Acceptable Breaks from Reality: One of the Mauler Twins throws a woman into the air by the head and Darkwing grabs her with his grappling hook. Realistically, she should've died from the whiplash both times, but since this is a happy superhero cartoon (or at least that's what they wanted you to think), she's fine.
Adaptation Amalgamation: The fight scene between the Guardians and Omni-Man uses elements from two different fights in the comic.
Adaptation Explanation Extrication: Downplayed. In the comic, Green Ghost's everyday life scene has him mention he's new to superheroing and sometimes forgets to use his tangibility powers, though this point doesn't come up again. This is omitted from the show for the female version, though it could also explain why she just didn't make herself intangible before Omni-Man killed her besides shock.
Adaptational Badass: Unlike the comic where Omni-Man kills the Guardians with no difficulty, they do not go down easily and he passes out from exhaustion and his injuries after the fight is over.
Adaptational Nice Guy: Zigzagged. The scene of Immortal casually chucking Bi-Plane into space is shortened, removing Immortal mocking him before killing him and Bi-Plane saying that his scheme is his last hoorah before he dies of terminal cancer. Either way, it's still a dick move.
Adaptational Wimp: Both the comic and cartoon version has Omni-Man slaughter the Guardians. In the cartoon, however, they put up more of a fight, and even land a few hits in before they all die. Unlike the comic, where he leaves when he does his deed, he passes out after his fight.
Immortal's "You!I never liked you." before being killed and Omni-Man responding with "The feeling was mutual." is removed, presumably because both are slightly Adaptational Nice Guys so to make what happens more emotional and sympathetic.
In the comic, Green Ghost and Martian Man had just got done defeating a monster and were about to return to their civilian lives before they were called back to base. Here, we actually get to see them in their civilian lives or off the job instead, with Green Ghost being a fashion photographer and Martian Man playing with a homeless girl.
Likewise, in the comic, War Woman was spending her morning with her girlfriend after they made love the previous night, only to be attacked by one of her mother's messengers. Her job as a wealthy CEO was only brought up in passing, whereas the show focuses on that instead and portrays her comic girlfriend as just one of her associates.
Angrish: One of the Mauler Twins response to being called a clone.
Audience Surrogate: We get a flashback of Nolan explaining to a younger Mark of what the Viltrumites are.
Bait-and-Switch: We're led to believe the sassy model wearing all-green is the Green Ghost, she's actually the photographer dressed in blue.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Despite spending the entire episode seeming to be a good father and good husband who also happens to be a good superhero, the episode ends with Omni-Man massacring his own friends and some of the world's greatest protectors for reasons he refuses to divulge. Immortal thinks it must be mind control, because Omni-Man would never do this... would he?
Bloodier and Gorier: The fight between Omni-Man and the Guardians is a lot more explicit than the comics. In the few pages, Omni-Man kills them all with no effort. The cartoon has them more defiant, making the scene longer and their deaths more brutal.
Decoy Protagonist: The Guardians of the Globe seem like major characters, particularly due to each getting an Establishing Character Moment before they assemble at their base. Then they're all slaughtered.
Defiant to the End: Red Rush puts all his effort into punching Omni-Man's chest while his head is being crushed, his speed allowing him to hit with enough force to burn Omni-Man's uniform away through friction and bruise his chest significantly. Even as Red Rush breaks his hands, he refuses to stop. It's just not enough to stop Omni-Man.
Deliberate Injury Gambit: Red Rush is fast enough to evade Omni-Man and push his teammates out of the way of lethal blows, so Omni-Man simply waits for him to attack and grabs him in the brief moment between landing a hit and retreating.
Establishing Series Moment: For anyone unfamiliar with the comic book (or Robert Kirkman'sother work), this first episode might make you think this is a bright and colorful Saturday morning cartoon. Then Omni-Man attacks the Guardians of the Globe in the episode's closing minutes, and the moment he slowly and graphically crushes Red Rush's skull into bloody paste is the moment you realize it isn't.
Et Tu, Brute?: While Omni-Man isn't a member of the Guardians of the Globe, he is still considered a good friend and ally to them, which is why his betrayal hits the entire team extra hard, including Immortal.
One of the security guards is talking to his co-worker about his stepson/adopted son and how even though he isn't his biological kid, he still loves him as if he were his own and that he's proud of him.
While talking with Debbie, Nolan suddenly gets upset and snaps at her, "Are you questioning me?". He apologizes immediately after when she calls him out on it.
