100+ Definitions 102: The Final Definition

Invincible # 102

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL): The moon is a harsh mistress that hosts a heavy-weight match between Omni-Man and Viltrumite leader Thragg.   

Invincible #102 (I#102): Thragg reveals that Nolan (Omni-Man’s mundane name) is the heir to the Viltrumite rule and states his intention of slaying Nolan in order to maintain his rule.

L-FL: The fight ends when the other Viltrumites appear, stop the fight, and accept Nolan as their ruler based on the wisdom, not strength, of his ancestor.

I#102: The issue wraps up with Nolan giving his acceptance speech for king of the Viltrumites to a collection of Viltrumites (including Invincible).  Upon his return to Earth, Mark Grayson, Invincible, notes the strangeness of receiving honor from the Viltrumites that so recently tried to kill them.  He then proposes marriage to Samantha Wilkins.  She accepts.

L-FL: So would you say this issue defines a superhero as an individual that possesses an element of nobility and royalty from a legacy based on admirable wisdom.

I#102: Of course I will.

100+ Definitions 101

Invincible # 101

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL):  Eve and Mark make up their minds—they’re keeping their baby!

Invincible #101 (I#101):  Like previous issues following multiple-issue storylines, this hundred and first issue serves as an eye of a storm.  Characters, and readers, have a chance to give attention to mundane matters and comprehend the consequences of a past multiple-issue plot.

L-FL: The actions in the calm between storms involve Mark and Samantha obtaining a midwife with x-ray eyes throughout the pregnancy; Omni-Man is exiled to the form Guardians of the Globe headquarters on the moon; the heroes have anger and no trust towards Invincible, and Thragg chastises three Viltrumites for not adhering to the guidelines of their breeding program.

I#101: Superhero, according to the Invincible 101^st, involves knowing when to walk away to avoid needlessly upsetting others.

L-FL: It should end up being quite peaceful. 

100+ Definitions 100

Invincible # 100

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL): The hundredth issue of Invincible opens with Invincible’s head getting crushed, on live world-wide broadcast, between the clawed hands of Dinosaurus.

Invincible #100 (I#100):  The death is total subterfuge—of course.  Dinosaurs cloned Invincible and traded the REAL Invincible for the clone to rip apart on television.  The original Invincible is physically incapacitated by a sonic tone and shares a dialectic with Dinosaurus.

L-FL: The talk repeats Mark Grayson’s questioning and denouncement of Dinosaurus’s approach to improving the world.  It’s effective, and Dinosaurus recants his actions and asks Invincible to kill him to prevent future atrocities. Mark fulfills this desire.

I#100: The issue also contains Mark returning to work for Cecil, Mark’s mother and father returning to Earth, and Mark learning that his girlfriend, Samantha Wilkins, the superhero Atom Eve, is pregnant.

L-FL: This issue hints to readers that a superhero doesn’t die.

100+ Definitions 99

Invincible # 99

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL): Splash pages waft about in the 100-minus-one installment of the chronicles of Invincible’s super heroics.

Invincible #99 (I#99): Amidst the flooding of coastal cities, Mark Grayson spends a plethora of full-page panels punching and pushing Dinosaurus through walls and buildings while philosophizing.

L-FL: Dinosaurus, the long-view holding eco-terrorist, happily returns what he receives from Mark.

I#99: A coordinated effort from the world’s superheroes works at saving citizens from flooding.  The final contingent of Viltrumites is encouraged not to interfere in this current catastrophe befalling the planet.

So Lafel, why don’t you spin some heroic definition from the events in this issue?

L-FL: The grandiose contest between Invincible and Dinosaurus stretches beyond panels to full pages, two full pages in some cases, to depict a single image.  So, superheroes debate philosophies with gargantuan fight scenes instead of tweedy twaddle at tables.

I#99: Well then, let’s philosophize…it’s time for you to DIE!

