Invincible Season 3 Episode 1 recap: Mark trains to fight a scarier Viltrumite

One thing is clear in Invincible Season 3 Episode 1: Cecil, Donald, and Mark haven’t forgotten Anissa’s ominous warning, and they need to get ready – but it may come at a cost Mark isn’t willing to pay.

In Season 2 Episode 7, Mark faced off with Anissa, the show’s scariest Viltrumite to date and one of the strongest characters in all of Invincible. The Empire sent her to check on his progress – let’s just say, it didn’t go well.

As he lay bruised and bloodied, she told him: “Soon, another will come, and if he finds you still resistant to your destiny, he will demonstrate the error of your ways and this whole planet will pay the price. I pray you come to your senses before then.”

We still don’t know who that’ll be (*cough* Conquest *cough), but Cecil doesn’t want to wait around: he wants Invincible to become Earth’s mightiest defender.

Mark is better, faster & stronger in Invincible Season 3 Episode 1

The season opens on a normal day for Mark: fighting (or should I say toying) with the Giant. Just when the monster thinks he’s won, Mark lands a brutal uppercut. “Are you okay?” he asks, and the Giant says, “No, you’re mean!”

It quickly becomes clear it’s a training exercise; Cecil even says he’s “been a champ… he’s only eight after all.” Donald also tells his parents they’re still looking for a cure.

This is just one part of Mark’s intensive training regiment; he submerges himself in lava for as long as possible, yo-yos between Earth and the Moon, and lifts an enormous iceberg out of the ocean. “That was the heaviest thing we could find for Mark to lift, and he just lifted it,” Donald says, and Cecil replies: “When we’re through with him, he’ll finally live up to the name.”

According to Donald, “Mark’s speed has increased 65%, his endurance 70%, and his strength – and we checked this wasn’t a mistake – 138%.” Remember, Omni-Man said Mark could become as strong as him – if not stronger.

Could he beat Anissa? Probably, but as Donald says, “she implied someone much worse was coming.” Cecil assures Donald they aren’t stopping Mark’s training any time soon – or any of their other plans.

When Rex sees Mark lifting another extremely heavy thing, he jokes about feeling inadequate. However, he has a genuine grievance with Cecil: he’s spending all of his time (and the GDA’s resources) on Mark while the Guardians are being neglected. For example, Rex’s new hand is in dire need of an adjustment… because he can’t use his middle finger.

The Declaration of Independence gets stolen

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Donald announces that someone is trying to steal the Declaration of Independence (it just doesn’t sound as good as Nicolas Cage saying it). It isn’t Doc Seismic; he’s locked up in a cell. Mark takes Rex to stop the robbers.

This is when we meet Dropkick and Fightmaster – as their names suggest, they’re talented fighters. They don’t pose much of a threat to Mark and Rex, though; as they hold them off, they talk about how Mark has been ignoring Eve since the events of the Season 2 finale. Rex says he needs to ask her out, but Mark says it’s complicated (in his defense, he was told by a future version of Eve that she loved him).

Soon, we meet another new character: Multi-Paul, Dupli-Kate’s brother. He wants revenge for her death, and he blames Rex (even though it was the Lizard League’s fault). Mark helps him as he’s smothered and beaten by Multi-Paul’s clones, allowing Dropkick and Fightmaster to vanish with the Declaration of Independence.

Mark warns Multi-Paul that he doesn’t want to hurt him (them?), but he (they?) says Mark can’t do anything, because he’s “all alone.” How naive. Mark gives us a glimpse of his true power and rips dozens of Multi-Pauls apart, spilling his (their?) blood onto the pavement.

Dupli-Kate arrives to stop the bloodshed, surprising everyone (we knew she was alive by the end of Season 2, but only the Immortal knew among the Guardians). Rex demands an apology, but Multi-Paul says he’s “killed people for less.”

Mark knocks out Multi-Paul before he can get away. Because of him, they weren’t able to prevent the theft of the Declaration of Independence, so Mark says he needs to go to prison.

Oliver gets his powers

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Oliver was a toddler by the end of Invincible Season 2. Now, he’s an energetic young boy (his Thraxan biology makes him age quicker than humans). “Oliver puts every other child to shame. His growth and development are off the charts, but they should start to level off once he reaches puberty,” April tells Debbie.

Mark plays catch with Oliver outside and tells him about his day. Oliver is already excited to be a superhero, and he makes Oliver promise to train him when he gets his powers. This was sneaky, as Oliver already has his powers – he leaps into the sky to catch the ball and hovers in the air, leaving Mark gobsmacked.

