Yes, an unexpected cameo confirms thatThe Venture Bros.is set in the same universe asInvincible. Mark Grayson’s world is filled with a number of surprising heroes from across the Image line, but one comic issue reveals the beloved characters of theVentureseries series also exist inside Invincible’s universe.
InInvincible #58by Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley, Invincible is takinghis half-brother Oliver, aka Kid Omni-Man, out to help hone his flying skills. The two are having a good day and Invincible is astounded by how fast Oliver is advancing thanks to his half-Thraxan physiology, and speculates that his younger brother could outpace Mark soon. After training, Mark takes Oliver to get some lunch at the hot dog stand, Beefy Frank’s. While the two order food,a pair clearly resembling Dr. Venture and Brock Samson fromThe Venture Bros.is seen eating nearby.
The Venture Bros' Characters Live in The World of Invincible?
Invincible’s World is Bigger Than Fans Think
The Venture Bros.is an animated series that aired on Adult Swim following a family of adventurers set in a world filled with super-science, colorful costumed villains, and secret agencies. The series lampooned action-adventure cartoons likeJohnny QuestandG.I. Joe, while also parodying elements of superhero stories (with one of the series' main antagonists beinga butterfly-themed villain known as the Monarch). With its affectionate satire of a wide range of topics,The Venture Bros.became a beloved cult classic among animation fans.
This comic cameo isn’t actually as surprising as some might expect, given thatInvincibleoften had cameo appearances from the main characters of other franchises. The “Invincible War” storyline, in particular, featured two Image Comics' icons, Spawn and Savage Dragon. And Invincible himself has ventured out of his own reality andcrossed into the Marvel Universefor a one-off adventure with Spider-Man (as seen inMarvel Team-Up #14) and later, Batman met Mark inInvincible #33. But those meet-ups were thanks to Invincible’s dimension-hopping foe, Angstrom Levy, andInvincible #58’scameo impliesThe Venture Bros.is set on the same Earth asInvincible.
The Venture Bros. Actually Fit Perfectly in Invincible’s World
Invincible’sTone Gels withThe Venture Bros.‘Irreverence
While the ins and outs of both series don’t completely line up, the outlandish nature of The Venture Bros. is actually a good fit forInvincible. Both franchises are comedic takes on classic superhero storytelling that have no problem veering hard into blood, violence, and gallows humor. Though they took different approaches, they both were beloved by their respective audiences due to their new approaches to old conventions of superhero and action-adventure storytelling.Any fan ofInvincibleorThe Venture Bros.could see how both worlds could easily mesh, allowing for this inspired cameo.
At the end of the day, of course, Dr. Venture and Brock’s appearance is just a cameo, likely because Kirkman or Ottley were a fan ofThe Venture Bros. But it’s because these two series are so similar that one could look at this cameo and actually see it working in the larger scope of the Adult Swim series. Invincible’s world is certainly big and weird enough for Team Venture’s escapades to have happened in it. While it may ultimately be wishful thinking, it’s a laugh to imagine bothThe Venture Bros.andInvinciblesharing a universe.
Invincible
Invincible is a multimedia franchise that began with the graphic novel series by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley. The series follows Mark Grayson, the son of Earth’s strongest hero, Omni-Man, as he enters into his powers at the cusp of adulthood. A television adaptation began in 2021 and retells the core story of the comics while fleshing it out and expanding on characters and concepts introduced in the medium.
