In this Victorian-era NSFW tale by renowned NSFW artist Incase, the arcane-obsessed Dr. William Loving III finds a mystical crystalline artefact and follows its instructions, which results in a strange, otherworldly transformation of William and a partial release of the terrifying and seductive eldritch being known simply as "The Master".
The story features two parts, the first following William's discovery, transformation, and descent into the world of The Master. The second follows his fiancé Annie-Marie Bowyer, who having received a letter that William is calling off their engagement to be with The Master, has come to win him back, only to find herself weakening before The Master's sensual temptations, and opportunities Victorian women are seldom afforded...
Both parts can be read in order here
under "Comics" and "The Invitation" in the dropdown menu. Links to the pages of the unrelated films with the same title are here for the 2022 film, and here for the 2015 film.
Tropes found within The Invitation:
- Ancient Artifact: The titular Invitation crystal.
- Artifact Domination: William succumbs to this, fairly quickly as a result of his ambition to prove magic is real.
- Bittersweet Ending: Annie achieves her goal of winning back William's hand in marriage and gets to realize her dream of being an Engineer, but at the cost of being assimilated into The Master.
- Campbell Country: With the exception of the opening panel where William buys the artifact, every other panel either takes place in the sleepy English hamlet where his summer home is, or The Master's eldritch realm.
- Cassandra Truth: Annie tries to tell a local couple their son is now an enthralled probably-assimilated demoness, but it goes as well as you'd expect.
- Did You Just Romance Cthulhu?: The Master has a seemingly endless appetite for the love of humans.
- Easy Sex Change: The Master literally sucks William's dick off, leaving a fresh vagina behind, then does the reverse with Annie.
- Eldritch Abomination: Despite taking on an at minimum vaguely humanoid shape at all times, The Master absolutely qualifies.
- Eldritch Location: The Master's realm, or Garden, as Annie calls it. Probably a Genius Loci based on the seemingly effortless and extreme control The Master is able to exert on it.
- Eldritch Transformation: Happens to both William and Annie, as direct result of indulging their carnal desires while under the Master's influence. Is actually undone to Annie temporarily. Once you accept The Master's claim over you, it gets even more eldritch.
- Gender Bender: If you weren't a woman before you met The Master, she has a way of fixing that for you. Of course, you'll still get to keep any penises you had, and if you didn't have one before, The Master can help with that, too.
- Go Mad from the Revelation: Seems to happen to William, once he realizes the true nature of The Master. Subverted with Annie, though that doesn't stop the villagers from disbelieving her, or Annie eventually giving in and returning to The Master.
- Preppy Name: William Loving III
- Psychosexual Horror
- Runaway Fiancé: William calls off their engagement after becoming one with The Master, which is the inciting incident of Part 2. Still, they are more than happy to pick up where they left off once Annie is one with The Master as well.
- Tentacled Terror: The Master, in Her truest form, appears to be made up of fleshy vines, sometimes even with teeth. Once you're one with Her, you'll become like this, too.
- Then Let Me Be Evil: Annie has two speeches like this, one at each time she gives herself over to The Master.
- The Master
- Transformation Horror: It isn't too bad when our protagonists become relatively regular-looking succubi, but once we see what the true form of the assimilated William is, it's not pretty.
- You Cannot Grasp the True Form: Regular humans can't gaze upon the Master's true form without severe damage, though once you've... adapted, it seems to be okay.
- You Can't Go Home Again: Annie finds going back to the regular world after three years of demonic orgy too much to bear. Even existing as a human and the natural biological processes feel wrong to her now.
