Invincible Jokes About The Show's Gender-Swapped Comic Character In The Most Hilarious Way

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Invincible season 3, episodes 1-5, and the Invincible comic series.

While Prime Video's Invincible has closely followed the comic series, the TV show has still made a few tweaks to adopt its own identity, and season 3 just referenced its biggest gender-swap in the funniest way possible. So much of Invincible's action and dialogue comes directly from the source material, with the show's social media team frequently posting comic-to-screen videos showing just how faithful the animated series has been. However, Invincible season 2 made some big changes to the comics, suggesting that despite the story remaining largely the same, Prime Video's version isn't afraid to alter major arcs and storylines.

One of these differences is gender-swapping, as multiple characters in the TV show have different genders to their comic counterparts. Green Ghost is a part of Invincible's original Guardians of the Globe in the TV series and comics, but both versions have different genders. Unfortunately, the character is killed off quickly in each story, but Shrinking Rae shares a different fate. Like Green Ghost, Rae was also originally a male in the comics before being changed to a female in the show, but she has survived much longer and season 3 hilariously referenced her male alternative from the source material.

Rex's Note In Invincible Season 3 Is A Fun Nod To Shrinking Rae's Gender Swap

Rex Misspelling Rae's Name Is A Homage To Her Comicbook Counterpart

Shrinking Rae's gender-swap has been a welcome addition to the show and has helped make her story much more interesting, but Prime Video didn't forget the original version of the character. One of season 3's most underrated stories has been Rex's attempt to become a better person, trying to let go of his obnoxious and egotistical traits by being kinder and helping others. Rae has been a big part of this transition, as the two have become closer, resulting in Rex cooking for her after she mentioned wanting a normal cooked dinner, something Rex surprisingly pulled off.

Canonically, Rex's spelling mistake was likely just part of his clumsy nature, but the creators probably used this as an opportunity to reference Invincible's original Shrinking Ray.

However, his handwritten note contained a comic book reference, as his dinner invitation shows the name "Ray" scored out and replaced by "Rae". Canonically, Rex's spelling mistake was likely just part of his clumsy nature, but the creators probably used this as an opportunity to reference Invincible's original Shrinking Ray. Given that Rae and Rex's dinner is an incredibly wholesome scene, this sweet moment also managing to pull off a hilarious homage to the comics is a testament to the show's exceptional writing.

Mark Grayson smiling next to Allen the Alien hanging upside down in Invincible

Invincible Repeats A Great Joke From Season 2 & It's Even Funnier The Second Time

Invincible's humor is one of the show's strongest aspects, and the continuation of a season 2 gag was even more effective the second time around.

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Invincible has continued to flesh out Rex Splode's origins through Rae as they both talked about their childhoods and their bond has been an unexpected highlight of season 3. Additionally, their relationship has also allowed Rex to continue his hilarious shenanigans, and this simple note turned out to be a well-executed gag that comic book readers will likely have picked up on, making it a clever nod that fits seamlessly into the story.

Shrinking Rae Is Getting Way More Development Than The Comics Gave Shrinking Ray

The Character Had Already Been Killed Off At This Point In The Comic Series

Rather than simply gender-swap Rae for the sake of it and give her largely the same story, Prime Video's take on Invincible has offered the superhero a much more fleshed-out story than Shrinking Ray. During Rae's brutal fight with the Lizard League, she appeared to be killed off by Komodo Dragon, who prevented her from expanding inside his mouth by biting down on her. Shrinking Ray dies during this battle in the comics, as the villain swallows him, marking the end of his story, but Invincible season 2 revealed Shrinking Rae was still alive, despite her severe injuries.

Invincible Season 3 Episodes	Release Date
Episode 1: "You're Not Laughing Now"	February 6, 2025
Episode 2: "A Deal With The Devil"	February 6, 2025
Episode 3: "You Want A Real Costume, Right?"	February 6, 2025
Episode 4: "You Were My Hero"	February 13, 2025
Episode 5: "This Was Supposed To Be Easy"	February 20, 2025
Episode 6: "All I Can Say Is I'm Sorry"	February 27, 2025
Episode 7: "What Have I Done?"	March 6, 2025
Episode 8: "I Thought You'd Never Shut Up"	March 13, 2025

This put the character in completely unknown territory, with season 3 further developing her arc. Recent episodes have revealed that she was pressured by her parents to become a hero and didn't have a normal childhood, something Rex could somewhat relate to. As a result, the two have become surprisingly close friends, with Invincible even teasing a possible romance. Her comic fate means a swift death could still happen at any moment, but her increased screen time and deeper personality is something that Shrinking Ray never really got in the comics, proving the series has improved upon the character's story.