Top 20 Most Brutal Moments From Invincible

Top 20 Most Brutal Moments from Invincible

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most gruesome and gut-wrenching scenes in “Invincible.” A spoiler alert is in effect.

#20: Titan vs. Henchmen

"That Actually Hurt"
He’s a devoted father, and maybe even a good guy deep down, but he can also absolutely destroy a group of opponents when he has to. While working for Machine Head, Titan takes on a warehouse full of guys employed by a rival crime boss, Mr. Liu. They’re armed to the teeth and throw everything they’ve got at this bulletproof enforcer, but it doesn’t phase him. He wipes out the entire group without even bringing any weapons of his own. Instead, he gets creative, crushing one man with a forklift and another with some shelves, and turning their own weapons against them. It’s super bloody and super fun to watch.

#19: White House Battle

“It’s About Time”
The show’s first major action sequence is also probably the most optimistic, capturing the fun of an old school Saturday morning cartoon. That’s not to say the sequence doesn’t pack a powerful punch. The attack catches us off guard as two Secret Service agents make casual small talk, only to be interrupted by the Mauler Twins. The White House is heavily armed, showing that this sort of thing is commonplace, but the Maulers have come well-equipped. Steve gets in one good shot before one-half of the villainous pair prepares to smash him. Fortunately, the Guardians of the Globe show up just in time, receiving additional backup from Omni-Man. Showcasing their individual powers, the day is saved, but another enemy lurks in the Guardians’ midst.

#18: Don’t Mess with Monster Girl

"Who You Calling Ugly?"
It’s highly satisfying seeing Rex Splode get his ass kicked. The fact that a little girl rips him apart only makes the karma more satisfying. Technically, Monster Girl isn’t a girl. She’s a 24-year-old woman who de-ages every time that she transforms into a monster. That said, the monster part of her time is all-too accurate, which Rex learns the hard way. Even after Monster Girl demonstrates her powers, Rex thinks with everything other than his head. It isn’t until Invincible intervenes that Monster Girl and Rex decide to make nice. “Invincible” might not be a satire, but when it wants to be, it can be one of the funniest superhero shows while also being among the most violent.

#17: Rick Sheridan Becomes a Cyborg

"You Look Kinda Dead"
There are some things they don’t teach you in college. Being a good boyfriend and best friend are two of them. Mark fails on both fronts during a university visit, getting dumped by Amber and ignoring William’s pleas when Rick seemingly lands in trouble. William was right to worry, as D.A. Sinclair has subjected Rick and several others to his demented cyborg experiment. Before William can meet the same fate, Mark is thrown through a wall. Mark may be Invincible, but it’s William who gets through to Rick. Fighting his own programming, Rick turns on the other cyborgs while Mark and William give Sinclair his comeuppance. It’s a classic “Frankenstein” story that builds in the villain’s defeat, but not the happiest ending for Rick.

#16: Amber Dumps Mark

"We Need to Talk"
As a superhero, Invincible has a lot of responsibilities. Sometimes that means he can’t be there for the people he cares about. It’s understandable that Amber gets annoyed when Mark is constantly late or doesn’t show up for their dates at all. However, she’s not very forgiving when Mark reveals the truth. Instead, she gets angry that he didn’t tell her sooner. This seems a little harsh. Can we really blame Mark for being protective of his secret identity? After all, they’re still in high school, and they’ve only been dating a few months. Mark has been through a lot during that time, but the way Amber rips his heart out is one of the most brutal punishments he’s taken so far.

#15: Viltrumites Attack Allen

"This Missive, This Machination!"
This lovable alien was genetically engineered and trained to stand up to Viltrumites. However, the interplanetary conquerors are so powerful, even Allen is no match for them. When three of them attack, demanding information about Nolan and Mark, Allen has no chance against them. Though he knows they’re probably going to kill him, he maintains his snarky attitude and refuses to tell them anything. They beat him savagely as his girlfriend Telia looks on in horror, knocking out his eye and even tearing off his arm. Amazingly, Allen survives the encounter, but just barely.

#14: Omni-Man Kills the Pilot

"Where I Really Come From"
It’s hard to overstate how cruel and heartless Omni-Man can be. Shortly after he reveals the truth about his origins to Mark, Cecil sends fighter jets to attempt to take him down. Nolan destroys one of the planes, but Mark acts quickly and saves the pilot’s life – at least for a few seconds. Nolan then murders the man in a particularly gruesome way, just to make a point about how meaningless human lives are. Mark is naturally horrified. Even after all the violence we’ve seen Omni-Man commit up to this point, the moment is still shocking. It sets the scene for the even more ruthless fight coming up.

