Invincible: 10 Things They Changed From The Comics

Like any comic series, Invincible makes some changes from the source material... so what are the biggest shifts?

Invincible recently wrapped up its first season on Amazon Prime with a shocking finale. Fans of the show exploring the comics for the first time will discover some key changes in the story from the original source material, the long-running Invincible comic book series by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman.

The changes made in the animated adaptation range from fairly small to immensely consequential, some of which are likely to have ripple effects into future seasons (seasons two and three have already been approved by Amazon). That could alter the overall story from the comics, which spanned 144 issues over fifteen years.

10 The Invincible Name

Invincible is one of the most powerful characters in the world of the show, and his name reflects that. Mark Grayson develops superpowers and discovers that he is much like his superhero father, Omni-Man. In the show, it's Omni-Man who bestows Mark's title on him.

In the comics, this played out differently. After confronting a bully at school, Mark is called into the principal's office. The principal warns him that he isn't 'invincible' despite his good intentions. Mark fell in love with the name and adopted it as his superhero moniker.

9 Increased Diversity

The show is more diverse than the original comic book in its representations of characters. This starts with Mark himself, who in the show is Korean American and played by Steven Yeun, recently nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in the must-watch movie Minari.

His mother, Debbie, is also Korean and played by Sandra Oh, who plays Eve on Killing Eve. Other big changes in the cast include Guardians of the Globe member Green Ghost now being a woman, as well as Shrinking Ray changing gender as well.

8 Science Dog

Comic books are a big deal in the fictional world of Invincible as well. In the original Image Comics version of the story, Mark is a fan of Science Dog, a superhero with a popular comic. In the animated series, he's Seance Dog, with some visual allusions to the mystical character of Doctor Strange.

Seance Dog is described as a Jack Russell Terrier with mystical abilities, but there's no reason given for the change from the comics to the show. In an interview, Robert Kirkman alluded to a legal reason being the culprit behind the small but significant change.

7 Will's Sexuality

Another small but significant change from the comics to the show has to do with the character of Will, Mark's best friend. In the show, Will is out as gay in the first episode of the first season. In the comics, this revelation didn't occur until much later in the narrative.

This change is another example of the animated series being a little more reflective of its times in terms of representation. Will's sexuality isn't a secret as it was in the comics, and is just part of who he is and accepted by Mark and his friends.

6 Meeting The Teen Team

One of the first major developments in the original comic book series is Mark's introduction to the Teen Team, the Teen Titans analog within the world of the comic. In the comics, Mark runs across them while out on patrol not long after developing his superpowers. In the show, it's much different.

The group meets in the show after an invasion by the alien Flaxans (itself the subject of another change from the comics) and the situation is much more dire. The team is composed of some of the best Invincible characters, Atom Eve, Rex Splode, Dupli-Kate, and Robot.

5 Relationship With Atom Eve

Mark's relationship with Atom Eve, his colleague in the Teen Team, is arguably the core relationship in the entire comic book run. In the comics, the relationship takes a long time to develop and happens fairly organically over a number of years. The show brings them closer together sooner.

In the comics, she's in a romance with fellow Teen Teamer Rex Splode when she meets Mark. She leaves Rex and the team when she finds out that he is cheating on her with Dupli-Kate. It's not until issue 50 of the series that Mark and Atom Eve first kiss and cement their relationship.

4 Death Of The Guardians Of The Globe

One of the biggest shocks in the original comics was the murder of the Guardians of the Globe at the hands of Mark's father, the superhero Omni-Man. This shocking event plays out in the tenth issue of the comic book run but occurs at the end of the first episode of the animated series.

This change alters the perception of Omni-Man and the context of the arc between him and his son. The death of the team is also much more violent and bloody than in the comics, with Omni-Man taking down each member of the fabled team one by one until they're gone.

3 The Death Of Donald

The shocking deaths of the Guardians Of The Globe are only just the beginning for Omni-Man. In an effort to cover up his crime, he going after the Global Defense Agency and any assets to cover up his crime. This includes Donald Ferguson, his friend, and his ally. Donald dies in the show, but not in the comics.

Donald survives in the comics throughout the balance of the comic book run and is eventually discovered to be an android. In the show, he dies trying to destroy Omni-Man by detonating a bomb. Unfortunately, very little slows down Omni-Man.

2 Invasion Of The Flaxxans

The invasion of the alien Flaxxan army is one of the major aspects of the early comic books. It is in the show as well, but the circumstances are different. The comics have Mark and his father teaming up to take on the invaders and the Flaxans ultimately capturing Omni-Man and taking him back to their planet.

In the show, Omni-Man is incapacitated from his battle with the Guardians Of The Globe so Mark fends off the invasion with the Teen Team in the first adventure together. The Flaxans are major villains in the comics and it's likely they will continue to be in the series.

1 Omni-Man Leaves Earth

With the circumstances of the Flaxan invasion changed thanks to the Guardians Of The Globe reveal early in the series, the domino effect is in full swing in the season one finale. At the end of the episode, Omni-Man voluntarily leaves Earth behind rather than complete his original mission for the Viltrumite Empire.

In the comics, Omni-Man is abducted by the Flaxans and he leads a revolution on their homeworld that upsets their ultimate plans for invasion. While he still could do that in the show, his arc seems to have changed now that the truth about his character and mission has been revealed to his son.

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