Invincible (Still Standing -- Issues 60-65...I think) Questions

[ShazamHusker]

A little background. I am relatively new to Invincible. I think I started with Issue # 100 – I am a little behind with the current stuff, but I have been enjoying it (so many comics, so little time). I know Capuga (sorry if I got the name wrong) had an offer to get you completely caught up, which while extremely generous and very tempting, I felt I had too many kids with too many little hands to trust keeping it intact and that I felt the offer wasn't for me.

I have been sort of working backwards in picking up the prior arcs on Comixology. Recently, they had a big Invincible sale. I was able to pick up a good chuck and just started to read. My earliest arc is “Still Standing,” which I think encompasses Issues # 60-65. I’m only about three issues in, but had a few questions --

(I did no internet searches. I don’t have any comic book friends and I feel I get my “fix” on things on this forum, less so and more passively on the various podcasts I listen to. I like to hear the exchange of ideas when I can over the “wiki” recaps. Fine on their own, but I’ve got a wealth of experts here to tap into.)

I gather that a guy that Invincible left for dead, was healed, and subsequently “recruited” an army of other Invincibles from alternate universes to destroy this Invincible’s universe. Am I on track so far?

It’s a little hard for me to follow as I feel they keep skipping from scene-to-scene. Maybe that’s the intention – not a scatterbrained approach by the author, but because it’s a hectic time, where you are literally being pulled in one direction to the next. I feel like I’m missing something. That there are all of these people that are fine in one scene and then the next they are dead or in intensive care.

Short of getting the prior arcs (which I will likely do someday when my finances allow it), is there anything I need to know going into this arc? Are there other books involved, or is it all contained in Invincible?

Since I'm only a few issues in, if it's possible to avoid spoilers (and I realize that's 40+ issues ago!), I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!

[capuga]

I gather that a guy that Invincible left for dead, was healed, and subsequently “recruited” an army of other Invincibles from alternate universes to destroy this Invincible’s universe. Am I on track so far?

Exactly correct.

It’s a little hard for me to follow as I feel they keep skipping from scene-to-scene. Maybe that’s the intention – not a scatterbrained approach by the author, but because it’s a hectic time, where you are literally being pulled in one direction to the next. I feel like I’m missing something. That there are all of these people that are fine in one scene and then the next they are dead or in intensive care.

Short of getting the prior arcs (which I will likely do someday when my finances allow it), is there anything I need to know going into this arc? Are there other books involved, or is it all contained in Invincible?

Since I'm only a few issues in, if it's possible to avoid spoilers (and I realize that's 40+ issues ago!), I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!

Issue 60 is a bit scattered. But you are not missing any other titles. Kirkman basically wanted to do an Image-wide crossover done-in-one issue. But that's a lot of heroes and fights to cram into one issue which is why you get the quick jumps between scenes and storytelling shortcuts. IMO, that story would have been better served being stretched into 2 or 3 issues. But it was an ambitious experiment.

Enjoy the Conquest issues after that. Those are my all time favorite ones. Glad you're digging the book.

Also, if you're interested in taking me up on the offer for the early issues, feel free and don't worry about the kids. The copies I send out are extra ones and it's OK if they get a bit beat up. Just send me a PM.

[ShazamHusker]

Thanks Capuga! I'll definitely reconsider and let you know.

It does feel like there is a lot of cramming going on. I think I can sort of see the craziness of it all.

Another thing that I thought was how this began a little like Issue 100. The difference being that a "war" is ongoing as opposed to one that was largely concluded, but lots of dead people and rising, dejected hero, etc. etc.

I also just read your write-up on issue #60 which helped clear it up!

[ShazamHusker]

So I finished the volume and read it a second time for good measure. I really enjoyed it. I thought the Mark and Eve scenes were well done (liked her "augmentation" as well! The whole Conquest fight was nuts.

So, some questions --

Conquest shows up once all the alternate-dimension-Invicible-issue is finished, though a lot of cleanup is at hand. He was not related to those other Invincibles right? Just crazy timing (intentional or non)?

What are Invincible or Conquests power limits? Is it super strength, super speed, and flight? Is there an upper limit to any of these?

In the funeral, the robot talks and they cut to a small guy with long-ish hair and a girl. Is that guy related to the robot?

I think I have all of the volumes from there up to 99 (and then I have 100 through a few more). Will more fall out be discussed on the many millions lost? I guess I'll find out soon enough, but I like when comics respect the death toll. For example, in Firestorm, an entire group of people going to a concert got vaprozied in what ammounted to a terrorist dirty bomb. There was a little made of it, but no real carryover. If millions die, I like it to mean something and so far Invincible played that up pretty well.

[The Doctor]

So I finished the volume and read it a second time for good measure. I really enjoyed it. I thought the Mark and Eve scenes were well done (liked her "augmentation" as well! The whole Conquest fight was nuts.

So, some questions --

Conquest shows up once all the alternate-dimension-Invicible-issue is finished, though a lot of cleanup is at hand. He was not related to those other Invincibles right? Just crazy timing (intentional or non)?

What are Invincible or Conquests power limits? Is it super strength, super speed, and flight? Is there an upper limit to any of these?

In the funeral, the robot talks and they cut to a small guy with long-ish hair and a girl. Is that guy related to the robot?

I think I have all of the volumes from there up to 99 (and then I have 100 through a few more). Will more fall out be discussed on the many millions lost? I guess I'll find out soon enough, but I like when comics respect the death toll. For example, in Firestorm, an entire group of people going to a concert got vaprozied in what ammounted to a terrorist dirty bomb. There was a little made of it, but no real carryover. If millions die, I like it to mean something and so far Invincible played that up pretty well.

He's not related to those Invincibles and he was sent there purposefully. The exact timing right after an attack I'm guessing was crazy timing as Conquest has quite the bloodthirst and would probably have preferred a fully rested planet.

There is a limit. But for most intents and purposes Mark/Conquest being Viltrumite's are the strongest beings in the universe (that we know of up to 111). Conquest is far more experienced though and arguably stronger than Mark is. There are some power level classes evident in Viltrumite's but outside of a few guys they are mostly around the same strength.

Hmm I don't remember exactly. But off the top of my head I would guess that the long hair guy is Robot (in his human form) and the girl is Monster Girl?

There's kind of fallout, but so much crap goes on constantly they rarely have more than an issue to sit back and think about whats happened before something else is going on.



Hope that helps I just read volumes 10-18 in the last month after renting the first 9 at my library.

[capuga]

In the funeral, the robot talks and they cut to a small guy with long-ish hair and a girl. Is that guy related to the robot?

The Doctor covers the other ones well enough, as for this one: The young looking, long haired human is Robot. The metal suit is just a drone that the human controls with a transmitter chip implanted in his head. He is a genius and has learned to partition his mind so he can focus his concentration on many different tasks at a time. So he can control a Robot drone with part of his thoughts, and carry on a regular conversation with his human body with another part of his thoughts.

[ShazamHusker]

Thanks Doctor and Capuga, I really appreciate it. I thought that might have been the deal with Robot, but I think the girl asked him about doing it right as Eve was asked to say a few words. Makes more sense now though.