Mark tells Debbie, who’s instantly worried. He insists that Oliver has promised not to use his powers unless he’s with Mark.

Back at the GDA, Dupli-Kate reunites with the team (Rex is still annoyed she didn’t tell everyone, but he’ll be fine) and announces her engagement to the Immortal. That’s not all: Shrinking Rae is back on her feet and fully healed. “Ain’t nothing gonna stand up to us now. The family’s back, baby, and unbreakable,” Black Samson says.

Meanwhile, Donald informs Cecil about a series of strange geological events (more than 300 that may be connected: undrinkable water in New Mexico, small earthquakes throughout America, and subway derailments. It still seems like a coincidence, especially with Doc Seismic behind bars.

Mark wants to tell Eve how he feels

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Mark goes bowling with William and Rick and tells them about meeting future Eve. He confesses that he’s had feelings for Eve for a long time, and William says he shouldn’t tell Eve about what happened in the other dimension. “There’s a big difference between being honest and too honest,” William tells him.

The next day, he flies over to Eve’s treehouse. After some polite chit-chat (he tells her about Oliver, Eve reveals she’s going to study architecture at college), Eve wants to know why he really came over.

He finally does it: he asks her out… and she says yes. Alas, he puts his foot in his mouth. He tells her about what her future self told him, and she doesn’t take it well. “Are you only here because you feel sorry for me?” she bitterly asks.

Back at home, Debbie applies makeup to Oliver so he doesn’t have purple skin (he hates it until Debbie says it’s his secret identity). Cecil arrives, and while Oliver is excited to see him, the same can’t be said for Debbie.

“I thought we agreed to trust each other,” he says, explaining that they’re all players in a game that involves the entire Earth and beyond. Debbie says her priority is her family, and “that’s never going to change.”

He isn’t asking for much, just a few hours a day to observe and train him. Debbie says no. “Other people have sons and daughters, too – sons and daughters who aren’t as lucky as your boys,” he says, but before they can argue, Cecil gets a call, and needs Invincible and Eve’s help. “This better be f**king cataclysmic,” she says.

Oliver tries to sneak off to help them, but Debbie catches him. He apologises, and Debbie says she’ll ask Mark to train him.

Doc Seismic traps the Guardians

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Even from his cell, Doc Seismic manages to wreak more havoc. He disappears underground and manages to capture every superhero in the field in capsules made out of webbing. He delivers a trademark Seismic speech; angry, magnanimous, and resentful of heroes. “For you are all dust, and to dust, you shall return,” he shouts.

Before he can crush them, Invincible and Eve arrive to save the day. “Well well, it’s my old friends Token Diversity and Gender Stereotype,” Seismic says.

A fight ensues, but it doesn’t go to plan. Between the Magmanites and giant creepy crawlies, Invincible and Eve can’t win. Cecil calls in some help from a squad of D.A. Sinclair’s ReAnimen… and Dark Wing II.

Soon, Sinclair is unconscious and everyone is safe – but Mark isn’t happy. “He’s a murderer, and those things… killed people,” Mark says. Dark Wing II tells him he’s better now, but Mark can’t allow it.

The Immortal orders him to stand down, but Mark flies away to confront Cecil (he also apologizes to Eve). Cecil’s reasoning is simple: “You don’t waste people like that – you reform them, repair them, let them make restitution for their mistakes.”

Nothing Cecil says convinces Mark that it’s okay. “I’m not going anywhere until Sinclair and Dark Wing are back in prison,” he says. They walk into the White Room, and Mark asks why they’re in there. “It’s for my protection Mark… from you,” he says.

Allen is still trying to convince Omni-Man to help him

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In Episode 1’s post-credits scene, Allen complains about the Viltrumite prison’s food. Nolan says he’s strong enough to break out if he tried – but Allen refuses to leave without him, and Nolan says he’s not going anywhere.

Nolan warns Allen that they’ll laser him open to figure out how he’s so strong. Seconds later, he’s proven right – but it’s not strong enough to pierce his skin. Nolan can’t believe he’s still alive, but Allen notices a hint of concern in his voice: he cares.

Before you watch the next episode, check out our Invincible Season 3 review and make sure you’ve got the show’s release schedule bookmarked. You can also read our breakdown of the Invincible cast, Mark’s blue suit, and how Season 3’s title cards are teasing a terrifying storyline.