Invincible: All 5 Machine Head Combatants Explained | Screen Rant
Invincible episode 5 introduces five new villains who are hired by Machine Head to fight Invincible, and here's what we know about each of them. Amazon Prime Video's new animated series from Robert Kirkman is based on his acclaimed comic book of the same name. Invincible follows the story of Mark Grayson after he gains superpowers and the many surprising turns of events that unfold as he learns what it takes to be a hero. For the most part, the adult animated series is a faithful adaptation of the comics, although the Invincible show has differences from the comic.
The first season is already halfway through and has done an excellent job of introducing the vast world that Kirkman created with the comics. In some cases, Invincible is even introducing characters and storylines much earlier than the comics. This is partially due to the show delaying a major moment between Invincible and his father Omni-Man. Invincible episode 5 deals with Omni-Man trying to teach Invincible about what he is and is not responsible for when it comes to protecting Earth. Conflict arises when Mark wants to help a low-level criminal named Titan to take down one of the city's biggest crime bosses, Machine Head. Even though Omni-Man argues that this is beneath his son's abilities, Mark's desire to help people results in him deciding to team up with Titan.
Invincible and Titan plan to take on Machine Head alone with a surprise visit to his penthouse. However, the cyborg villain knew that they were coming thanks to an upgrade to his technological makeup from a chip he received from Titan. Machine Head is smart enough to know that he couldn't take on either Invincible or Titan on his own, so he is certainly no match for the two of them together. The powerful crime boss was a step ahead of them, though, and recruited powerful warriors and villains from across the galaxy to protect him. His henchman Isotope teleports each of Machine Head's combatants to the location. All of them are new to Invincible but have histories in the comics. Here's a breakdown of Invincible's fighters, including what they can do and what future they might have with the series.
Battle Beast is the strongest of the combatants that Machine Head hired. He is an alien and not from Earth and is well-known for his proficiency in combat and love of violence. This developed from the constant fighting he dealt with on his home planet. Battle Beast has superhuman strength and other enhanced physical attributes. As evident in Invincible episode 5, this makes Battle Beast one of the greatest opponents Mark Grayson ever faces. He nearly kills the aspiring hero after a striking Invincible in the chest with his mighty axe. Battle Beast's strength also proved to be no match for Black Samson and Monster Girl, as both of them are left in critical condition at the end of the battle. However, Battle Beast stopped short of killing them since he viewed them as lesser beings than himself who posed no real challenge in combat.
Amazon's Invincible show has so far managed to introduce a faithful take on Battle Beast, and that is a good sign that his full role in the comics will be translated for the show. Without getting into spoilers, it is safe to say that Battle Beast and Invincible's paths will cross again. The powerful warrior might even interact with several other characters in surprising ways. And since Battle Beast is a fan-favorite character in the comics and had this impactful introduction in the series, Invincible could even expand his story in different ways. Since he only appeared in eleven issues of the comic, there's plenty of room for Battle Beast to take on a larger role now.
Kursk is another one of Machine Head's combatants hired to fight Titan and Invincible. He has electrokinesis powers and proves to be a worthy adversary for the unlikely duo and the Guardians of the Globe. In the comics, Kursk is the arch-enemy of former Guardians of the Globe member Red Rush. The Russian villain is defeated by the end of the fight in Machine Head's headquarters, and this likely isn't the last appearance he'll make in the Invincible Amazon series. He and Mark Grayson should fight again if the show adheres to the source material, although the next time it happens Invincible's life will be quite different. There's even a strong chance that the electric villain who just fought Titan will join his criminal empire at some point in the future.
Furnace is a side villain in the Invincible comics but was part of Machine Head's group of hired muscle to fight Invincible and Titan. The character is made of pure living plasma and it is unknown how he got these powers. He wears a robotic suit designed by Machine Head to hone his heat powers. This gives the unnamed being inside the battle suit better control of his abilities, although it isn't as formidable as it needs to be. Furnace and Invincible have multiple encounters in the comics, and they typically end with Furnace's suit broken. Furnace teams up with Kursk eventually in the comics as part of Titan's evil schemes.
The Invincible character Magmaniac is a man with the power to transform his entire body into molten magma that he can shape to his will. The origin of his powers has not been revealed in the Invincible comics, but it is known that he specialized in robbing banks prior to working for Machine Head. He is defeated in the battle against Invincible, Titan, and the Guardians of the Globe by Shrinking Ray, who grows to normal size after Robot places her inside Magmaniac's body. Although he's defeated in Invincible episode 5, Magmaniac should return in the future. The comics even explored his attempt to go clean and break away from a life of crime, so that could happen in the show too.
Tether Tyrant rounds out Machine Head's combatants and he posses arguably the weirdest skillset of them all. The character has upwards of thirty mysterious but incredibly strong tentacles that emerge from his chest. These tendrils are strong enough to hold Invincible for some time in the show. The comic version of Tether Tyrant is a well-known assassin who even found himself on Interpol's most-wanted list for some time. Although he's also defeated by Shrinking Ray in Invincible episode 5, he could return in the future alongside Magmaniac as they both attempt to not be villains anymore.