Invincible’s Struggle with Responsibility in Season 3

Forget the Invincible variants, forget Angstrom Levy, and forget the Invincible War. Now, ask yourself this simple question…what if the Viltrumites had launched a full scale invasion on Earth? Would we still be as forgiving of Mark freezing up and doing absolutely nothing when his loved ones were endangered? Would we be fine with the fact that the most powerful hero we were supposed to rely on had the opportunity to step up but chose to sit back, allowing the world to be torn apart? Or would we still accept the fact that this hero, who effectively decided to opt out of his responsibilities, jeopardized Earth’s defenses due to some misplaced sense of moral absolution?

And let’s not forget…what exactly did Mark do in the face of an impending invasion? After leaving Cecil, he didn’t take any action to prepare for what was coming. Wait, that can’t be right… Surely, after being warned that someone much worse than the person( annisa) who already kicked your ass is coming, you would understand that there are far more pressing matters to worry about, right? It’s almost as if Mark decided that his personal life, hero business and his relationship with Eve, were vastly more important than the imminent enslavement of the planet he’s supposed to protect. Does this seem rational to anyone?

To put it bluntly, no. Mark’s actions here are borderline insane when you really stop and think about them. It’s like he’s living in a bubble, completely ignoring the catastrophic threat hanging over the world, acting as though he has the luxury to pick and choose when to be a hero and who he will fight alongside when the battle for EARTH actually begins. Honestly mark, it might actually be a good idea to get all of these villains on board because at least when the battle for EARTH begins, you already have control over them. Unlike Powerplex, who just escaped prison and ran around probably causing more harm than good in the process.

And I get it, Sure, Mark is young. He’s struggling with all these huge changes, both in his personal life and in his new role as Earth’s protector. And yes, there’s emotional weight that comes with being thrust into such an overwhelming situation. But that’s exactly why he should’ve leaned into his support system, like Cecil, who has proven time and time again to be someone who knows how to handle these situations. He shouldn’t have acted like a know it all, assuming he could take on the world’s problems alone when he’s clearly not ready to do so.

AND don’t get me started on the fact that after the invincible war… HE STILL decides to actively refuse to work with Cecil when we know full well that, when the chips were down, he turned to him for help. Cecil helped him find a hospital for Eve when she was in need, and he helped find Angstrom Levy.

If you had any sense of responsibility, Mark, you’d realize that working with Cecil would’ve made the entire process of protecting the Earth and fighting back against the Viltrumites so much easier. It’s not like you need to agree with everything he says. Hell, I’m sure Cecil wouldn’t expect blind obedience, but refusing to work together at this critical juncture is downright reckless. Mark’s hypocrisy is staggering. He relies on Cecil when it suits him, he talks with moral superiority that stagnates earth’s defenses but when the stakes are at their highest, he decides to sit on the sidelines…. A decision that could cost the lives of billions.

At the end of the day, Mark’s refusal to take responsibility for the bigger picture is just frustrating. Life as he knows it could end in an instant, and yet he’s far more interested in politicking with Cecil over moral superiority than he is in preparing for an existential threat.