Warning! This article contains spoilers for Invincible season 3, episode 8.
Invincibleseason 3’s ending answers a forgotten tease from the show’s season 2 finale, but knowing what caused this mystery in the first place, I now wish it hadn’t. The ending ofInvincibleseason 3 was huge, be it Mark’s battle with Conquest or the teases for what is to come in the future.Invincibleseason 4’s storyis expected to tie into many elements featured in the closing moments of season 3’s finale, though one character will not be part of the proceedings.
The member ofInvincibleseason 3’s castin question is Rex Splode. The Invincible War, showcased inInvincibleseason 3, episode 7, led to a dark ending for many of Earth’s superheroes, Rex included. Thedeath of Rex Splode inInvinciblewas suitably tragic, given the redemption arc the character underwent across seasons 2 and 3, with the finale of the latter only making this even sadder. Rex’s memorial allowed not only the show’s characters but also us audience members to mourn his loss, with this scene answering a forgottenInvinciblemystery that I now wish it had not.
Rudy Taking Rex’s Name Explains Invincible Season 2’s Group From The Future
Rex’s Death Led To A Symbolic Gesture
The mystery that season 3’s finale answered links to the future Guardians of the Globe fromInvincibleseason 2. In the finale of that season, Mark was trapped in an alternate dimension after seemingly killing Angstrom Levy, only to be saved by a future version of the Guardians.One of these Guardians members was Robot, who sounded like Rex and was even called that nameby the future version of Atom Eve. This mystery was confusing at the time, but the world-changing events ofInvincibleseason 3 led it to be forgotten.
Rex’s funeral saw Rudy, the usual Robot, change his name to the former…
Now, the show has answered this mystery in the wake of Rex’s death. Rex’s funeral saw Rudy, the usual Robot, change his name to the former in honor of his fallen comrade. This explains why Robot from the future version of the Guardians was dubbed Rex by Eve, with the real Rex’s death being teased an entire season before it happened. If anything, this answer proves how strongInvincible’s interconnectivity and foreshadowing are and how even the smallest mysteries have compelling answers.
I Wasn’t Prepared For How Tragic Invincible’s Explanation Would Actually Be
Despite the answer being compelling from a storytelling standpoint, I was not prepared for how upsettingInvincibleseason 3 would be in this regard. As someone who is unfamiliar with theInvinciblecomics, I was unaware of Rex’s character arc and where it would lead. Although I recognized the storytelling tropes of redeeming a character and making them somewhat happy and that this would likely result in a heartbreaking loss, I did not know for certain what Rex’s fate would be.
Naturally,Invincibleseason 3 devastated me with Rex’s death. I believe it was a solid continuation of his arc, but it did not make the moment any less sorrowful.Invincibleseason 3, episode 8 only furthered this with Rex’s funeral scene and the touching tribute Rudy made to him by taking on his name. Again, the answerInvincibleprovided for why the future version of Robot was called Rex is good in many ways, but it still hurts that it stems from the death of a beloved character.