100+ Definitions 98

Invincible # 98

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL): Invincible becomes somewhat of a superhero franchise as Mark gives his blessing to Bulletproof to continue wearing the yellow, black and blue costume.

Invincible #98 (I#98): Mark (in the black and blue Invincible costume) flies to the base of Dinosaurus only to discover that the monster has set up Los Angeles for destruction.  He justifies his plan by claiming he’s saving billions by killing millions.

L-FL: Invincible disagrees and calls up in the Guardians of the Globe to help find and defuse Dinosaurus’s devices scattered throughout the city. 

I#98: Dinosaurus’s plans extend beyond a single city.  Some well positioned explosives in Greenland, which leads to giant waves flooding coastal cities.

L-FL: This issue contains the definition of superhero as someone who desires above all to make it right.

I#98: That would make a great world…if Dinosaurus wasn’t killing everyone.

100+ Definitions 97

Invincible # 97

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL): Invincible 97 resumes weaving abandoned story threads left hanging in previous issues.

Invincible #97 (I#97):  The initial strand follows Bulletproof’s confession to his parents that his brother is dead.  They don’t take the news well.  They accuse him of murder and say awful words to him.  Bulletproof’s wife bashes her mother-in-law over the head with an iron skillet…which kills her.  Her father-in-law begins punching her out of rage and frustration.  Bulletproof tries to pull him back by his head and…kills him too.  Bulletproof puts the bodies in his parents’ car and makes it look like the car crashed off a cliff road, killing his parents.  The funeral seemed nice.  Bulletproof and his wife sit stunned silent by events at the kitchen table.

L-FL: Another twist of twine involves Allen the Alien apologizing to Nolan Grayson, the superhero Omni-Man, and releasing him from prison.  The leader of the Coalition of Planets sends Nolan on a mission to gather more information regarding the Viltrumites bivouacking on Earth.

I#97: The final strand involves Mark Grayson and Samantha Wilkins visiting a comic book convention and talking with the creator of the comic book Science Dog.  Following some love magic, the powers of Invincible return to Mark Grayson.

L-FL: The definition of superhero derives from this closing story in this issue.  For a superhero, love restores waning and lost power.

I#97: Invincible’s powers are back, baby!

100+ Definitions 96

Invincible #96

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL):  Issue 96 of Invincible concludes the final story bundled in the Invincible Compendium 2…a tome that makes the Cerebus “phone books” look Twiggy in comparison.  The story contained in issue 96 begins where the last issue left off in the Flaxan realm of the past.  Monster Girl continues her tearful narrative to Robot. 

Invincible #96 (I#96): Her news prompts the couple to return to their own time and their own dimension. 

L-FL: The rest of the issue, mostly, is set in the present where the fight against Monster Girl’s offspring continues until the heroes triumph. 

I#96: Other incidents on a smaller scale flesh out the issue.  Bulletproof’s parents finally figure out that he, instead of his brother, is the superhero Bulletproof (and Invincible).   A Viltrumite receives chastisement from Thragg for aiding humanity.

I#96: A confession from Oliver to his brother includes an understanding of Mark’s affection for Earth, and Oliver pledges to protect the planet as well, thanks to his brother’s example. We also see the reconciliation of Robot and Monster Girl.  Dinosaurus has a panel in which he prepares something sinister.  The final page is another flashback to Robot in the Flaxan realm, prepared to depart, with an informer telling Robot of Monster Girl’s child.  Robot gives orders to have the child and bloodline destroyed.

L-FL: Superhero pulls its definition from Mark’s actions and the affect they have on Oliver.  A superhero’s actions adhere to an ethical creed that aids others and serves as an example that inspires others to act in a similar manner.

I#96: Including the un-born halfbreed that grows within the traitorous Zaxal belly.

100+ Definitions 95

 Invincible #95

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL): Themes of duality and monsters and robots and empires and lovers continue in this issue of Invincible.  The pages ambulate through Robot and Monster Girl’s story with all but four pages of the book.

