If you’ve been following the Invincible animated series on Prime Video, you probably felt that immediate chill when Anissa finally showed up in Season 2. She’s tall, menacing, and carries an aura of absolute authority that even Mark Grayson’s toughest villains lack. But for comic book readers, her arrival wasn't just about a new power player. It was about a ticking clock.
There is a specific moment in the source material—Invincible #110—that remains one of the most polarizing events in modern comic history. Honestly, it’s the kind of thing that makes you want to put the book down and walk away for a bit. We're talking about the sexual assault of Mark Grayson by Anissa.
This isn't just "edgy" writing for the sake of it. It’s a brutal, foundational shift for Mark’s character that Robert Kirkman used to explore trauma in a way superhero media almost never does.
The Reality of What Happened in Issue 110
Let’s get the facts straight because there’s a lot of weird misinformation floating around on Reddit and TikTok. In the comics, the encounter happens much later than Anissa's first introduction. By issue 110, the Viltrumite War is over. The remaining Viltrumites are "hiding" on Earth, trying to blend in and rebuild their population by interbreeding with humans.
Anissa, however, isn't interested in humans. She views them as weak, insignificant insects. To her, "mating" is about genetics and strength. She decides that since Mark is one of the strongest of their kind, he is the only suitable choice.
Mark says no. Repeatedly.
He’s in a committed, loving relationship with Eve. He has no interest in her. But Anissa doesn't care about human concepts like consent or love. She views him as a resource. She uses her superior Viltrumite strength to pin him down, and the scene is depicted with harrowing clarity. It isn't a "sexy" scene or a standard "femme fatale" trope. It’s a violent, one-sided violation that leaves Mark physically and emotionally shattered.
Why Mark Didn't Just "Fight Back"
This is where the "powerscaling" community often gets things wrong. They look at the stats and say, "Wait, Mark is stronger at this point, why didn't he just fly away?"
Trauma doesn't care about your bench press.
When Mark talks about it later, he expresses a deep sense of guilt. He tells Eve he felt like he could have fought harder, but he froze. This is a common, real-world psychological response to assault known as tonic immobility. You shut down. Your brain can't process that someone you know—someone who is supposed to be an ally at this point—is doing this to you.
The "Viltrumite Way" is another factor. Anissa views this as a natural right. In her mind, she isn't "raping" him; she's simply claiming a mate. This clash of cultures—human morality versus Viltrumite instinct—is what makes the aftermath so gut-wrenching.
The Long-Term Fallout: Marky and Redemption?
The story doesn't just drop the plot point after one issue. It has massive, sprawling consequences:
- The Birth of Marky: Anissa actually gets pregnant from the assault. She gives birth to a son named Marky (Mark Jr.).
- Eve’s Reaction: When Mark finally confesses, it nearly breaks his relationship with Eve. Not because she’s mad at him, but because of the sheer weight of the trauma they now have to carry.
- Anissa's "Arc": This is the part people hate. Over the next few decades of the story, Anissa lives on Earth, falls in love with a human man named Scott, and becomes a productive member of the community. She eventually apologizes to Mark on her deathbed, but many fans feel she never truly faced justice for what she did.
It’s messy. It’s supposed to be. Kirkman intentionally wrote a character who committed an unforgivable act and then tried to live a "normal" life, forcing the reader to sit with the discomfort of her lack of punishment.
Will the Prime Video Show Adapt This?
That is the million-dollar question. Invincible on Prime Video has been very faithful to the "vibes" of the comic while cleaning up some of the pacing issues. They’ve already introduced Anissa, and Shantel VanSanten plays her with a coldness that perfectly sets the stage.
If they do adapt it, expect it to be handled with extreme care. Modern TV standards are much more cognizant of how sexual violence is portrayed than comics were in 2014. They might lean heavier into the psychological trauma or perhaps change the circumstances, but skipping it entirely would remove the origin of Marky, who becomes a major character in the series' endgame.
How to Process This as a Fan
If you're diving into the comics for the first time or waiting for Season 3 and 4, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Read the context: If you're going to read Issue 110, don't just look at the panels. Read the issues following it. The focus is on Mark's recovery, not the act itself.
- Understand the "Why": Kirkman wrote this to subvert the trope that men cannot be victims of sexual assault, especially powerful men.
- Expect changes: The show will likely give Mark more agency in the aftermath or spend more time on Anissa's accountability than the comics did.
The story of Mark and Anissa is a dark stain on the Invincible timeline, but it’s one that defines who Mark becomes as a leader and a father. It's a reminder that even for someone who can fly through stars, the hardest battles are often the ones that happen inside your own head.
Next Steps for Readers:
If you want to see how the show might pivot, pay close attention to the dialogue between Anissa and Mark in their first few encounters in the show. The writers often plant "seeds" of future conflict in these early conversations. You can also look up the Invincible Compendium 3 to read the full arc of the Viltrumite integration on Earth if you want to see how the fallout plays out in the long run.