The cute superhero world created by Marvel is slowly crumbling. Thank goodness. Now, superhero projects not only tell the cost of heroism and the devastation it leaves behind but also focus on the inner world of characters that have never been tried except for Watchmen and Logan. Although we can see this movement in DC’s new generation series, the real turning point was with The Boys. After The Boys, the audience understood which superheroes they really wanted to see. This change has led to the adaptation of certain comic books, known by certain groups, to the screen or television. Invincible is one of them. And it won’t be the last. It shouldn’t be.
Let’s briefly talk about the plot of the series… Young Mark Graysen, whose father is also known as Omni-Man, is a classic high school student waiting for the powers he will inherit from his father to emerge. Of course, Mark cannot give enough importance to school as his powers begin to show themselves, and he begins superhero training with his father. But his father alone is not enough for him. He must come down to the city and take out the bad guys. Coincidentally, at the time he discovered his powers, the city’s so-called Avengers, the superheroes, were found dead in a way that would not look out of place in Tarantino films. This means a new vacancy for those who want to be heroes.
In short, although Invincible is not a super series, it is worth watching for both what it wants to tell and its action. Invincible, one of the products that try to eliminate the fake superhero atmosphere of Marvel, continues the trend started by series such as The Boys, Doom Patrol, and Titans. In 2009, Watchmen tried to be realistic, but Marvel’s choreographed fights and its series where no one’s nose bleeds drew more attention from everyone. So much so that even a company like DC, known for its harshness and dark side, eventually became like Marvel.
Let me say what needs to be told at the end: I think we need more works like Invincible. Especially as a series, it’s a work worth discussing with what it wants to convey. From this point on, I will ethically evaluate what the series wants to tell. In many articles I have read, I have seen that the series has been misunderstood. That’s why I came to protect the existence called humans, which I have constantly criticized:
Many writers and viewers have found Omni-Man and, consequently, Viltrumites justified and claimed that humans also commit genocide like them. They have said that just as Omni-Man and his race are destroying, we humans are also equally ruthless destroyers. This is a conclusion that I strongly object to.
The existence called human is a living creature that kills to survive and will continue to do so. We need to start by accepting this simple truth. I know you haven’t agreed with me yet. Just as lions kill rabbits, deer, and elk to survive, we will continue to kill to survive. This is actually a law of nature. It is wrong to say that humans are cruel. Whoever is more substantial, kills.
I’m sorry, but that’s the reality of life. The only controversial issue we can discuss here is whether we kill too much. I am ready to agree with you on this matter. Other than that, it would be ridiculous to talk about the cruelty part. Anyone who watches a few days of animal documentaries can see how cruel animals can be, sometimes torturing to death. When I saw in a lion documentary that they didn’t kill a wounded tribal youth but tortured the opposing tribe while looking at them, I was pretty horrified.
Let’s get to the main issue: While we kill to survive, Viltrumites, just like Thanos in Marvel, get involved in tasks that are not their place. Thanos’ idea is somewhat more logical and has a certain degree of validity within itself – in my opinion. Killing a certain portion of the population for the Greater Good may lead to healing wounds and understanding mistakes. Watchmen is still the best film that deals with this subject. However, making such a decision is not anyone’s place. But Viltrumites’ approach is different from this. They may have accelerated natural selection among themselves and can do what they want, but this is only a matter that concerns them. Their choices only bind themselves. For example, this accelerated selection is not the concern of a neighboring planet.
However, Viltrumites try to interfere with other planets by coming out of their own planet and saying, “Let me see who is strong and who is weak,” which does not differentiate them from Hitler and Stalin. What you do within your own field is nobody’s business, and if we talk about the Invincible universe, nobody took Viltrumites seriously, and nobody interfered with them. Nothing would happen if they stayed on their own planet. But they adopt a fascist and divine approach that is fundamentally self-proclaimed by choosing to attack other planets for no reason.
My favorite film out of the 3000 films I have watched is Watchmen. The reason is that it shows that superheroes are also essentially human and shows how fundamentally imperfect human beings are. Omni-Man is also trying to say this, but why does it concern him so much? We can discuss this internally and blame each other for what we have done in our 80-year crappy life. But someone from a different planet judging me instead of me can only be explained by bullying or even fascism. Just as we are against another country interfering in our own country, someone from another planet coming to Earth and making decisions is completely fascist.
Again, many viewers have highlighted Omni-Man’s mockery of human’s 80-year life. They have found him right. But there is one thing everyone missed. Yes, if we look at the Invincible universe, humans are worthless. There are Martians, creatures from different time periods, and beings that can fly from other planets, like Superman. They exist. But when we look at reality, none of these exist. Sorry, but our lives are pretty boring. No one lives for a thousand years. Maybe we could be the only living creature in the universe that has really completed its evolution. Isn’t it a bit wrong to belittle an 80-year life in a universe where there might be no one but us? We cannot compare a fictional 1000-year-old man in a series with ourselves from a realistic perspective. From a realistic view, our life is quite valuable. Nobody will come and blow our heads off with two fingers, Kaijus will not come out of the sea, and the neighbor’s child from a parallel universe will not come. We have a “single” 80-year life, and every second of this life is precious.
Invincible shows us both the daily lives of superheroes and the problems they create while “doing heroism” by approaching them quite realistically. In fact, by watching Invincible, we can see how impossible and absurd the so-called “thing” called a superhero can be. Even if Kaijus don’t attack cities, crimes are committed somewhere every day. Which one will you chase, and when will you live your life?
An issue that is constantly overlooked in Marvel movies and that I always emphasize has been successfully addressed in this series. In Marvel movies, the team leaves massive damage in the city while fighting against an enemy. We have only seen the other side of this enormous damage in the Civil War so far. However, it was quite superficial, created as a reason for a fight, and not emphasized. Invincible shows us this reality in the most striking way. We can see in the goriest way possible that sometimes superheroes cause more harm than good, and while trying to stop one enemy, they can cause the death of dozens of people. Likewise, we saw how damaging superheroism can be, both in their personal lives and in the harm they can cause to humanity if they wish. We can easily see in the series that human beings have a fleeting life. I repeat, cherish your life.
We have an 80-year lifespan. Maybe less, maybe more. No threats from space -except for meteorites- are coming to us. Don’t worry about it. Your life is not worthless, either. Nobody has to be perfect. Just try to be a good person and don’t harm others. Unless you harm others, no one besides your loved ones cares if you spend your life drinking beer on a couch. The world doesn’t care about you anyway. If we all die tomorrow, the world will breathe a sigh of relief. We don’t need a superhero coming from quadrillions of light-years away to be better. Too much power, even if you become Saturnian, will overflow and eventually stray from goodwill. Anyone who can think and reason will be the same, even if they come from ten million light-years away.
Cast & Crew
creators: Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, Cory Walker
starring: Steven Yeun, J.K. Simmons, Sandra Oh
USA | 2021 | 8 EPISODES |