While walking Mark through the basics of flying and fighting, Nolan suddenly hits Mark a lot harder than he was prepared for, leaving him collapsed on the ground wheezing in pain and confused shock at his father hurting him. For a brief moment, Nolan just stares blankly at Mark before a consternated expression crosses his face and he hesitantly claims that he misjudged his strength.
Martian Man's child friend, Nikki, asks to come with him back to the Guardians. He tells her no, because children shouldn't be involved in the superhero business.
Gorn: The Guardians' deaths are extremely graphic and violent, with organs getting smashed, gallons of blood splattering everywhere, limbs being twisted, and bodies getting punched through. This is a surprise given that the rest of the episode was rather safe, besides the fact that one of the Mauler Twins gets shot in the eye.
Hero Killer: Omni-Man gathers the Guardians of the Globe at their base so he can kill them.
How Do I Shot Web?: Mark takes some time to figure out the physical effort of how to use his awakened powers, especially flight, as that one in particular doesn't have a non-superpowered equivalent that he's been doing all his life and therefore practicing.
I Take Offense to That Last One: After digging out of the ground in front of the White House, one of the Mauler Twins berates the other for the fact the other wanted to emerge from the outside rather than the inside and frames him as incompetent and calls him a clone, with the other being more upset at the latter.
Moe Greene Special: Steve manages to shoot one of the Mauler Twins in the eye, though this is a minor inconvenience and doesn’t do much to slow him down.
No-Sell: Mark creeps Todd out by letting him beat on him as long as he wants while not reacting to his punches.
Post-Victory Collapse: After killing the Guardians, Omni-Man falls limp from the injuries he sustained.
Prolonged Prologue: The show has a unique quirk in which the title drops the first time Invincible's hero name is said in the episode, but since Mark spends so long in this episode trying to come up with one it comes at the near end of the episode, with only the Guardians being interrupted from their personal lives to head back to HQ and being subsequently murdered by Omni-Man being left in the episode.
Punch Catch: Of a sort. Omni-Man manages to stop Red Rush in his tracks during their fight by catching his wrist in the middle of a punch, but looking closely/in slow motion reveals that Red Rush actually connects the punch first, and Omni-Man grabs him as he's in the process of pulling back and running away. Omni-Man isn't so much anticipating the blow as he is using it to gain an opening.
Silent Credits: The credits contain no music following Omni-Man's attack on the Guardians.
This Is Gonna Suck: Omni-Man exploits Green Ghost's inability to be intangible while carrying people by tossing Darkwing's corpse at her. She gives off this expression at her fatal mistake before Omni-Man impales her head.
Sudden Soundtrack Stop: The music stops playing after Red Rush is killed, and the rest of the scene plays out without a soundtrack. Just the sounds of the Guardians being gruesomely killed. Not even the credits have any music.
Victory by Endurance: When Mark and Todd have a "rematch", Mark's new Viltrimite toughness lets him take the full brunt of his punches. After the third punch, Todd walks away.
Vomit Indiscretion Shot: When Red Rush rescues the various hostages and bystanders, he apologizes before they each start throwing up due to the sheer inertia experiencing his Super-Speed so suddenly causes.
Wham Shot: The Stinger shows the Guardians being recalled to HQ, only to then be attacked by Omni-Man. While Red Rush keeps everybody safe while dishing out some damage to him, Omni-Man manages to grab him... and then break his skull apart into a bloody mess with his bare hands, showing that this is not a clean, teenage superhero show. Fittingly, the music cuts off from this moment through the rest of the episode as Nolan continues his rampage against the Guardians.
While training Mark, Nolan punches him in the chest. Mark has never been hit like that before by his own father, if at all, and questions why he would do that.
Debbie gives this to both Nolan and Mark for their change in attitude. They both realize this and apologize.
For anyone unfamiliar with the comic book (or Robert Kirkman's other work), this first episode might make you think this is a bright and colorful Saturday morning cartoon. Then Omni-Man attacks the Guardians of the Globe in the episode's closing minutes, and the moment he slowly and graphically crushes Red Rush's skull into bloody paste is the moment you realize it isn't.
For anyone unfamiliar with the comic book (or Robert Kirkman's other work), this first episode might make you think this is a bright and colorful Saturday morning cartoon. Then Omni-Man attacks the Guardians of the Globe in the episode's closing minutes, and the moment he slowly and graphically crushes Red Rush's skull into bloody paste is the moment you realize it isn't.
