In the current age of media where there is an oversaturation of superheroes and super-powered people, Invincible seems to stand out as a remarkable satire of the genre. With popular superhero media usually depicting generally well-meaning or benevolent saviors from other worlds, this show subverts that through painting this trope in a colonialist light. The protagonist, Mark Greyson, is the superpowered son of Omni-man, an alien with unparalleled abilities that came to Earth from a utopia called Viltrum whose only goal is to spread peace to the universe. This seems very similar to other characters in popular media but it takes an interesting twist on that idea by revealing that Omni-man is actually there to take over the planet for an imperialist planet of superpowered beings.

This revelation makes his actions on the planet make significantly more sense. One of the most striking moments in the show is the outright execution of this universe’s justice league. As a representation of the strongest defense that the planet has, they are a very significant threat to the future domination of Earth. While invading and overpowering wouldn’t be impossible or even significantly difficult, it would be highly costly for a society that is already spread thin(due to the eugenicist nature of their planet). Therefore, Omni-man is required to make himself essential to the stability of the planet. This serves to be a notable departure from other similar stories. While he won’t refrain from harming others to suit his needs, his main goal on earth is to create an environment that is reliant on what he can provide.

Robert Kirkman, the creator of the source material comic, is no stranger to creating antagonists that mirror real-world power dynamics. He also created The Walking Dead which has several explorations into how groups can manipulate and use power dynamics against each other. 

Robert Kirkman, creator of the Invincible comic series