100+ Definitions 38

Invincible #38

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL):  Issue 38 of the comic book Invincible returns to Mars to pick up a storyline residing in a fictional coma like a slumbering John Carter. 

Invincible #38: (I#38):  The allusions to the princess and warlord of Mars don’t exist in the comic, but the red planet is filled with green shape-shifters that convey anything but a festive Christmas mood. 

L-FL: Cheer remains scarce in these pages as Allen the Alien recovers from the beating he received by three Viltrumites and discovers that the leader of the Coalition of Planets is a rebellious Viltrumite. 

I#38: A scene shift moves readers from deep space to the Pentagon where Rick Sheridan talks about his cybernetic implants with Donald Ferguson, a Pentagon employee who is also a cyborg. The two form a small support group for one another. 

L-FL: Another scene shift moves readers to the dorm of Invincible’s girlfriend Amber, who tries to defend Mark to her friends.  Mark arrives and the group goes out to dinner, a movie, and bowling as a way to get to know one another.  It seems successful, but the issue ends with Invincible and Atom Eve kissing

I#38: Before the closing kiss however, readers witness the reformed Lizard League, Oliver Grayson’s swift academic progress (the little curve buster progressed from ignorance to 4^th-grade math and 7^th grade reading level in less than a month), and the elopement of Dupli-Kate and the Immortal.  A giant Martian warship under the control of the Sequids (a slave race on Mars that now thirsts for revenge) moves to invade Earth. 

L-FL: So, we arrive at the question we always arrive at when looking at these issues of Invincible.  How is superhero defined by the contents of this issue?

I#38: The contrast between the Lizard League and the scenes with Rick Sheridan and Allen the Alien are the key events that comment on the nature of the superhero.  While the leader of the Lizard League assumed control through assassination of another Lizard League member, negotiations work differently between superheroes.  Superheroes work together in supportive, encouraging, and trustful ways that allow them to strengthen one another and achieve grand goals (like overthrow of the oppressive Viltrumite empire).

L-FL:  Sort of like the way the Low-Frequency Listener and these issues of Invincible work together to define “superhero”?

I#38: Uh…

100+ Definitions 37

Invincible #37

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL): A trinity of plots braid the pages of this issue together. 

Invincible #37 (I#37): The issue opens with Monster Girl and Robot in their child alter-egos talking their way past a movie ticket seller so they can watch an R-rated movie on their date.

L-FL: A second story arc involves Invincible battling the reanimen of D.A Sinclair to rescue his college friends Matthew and Rick.  Invincible triumphs, and in a fit of anger at the tragedy wrought by D.A. Sinclair, punches and breaks the lower jaw of this supervillain. Issue thirty-seven concludes with this plot line.  Cecil of the Pentagon approaches D.A. Sinclair, complements his work on creating the reanimen, and offers a place at the Pentagon.

I#37: The final plot that twists around the other two involves Mark Grayson arguing with his girlfriend Amber over the consequences of dating a superhero (mainly the absences and using windows instead of doors to enter dorm rooms).

L-FL: So what unique aspect of superheroes does this issue reveal?

I#37: Strong emotions sometimes push a hero to more forceful action, but a superhero would never knowingly collaborate with supervillain.

L-FL: Such actions however present no problems for the ethical swamp of Cecil at the Pentagon. 

I#37: Ethics that allow the same Pentagon worker to say to reanimen creator and supervillain D.A. Sinclair “The United States Government would like to offer you a job.”

100+ Definitions 36

Invincible #36 

Invincible #36 (I#36): The story begins with the announcement of Dupli-Kate and the Immortal’s engagement followed by Invincible’s flying workout.  The Guardians of the Globe battle Doc Seismic, and Mark follows William’s plan to investigate their friend Rick’s disappearance.  The scheme involves William disguised as a bum so he can get kidnapped and Invincible can follow and capture the kidnappers and discover the fate of their friend Rick.  The book ends with Invincible getting attacked by a group of Reanimen and William getting captured by D.A. Sinclair.

Low-Frequency Listener: The events in this issue suggest a definition of superhero as a powerful being willing to go along with the plans of others if those actions seem to be a worthwhile pursuit.

I#36: Sometimes those actions into which the hero becomes involved can be filled with suspense as the wait for the outcome is extends beyond expectation, leaving characters (and readers) thinking any minute now....

