‘Invincible: Atom Eve’ Special Episode Review - A Powerful Origin Story of Super Abilities

What a pleasant surprise it was to find out that Amazon is releasing a special episode for the Invincible exploring the character of Atom Eve. First of all, the episode is an origin story of Atom Eve, and we do not know if certain things from the episode will be considered part of Season 2, which makes it feel like a movie, not just an episode. Although Amazon is calling it, episode - "S202 E1."

Coming to the episode, it was worth the time we waited for the second season to arrive. Technically it's not Season 2, but after watching it, I realized why Amazon is taking so much time in releasing it. The quality of 2D animation was at the next level, and the watching experience, the audio, and the video were mesmerizing. I certainly can't wait for what Amazon has in their bucket for Invincible Season 2 which will premiere on November 3, but first, let's discuss this special episode which felt no less than an animated feature film.

The special episode, "Atom Eve" is a true origin story of the character which follows Eve from her birth till being a teenager and dealing with her superpowers. The episode begins with an attack on a special facility where Eve's mother was kept as a part of a military experiment. The Lizard gang which attacked the facility was soon taken care of by the Guardians of the Globe and Nolan aka Omni-Man. However, Brandyworth, a special doctor and scientist escaped with Eve's mother pregnant with Eve, who soon goes into labor. Brandyworth was able to make it to a hospital and with the help of its staff, he was able to save a newborn Eve from getting into the hand of the Military. However, Eve's mother seemingly wasn't saved, and Brandyworth was able to get Eve into the hands of another parent, who have lost their child in the same hospital. Although the hospital staff informed them that Eve is their daughter and they never lost their child, in this way, Eve remains hidden for 12 years until she starts experiencing her superpowers physically.

Directed by Haylee Herrick and Dan Duncan, the 55-minute episode mainly delves into Eve's childhood, and how she was brilliant in science, especially regarding the atomic study and all. Her parents thought of her being a weirdo and they also sent her to a special school. As she grew up, she realize she was more than just special, but her regular absence from her home also created a rift between her and her parents. She soon meets Brandyworth, who explains to her who she is and how she has special abilities. However, as soon as she goes public with her powers, the military spots her and sends more experimented super kids, who happened to be her biological siblings, to get her to the experimental facility.

The episode includes an almost 20-minute-long brutal action sequence between 12-year-old Eve and her siblings. Well, Invincible has always been about rifts within the family. The scene may not be as bloody as the fight scene between Invincible and Nolan in the first season, but it's worth watching as it shows several abilities of Eve that we might not have observed while watching the first season. The episode explains the full ability of Atom Eve and how she makes up different shapes and layouts by manipulating their atomic structure.

I don't need to tell how the episode ends, but it was quite devastating for Eve. Now we know the real reason why Eve likes to be lonely and when we will watch Invincible Season 2, we might see her from a different perspective. The episode also has a post-credit scene that shows Nolan with his family, but nothing to do with the plot.

In conclusion, the surprising episode was worth the time. Even though I would have liked an episode of Invincible Season 2, this episode certainly gives me a new perspective on how I see Atom Eve. I do not have words to describe how good it was, and perhaps it was the best ever special episode I have ever seen of any show. I would like Amazon to release one or two more such episodes focussing on characters like Immortal or Cecil in the buildup to the second season.

Final Score - [9/10]