Invincible Season 3's Future Timeline Directly Sets Up How The Prime Video Show Will End

The following contains spoilers for the Invincible comics as well as Invincible season 3 episode 4, "You Were My Hero," now streaming on Prime VideoInvincible season 3 brings Mark Grayson to a potential future timeline, and quietly foreshadows the ending of the original comic (and likely the animated adaptation) in the process. Invincible is a very modern approach to the superhero genre, adapting Robert Kirkman's comic series of the same name. The series is both a dark subversion and full-throated embrace of superhero storytelling, with many tropes of the genre present even while the characters are portrayed from a more realistic and flawed perspective.

These tropes include a trip to an alternate future, a common occurrence in superhero comics. Two of Invincible's new characters for season 3 bring Mark to the future in "You Were My Hero," which largely plays into the emotional arc that the hero is forced to confront in season 3. However, this trip to the future also quietly hints at major elements of the original comic, even teasing some important details that factor into how the Invincible comic ended.

How The Invincible Comics End

The Invincible Animated Series Isn't Halfway To The Ending Of The Comic

Invincible (center) against a backdrop of action from the TV series/comics.

Season 3 of Invincible brings Mark Grayson into the distant future, which quietly allows the show to tease how the comics (and potentially the animated adaptation) come to an end. Invincible follows the growth of Mark Grayson from a well-meaning teenager to a fully realized hero, with the young man steadily developing a clear view of the world. Season 3 of Invincible covers the events leading up to the "Invincible War" storyline, which occurred in issue #60 of the comic. The series ran for #144 issues total, which ended with Mark Grayson eventually becoming a universal-level hero.

Invincible's Biggest Change To Cecil's Backstory Makes Him Much More Heroic

Invincible season 3 finally tells the backstory of Cecil Stedman, but the origin story makes a major change to the original comic books.

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In the original comics, after a series of massive tragedies on Earth reshaped the landscape for his friends and enemies alike, Mark was forced to combat the Viltrumite Empire directly. He gained a major advantage after the revelation that his family were actually the true royal lineage of the species, giving him a claim to the throne. The comics end with Mark victorious, eventually leaving Earth in the hands of his remaining allies to rule over the Viltrumite Empire while his children Terra and Marky carry on the Invincible identity as heroes across Earth and the greater cosmos.

How Invincible Season 3's Future Timeline Foreshadows Mark's Comic Ending

The Future Immortal Quietly Teases Multiple Aspects Of How Mark Grayson's Story Ends

Mark in his black and blue suit stained with blood in Invincible season 3 episode 4

"You Were My Hero" brings back Dropkick and Fightmaster, revealing the twins hail from a distant future and are seeking ways to topple the despot that rules their world. This prompts them to recruit the present-day Invincible, dragging him into the future to confront the King of the World. The King is revealed to be the Immortal, driven to brutality over the centuries of loneliness ruling the world. During his confrontation with Mark, this future Immortal reveals that it was the future Invincible who made him the ruler of the world when he left the planet for space.

While Mark's conflict with the Viltrumite Empire carries throughout Invincible, other important villains like Angstrom Levy, Dinosaurus, and Monax serve as the major threats of certain arcs of Mark's story.

This foreshadows the grown Mark's decision to eventually depart the Earth, as well as the fact that Immortal will eventually come to see Mark as his peer. In the present day, Immortal is one of Invincible's harshest critics. Still distrustful of Viltrumites after Nolan killed the original Guardians of the Globe, Immortal is quick to criticize Mark during the splintering of the new Guardians. Immortal telling Mark he should have stayed instead of him suggests that Mark and Immortal's respect for one another will grow over time, similar to the way they were at the end of the comic.

Invincible Adapting The Comic Book Ending Makes Sense

Invincible Season 3 Is Laying The Groundwork For The Comic's Finale

Invincible has plenty of storylines to adapt before it reaches the endgame teased in "You Were My Hero," but it makes sense that the show would be moving towards that endgame. The importance of the Viltrumite plotline to the overarching story has been central to the show, with multiple teases in Nolan's sub-plot and throughout Cecil's actions setting up their eventual arrival on Earth. It makes sense, given the set-up that's been established, that Invincible would start steadily approaching the bigger Viltrumite-centric stories of the original comics (albeit without forgetting the Earth-bound plotlines and characters).

This reflects the overarching questions about redemption in Invincible season 3, and highlights the overall thematic throughline of the entire series.

Notably, the evil Immortal set-up by Invincible season 3 also appeared in the original comics. By the ending of the comic, Mark Grayson did depart Earth and put Immortal in charge — but remembering his encounter with a corrupted Immortal, Invincible changed the future for the better by ensuring Immortal wouldn't rule alone. This plays into a major aspect of the comic, where mercy becomes a universal concept under Mark's control of the Viltrumite Empire. This reflects the overarching questions about redemption in Invincible season 3, and highlights the overall thematic throughline of the entire series.

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