The protagonist of Robert Kirkman’s Invincible, Mark Grayson, is depicted throughout the series as immeasurably powerful, thanks to his Viltrumite alien heritage. One concrete depiction of Mark’s true speed came in the form of a two-page spread from Invincible #50, as the hero found himself in conflict with government agent Cecil Stedman.
Invincible #50 – written by Robert Kirkman, with art by Ryan Ottley – featured Stedman and Grayson’s souring relationship turn to open opposition, with the government handler attempting to use technology to keep pace with Mark. Their interaction provided artist Ottley the chance to visually depict Mark’s incredible speed, in what is perhaps the issue’s stand-out moment.
Mark Grayson Is Faster Than Instantaneous Teleportation
It is worth noting that the events of Invincible #50, most of which is devoted to Mark’s confrontation with Cecil, leave the hero at far from his best physical condition. Cecil exploits his knowledge of Viltrumites’ natural inner ear weakness in an attempt to subdue the half-alien protagonist, something Mark is able to overcome thanks to the sheer incredible level of his power-set. When Mark takes off at super-speed, Cecil gives chase using a teleportation device. Even using technology that allows him instantaneous transportation from one location to another, Cecil Stedman is barely able to keep up with Mark, arriving in a series of locations just as Mark has passed through.
Invincible #50 Depicts The Floor Of Mark’s Speed, Not The Ceiling
Superhero artists are always keenly on the lookout for ways to visually depict powers like super-speed, considering the nature of the medium – a sequence of static images – can make this difficult. Superman can be shown running faster than a bullet, but if an artist wants to depict him as much faster than that, they might resort to depicting him outrunning a bullet train. Cecil’s teleportation device is a novel, visually-engaging, way for Ryan Ottley to depict the stunning level of speed Invincible’s Mark Grayson is able to attain. Writer Robert Kirkman adds levity to the scene, by having Cecil mutter “crap” at every stop he makes where Mark has outpaced him.
Considering where the story of Invincible winds up, Invincible #50 still represents a formative era for the series, the action of its arc still rising. However, at the time of its release, Mark’s confrontation with Cecil certainly had a climactic feel to it. The issue’s depiction of Mark’s astounding speed – which the plot makes clear is far from his upper limit – remains one of the series’ most definitive, and most memorable. With the Amazon Prime Video Invincible TV series translating Mark Grayson’s story into a medium that makes depicting speed much easier, it is likely that entirely new and exciting ways of showing Mark’s true speed are on the horizon.