100+ Definitions 35

Invincible #35

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL):  Issue thirty-five of the superhero comic Invincible is published by Image comics.  The comic is written by Robert Kirkman (the same author of The Walking Dead), penciled and inked by Ryan Ottley, lettered by Rus Wooton and colored by Bill Crabtree.

Invincible #35 (I#35):  The story begins with an educational tutor who visits the Grayson household while it undergoes repairs from the attack by Angstrom Levy.  The tutor is sent by the Pentagon to assess Oliver, Mark’s younger brother. 

L-FL: The scene shifts to Invincible defeating a villain in a robot suit named Rampage.

I#35: Another plot shift occurs when Cecil, head of the superhero section of the Pentagon, introduces the controller of Robot in his newly cloned teenage-boy body to his Guardians of the Globe colleagues.

L-FL: Another plot shift reveals Mark’s talk with Arthur, the family friend who designs superhero costumes, about Atom Eve and Amanda.  After a brief single-page interlude where Amanda is hit on by a librarian, the scene with Mark and Arthur’s conversation continues.  The issue ends with Arthur giving a series of science fiction novels written by Nolan, Mark’s father, of a series titled Memoirs of a Space Adventurer.

I#35: A definition of superhero culled from this issue is a fictional being with immense powers that surpasses the might of the general populace and lives a life of adventure; these fictional adventures provide suggestions and guidelines on how to beat the problems encountered in life.  This definition mirrors Mark’s revelation that his father’s science-fiction novels include ways to defeat the Viltrumites with the final words: “My dad is telling me how to beat them.”

100+ Definitions 34

Invincible #34

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL):  This thirty-fourth issue of Invincible follows Mark Grayson around a reality devoid of all life on a sandy Earth as he tries to come to term with manslaughtering Angstrom Levy. 

Invincible #34 (I#34): Grayson believes himself trapped on this world forever but the Guardians of the Globe appear to rescue Grayson after 15 years of searching through realities for him. 

L-FL: Although only about 15 minutes pass for Invincible (Mark Grayson).  During the rescue, Atom Eve confesses her love for Mark and urges him to accept or reject the Atom Eve of his timeline.  We also see the cloned body of the tank baby that has been controlling the robot.  The Mauler Clones are arrested.  And Atom Eve returns Amber home from Africa.

I#34: So these pages suggest the definition of superhero as a powerful defender that always returns home to the base of operations. And you know, I’ve—lived through worse.

100+ Definitions 33

Invincible #33

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL): In this issue of the superhero comic Invincible the villain Angstrom Levy whips the hero through multiple realities faster than Doctor Who regenerates.  Levy begins the fight by holding Invincible’s mother and brother hostage. 

Invincible #33 (I#33): Mark Grayson (Invincible’s alter ego) is transported to different realities: one with talking dinosaurs, zombies, Spider-Man fight Doctor Octopus and Batman, giants, a reality of robots, cyborgs, barbarians, and a world of lifeless sand.

L-FL: It’s on this last world where Invincible unwittingly beats Langstrom Levy to death. 

I-33: Mark is distraught over killing Angstrom Levy.  Levy, before his death, noted that Invincible is careless, and Levy manipulated Invincible into anger. 

L-FL: This reaction of Invincible gives another definition for superhero; a superhero is a powerful individual still in the process of learning to control his emotions and reactions.  A superhero is not a finished product, but a being in the process of becoming.

I#33: Oh, God…

100+ Definitions 32

Invincible #32

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL):  This issue spends many pages and grids having Mark and Atom Eve talking about their lives, powers, and superheroics.

Invincible #32 (I#32): The discussion takes place on the roof in Atom Eve’s house (that she built atom by atom) in Africa.  After further discussions that include Amber (Mark’s girlfriend) and some sight seeing, the two heroes save a village from a stampede.

L-FL: Following up on some of the plots from last issue, issue 32 gives a three page adventure of the Martian/ Russ Livingston at The Shape Smith and his first superhero antics against the Lizard Society.  Mark’s mom and new stepson/stepbrother are held hostage by Angstrom Levey.

I#32: For the superhero, the use of powers gives the user an euphoric state. The Martian finds joy and purpose in life by using his shape shifting for superheroics (these panels display the Martian smiling more than another time since his first appearance in the comic).  Mark Grayson’s attempts to improve his powers, and Atom Eve’s new adaptations of her powers gives both characters a goal and chance to improve and leaves the users pleased at the effects from their powers.

L-FL: I did notice that superheroes tend to smile a lot in this book.

