"Hurm" is the fourth episode of the fourth season of Invincible and the twenty-eighth episode overall.
Synopsis
Hurm.
Plot
The episode opens at Art Rosenbaum’s costume shop, where a deeply conflicted Mark Grayson arrives weighed down by guilt. Reeling from his recent violent actions and the loss of his moral high ground, Mark attempts to return his black-and-blue suit, expressing a profound fear that he is becoming just like his father, Omni-Man. Art provides a much-needed voice of reason, gently reminding Mark that the very fact his guilt is eating him alive proves he is nothing like his ruthless father. Art then reveals he has been working on an upgraded version of Mark’s classic yellow-and-blue costume. However, before Mark can fully process the moment, he receives a sudden call from Eve regarding a new Invincible Inc. mission involving the mummy villain Ka-Hor, abruptly pulling him away from his soul-searching.
The scene shifts drastically to the Underrealm, revealing a chaotic battlefield where the demonic forces of House Darkblood are waging a losing war. Damien Darkblood and his warrior sister, Domina, are making a desperate last stand against Volcanikka, a fearsome, flame-headed lava monster who has conquered Hell alongside her army of Magmanites. Domina attempts to engage Volcanikka in one-on-one combat, but the magma-ruler's regenerative abilities prove too powerful. With a single, devastating punch, Volcanikka fills Domina's body with magma and blows her apart, seemingly killing her and securing her absolute dominion over the underworld. In the aftermath of the brutal skirmish, a battered Damien Darkblood brings the remains of his sister to their father, the Great Beast revealed to be Satan himself, currently reduced to a frail, puny demon form. Satan attempts a ritual to resurrect the fallen members of the Darkblood Clan, but his weakened state leaves him with insufficient power to complete the spell. Out of desperate options, Damien initiates a backup ritual of his own. Utilizing his signature trench coat and a vial of Omni-Man's blood he had saved from his murder investigation back on Earth, Damien attempts to summon Nolan for help. However, the ritual misfires; instead of pulling Omni-Man into the Underrealm, it yanks Mark—still wearing his black-and-blue suit—directly into Hell.
When Mark was abruptly pulled through a portal to the Under Realm (Hell) by Damien Darkblood, Riley was alone in the tomb with a very frustrated Ka-Hor. Having lost his chance to possess a hero with god-like powers, Ka-Hor grows tired of his millennia-long imprisonment. He reluctantly admits that he could have used a female host at any time but chose not to due to his own prejudices. He then decides to possess Riley, taking control of her body. For the first time in the series, Ka-Hor successfully exits his tomb. However, the scene ends with a comedic beat: because he is now in Riley's normal human body, he realizes he has no powers and is stranded in the middle of the vast desert, forced to start the long trek on foot
Upon his abrupt arrival, a disoriented Mark almost immediately attacks Satan, assuming the demonic figure is an enemy. Damien quickly intervenes, de-escalating the situation and explaining his predicament. Damien reveals that he did not return to Hell by choice, but was exorcised there by Cecil Stedman. The demon detective then lore-bombs an annoyed Mark with heavy exposition about the repetition of ages and the volcanic remnants of previous worlds, ultimately explaining that Volcanikka stole the throne of Hell. Damien asks Mark for help retrieving the Molten Crown to restore Satan to his true monstrous form. While Damien admits he originally intended to summon Omni-Man to leverage his self-interest, Mark reluctantly agrees to help, warning them that he is strictly not interested in unnecessarily hurting anyone.
The unlikely duo of Mark and Damien then begin a long, seemingly endless plummet down a massive subterranean chasm. The prolonged fall is filled with awkward, joking interactions as Mark points out the absurdity of how long they have been dropping. Upon finally reaching the bottom, they are immediately thrust into combat against a fearsome Greek hellhound, Cerberus. Mark casually fends off the aggressive beast while also playing keep-up with a gravel-voiced demonic warrior, easily dealing with the underworld's defenses as they make their way toward Volcanikka. Thier mission erupts in a heavy metal-fueled battle set to Slayer's "Raining Blood." Satan manages to bring the Darkblood Clan back, but a recovering Domina is still too gravely wounded to fight, forcing her to pass her battleaxe to Damien. Volcanikka and her Magmaites quickly overpower the resurrected clan again, leaving only Mark, Damien, and the frail Satan standing. Stepping up to finish the job, Mark casually overpowers the demonic ruler. Abandoning his earlier hesitation, Mark swiftly and brutally beats Volcanikka, ultimately causing her to melt away into nothingness. As she evaporates, she leaves Mark with an ominous warning that she will never truly be gone. A smaller gang of demonic creatures called the Vial rises from the lava in a final ambush, but they are swiftly defeated, securing the Darkblood Clan's survival, Domina's path to recovery, and Satan's rightful throne.
