Invincible S01E05 is the fifth instalment of the first season of an animated superhero action-adventure TV drama streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The series is based on the Image Comic of the same name, created by writer Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) and artist Cory Walker.
Entitled “That Actually Hurt”, Invincible S01E05 places our protagonist in a very bad situation, the kind that traditional superheroes – of either the DC or Marvel tropes – seldom face. Specifically, Invincible decides to team-up with a villain named Titan, who is attempting to free himself of a servile relationship with underworld leader Machine Head. Invincible feels sorry for Titan’s plight – especially when he discovers that he has a young daughter – and despite Omni-Man’s objections decides to go ahead with Titan’s plan for liberation.
READ OUR REVIEWS OF INVINCIBLE SEASON 1 SO FAR.
Of course, things do not quite work out the way the over-confident Invincible thought it would, as the episode title suggests. The outcome is a prolonged ultra-violent fight sequence between the duo and Machine Head’s hired super-villains. In line with its grim and gritty tone, these battle scenes are over-the-top with loads of animated blood and guts being spilled.
Besides Invincible’s folly, the other key storyline in Invincible S01E05 involves Debbie (Mrs Omni-Man) Grayson’s suspicions regarding his role in the decimation of the original Guardians of the Globe as witnessed in the first episode. That shocking scene perhaps matches the sheer ultra-violence seen in this episode. In any case, Debbie is presented brilliantly as an intelligent albeit conflicted spouse making a terrifying discovery about her super-powered husband.
READ OUR ANALYSIS OF SUPERHERO MOVIE GENRE.
Astute viewers will no doubt observe that the fate of Invincible in this episode involves more than meets the eye and that things are not as straightforward as they seem. It’s clear that things are going to get worse for our fledging superhero.
Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
… still there’s more …