Invincible #95 (I#95): The story on Flaxan depicts Robot and Monster Girl’s continual climb to political power.  Through snippets of time readers witness the growth of their regime and the growth of Monster Girl’s human body.

L-FL:  The panels also show the passing of passion as Robot becomes more and more preoccupied with the problems and demands of governing the Flaxan civilization.  This estrangement, along with Robot’s brutal treatment of the past Flaxan royal family, contributes to Monster Girl hooking up with one of the members of the royal family (in her monster form).

I#95: The issue ends with Monster Girl telling her actions to Robot and the secret revelation that Monster Girl’s paramour is pregnant.

L-FL: After this reveal we flash forward to the present Flaxan invasion of Earth where Monster Girl learns she has a son and that the heroes currently attack him.   The action bouncing around in the panels of these pages suggest a definition of superhero as one capable of recognizing and admitting when he steps from his selected ethical selection.

I#95: Let’s finish this.

100+ Definitions 94

Invincible #94

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL): The bouncing back and forth through time and dimensions continues with issue 94 of the superhero comic Invincible.

Invincible #94 (I#94):  The issue opens with Atom Eve rallying to fight the Flaxan invasion.  Mark Grayson, currently a powerless hero, laments his inability to fly into the fight.  After this opening scene, flashes of various heroes battling the invaders fill the pages.

L-FL: The split structure of the issue engages with a shift to Robot and Monster girl gaining political power during their past time spent in Flaxan space.  As their power grows, so to does their relationship and affection towards each other (…they have sex…) and begin shaping the Flaxan world to a more peaceful civilization.

I#94: The plot split returns to the present where the armored Flaxan at the end of issue 93 wades through the heroes and finally reveals on the final page that he is the son of Monster Girl.

L-FL: Accepting that form is content, superheroes contain an intrinsic duality of splits of space and time.

I#94: Such superheroes must often ask their designers if they are surprised to see their son.

100+ Definitions 93

Invincible #93

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL): Past actions and the literary present collide in the pages of Invincible number 93.

Invincible #93 (I#93): The first half of this comic narrates Robot and Monster Girl’s time in the Flaxan dimension.  The second half of this installment tells of a new invasion of Earth by the Flaxans.  And Robot was pissed when he learned his 700-year plan to eliminate the threat of Flaxan colonialism to other dimensions.

L-FL: Yes, Robot and Monster Girl, during their time in Flaxan space, devised a strategy that stretched into centuries where Robot and Monster Girl would become the rulers of the Flaxan civilization and then politically stabilize the empire and bring a prosperity and peace that would eliminate the need to invade other dimensions.

I#93: The second section of the story has multiple two-page spreads showing melees between Flaxan warriors and Earth’s superheroes.  The issue concludes with a giant armored Flaxan unknown to everyone with the exception of Robot.

L-FL: This divergence and convergence of times and intentions and actions pushes forth a definition of superhero as an empowered individual with the ability for foresight that stretches far far into the future.

I#93: I’ll call Cecil.

100+ Definitions 92

Invincible #92

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL): Invincible number ninety-two uses the defeat of an alien invasion by the Guardians of the Globe as preface to the events that Robot and Monster Girl experienced within the dimension of the Flaxan empire.

Invincible #92 (I#92): A flashback reveals that when the two heroes entered the Flaxan realm, they swiftly discovered they were alone and surrendered.  They were imprisoned for interrogation and experimentation.  The comic flashes forward to the present and the final page has Monster Girl shouting that she and Robot spent 700 years in the Flaxan dimension.

L-FL: Superheroes experience time differently; their temporal sense stretches and contracts due to their experiences encountered by way of their powers.

I#92: I’ll never forget that.

100+ Definitions 91

Invincible #91

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL):  Viewpoints flutter through the 91^st issue with more zeal than grunge asserted in 1991.

