Full spoilers follow for Invincible season 2 episode 3.
Invincible's co-showrunner has reassured fans who haven't read the comics that season 2 episode 3 isn't the last we'll see of a certain character.
Speaking to TechRadar, Simon Racioppa opened up on one of the most shocking moments in episode 3, aka 'This Missive, This Machination!', that's sure to leave fans with jaws on the floor.
We're about to get into major spoiler territory for Invincible season 2 episode 3. If you haven't watched it yet, turn back now.
An episode split across two main storylines, 'This Missive, This Machination!' finally reunites us with Allen the Alien in its first half. In it, we see the fan-favorite character return to the headquarters of the Coalition of Planets, an intergalactic union of worlds and races that stand against the tyrannical Viltrum Empire, to tell them the good news about Mark Grayson, aka the titular character. The reason? Mark valiantly stopped his father Nolan from conquering Earth in Invincible's season 1 finale – and Allen wants the Coalition to know they finally have a Viltrumite (well, a human-Viltrum hybrid) on their side.
We learn quite a bit about Allen's backstory, the history of his people (the Unopans), and his role in the Coalition in episode 3. However, to general audiences, it might appear this knowledge is all for nothing. Midway through the episode, Allen is set upon by a group of Viltrum warriors and seemingly murdered when he refuses to tell them about Mark's whereabouts. (Warning: the image below is extremely graphic!)
Somehow, Allen's mutilated body is rescued from the vacuum of space, and his awful wounds tended to before he's placed in a coma with the slim hope that he'll make a full recovery.
Episode 3's Allen-focused narrative is a beat-for-beat re-tread of his story in the source material. Given his popularity among non-comic book readers, most viewers might be concerned this is the last they'll see of the powerful Unopan in one of the best Prime Video shows. However, while he was expectedly hesitant to spoil anything past episode 3, Racioppa teased that audiences haven't seen the last of Allen in Prime Video's TV adaptation.
"We're not quite done with Allen or Seth Rogen [Allen's voice actor] yet," he said. "Seth needs to come back and do some more scenes for us so, yes, there'll definitely be more Allen. Everyone loves him and I love writing for Allen."
Pleased as fans will be by that development, they won't have taken too kindly to Thaedus' decision to betray Allen and turn off his life support machine. It's a completely unexpected move for the Coalition's de facto leader to make and one that long-time Invincible fans won't see coming.
Indeed, in the comics, Thaedus is an altruistic individual who leads the Coalition of Planets' fight against the Viltrum Empire. In the R-rated TV show, though, his good-natured persona appears to be a misdirect – and, considering he tells Allen there's a mole in the Coalition's ranks that's feeding the Viltrum Empire key intel about the Coalition, it seems Thaedus is that betrayer.
Tweaking Thaedus' arc might be seen as an unpopular creative departure from the source material. However, Racioppa suggests diehard Invincible fans shouldn't be too displeased with the choice, particularly as it's one that engineers a greater source of development for the character.
"Thaedus is still a major character that you're going to see again this season and moving forward through the series," Racioppa explained. "But his turn is not so much an adjustment from the comics. It's just a slight tweak; a little narrative bump we added in to make some scenes more interesting and end the episode with a bit of a question mark."
We'll have more exclusive Invincible season 2 coverage coming your way after its mid-season finale airs on November 24, so be sure to check in with us then for more from Racioppa and Invincible's comics co-creator Robert Kirkman. In the meantime, read our Invincible season 2 part 1 review and our in-depth interview feature to find out how Invincible season 2 is crafting a bolder and "more grounded" multiverse than DC and Marvel.
