The biggest strengths and flaws of Invincible season 3 come together in “What Have I Done?” So far, the show has struggled to balance plot progression with character development, most evident when a team of alternate-universe Invincibles invades Chicago, causing chaos and forcing Mark to defend the city. While it leads to some intense moments, the lack of a proper foundation prevents it from fully resonating with the audience.
The main issue with episode 7 lies in its uneven setup and payoff. Angstrom Levy’s release of a multiversal team of evil Marks is a major plot point, but it’s mostly been hinted at in a few post-credit scenes. To fight these villains, the GDA and the Guardians turn to some classic, Silver Age-style heroes who play a key role in the episode (and even die to evoke sympathy). However, these characters are new to the audience, and we never learn their names or personalities.
Despite its flaws, the story is packed with intense and brutal moments that make it hard to dismiss. A flashback reveals how Angstrom survived being nearly beaten to death by Invincible—he had a team of tech-skilled surgeons in a pocket dimension and just enough life left to open a portal, setting the stage for his multi-Mark invasion months later.
While Mark (let’s call him Original Mark) has an awkward conversation with Eve about meeting her parents, who are not fans of superheroes, chaos erupts worldwide as 18 different Invincible variants destroy cities and landmarks. There’s even a humorous side gag with a mummy’s tomb that’s never fully explained, which is oddly amusing after three seasons. Each variant of Invincible has a distinct look—a Mohawk, a bandit mask, a costume resembling Omni-Man’s—but they all remain recognizable as Invincible, with Steven Yeun skillfully altering his vocal performance to distinguish each version.
Credit: Prime Video
Original Mark being outmatched by the evil Invincibles sets up a fun situation. However, the way the plot unfolds feels less thrilling because the three main Guardians killed by the villains—Dupli-Kate (who can’t truly die due to her multiple copies), Immortal (whose name speaks for itself), and Shapesmith (whose survival after being torn apart has an easy explanation)—don’t have lasting consequences. While there’s plenty of action, it’s hard to get emotionally invested because a reversal always seems imminent. For instance, Rex seemingly explodes to take out one of the Invincibles, but it’s unclear if he’s dead. He already had a couple of close encounters with death. Similarly, Donald’s acceptance of his android status is handled off-screen, making it unclear how long that peace will last.
Eve, however, suffers severe injuries (a rare and brutal moment for the show, which deserves credit for that), leaving Original Mark torn between caring for her and going after his multiple variants. Fortunately, this dilemma is quickly resolved when the evil Marks turn on Angstrom Levy, and the supervillain swiftly sends them to another dimension. This resolution feels a bit too quick, especially after the episode’s numerous tense, seemingly hopeless moments, and it clears the way for Mark’s confrontation with Levy, which also feels rushed.
Although Oliver urges Mark to kill Levy, showing that Mark’s struggle with rejecting murder isn’t fully resolved, Mark hesitates and lets Levy escape. This decision creates another complication for Mark if Levy returns, as it would be a direct consequence of Mark not using lethal force. Mark finds himself in a tough spot, as he’s faced with consequences whether he chooses to act or not, especially with Powerplex returning for revenge.
We might not have to wait long for the answer, as next week’s episode is the season finale, and this episode ends on a strong note. Despite its structural flaws, the story leaves Mark in a much more complicated situation. He’s caught between difficult choices when a new Viltrumite envoy, Conquest, arrives to confront him. Mark is emotionally drained, which pushes him into a fighting mindset and increases his likelihood of making impulsive decisions. It sets up a gripping hook for the next episode.
While this episode of Invincible is chaotic in more ways than one, as Mark faces the onslaught of 18 multiversal versions of himself, the story grapples with the series’ usual issues of uneven setups and payoffs: a lot occurs, but not everything lands as it should. However, it’s filled with the kind of massive destruction and bloodshed—both meaningful and not—that sets the show apart from other, more restrained superhero series.
‘Invincible’ Season 3 Episode 7 Review – “What Have I Done?”
While this episode of Invincible is chaotic in more ways than one, the story grapples with the series’ usual issues of uneven setups and payoffs.