Invincible #91 (I#91): The plethora of viewpoints begins with Atom Eve talking with Thragg regarding Invincible’s location, then a shift to Bulletproof and his girlfriend talking bed.  The next shift in view shows readers Mark Grayson (Invincible) talking to Dinosaurus’s alterego.  The view shifts again to Oliver, Tech Jacket and Allen the Alien fighting a space entity.

L-FL: Atom Eve appears to assist the three in the fight, then swings by to recruit Bulletproof  (much to the dismay of his girlfriend) and they group travels to Dinosaurus’s secret layer, where Invincible talks with Dinosaurus.

I#91: And of course, a fight breaks out between the heroes and Dinosaurus.  Invincible tries his best to halt the fisticuffs, but after punching Allen the Alien in the back of the head, Mark’s super strength coupled with the decreased invulnerability causes his ulna and  radius to burst through his skin and his shoulder to dislocate.

L-FL: Ouch. Superhero can be defined as one who can find or create links between individuals by noticing similarities between his loved ones and villainous allies.  This link appears when Invincible notes how Oliver, his brother, possesses a similarly cavalier regard to human life.

I#91: Mark!!

100+ Definitions 90

Invincible #90

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL): Ninety issues into the Invincible comic book has Bulletproof, in Invincible’s costume, defeats the supervillain The Walking Dread, Allen the Alien and Oliver fly off to visit TechJacket while Invincible continues fighting the Scourge virus.

Invincible #90 (I#90): The story also has Thragg attempting to kill Invincible in order to obscure the secret of Invincible’s bloodline.  Dinosaurus fights Thragg, gets beaten badly, but manages to transport his partner to back to his secret base.

L-FL: The definition of superhero that spills from these panels is that a superhero has allies willing to place themselves in situations of great pain in order to aid their friend.

I#90: Dinosaurus?

100+ Definitions 89

Invincible #89

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL): The plot of issue 89 involves Invincible battling the Scourge virus on the last Viltrumite spaceship located, where else, on the dark side of the moon.

Invincible #89 (I#89): The issue also includes the superhero Bulletproof adopting the costume and identity of Invincible to help the business prospects of Invincible Inc.  He also hits on Atom Eve. 

L-FL: While Invincible battles the virus, the Guardians of the Globe, Atom Eve, Allen the Alien wait in the Viltrumite ship to learn of Mark Grayson’s recovery.  Dinosaurus actively lends a claw in researching for a cure.

I#89: A revelation, that leads to the death of the discovering scientist—never cool, regarding Nolan and Mark links them  to the lost son of Argall, the heir to the Viltrumite throne.

L-FL: Superheroes have their identity irreplaceably linked to their costumes to the point where the costume becomes a symbol that surpasses the individual within the costume.

I#89: I always did like that costume.

100+ Definitions 88

Invincible #88

Invincible #88  (I#88): All-out superhero fist flinging action in SPACE proliferates the panels of this sense stunning story! 

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL): Yeah, it’s another fight-heavy issue.  Of the 20 pages, 16 are filled with heroes opposing other heroes verbally and physically.

I#88: Invincible battles his brother Oliver (who is attempting to release the Scourge virus in Earth’s atmosphere) and suffers a face-full exposure to the virus.  The issue ends with Invincible’s eyes and nose bleeding.

L-FL: The definition of superhero falling from these panels is a being willing concerned with the safety of others before his own safety.

I#88:  With that, I’m fine.

100+ Definitions 87

Invincible #87

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL): A return to Earth and Invincible’s alliance with Dinosaurus (a well-intentioned amoral eco-terrorist/warrior).  The two work together to defeat Omnipotus.  Dinosaurus decapitates the villain with his teeth, not witty banter.

Invincible #87 (I#87): Yuck.  The victory celebration thrown by the rest of the heroes (who were defeated by Omnipotus) has all the appeal of a picnic during a sharknado.

L-FL: Invincible avoids capture, visits his girlfriend, talks with the head of the Global Defense Agency explaining his new set of ethics and alliance with a violent dinosaur ecologist.

