Warning: The following article contains potential spoilers for future seasons of Invincible.
If you’re pals with anyone who’s read Invincible‘s source material, chances are they’ve mentioned “The Thing” Anissa does; that is, the Viltrumite warrior’s violent sexual assault of Mark Grayson. So, when does Anissa do “The Thing” in the Invincible comics, and when will it happen in the Prime Video show?
When Does Anissa Rape Mark in the Invincible Comics?
Anissa does “The Thing” relatively late in Invincible‘s 144-issue run, in Invincible #110 by Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley. This allows Kirkman and Ottley to lay the necessary groundwork for such a brutal development, as they have Anissa hint at her sexual interest in Mark Grayson – via an unsolicited kiss – in Invincible #107.
So, when she shows up again in #110 and starts putting the moves on Mark, it’s not completely out of nowhere. It also tracks with the Viltrumites’ long-established mission of breeding more of their own kind, which is Anissa’s real goal in trying to have sex with Mark. But our young hero’s not interested, not least of all because he’s already in a relationship with Atom Eve.
That should be the end of the discussion, however, Anissa refuses to take no for an answer. She quickly overpowers Mark – whose super strength and speed aren’t yet a match for her own – and forces herself on him. It doesn’t matter that Mark repeatedly pleads with Anissa to stop; she explicitly tells him she “doesn’t care what [he] wants.”
Understandably, Mark is left traumatized by the ordeal, whereas Anissa is utterly unrepentant – at first, that is. Later on in Invincible‘s run, Anissa falls in love with a human named Scott Murphy and renounces her cruel, Viltrumite ways. However, she still refuses to apologize for raping Mark, as it’s how she conceived her son, Markus Murphy/Kid Invincible.
When Will the Invincible Show Adapt This Scene?
A better question might be “Will the Invincible show incorporate Anissa raping Mark, period?” After all, this is an incredibly controversial plot point, even for a show that doesn’t shy away from adult themes and graphic content. Mark and his allies and enemies engaging in bloody slugfests is one thing; Anissa committing a vicious sexual assault is another altogether.
But assuming Prime Video’s Invincible does include Anissa’s terrible crime, it won’t happen in Season 3. That’s based off the Season 3 premiere kicking off with material from Invincible #48 – more than 60 issues away from the Anissa/Mark encounter in the comics. So, even accounting for the animated series’ history of covering dozens of comic book chapters per season, don’t expect Anissa to do “The Thing” onscreen until at least Season 4 or 5.
Invincible Season 3 is currently streaming on Prime Video, with new episodes dropping Thursdays.