Invincible’s success as a superhero series is in many ways due to its commentary on the current superhero culture. The hit Amazon Prime Video original animated series sees a comic book story that subverts, plays on, and leans into existing superhero tropes. The show revels in these commentaries and has since the original comic book series. Known for satirizing superhero stories, Invincible season 3 seems to take on one of the more controversial scenes in recent superhero movies, the ending of Man Of Steel.
Spoiler warning: The rest of this article contains major spoilers for Invincible season 3, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. If you haven’t caught up yet, consider this your heads-up.
Image via Amazon Prime Video.
Man Of Steel was the first entry in the now-defunct DC Extended Universe. Zack Snyder sparked a universe with his raw and edgy take on the classic Superman. The movie itself is either hated by fans or loved by die-hards. And its take on Superman has been similarly divided ever since the film’s release in 2013.
A Superhero Killing That Divided Fandom
Image via Warner Bros.
Adding to this divisiveness is the controversial ending of the third act showdown between Superman (Henry Cavill) and the villain, Zod (Michael Shannon). After battling it out all over the city and even space for a beat, the final fight came down to Zod threatening to kill an innocent family with his laser vision while Superman physically restrains him.
However, Zod was a trained soldier, and Superman had just very recently embraced his ever-growing powers. So, in a moment of desperation, Superman snaps Zod’s neck to save the family. But at the same time, killing the last remaining connection he has to his home planet of Krypton and his people. A sadness and frustration he expressed in an emotional scream after killing Zod, in one of the most powerful moments in modern-day superhero movies.
Man of Steel’s Controversial Third Act
Image via Warner Bros.
For years, fans have debated this moment. Many think the act of killing goes against everything Superman stands for. While others, including filmmaker Zack Snyder, argue that this moment acts as an origin story moment, explaining why Superman is against killing in the first place. Interestingly, Invincible season 3 appears to respond to this very debate—not just by echoing the moment, but by staging a similar moral dilemma for its own hero.
Invincible Season 3 Reignites the Debate
Image via Amazon Prime Video.
This same question about how far a hero should go to stop a villain is essentially what Invincible season 3 deals with. Episode 4 sees Mark (Steven Yeun) taken to a far distant future, where he has to stop his former friend, a much different and emotionally broken Immortal (Ross Marquand). In this future, Immortal is the tyrannical ruler of Earth who has grown weary of his charge, killing innocents to force Invincible to end his life. Invincible initially refuses, forcing a confrontation where Immortal tells him that the only way to save humanity is for Invincible to kill him. What happens next mirrors Man Of Steel even more when he starts attacking innocents near them.
It’s at this point that Invincible fights back. Starting to believe that the only way to stop Immortal is to kill him, which is exactly what Immortal had been explicitly saying, repeatedly and incessantly. Almost as if not just speaking to Invincible, but to those who debate the same moment in Man Of Steel. What happens next mirrors the Man of Steel ending so closely, it feels almost like a direct response.
Invincible Season 3 Episode 4 Mirrors Man Of Steel Ending
Image via Amazon Prime Video.
Invincible finally stops Immortal’s rampage by not just snapping his neck but twisting his head clean off his body. It’s a moment that makes Mark almost disassociate with everything around him. It’s an emotional counterpoint to Superman’s reaction, which was one of helpless frustration. In contrast, Mark is numb and resigned to the horrific choice he just made. Mark and Clark’s contrasting reactions have a lot to do with how different their stories are. But the parallels between them, especially in these scenes in particular, are undeniable.
Invincible’s Scene Was Originally In The Comics
Image via Image Comics.
That said, Invincible didn’t borrow this idea from Man of Steel—if anything, it did it first. So even though Invincible Season 3 released in 2025, the comic book issue #54, which was adapted into this particular episode, released in 2008. And Man Of Steel was released in 2013. So while Invincible may have technically done it first, the show’s framing of the scene feels like a direct response to the years-long fan discourse surrounding Man Of Steel.
Man Of Steel saw Zod prove to be an unrelenting, unwavering threat to the existence of humanity. He proved that with the devastating battle in the third act of the movie. The Invincible season 3 scene similarly saw Mark see firsthand proof of a future ruled by Immortal, where he had killed millions of humanity already. Both Superman and Mark begged their respective foes to stop and provided alternatives that the villains refused, forcing the heroes hands in killing them.
Two Heroes, One Moral Dilemma
Image via Warner Bros.
The parallels aren’t just in the external conflict, but even Mark and Clark’s internal journeys echo each other in striking ways. Clark spent all of Man Of Steel trying to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Everything from his human parents’ fear of exposing him to literally having the burden of his Kryptonian people forced on him—it’s all been about figuring out which part of his past he wants to live by.
Similarly, Mark’s entire journey is about fighting against his father’s Viltrumite legacy of being a conqueror and taking over humanity. He has spent over 2 seasons now trying to become a hero, helping people, as a result of the revelation that his father was a genocidal maniac.
Mark’s Story Continues In Invincible
Image via Amazon Prime Video.
So for both characters, this murderous moment was one of defeat, one of being forced to make a choice that was a culmination of their internal struggle. Audiences didn’t really get the opportunity to explore what this act meant for Superman in subsequent films, given the DCEU’s troubled existence.
However, Invincible fans definitely get to see how his moment impacted Mark in the rest of season 3, plunging him further down the path of trying to figure out what it means to be a hero.
A Commentary on the Commentary
Image via Amazon Prime Video.
The episode doesn’t stop at just recreating the Man of Steel moment, but it actively engages in the debate surrounding it. In the moments after Immortal’s death, Dropkick and Fightmaster (both Xolo Maridueña) start debating whether it was right to kill him or not. Mark, despondent and defeated after killing his friend, reminds them that Immortal is dead and snaps at them to shut up. Which is honestly the feeling most of us have too after years of suffering through the Man Of Steel debate. Regardless of which side of the debate we fell on.
Invincible season 3 is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
What did you think about that Invincible season 3 episode 4 scene? Did it echo Man Of Steel, or am I reaching? Let me know in the comments below and tag me on X at @theshahshahid to keep the discussion going.