I#87: After learning his old friend Allen the Alien has entered Earth’s orbit, Invincible meets him in space.  Allen informs him of his plan to release the Scourge virus on Earth.  Invincible vehemently protests this strategy, and a fight erupts.  It ends, along with the issue’s story, when the leader of the Viltrumites, Thragg, flies into space to stand by Invincible’s side.

L-FL: All of which goes to suggest a definition of superhero as an individual able to stand against one-time friends for what the individual believes is best.

I#87: This sentiment coordinates with the ink on my pages; he has me.

100+ Definitions 86

Invincible #86

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL): The 86^th issue of Invincible covers the multi-page fight between the Omni-Man and Allen the Alien…in space.

Invincible #86 (I#86): There is a lot of back-and-forth talk between the combatants weighing the potential danger of the Viltrumites against potential extinction of the human race.

L-FL: Allen wins fight, and Oliver agrees with Allen’s way of thinking over that of his father.  Given Omni-Man’s dedication to not risking the Scourge virus affecting humanity, a superhero is someone possessing faith in the future.

I#86: Nolan?

100+ Definitions 85

Invincible #85

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL): Invincible writer Robert Kirkman holds the readers in suspense regarding the secret between Robot and Monster Girl and the consequences of Invincible’s alliance with Dinosaurus by shifting the focus to Omni-Man and his wife Debbie and their time on Talescria.

Invincible #85 (I#85): On Talescria, Oliver, his convalescence complete, attempts superheroics against a bank robber, but the attempt fails, and the thief is neutralized by the local police force, which is far better equipped to deal with supervillains than even Oliver.

L-FL:  After a joyous family reunion with Nolan, Debbie, and Oliver, Omni-Man (Nolan) meets with Allen the Alien.

I#85: Nolan explains to Allen that the remaining Viltrumites are on Earth as a safe haven with Nolan’s blessing.  Allen the Alien is angered by this arrangement and informs Nolan that he intends to release a stronger version of the Scourge Virus on Earth to wipeout the Viltrumites, which in turn could eradicate the human race.  A fight erupts between the two friends.

L-FL:  Superheroics are defined in this issue by Nolan’s reaction to Allen the Alien.  A superhero protects the helpless and the weak against those more powerful, even if the person is a friend and the threat dwells in a subjunctive verb tense.

I#85: I know that too.  Ready?

100+ Definitions 84

Invincible #84

Invincible #84 (I#84): So, a clichéd maxim claims that in fighting monsters, one becomes a monster, and this story has Invincible modify this idea by actively allying himself with a monster.

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL): After learning of a solar array able to create massive amounts of clean energy and the employment resulting in building and maintaining the array atop the destruction of Las Vegas, just as Dinosaurus predicted, Invincible decides to free the eco-minded dinosaur and join forces with this villain to improve the world.  In this issue Mark equates the Good with cheap abundant energy and jobs.

I#84:  Consequences from these actions leads the Global Defense Agency to stand on alert and declare Invincible a fugitive.  Samantha Wilkins, Atom Eve (Invincible’s girlfriend), remains largely ignorant of her lover’s plans, but supports the theory, at least in theory.

L-FL: The 84^th attempt to explore the range of denotation in “superhero” is that a limited and unexamined understanding of good and improving the world swiftly transforms the champion into tyrant.

I#84: Yeah.  Let’s save the world.

100+ Definitions 83

Invincible #83

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL):  Villains Magmaniac and Tether Tyrant return to seek employment with Titan (a crime-lord supervillain) after attempting (and failing) at living legal and illegal lifestyles.  Magmaniac dies and Tether Tyrant cedes control of his body to the alien symbiote in the midst of sorrow at losing his best friend.

Invincible #83 (I#83): The heroes also throw a party where hints exist at some secret antics that occurred with Robot and Monster Boy during their reign of the Flaxian Empire.  The mild-mannered alter-ego of Dinosaurus also submits himself to imprisonment by the authorities.

