Invincible broke a record with Season 2, Episode 3, with what is technically a 23-minute post-credits sequence — the longest any comic book project has seen to date.
Season 2 of Invincible brings with it several storylines taken straight from its source comics as well as continuations on many plot lines and character arcs from Season 1. However, there are some changes from the comics that the creators have since defended.
As of the release of Episode 3, there is only one more episode left in the first batch of Season 2 — with the remainder of the season coming sometime in 2024.
20-Minute Post-Credits Scene in Invincible Season 2
Warning - This article contains spoilers for Season 2, Episode 3 of Invincible.
About halfway through Season 2, Episode 3 of Invincible, the credits roll. Many probably shared the experience of seeing those credits roll and going "Well, those roughly 40 minutes went by fast" before hovering over the bottom of the screen and realizing there were still about 23 minutes left.
The episode is essentially two episodes in one, the first being focused on Allen (and having the title of the show renamed accordingly) and the second following Mark and his superhumans, and his mother Debbie. The switch happens immediately after Allen is killed by Thaedus, with the two parts being divided by about the beginning of Invincible's standard credits.
The Amazon Prime Video series is no stranger to long, plot-critical post-credits sequences. In fact, the season-defining scene of Omni-Man murdering the entirety of the original Guardians of the Globe was the show's first post-credits scene.
Once again, an important Nolan-Grayson-related story beat would be missed if a viewer just automatically turned the episode off once they saw the credits begin.
In one of Episode 3's many twists, the Season 1 villain makes his main-universe return in the last scene of the post-credits sequence (though, he did return in Season 2, Episode 1, albeit in an alternate universe).
Why Was Invincible Season 2, Episode 3 Split?
There are a couple of possible reasons for the split-episode structure of Invincible Season 2, Episode 3, all with solid logic behind them.
The credits could have been acting like the spread in a two-issues-in-one comic that divides the two stories.
Episode 3 took many storytelling cues from how comics tell stories, in its narration and fourth-wall breaking, for instance. The division of the episode may serve to emphasize the comics' inspiration.
Alternatively, and in a display of fairly dark humor, it may be because the first half of the episode was presented as being part of the Allen show. So when Allen dies, the Allen show is over.
Then, the status quo can return and Invincible becomes the focus again. However, fans will be haunted by the looming knowledge that Allen is very much dead, and Mark has no idea.
The first three episodes of Invincible Season 2 are now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Gillian Blum has been a writer at The Direct since 2022, reporting primarily from New York City. Though she covers news from across the entertainment industry, Gillian has a particular focus on Marvel and DC, including comics, movies, and television shows. She also commonly reports on Percy Jackson, Invincible, and other similar franchises.