#13: Robot's True Form & Death

"We Need to Talk"
One of the show’s more mysterious characters, Robot’s backstory and motivation are slowly fleshed out, especially in the season’s penultimate episode. The Maulers are surprised and disgusted to find that Robot is controlled by the deformed Rudy Connors. They create a clone Rudy with a new body, complete with a copy of the original’s mind. The experiment takes everything out of the original Rudy, however, leaving him just enough strength to say goodbye before his clone puts him out of his misery. Rudy takes comfort in knowing his successor can pursue a relationship with Monster Girl and experience life outside of a pod. It’s a bittersweet farewell that gives new Rudy a fresh start. What he’ll do with it is where things could get messy.

#12: Omni-Man Murders GDA Soldiers

"We Need to Talk"
You’d think by now Cecil would know that a few people with guns will have no effect on Omni-Man – even if they can teleport. Once Nolan’s secret is revealed, Donald and Cecil get Debbie to safety, and Nolan comes home to an empty house. At least, it looks empty. Soon, Cecil’s soldiers begin teleporting in to attack Nolan. With his enhanced perception, he’s able to anticipate their moves and dispatch them as quickly as they appear in an especially gory scene. Moments later, Omni-Man discovers that Donald has been spying on him from across the street, and Cecil’s loyal right-hand man immediately becomes his next victim. [xref] Donald bravely sacrifices himself to try to slow down Nolan … which of course doesn’t work.

#11: Thaedus Turns off Allen's Life Support

"This Missive, This Machination!"
This one came as a major shock to fans of the comic. In the source material, Thaedus and Allen were long-time allies, fighting side by side in the war against Viltrum. That’s why this scene in the show is such a gut punch. After Allen is nearly killed by a Viltrumite attack, Thaedus visits him in the hospital. He sends Telia away, promising her he’ll watch over Allen. But instead of standing watch, he powers down the machines keeping Allen alive. It’s an astonishing betrayal that left the audience reeling. However, many fans are sure this isn’t the last they’ve seen of Allen the Alien.

#10: Multiple Angstrom Levys Explode

"A Lesson For Your Next Life"
This one starts with good intentions. Levy just wants to combine all the knowledge of his alternate selves into one mind, so he can defeat the evil versions of Invincible and save the world. Unfortunately, he makes the mistake of getting help from the Maulers, and of course, the Invincible we know shows up to stop them. When Levy interrupts the process himself, the results are devastating. The machine explodes and hundreds of other Levys, not to mention quite a few Maulers, are killed. The original Levy survives only to become a supervillain. We feel bad for the guy, but ultimately, he should have known better than to attempt this incredibly dangerous experiment.

#9: Eve vs. Her Siblings

"Invincible: Atom Eve"
In this special episode, we learn that Eve was engineered in a government lab. Since she was born, every attempt to recreate her special powers has failed, resulting in a family of horribly mutated children. When they’re released from their tubes and attack, the outcome is as sad as it is sickening. The kids’ unstable bodies disintegrate as they fight, yet they’re driven by jealousy and rage to defeat Eve. The pitiable crew throws everything they’ve got at her, endangering dozens of innocent people in the process. But in the end, Eve can only feel sorry for her unfortunate siblings.

#8: The Exorcism of Damian Darkblood

"Neil Armstrong, Eat Your Heart Out"
A bit like a cross between Hellboy, John Constantine, and Rorschach, Damien Darkblood is a demon who solves crimes to keep himself out of the Bad Place. After the Guardians of Globe meet their demise, Darkblood immediately becomes suspicious of the lone survivor, Omni-Man. Darkblood isn’t the only one, but Cecil feels it would be reckless to pursue Nolan without more information first. So, when Darkblood gets just a little too involved in the case Cecil doesn’t hesitate to remove the demon from the picture. Although Darkblood accepts his fate, it’s still rough watching chains rise up and pull him back down into the underworld. Whether or not this is the last we see of him, Darkblood was smart enough to leave his notepad in a safe place.

#7: Alternate Universe Mark Paralyzes Eve

"A Lesson For Your Next Life"
Season two opens with a disturbing look at what would happen if Mark teamed up with Omni-Man to take over Earth. In this alternate dimension, that’s exactly what happened, with the other superheroes fighting back every step of the way. Atom Eve is determined to stop Invincible, even though she’s outmatched. But this sadistic version of Mark can’t just kill her quickly. Instead, he paralyzes her, promising that he’ll make sure she’s taken care of. You can tell from her reaction that this is worse than a death sentence. It’s terrifying to think about how many times Eve must have met the same fate in other universes.