Back on Earth, Eve confides in her friend William Clockwell. Eve reveals that she is pregnant and admits that, while she wants to have a family with Mark eventually, she feels completely unprepared to be a mother right now. She confesses that she hasn't even broken the news to Mark yet. William comforts her, noting that she sounds terribly unsure, and gently urges her that she needs to have this difficult conversation with Mark rather than him.
The episode ends with Mark's return to the surface world. Having gained some much-needed perspective on his morality, he finally sheds his dark attire and dons the upgraded, classic yellow-and-blue suit Art made for him. He flies back to the Grayson household, arriving to find his mother, Debbie, and his half-brother, Oliver, waiting for him and Eve. Debbie tells Mark that she plans to move in with Paul. After that, Mark goes outside onto the roof. Mark explains to Eve what happened to him while he was gone and how he feels about his mom's choice, as Eve prepares to tell Mark about the pregnancy. Their reunion is instantly undercut when Nolan and Allen arrive. Nolan tells Mark that war is "upon us."
Meanwhile, Satan secretly orders Darkblood to investigate Volcanikka's motives, and considers going to the surface himself.
Cast
Starring
- Steven Yeun - Invincible
- Sandra Oh - Debbie Grayson
- J.K. Simmons - Omni-Man
- Christian Convery - Young Omni-Man
- Gillian Jacobs - Atom Eve
Featuring the Voices Of
- Brandon Scott Jones - William Francis Clockwell
- Mark Hamill - Art Rosenbaum
- Clancy Brown - Damien Darkblood, Ka-Hor
- Bruce Campbell - Satan
- Indira Varma - Volcanikka (debut)
- Kate Mulgrew - Domina (debut)
- Chloe Bennet - Riley
Trivia
- This episode introduces an original animated storyline centered around Damien Darkblood in Hell; this plot idea was originally intended for the comic book series before it was scrapped by Robert Kirkman. It is around 40 minutes long and includes multiple teasers for future storylines.
- Hurm is one of Damien's catchphrases, usually heard as a gruff response such as "Humph!"
- This episode continues the show original Ka-Hor storyline.[1]
- Ka-Hor and Riley return this episode.
- Volcanikka debuts in this episode. She is voiced by Indira Varma.[2]
- Volcankka's line to Damien after killing all of his comrades, "And then there was one", might be inspired from the famous novel "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie.
- A show-original character named Domina appears. She is voiced by Kate Mulgrew.
- William has been recast and is now voiced by Brandon Scott Jones, replacing Andrew Rannells.[3]
- This episode releases March 25, a day before Episodes 1 to 3 of Season 1 originally premiered.
- This episode marks the end of the Black-and-Blue costume era, as Invincible is seen at the end back in his original yellow-and-blue costume.
- During the scene when Mark gets his old suit back, we can see Art working on a suit that belongs to a character named Pegasus, who appeared in the Guarding the Globe comic series and later appeared in the Invincible comics.
- This might likely hint at Pegasus’ debut in Season 5.
- This episode is the lowest rated episode in the series, with a 6.5 rating on IMDb.
- This episode is considered "filler" by a number of fans. Filler is a pejorative that originated from western anime and manga enthusiasts, who often used it to describe instances where anime adaptations would make up new stories to pad out the plot once they caught up with their corresponding mangas' production. However it's worth noting that as the Invincible comic books have already concluded, this more strict definition is inaccurate. Adding to this, the episode provides additional layers to Mark's internal conflict and further expands the series' lore, both traits that traditional examples of filler often lack.