There’s never just one villain in an Invincible season. There’s usually one big villain, but then we get episodes with smaller villains. That’s the case in Invincible season 3, episode 6.
Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for Invincible season 3, episode 6.
There are often small moments in episodes that we usually overlook. They don’t tend to have much of a big impact on our main protagonists. However, they do have a big impact on other characters. This episode brings up an event from the first season. Do you remember when Mark and Nolan fought in Chicago? There was the building that collapsed and Mark tried his hardest to save a mom and a little girl. In the end, he couldn’t save either of them.
Most shows wouldn't bother to show the aftermath of somethign like this. Movies and TV shows with superheroes keep the focus on the main protagonists and antagonists. That’s not the case with Invincible. This episode put the focus on a family member of those two victims, showing us how villains can be made.
Invincible season 3, episode 6 review, "All I Can Say Is I'm Sorry"
The episode starts with a flashback to just before the attack. We get to know Scott Duvall, the brother of Jess and the uncle of Gretchen, the mother and daughter killed despite Mark trying to save them. We see the aftermath of the attack. Scott wants justice, and it’s a fair request.
While Mark was attempting to save the world from Omni-Man, the two of them together caused a lot of damage and death. Yes, there would have been a lot more if Omni-Man had his way, but to those whose lives are destroyed, those distinctions may not matter.
The city officials say they can’t hold superheroes accountable for their ways of defending the Earth from unimaginable harm. If they did, then the superheroes wouldn’t offer their services. Why run the risk of being arrested for a death that you didn’t intentionally cause or want?
But that’s not good enough for Scott. We see him develop into the villain that he views Invincible to be. He becomes Powerplex, using GDA technology to enhance his own electrical abilities. Everyone around him is scared, but he doesn’t see that he is the problem. He doesn’t see that what he thinks is the right thing is actually wrong.
Of course, he doesn’t know Mark personally. He doesn’t realize that Mark hates the fact that he has failed to save so many people as Invincible. He holds those losses close to him, and they make him a better good guy.
Scott’s actions lead to devastating consequences
Eventually, Scott gets Mark’s attention. He uses his wife and son as bait to get Invincible to show up. It was clear as the two fought that something drastic was going to happen. I thought it was going to be rubble falling on top of Scott’s wife and son, but in the end, it's much worse.
Scott uses his powers to electrocute Invincible. While it just winds him and causes a little it of damage, Scott’s wife and child are killed and left as charred remains. For many people, these devastating consequences would lead them to rethink their actions, but not Scott. He continues to blame Invincible for everything that's happened.
These are two more deaths that Mark will carry with him, though. He will continue to find ways to get people to safety before they become accidental casualties. The thing is, Mark won’t know the full story here. He will probably never find out that Scott’s wife wasn’t exactly an innocent victim, as she supported Scott in his revenge and offered herself up as bait. It’s the baby, Jack, who didn’t deserve any of it.
In the end, Scott is weakened by the loss long enough to end up captured by the GDA. They lock him away, but it’s clear that he remains a dangerous foe. I doubt that this is the last we’ve seen of him.
Rae, Rex, and Amanda get more development
I did enjoy spending some time with both Rae and Amanda in this episode. In the previous episode, we got a bit of time with Rae and Rex as their feelings for each other developed. Rex was adorable in his attempt to cook dinner for Rae. This episode continues that.
Rae shares that she is quitting the team. She doesn’t want to be a superhero anymore, but she wants to go back to a normal life. Rex is shocked and hurt to learn this. He thought their relationship was going somewhere. While it potentially was, Rae just wants to be normal.
We see this kind of thing a lot in these types of shows. There’s the burden of saving the world and not getting a life outside of that. The Spider-Man quote of “great power comes with great responsibility” will always stand out, but there is always the question of “what about my life?” at the same time.
This whole scene offers us a chance to see how much Rex has grown over the course of three seasons. Losing Eve and then Kate, he has had a chance to do a lot of growing up and looking inward. Being around Rae has helped him see that he can be more, but he still thinks that Rex is all he his.
He opens up to Rae about how his real last name, Sloan, was officially erased. He is Rex Splode, and that’s it. He doesn't have another identity to adopt, since the GDA took him in after his parents sold him to them. It’s no wonder that he’s acted like a playboy for so long. He had nothing to lose, really. I hope to see more of this development over the next couple of episodes and into the fourth season.
Amanda also gets some development with the help of Rudy, who wants to stop her powers from killing her. We find out that she loses 24 hours exactly every time she goes from girl to monster and back to girl. Rudy explains why that is, and it’s all to do with her cells.
What is new is that there’s a fix for this part of her power. Rudy doesn’t know if the problem was intentional or accidental, but he doesn’t care about that. He’s found a way to fix it. Amanda will always need to wear a specific belt, but she will stop de-aging. It’s a turn for Amanda, as she no longer needs to worry about using her powers so often she fades away.
I love that we’ve got to see how Rudy and Amanda’s relationship has developed. It’s one of the more innocent relationships, with Rudy just looking for a way to fix things. Amanda doesn’t need flowers or a dinner cooked for her. Rudy knew what she would love more, and he gives it to her.
Let’s talk about the ending of Invincible season 3, episode 6
At the very end of the episode, we find out that the person spying on Mark with those little probes is...Angstrom Levy, the guy Mark killed at the end of season 2. I guess I never believed he was really gone. This is a character who can go to multiple universes. There was always a chance there would be another version of him out there. Sure enough, there is.
So Invincible and his family have yet more villains to fight. The problem is they have to deal with other versions of Invincible and Omni-Man. That means a lot of power and danger. Is there a way for anyone to survive this? How much more loss will Mark need to endure?
With Angstrom showing up, I can't help but wonder if he and Powerplex will team up. They both want revenge against the same man for the same reason. They would end up making a formidable team, but are they willing to work together? Not all villains are!
I hope the show gives us more of Omni-Man soon, along with Allen the Alien. If he returns to Earth, he may get rid of the somewhat insufferable guy Debbie is dating. He’s trying, but there’s a lot about the superhero life that he doesn’t understand, making him not right for Debbie at all. I’m not saying Omni-Man is, but Debbie needs the right person to fit in with her family.
Episode Grade: B-
New episodes of Invincible air Thursdays on Prime Video.
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