The following contains spoilers for the Invincible Comics. There is also talk of sexual abuse.
When it came to heroes that Mark Grayson could have trusted Invinciblethey were few and far between. He had allies in the Guardians of the Globe. But many of his colleagues had ulterior motives. Cecil and the Global Defense Agency were a prime example. They even tried to betray Mark because they thought he would become an evil Superman like Nolan/Omni-Man.
As time went on, Mark realized that despite working with Allen the Alien for so long to stop the Viltrumites, the Coalition of Planets also saw him as a potential threat. Still, Mark persevered, choosing to believe in the good in people. Once he had his inner circle, he would move on. Until then, one of Mark’s most important partners was his own relative: Terra. And make no mistake, she helped redefine the cosmos and achieve what Mark had dreamed of for so long: unbridled unity.
How was Terra born in Invincible?
Terra was almost killed in the womb
character |
First edition |
writer |
Pencil artist |
Ink pen |
Colorist |
Type designer |
Terra |
Invincible #113 |
Robert Kirkman |
Ryan Ottley |
Cliff Rathburn |
John Rauch |
Rus Wooton |
When Atom got Eve pregnant by Mark, it was a turbulent time. They had tremendous relationship problems. To make matters worse, Mark was sexually abused by Anissa. This depression widened the emotional gap. Eve wanted it to work, but needed a more mature Mark as a husband and soulmate. Unfortunately, chaos broke out when Rudy (aka Robot) activated his drones to cleanse the Earth.
He wanted to see all superheroes dead or under his thumb. It was a mixture of Star Wars’ Order 66, which purged all Jedi, and Marvel’s civil war, where only authorized heroes were allowed to act. Rudy also didn’t want the Viltrumites to seek salvation on Earth. He knew that the more they bred and created hybrids, the greater the chance they would take over.
During the selection, Eve was attacked by a drone. It severed her leg, leaving her barely alive. Mark took her to Nolan’s base in space, where she was rescued. Terra was born there – a child of war. This shocked Mark. He wanted to kill Robot. However, Nolan arranged a truce to get some of the Viltrumites off the planet. Mark felt that the sadistic Robot had won. But as much as this betrayal disgusted him, he had his daughter.
As Terra grew up, she showed Mark’s powers. She was even able to knock down an Unopan like Allen, indicating her power. However, she was largely left out. Mark eventually worked with his father and helped repair relationships with all the heroes. Earth had to prepare for Lord Argall – someone who wanted to destroy Mark’s royal bloodline and ensure that they never usurped the crown as leaders of the Viltrumites. Mark killed this tyrant and ushered in a new era of peace. No matter what happened, he wanted to leave Terra a better galaxy to live in.
Why did Terra rebel against Invincible?
Terra didn’t like Mark’s talent for following rules
Terra was by no means a daddy’s girl in the Invincible Comics. When she was young, she was moody. And as she grew older, Mark struggled to control her. Even Eve had no control over the teenager as they hopped around the cosmos in their ship. They didn’t want to be toxic parents; they embraced other cultures and hoped that meeting new people would make her more mature. Still, it led to many arguments, especially because Mark disapproved of their sex life. But over time, there was trust and freedom. Terra eventually aspired to be a humanist and scientist.
She joined the Conservation Order and roamed the galaxy on her own. They were basically the Red Cross. They repaired planets, solved other aliens’ problems, and created a way for worlds to no longer want to be part of the Coalition. This caused tension. Mark’s daughter was seen as a dissident. This stemmed from her youth when she stood up to Mark and wanted to give a renegade species a second chance. Terra was all about independence. Mark may have been upset, but he was impressed and inspired.
His “little piece of earth” (hence her name) was changing in a big way. She was past her fear-filled days. Much of that trauma had to do with Markus (the son he had with Anissa). Mark tried to bring him into the family, but Terra was jealous. She hated having a younger brat around, breaking her things. But she soon learned to be patient. Her time with her family taught her that she needed composure, so she became a wise leader. She wasn’t that old yet, but she felt seasoned by their wisdom.
She was on the side of the Conservation Order and the planets that wanted to leave the Coalition. Terra considered this archaic. Instead, she had a vision of diversity, progress, evolution and liberalism. She shared this with Ursaal, Argall’s daughter. They had become friends after Argall’s coup failed. Ursaal admired Mark. She was one of his generals in the fight against Allen’s Coalition when it attacked Mark.
However, she did not understand him as a father. She saw him only as a ruler and politician. Terra, however, enlightened her about the man under the suit. They both had human genes. She understood him like no one else. That’s why she knew when to rebel. Mark did the same when the now dead Omni-Man tried to force him into the Viltrumite fate. Terra resisted in the same way, choosing to determine her own destiny and let the cosmos go its way. Resistance was in her DNA, after all.
What happened to Terra at the end of Invincible?
Terra contributed to a more peaceful galaxy
During the Ursaal conversation, Terra had to rush to her parents. The sickly Eve died but was reborn. The thought of the loss changed Terra. She became kinder to her family. She also tried to ease Markus’ pain. He argued with Mark and hated that he felt like an outsider. Terra later joined her father as an emissary. She fought in a gladiator arena as part of the Ambassador’s contract to show different worlds that her family should not be treated disrespectfully. If there were oppressors and fascists, they would physically break them. Or they could all sign truces and be better people.
This was the daughter Mark had always wanted. He was so proud of her. Invincible The comic ended with Terra at home with the family. She was sitting by the pool and enjoying life. Mark and Eve were basking in the glory of what they were all doing together. It was idealistic, but It was the happy ending that fans of Invincible Creator Robert Kirkman. The Graysons had been through so much. They needed a break after issuing a new Viltrumite edict.
Could Terra star in a sequel to Invincible?
Terra would have to deal with Mark’s old enemies and possible Viltrumite pagans
Kirkman laid the foundation for legacy villains in a Invincible Continued. The descendants of Battle Beast and Angstrom Levy were in the Invincible Finale. They wanted the Viltrumites dead. Terra could easily fight them in a sequel. On the other hand, the ending showed a huge time jump into the future. The sequel could focus on the Viltrumite crown.
A game of Thrones or House of the Dragon There could be a civil war if Mark passed it on. A hasty Markus might want leadership of Terra. Conversely, if Viltrumites proliferate throughout the galaxy, Terra and Markus might have to hunt down cultists who believe in Argall’s superiority and god complex. Terra would not want Viltrumites – family or not – to harm the paradise Mark has worked so hard for.
Ultimately, the ability to live for centuries gives Terra potential. She would be a princess who could work with or come into conflict with Earth, the Coalition, and other beings. But rest assured, like Mark, she could hardly be seen as anything other than invincible against these threats. While she didn’t always get along with Mark, she did have his fighting spirit.