Invincible Season 3 Is The Deep Breath Before The Plunge

Prime Video’s Invincible rarely pulls its punches, and that’s as true for audiences as it is for its eponymous hero.

It hasn’t been that long since Mark Grayson (voiced by Steven Yeun) discovered that his mild-mannered father Nolan (J.K. Simmons) was living a double life as Omni-Man, Earth’s resident Superman figure. But the revelation that Nolan was also a herald of the fascistic colonizing planet of Viltrum — and had plans to violently assimilate Earth into their empire — wasn’t far behind. Their falling out was the first of many devastating setbacks for Mark, a violent teaching moment that left our hero bruised, bloody, and reckoning with the bodies of thousands of civilians. It’s cast a long shadow over his tenure as Invincible, especially as the threat of a Viltrumite invasion (and Omni-Man’s potential return to Earth) becomes an increasing possibility.

As Invincible crossed into its second season, Mark had to grow up fast, developing his powers to defend Earth from any looming danger. The demands of his personal life — his first year of college, his first “real” relationship, and a new half-brother — felt just as major as his responsibilities as Invincible, while the introduction of a universe-hopping villain took Mark’s crusade in an even bleaker direction. Season 2 brought the hero to rock bottom, but with a new season on the horizon, at least we know Mark can only go up from here.

Invincible Season 3 picks up just 90 days after Mark’s misadventures in the multiverse. His ordeal with Angstrom Levy (Sterling K. Brown) was something of a rude awakening: In order to protect his family from harm, Mark resorted to Omni-Man levels of cruelty and violence. With Levy’s blood on his hands, Mark has committed to a rigorous training regimen. When we next see our hero, his strength, speed, and self-control have increased exponentially. He’s not quite as omnipotent as his father at his peak — but under the tutelage of Cecil Stedman (Walton Goggins), the director of the Global Defense Agency, Mark is that much closer to truly becoming Invincible.

Mark’s newfound prowess is certainly encouraging, but he still has plenty of mental hurdles to overcome this season. Though his fraught relationship with Amber (Zazie Beetz) ended amicably enough, he’s unsure about taking his “will they, won’t they” with fellow superhero Atom Eve (Gillian Anderson) to the next level. He also has his hands full at home, with his half-brother Oliver (Christian Convery) coming into his Viltrumite powers and suddenly raring to join the fight as a crimefighter. It doesn’t help that Mark sees a bit of Omni-Man in his future sidekick, adding new dimensions to his own existential crisis.

With so many revelations introduced at the end of Season 2 — chief being Omni-Man’s potential redemption — one would think Invincible Season 3 would be diving right into a major conflict from Robert Kirkman’s original comic: the Viltrumite War. In truth, Invincible takes its time building up to that event, introducing new obstacles to bide Mark’s time. Most surprisingly, Cecil steps up as the season’s chief antagonist. His pragmatism comes into direct conflict with Mark’s staunch morality: He’ll do whatever it takes to protect the world, even if it means making use of its most dangerous figures. When Mark inevitably stands in his way, Cecil reveals just how far he’s willing to go to get the job done, driving a rift between the GDA and the Guardians of the Globe in the process.

The series doesn’t miss a step as it crosses into the next chapter of Mark’s story. Season 2 reset the board for better and worse, juggling a series of subplots and expanding the world of the series from every angle. It also doubled down on Invincible’s blood-soaked, brutal action sequences, with very few of its characters escaping unscathed. No matter how you slice it, Season 2 was a difficult one to sit through — but its desolation paved the way for a much more focused, even hopeful, comeback. Invincible has always balanced visual intensity with intimate character drama, but Season 3 dials back on the former to focus more intently on the latter. It’s a welcome reprieve for those still grappling with superhero fatigue, especially with Prime Video’s other ultraviolent superhero show, The Boys, running its once-winning formula into the ground.

Invincible Season 3 is keenly focused on consequences — when it does indulge in action and violence, it hones in on how the characters involved are affected. It’s a subtle change, but it’s one that works wonders for its protagonist. Mark may be getting stronger, but he’s also potentially made weaker by his mounting fears and frustrations. The possibility of failure looms large over his efforts this season, forcing him to rely even more on his allies. Invincible does well to strengthen the perspectives of its ensemble, from Mark’s mother Deborah (Sandra Oh) and her efforts to move on from Nolan, to Guardians like Rex Splode (Jason Mantzoukas) and their growing disillusionment with the GDA.

The first half of the season may be a slow start for some, especially after the major bombshells dropped in previous seasons. Given the showdown we know is coming, however, it can’t hurt to enjoy the calm before the storm. Invincible has already mastered the dark, brutal side of the genre. But by focusing on Mark’s internal world beyond generic cliches, it shows us once again why it’s the best superhero show in the game.

Invincible Season 3 premieres February 6 on Prime Video.