On this week’s episode of Invincible on Prime Video, Anissa (Shantel VanSanten) has arrived. And the Viltrumite baddie isn’t wasting any time showing Mark Grayson, aka Invincible (Steven Yeun) that he is pitifully, impossibly weak in comparison. So in a match-up between Invincible vs. Anissa, how does he get stronger? How does Mark get strong enough to beat Anissa? And is Anissa stronger than Omni-Man?
All great questions, and I want to be transparent or not: we don’t have great answers to every single one of these questions, mostly because — hold onto your hats — comic book and animated characters aren’t real. Meaning when it comes to how strong a character is, writers usually aren’t checking the stats on the back of their collectible trading cards and saying, “Well, done deal.” Instead, they’re going with their muse and following the story.
That all said, we’re not just filling space here. We do know why Mark Grayson is so weak right now. We do know some of the ways that Invincible gets stronger from the comic books by Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, and Cory Walker. And we do have some theories about who could win in a fight after reading 144 issues of the comic book series.
So, let’s get into it! Here’s why Invincible is so weak, and how he could get strong enough to beat Anissa.
Why is Invincible so weak? Why is Mark Grayson so weak?
This is an easy one, and you probably know it from watching the show, reading the comics, being a professional geneticist, etc. Mark Grayson is half-human, half-Viltrumite. The latter is what makes him impossibly strong, gives him faster-than-normal healing, and allows him to fly, as well.
However, two factors make him weaker than any Viltrumite he encounters. The first is that he’s still growing. Despite having technically reached adulthood by human standards — in the show he’s now about 18 or so — Viltrumites continue to build and develop strength throughout their long lives. Mark’s powers popped up just a few years before where we are in the current TV continuity. So he’s weak because he’s still developing.
The other factor here, which is probably the more confusing one to delve into, is the half-human part. Right now, that definitely makes him weaker than Anissa, his father Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons), General Kregg (Clancy Brown), and Lucan, Vidor, and Thula. Also some others we haven’t met yet.
So what he lacks in strength, he hopefully makes up for in heart and strategy.
Anissa vs. Omni-Man: Is Anissa stronger than Omni-Man?
Hey, thanks for lobbing a few softballs my way first! I appreciate it. No, Anissa is not stronger than Omni-Man. Nolan Grayson (also known as Omni-Man) is one of the most powerful and respected Viltrumites in the Empire. He’s not the strongest — that would be Emperor Thragg, who we have yet to meet on the TV show and is the main antagonist of the entire series. But Omni-Man would definitely be stronger than Anissa if they met in a toe-to-toe fight.
Side question: why is everyone always fighting with their toes touching? I don’t get it.
Is Allen stronger than Omni-Man? Is Allen Stronger Than Anissa?
Let’s take a little side-step on our strength ranker and talk about Allen the Alien (Seth Rogen) for a second. After nearly getting killed by several Viltrumites, his body has been rebuilt faster and stronger than a $6 million man. So when we catch up with him at the end of Invincible Season 2, Episode 7 “I’m Not Going Anywhere,” he’s able to make Anissa bleed.
Allen plays possum so that he can get captured and connect with Omni-Man, but it’s pretty clear that while earlier in the series Allen would have been totally murderized by Anissa, he is now stronger than her.
But is Allen stronger than Omni-Man? I’m going to say: probably not. Allen can definitely go toe-to-toe (there it is again!) with the big guys and not worry about getting pulverized instantly. But he’s not quite the level of Omni-Man or Thragg.
How does Invincible get stronger? How does Mark get stronger in Invincible?
Okay, back to our main boy Mark. The not-particularly good answer here about how Invincible gets stronger is: he just keeps growing stronger the older he gets. Kirkman doesn’t really delve too heavily in the science here other than as Mark gets older and goes on more missions, his muscles continue to grow stronger as his Viltrumite side asserts itself.
There is a moment in Invincible #106 where it seems like Mark might be stronger than Omni-Man. They end up having a friendly arm wrestling competition and are both sweating in a stand-still. Anissa observes, and it’s unclear whether Mark is distracted by her, Nolan is stronger, or Mark throws the match.
Some things happen later in the comics, which we’ll get to for a second. But for most of the run of the book, Invincible is not stronger than Anissa. In fact — and spoiler/trigger warning here — in Invincible #110, Anissa rapes Mark. There’s no easier way to explain what happens, but 34 issues from the end of the series, and well into the run, Anissa holds Mark down and rapes him in order to impregnate herself.
It’s pretty horrific, and I only bring it up here to point out that the comic book was well into its endgame and Mark was still not properly able to fight back against a full Viltrumite. While he is stronger and more experienced as things go, other than the old “hero pulls on the strength he never knew he had” trope, Invincible isn’t ever stronger than a full Viltrumite — he just works smarter, and has more to fight for.
When does Invincible get stronger in the comics?
There is one little caveat here about the getting stronger thing, and it’s this. Again, spoilers for the comic books. Towards the end of the series, Mark gets ripped to shreds. Atom Eve rebuilds him, and that seemingly makes him powerful enough to go fingers-to-fingers (just switching it up there) with even the strongest Viltrumite. Specifically, Thragg, who he is finally able to put down with the help of literally everyone else, and also they’re fighting in the middle of a sun.
So, even in the final issues of the book when it comes to Invincible versus a full Viltrumite, what gives Mark the edge is not being a conquering alien, but someone with friends and family. In that way, he’s just like Vin Diesel in the Fast & Furious series. I’m sure we all reached a similar conclusion.
Invincible Season 2 Premiere Dates And Episode Guide:
Invincible Season 2 Part 2 officially premiered on Prime Video on Thursday, March 14 at 3 am ET / 12 am PT. Though Season 2 is eight episodes long, only one episode will premiere on Thursday, followed by the next three Thursdays.
Here’s the full list of episodes in Invincible Season 2:
- Thursday, November 2, 2023: Invincible, Season 2, Episode 1 – “A Lesson For Your Next Life”
- Thursday, November 9, 2023: Invincible, Season 2, Episode 2 – “In About Six Hours, I Lose My Virginity to A Fish”
- Thursday, November 16, 2023: Invincible, Season 2, Episode 3 – “This Missive, This Machination!”
- Thursday, November 23, 2023: Invincible, Season 2, Episode 4 – “It’s Been A While”
- Thursday, March 14, 2024: Invincible, Season 2, Episode 5 – “This Must Come As A Shock”
- Thursday, March 21, 2024: Invincible, Season 2, Episode 6 – “It’s Not That Simple”
- Thursday, March 28, 2024: Invincible, Season 2, Episode 7 – “I’m Not Going Anywhere”
- Thursday, April 4, 2024: Invincible, Season 2, Episode 8 – “I Thought You Were Stronger” *Season Finale*
This article is filled with misinformation, which is odd since you are pretending you’ve read the comics since you mentioned Thragg. Anissa and Omni-Man fight multiple times in the comic and they’re portrayed as equals. Allen in the comics literally brutalizes Omni-Man without difficulty, which you’d know if you actually read them. Please stop spreading misinformation and headcanon to cash in on hype.
Ridiculous article filled with misinformation, you’ve clearly never read the comics.