Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Invincible Season 3, Episode 4.One of the recurring ironies ofInvincibleis that despite his superhero moniker, Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) suffers blows that would be nearly fatal to anyone else; the superhuman strength, speed and endurance he inherited from his Viltrumite father Nolan (J.K. Simmons) keeps him going. Season 3 ofInvincibleis upgrading Mark’s skills, to the point where he’s been dubbed the most powerful superhero on the planet. However, this week’s episode “You Used To Be My Hero” changes that. While attempting to go out on a “first date date” with hisnew girlfriend Atom Eve (Gillian Jacobs), Mark gets pulled into the future by twin revolutionaries, Drop Kick and Fightmaster (Xolo Maridueña). Drop Kick and Fightmaster say they need Invincible’s help to defeat a power-mad tyrant who’s conquered the planet;said tyrant is actually the Immortal (Ross Marquand).
It’s fairly clear that the centuries have worn down the Immortal’s mind; when speaking with Mark, he keeps throwing out random phrases like “You left me in charge” and “Are you sick again?” While the former sentence is a prelude to the Immortal asking Mark to kill him and end his suffering, the latter is actually a hint at an upcoming story development from theInvinciblecomics:the Scourge virus, which is a game changer for Mark — and the rest of the Viltrumite race.
What Is the Scourge Virus?
The Scourge Virus was first introduced inInvincible #66byRobert KirkmanandCory Walker, as it was developed to infect the Viltrumite Empire and stop their reign of terror over the universe. It cut through the Viltrumites' numbers with startling speed, killing nearly 99% of their empire. But some of the survivors discovered a nasty side effect:the virus stripped them of their superhuman powers, leaving them virtually mortal. Mark experienced the effects of the Scourge Virus firsthand when he got into a fight with his half-brother Oliver, aka Kid Omni-Man; Oliver was carrying a vial of the virus, and it went off in Mark’s face, immediately infecting him. Thanks to his human DNA, he survived but was left powerless.Bulletproof, Mark’s fellow superhero, ended up taking the Invincible mantle briefly until Mark’s powers returned. However, the legacy of the Scourge Virus played into another major storyline surroundingInvincible.
The Scourge Virus Is Tied to Another Major Development in ’Invincible’s Storyline
In the back half of “You Used To Be My Hero,” Nolan andAllen the Alien (Seth Rogen)manage to escape from the Viltrumite prison they’re locked in — thanks to Allen’s increased strength and the fact that the bloodthirsty Battle Beast (Michael Dorn) was a prisoner aboard the ship as well. When Allen suggests that they retreat before more Viltrumites come, Nolan tells himthat there are less than 50 pure-blooded Viltrumites in the entire universe. The Scourge Virus did its job all too well, and it turns out that the Coalition of Planets' leader Thadeus — himself a Viltrumite — had another, deadlier strain of the virus developed (which eventually leads to Mark getting infected.) But inInvincible #66, Nolan also tells Allen that Viltrumites seek to conquer Earthbecause human DNA is extremely compatible with Viltrumite DNA.This eventually leads to the Viltrumite War, a storyline that finally sees Mark, Nolan, Allen, and other allies take the fight to the Viltrumites — and what theInvincibleseries has been building to. Given howInvincibletends to streamline and remix its source material (Kirkman even referred to the show as “a second draft” of theInvinciblestory at San Diego Comic-Con 2023), it’s entirely possible that a future season ofInvinciblecould bring the Scourge Virus — and by extension, Mark’s vulnerability — into play.
‘Invincible’ Could Use the Scourge Virus As The Basis of A Season
Kirkman has said that his ideal number of seasons forInvinciblewould be around seven or eight,so it’d be more than feasible for one season to set up Mark being affected by the Scourge Virusand another to explore its fallout. What happens when Mark is brought down to earth? He’s expressed his desire to help others, but that’ll be a much more difficult thing to accomplish. There are also the threats out there that may be too much for the Guardians of the Globe to handle, not to mention Angstrom Levy (Sterling K. Brown) was revealed to have survived his seemingly fatal encounter at the end of Season 2 and is now spying on Mark. If he chooses to resume his vendetta on Invincible, Mark’s mother Debbie (Sandra Oh) could be in danger — and Mark wouldn’t be able to save her this time.
With one single sentence,Invinciblecould have revealed the path Mark Grayson’s life will take. But it also shows why this is such a great series, as threads that have been set up are now paying off. Perhaps Kirkman and company are ready to start spinning a new set of story threads for Season 4 and beyond.
Invincibleis available to stream on Prime Video in the U.S.
Invincible