L-FL: The definition of superhero derives from the secret held by Robot and Monster Girl.  Heroics upon a different culture on a galactic scale create a white noise of communication, where the individuals who’ve lived through such a situation remain unable to share the events and reactions with others, nor understand the events themselves and it results in them being changed in ways non comprehendible by others.

I#83: Yeah.

100+ Definitions 82

Invincible #82

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL):  Invincible number 82 continues Invincible’s preference for negotiations over punches.

Invincible #82 (I#82):  It’s true.  Mark Grayson visits the prison to talk with Universa (the alien who invaded Earth to gain energy to save her planet) and negotiates her freedom.  Working with the Global Defense Agency, Universa is given electricity for her world to allow more time to figure out a permanent world-saving solution. 

L-FL:  The issue also contains the return of Robot and Monster girl from their time ruling the Flaxian Empire.  After meeting with the head of the Global Defense Agency, Robot is put in charge of coordinating the superhero groups on Earth.

I#82: The issue ends with Invincible and Cecil (the leader of the Global Defense Agency) discussion a possible reconciliation after their falling out.  After a renewed potential for friendship is kindled, Cecil reveals the Reanimen created from the corpses of the dead Invincibles from alternate dimensions.  With his new mindset slanted toward strategy, Invincible responded calmly to the revelation.

L-FL: This scenario serves as the catalyst for this definition of superhero as one able to recognize and apply negotiations in addition to slinging fists. 

I#82: Well, now might be time to mention that there are things I’ve been keeping from you…

100+ Definitions 81

Invincible #81

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL):  The aftermath of Las Vegas’s destruction seeps into this issue of the superhero comic Invincible.  Mark Grayson, Invincible’s civilian identity, begins questioning whether his actions as a superhero are making the world better or worse. 

Invincible #81 (I#81):  The character Powerplex (the superhero who blames Invincible for the death of his sister and wife and son, and tends to mentally unhinge whenever Invincible is present) tries to kill Invincible.

L-FL:  The murderous intents of Powerplex fail, and Invincible empathizes with and helps Powerplex confront the loss of his loved ones.  The titular hero also encounters the Gravitator technology on another villain in the midst of robbing a bank.  Invincible foils the robbery and jails the villain and confronts the original creator of the gravity controlling technology.  Invincible takes the creator to the science lab of the Global Defense Agency has Cecil (the manager of the Global Defense Agency) put him on staff.

I#81: The issue ends with Mark Grayson discussing with Samantha Wilkins about how his work as Invincible is making the world worse.

L-FL: Despite this doubtful downer ending, the definition of superhero is one that recognizes and remembers the pain and loss of others resulting from the interactions with villains.

I#81: …But instead, things just keep getting worse.

100+ Definitions 80

Invincible #80

Invincible #80 (I#80):  The End is here!  Las Vegas, Nevada is destroyed!  In this issue!  The city of sin turns to glass!

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL): Well, yes, the end of issue Invincible number 80 has the eco-supervillain Dinosaurus destroying the city to ease the environmental stress on the Colorado river.

I#80: And to ease the stress on the rest of the environment!  Dinosaurus suggests Las Vegas would serve far better as a field of solar panels.

L-FL: Before the destruction of the city, the story also shows Mark’s mom and father travel to Talescria (the planet at the center of the Coalition of Planets, and where Oliver Grayson convalesces from wounds received in the Viltrumite War).

I#80: And Las Vegas is razed!

L-FL: Readers also watch Invincible intercept Gravitator, a new supervillain, and talks him out of a life of crime. 

I#80: Crime housed in the city Las Vegas which is now destroyed!

L-FL: The definition of superhero rising from this issue encompasses the meaning of a being focused on doing good in the immediate present for the individual instead of extrapolating actions into the future and working the good at a social and global scale.

I#80: It’s…all…gone.