#6: Father-Son Team Up

"It's Been a While"
We finally get to see what happens when Viltrumites face off against other Viltrumites without holding back. Nolan has just discovered what empathy feels like, leading to an emotional breakdown that fuels his rage. Mark, on the other hand, is just getting comfortable with using his full power. The two of them team up to defend Thraxa against Viltrumite soldiers who are determined to kill them. It’s one of the most vicious battles in the series so far, packed with savage hits and bone-breaking punches. The action happens so fast that it starts to resemble the panels of a comic book in a pretty cool homage to its source material.

#5: Immortal Returns

"We Need to Talk"
As Nolan seeks out Mark, Cecil throws every obstacle in his arsenal at Omni-Man, only mildly inconveniencing him at most. Cecil breaks out the big guns with a Kaiju, which still stands little chance against Omni-Man, especially once Invincible joins the fight. Invincible must finish the monster alone when a revived Immortal shows up for a rematch with Omni-Man. Having already lost to Omni-Man once with backup, it’s clear that Immortal can’t win this one-on-one battle. He’s too blinded by hate and betrayal to think about anything but crushing Omni-Man, though. The two engage in a “Dragon Ball”-esque showdown that ends in a gut punch. Emphasis on both the gut and the punch. In disbelief, Mark sees his father for what he truly is.

#4: Omni-Man Destroys Flaxans

"Here Goes Nothing"
After clashing with Invincible and the Teen Team multiple times, the Flaxans perfect their world domination strategy. This is where Omni-Man steps in, sending the extradimensional aliens back where they came from. Although humanity assumes Omni-Man is their savior, they fail to realize two things. Back in the Flaxans’ homeworld, Omni-Man doesn’t resolve the issue as peacefully as possible. He pushes their world to the brink of absolute destruction over an extended period, going much further than he needs to. Secondly, Omni-Man didn’t stop the Flaxans to defend Earth. He did it so there would be something left for his own people to conquer. Upon returning home, Omni-Man looks less like somebody who’s destroyed entire cities and more like somebody who had a rigorous workout.

#3: Battle at Machine Head's Tower

"That Actually Hurt"
When Invincible decides to help Titan, the two confront Machine Head at his tower. The mechanical villain knew they were coming, however, and thus hired some muscle. The most formidable bodyguard is Thokk the Battle Beast, who nearly destroys Invincible before the new Guardians show up. One might assume that this is where the tide begins to turn. On the contrary, this is where things become increasingly dire with Monster Girl, Black Samson, and Invincible left in the most critical conditions. The main reason they survive is because Thokk grows bored and leaves while Machine Head’s right-hand man turns on him. The biggest blow of all is the revelation that Mark was just a pawn in Titan’s plan to take his boss’ place.

#2: The Guardians of the Globe Fall

"It's About Time"
The first episode mostly plays out like your typical teenager gets superpowers story. The audience can sense something darker underneath the surface, though, especially when it comes to Nolan. Omni-Man shows his true colors in the final scene where he lures the Guardians to their headquarters. The Guardians are all well-defined heroes, leading us to believe that they’ll be mainstays of the show. This makes it all the more jaw-dropping when Omni-Man takes out all of them in a surprise ambush. Some go down more easily than others, but in a matter of minutes, Omni-Man is the last one breathing. The animation oozes with graphic detail, leaving the audience intimidated yet eager to watch the next episode.

#1: A Father-Son Moment

"Where I Really Come From"
The moment that the whole season has been building towards, Nolan tells Mark why he’s really on Earth. When Mark refuses to join him, Nolan attempts to beat his son into submission. He destroys part of Chicago and takes numerous innocent lives just to get his argument across. As disturbing as this imagery is, hearing Nolan call Debbie a pet and imply that Mark is replaceable stings just as much. Even as Nolan turns his face into tomato soup, Mark would rather die by his father’s fist than turn his back on Earth. Nolan is ready to finish Mark before recalling a memory from his childhood. Pulling back, Omni-Man abandons his son and Earth, suggesting there may be some humanity in the Viltrumite. The damage is done, however.


Which brutal moment was the hardest for you to watch? Let us know in the commentsTop 20 Most Brutal Moments from Invincible