Editor’s note:The followingcontains spoilers for ‘Invincible’ Season 2.Season 2 ofInvinciblefeatures quite a turnaround for one of the story’s more unlikable and obnoxious hero characters. Guardians of the Globe member Rex Sloan (Jason Mantzoukas), aka Rex Splode, undergoes a fascinating character arc in Season 2 that transforms him greatly. In the first season,Rex came off as a rather superficial, self-absorbed jerkwho mainly cared about himself and gave little thought to his teammates. He was also a terrible boyfriend to Samantha Eve Wilkins (Gillian Jacobs), aka Atom Eve.
In Season 2,various events and the ordeal with the Lizard Leaguealter Rex both physically and mentally. Some scenes depict Rex as a helpful friend to both Atom Eve and Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun), aka Invincible, a far cry from his Season 1 persona. Season 2 showcases Rex exceptionally well asa more well-rounded character who is capable of growth and improvement. In short,InvincibleSeason 2 proves to be Rex Splode’s redemption arc.
Invincible
Invincible is an adult animated superhero series that revolves around 17-year-old Mark Grayson, who’s just like every other guy his age — except his father is the most powerful superhero on the planet, Omni-Man. But as Mark develops powers of his own, he discovers his father’s legacy may not be as heroic as it seems.
Rex Splode Helps Atom Eve When She Needs It Most
InSeason 2, Episode 5, “This Must Come as a Shock,“Rex visits Eve after she returns to live with her adoptive parents.Eve is at a low point in this episode, feeling guilty over her actions after the area that she rebuilt in Chicago collapsed, and civilian bystanders were hurt during her fight with Killcannon in the previous episode. Surprisingly, it’s Rex, of all people, who arrives to give Eve a pep talk and advice when she needs it most.
Despite how badly their relationship ended, this scene shows just how well Rex knows and understands Eve. He grabs the picture Eve made of the people she views as herreal family and subjects of the same government experimentfromInvincible: Atom Eve. Rex demonstrates a great deal of maturity, knowing how much that picture means to Eve, and he succeeds in making her feel better about her powers and how, through all of her ordeals, she saved many people and made the world a better place. Thanks to Rex’s pep talk,Eve decides to join Invincible and the other Guardians in their mission to help stop the Sequid spacecraftthat’s heading toward Earth.
Rex was an awful boyfriend to Eve, but this scene shows that he is at least capable of being a good friend when she needs a shoulder to cry on. For once, it’s nice to see Rex relate to someone as a human being. Rex is still crass and rough around the edges, but he speaks to Eve from a place of honesty and understanding. Although Rex is there to ask Eve for assistance in the Sequid mission, Eve ultimately agrees to assistthe Guardians of the Globeto stop an alien invasion of Earth. Rex finally exhibits compassion and sympathy, andthe more likable side of Rex begins to emerge.
Rex Splode Experiences a Near-Death Epiphany
Later in the same episode, the Lizard League puts Rex Splode,Dupli-Kate(Malese Jow), and Shrinking Rae (Grey DeLisle) through a proverbial meat grinder. Ultimately, Rex is the last one standing, and he’s on the receiving end of a point-blank gunshot through the skull by King Lizard. Rex miraculously survives and manages to defeat King Lizard in the next episode, “It’s Not That Simple.” In the aftermath,it’s Mark who Rex opens up to about the experience.
This scene provides another opportunity to show some emotional growth and development for Rex, and it’s all the better that it happens with Mark. Earlier in the series,Rex was jealous of Eve’s friendship with Invincible, and now, Rex and Mark are on the road to becoming friends. Rex demonstrates genuine emotional vulnerability that was never truly apparent in the character up until this point. The fact that it happens with Invincible after their previously rocky relationship shows that they’ve moved beyond any animosity towards one another. When Rex admits how badly he treated Eve and Kate, it becomesone of Rex Splode’s most genuine and sincere momentsin the entire series.
This nicely sets up the scene inSeason 2, Episode 7, “I’m Not Going Anywhere,“when Invincible comes to Rex’s aid against Octoboss. Rex and Invincible are downright friendly in this scene — a far cry from how things started between the two earlier in the series. Invincible even helps Rex as he’s anxious to defeat Octoboss, badly needing a win to prove himself after his recovery from the fight with the Lizard League. Rex now treats Invincible like a friend and an equal, and Invincible is at ease sharing more personal aspects of his life, such as his relationship with Amber (Zazie Beetz) and his father, Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons). In the first season, it was hard to imagine Rex having friendly conversations like this with other heroes. Most of Rex’s interactions involved making everything about himself or his arrogance. Now,it appears Rex was greatly humbled by the fight with the Lizard League. Now, Rex knows he’s not invincible, and he’s more respectful of his colleagues.
‘Invincible’ Knows How To Do a Multiverse Story Right
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Rex Splode Has Become One of ‘Invincible’s Most Developed Characters
Season 2 proves that Rex is a multifaceted character, and the writers showcase another side to his personality, proving that he can be more than an arrogant, vapid, self-absorbed womanizer. After the fight with the Lizard League, Rex Splode comes off as more friendly, contemplative, and introspective, albeit still rough around the edges and overly eager to prove himself as a hero. Now that Rex Splode is finally finding his groove and hitting his stride, it should be interesting to see him continue to develop inInvincible’supcoming third season. From a narrative perspective, if Rex continues on this path,he could emerge as one of the show’s strongest and most interesting characterswho experiences some of the most significant changes and growth throughout the show’s run.
If the series ever does another standalone special episode, similar tothe Atom Eve special, Rex Splode would be a strong candidate.Peeling back the layers of Rex’s backstory would at least offer the audience a better understanding of the characterfrom his earlier, less appealing appearances in the first season. Plus, it would be nice to see how Rex and Eve’s relationship started and how they joined the Teen Team. Season 3 of the series is already confirmed, andthe actors have already completed their voice work. Thankfully,the wait for Season 3won’t be as long as the break between the first two seasons.
The first two seasons ofInvincibleare available to stream on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S.
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