrumites, geared for world domination.

As Mark becomes increasingly less forgiving and his enemies become more relatable, it's only natural that Invincible's main character begins to veer toward the darker end of the hero/villain spectrum. Invincible the person keeps insisting that the line between good and bad is clear, solid, and immovable. Invincible the TV show keeps proving he's totally wrong.

Is Mark Turning Into Omni-Man In Invincible Season 3?

Mark May Not Have A Choice But To Embrace His Destiny

Mark's destiny as the son of Omni-Man has been a recurring theme since Invincible started. Mark is petrified by the thought of turning into his father, but the likes of Cecil and the Immortal recognize that Mark's extreme power, combined with his Viltrumite heritage, has the potential to corrupt even the most ardent do-gooder. Invincible season 3's violent threats, the lack of respect for other heroes, the arrogance - it's a far cry from Omni-Man gutting every member of the Guardians of the Globe, admittedly, but Mark could be building the foundation for future tyranny nonetheless.

The fact that most other Mark Graysons in the multiverse turned evil further supports the idea that Invincible's main Mark is capable of breaking bad. The irony, however, is that Omni-Man himself is taking the exact opposite journey. While Omni-Man's appearances in Invincible season 3 have been minor thus far, Earth's would-be destroyer has shown remorse for his actions and befriended Allen the Alien while awaiting execution. If father and son meet again in Invincible season 3, Omni-Man's rehabilitation may be enough to drag Mark back from the road that leads him to following in his father's footsteps.

Invincible season 3 continues Thursdays on Prime Video.