Spoilers for Invincible #110. The issue’s controversy centers on Anissa sexually assaulting Mark Grayson after his unresolved argument with a pregnant Atom Eve. Robert Kirkman described the story as an attempt to put Mark in the worst situation he had faced and examine the consequences of real-world harm in a superhero story. Calling the issue “game-changing” is best understood as a description of its intended, lasting impact—not a claim that every reader agreed about its execution.
What happens in Invincible #110?
In a contemporary review, Comic Vine describes Mark returning from another dimension to find Eve pregnant and angry about his repeated absences and the danger they bring to their family. They part without resolving the conflict. Mark then encounters Anissa, and a fight leads to her sexually assaulting him. The review treats the scene as traumatic rather than as a routine fight beat. It also interprets the scene’s racial-purity theme as one of the issue’s most unsettling elements. These plot details and interpretations are the reviewer’s account, not a substitute for consulting the comic itself. Comic Vine’s review of Invincible #110
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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Invincible Compendium Volume 1 | $43.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Invincible Volume 1 (New Edition) | $12.11 | Buy on Amazon |
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Invincible Compendium Volume 2 | $44.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Invincible Volume 2 (New Edition) | $13.15 | Buy on Amazon |
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Invincible Compendium Volume 3 | $40.33 | Buy on Amazon |
Why did Kirkman call this a turning point?
In remarks reproduced by Toy Soldiers on April 14, 2014, Robert Kirkman said he was trying to put Mark in “the worst possible situation he’s ever been in” and see whether he could retain his sanity. He also described the story as an effort to bring “something that’s a bad part of real life into a superhero world” and analyze its ramifications. The comments frame the assault as part of a longer character ordeal, not a shock beat intended to end with the scene. Toy Soldiers’ report reproducing Kirkman’s interview comments
Kirkman’s reported remarks also address a harmful misconception: that a physiological response would invalidate a male victim’s account. He called that assumption ignorant and insensitive to the situation being depicted. His statement is commentary on the issue’s framing, not medical guidance or specialist advice about sexual violence.
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How the issue connects personal trauma to the wider story
Mark’s conflict with Eve gives the issue a second pressure point: his dangerous absences have consequences for their family, and the couple’s argument remains unresolved when he meets Anissa. The review presents the assault as one development in a period already complicated by Robot’s attempt to take over the world. Kirkman’s comments likewise place Mark’s ordeal alongside that larger crisis, while emphasizing what the events may do to Mark himself.
That combination is why “game-changing” can describe the issue’s narrative ambition. Kirkman said the experience would shape later scenes, and Comic Vine judged the story likely to affect the series and its characters over time. Neither source establishes that all readers viewed the issue the same way.
Rank #2
What critics and the publisher said—and what they did not
Comic Vine’s review, updated April 9, 2014, called the issue shocking, intended for mature readers, and significant beyond its plot. The reviewer praised its emotionally serious, uncomfortable handling, artwork, and pacing. That is one critic’s assessment, not a measure of audience consensus. No numerical readership, sales, or public-reaction figure for #110 is established by the sources cited here.
Image Comics’ May 22, 2014 announcement was about Invincible #111, not a sales report or synopsis for #110. It called #111 the opening shot of a new era, reported that the issue had sold out at the distributor level, and announced a one-time second printing for June 18, 2014. Publisher Eric Stephenson argued in that announcement that “the vast majority of superhero comics are only concerned with creating the illusion of change,” in the context of saying Invincible gives readers lasting change. Those statements help explain the publisher’s framing of the series’ direction, but they should not be presented as proof of #110’s sales or of present-day availability. Image Comics’ announcement about Invincible #111
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Rank #3
What the controversy asks readers to consider
The issue puts a male superhero’s sexual victimization at the center of a story about trauma and consequence. Kirkman said he wanted to depict a real-world harm in a superhero setting; he also argued that creators should handle such subjects tastefully and with awareness of how people respond to them. His stated intent helps explain the choice, but intent alone does not settle whether the scene works for every reader. Comic Vine’s review offers one contemporaneous view of its emotional effect, not a universal verdict.
Because the subject is sexual violence, readers who prefer to avoid depictions of assault may want to know the central content before reading. The available sources support that warning; they do not establish current editions, collected-volume contents, prices, stock, or digital-platform availability for #110.
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Rank #4
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