I#32: I’m impressed.  You made good time.

100+ Definitions 31

Invincible #31

Low-Frequency Listener: Eight plot lines exist in this issue of the comic book Invincible. Six pages are devoted to the Guardians of the Globe and Invincible fighting a supervillain who controls the physical actions of others, including superheroes.  Invincible knocks him out by dropping a rock on his head from high in the sky. 

Four pages tell how Mark’s mother accepts and agrees to raise her husband’s new son and her interactions with Mark.

Three pages are devoted to Mark and Amber visiting Atom Eve at her home somewhere in Africa.

Two pages show how Robot and the mutant tank baby hire the Mauler Clones to help transfer the tube baby’s consciousness into the new body it is growing.

Two pages are devoted to talk between Mark and Amber about their schooling and relationship and about the trip to Africa to visit Atom Eve.

The machinations of D.A. Sinclair and his reanimen, the Martian impersonating the astronaut abandoned on Mars named Rus Livingston, and Mark talking with his college roommate are each given one page.

Invincible #31: This interaction with Mark and his roommate and best friend, William, who chides Invincible for not doing more to find out about their missing friend Rick Sheridan.  This leads to the definition that a superhero is one who performs grand noble and physical actions, actions that have immediate and large visible results; superheroes tend to avoid more long term and cerebral actions.  Keeping in mind Batman as the world’s greatest detective, I’m the response to this definition is going to be fun.

100+ Definitions 30

Invincible #30

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL): The aftermath of Mark’s extra-galaxy adventures are dealt with in this issue of Invincible.

Invincible # 30 (I#30): Oh, it’s true.  After an absence of two months from the planet Earth, Mark returns to his family, friends, and obligations to receive the reactions of elation at his return and annoyance at his absence. 

L-FL: The issue begins with the Mark’s stepmother convincing him to raise the child she bore to Nolan and having Mark return to Earth.  After arriving on his home planet, Mark explains the events of the past issue to his mom and has her watch his brother while he visits with Cecil. 

I#30: Cecil is angry and tries to control Mark with the rationale that the Pentagon is paying Mark to perform a job, and thus is obligated to stay on Earth.  Mark responds by saying he’s doing the Right Thing, and that the payment allows him to perform those tasks rather than enslaves him to the Pentagon.

L-FL:  This is the scenario that speaks strongest about the definition of a superhero.  A superhero is a powerful individual that performs the Right actions (however “Right” may be defined) because they are the Right actions. 

I#30: From there, the story follows Mark back to his dorm room where he talks briefly with William before going to see his girlfriend Amber.

L-FL: We should mention too, that the Mauler Clones discover a way to continue their competition of primary clone versus secondary clone to their mutual benefit.  Robot from Guardians of the Globe also approaches them with a job offer.

I#30: True, but the rest of this plot thread is left dangling until the next issue.  The issue ends with Amber voicing her jubilation and seeing Mark returned and her consternation at his extended absence and how she’s displeased with the arrangement of their relationship.  Yeah.

100+ Definitions 29

Invincible #29

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL):  This issue of Robert Kirkman’s, Cory Walker’s, and others’ comic contains a grandiose battle between five Viltrumites.

Invincible #29 (I#29):  Mark and Nolan Grayson (the son and father superheroes Invincible and Omni-Man), the two Viltrumites who’ve become advocates for Earth, battle three agents sent to arrest Nolan for abandoning his post.

L-FL: The fight progresses poorly for Mark.  His Viltrumite opponent reveals Mark’s lack of training and complacency in his powers used against the weaker heroes and villains encountered on Earth.

I#29: Initially, Nolan seems to have vanquished the three opponents, but a thought-dead Viltrumite attacks Nolan from behind and becomes the victor.  Other Viltrumites appear to tend to the wounded and transport Nolan back to his home planet so that he may stand trial (with strong implications of an impending execution).  Mark is given 100 years to prepare Earth for a Viltrumite invasion. 

L-FL: Nolan gives his son a final piece of advice before their separation.  He tells him to read his books.  The issue also includes a two page twelve panel update on the Mauler clones.  Having a clear distinction between the original and the clone leads to the original Mauler believe he is superior to the clone, so the clone poisons his creator and clones a new version indistinguishable from himself. 

I#29: The contents of this issue suggest a definition of superhero as an empowered being that needs others of equal or greater power to reach her or his full potential.  The absence of this challenge could result in a defeat like Nolan received from the Viltrumites when they took him.