What Happens To The Guardians Of The Globe After Breaking Up In Invincible Season 3 (Do They Get Back Together?)

The following contains spoilers for elements of the Invincible comics, as well as the first three episodes of Invincible season 3, now streaming on Prime VideoInvincible's Guardians of the Globe split up early in season 3, setting up a new status quo for the show. Within the superhero world of Invincible, the Guardians are considered the world's first, last, and best line of defense against all sorts of threats. Comprised of many of the world's greatest heroes, the slaughter of most of the team in the show's first episode established the level of danger and bloodsheed built into the story of Mark Grayson. Afterwards, Mark's fellow teen heroes were elevated to the Guardians, where they've risked their lives for over two seasons.

That all changes in season 3 when the team discovers the lengths that Cecil Stedman has gone to prepare for a battle with their friend, Invincible. This spurs half the team to leave the group, splintering the major heroic faction of Invincible and weakening them at a crucial junction in the show. The Guardians being broken up will likely be a long-running story for Invincible season 3's heroic characters, but the comics that inspired it are a likely indication of where the story is going and whether or not the Guardians of the Globe will reunite down the line.

The Guardians Of The Globe Do (Eventually) Get Back Together In Invincible

The Team Has A Bad Split In Season 3, But Upcoming Stories Will Reunite Them

The Guardians of the Globe split up in Invincible season 3 episode 2, "A Deal With The Devil," but the group will likely reunite soon enough. The discovery that Cecil has been developing failsafes for Invincible costs him the faith of many of the younger heroes. Spurred on by Rex Splode, many members of the Guardians (including Robot, Monster Girl, Bulletproof, and Shrinking Rae) leave the team to reform Teen Team, leaving Black Samson, Immortal, Dupli-Kate, Shapesmith, and Darkwing as the Guardians. This is a major blow to the group, which becomes apparent when they're defeated by the Mauler Twins

After the storyline, the surviving members of the Guardians and Teen Team reunite and reform the former team, even recruiting more members to replace the heroes who fell in the ["Invincible War"].

Going by the original comics that inspired Invincible though, it won't be long before the team reforms. In the Invincible comics, the "Invincible War" event forces both groups (along with the rest of Earth's heroes) to combat Angstrom Levy and sixteen villainous variants of Invincible from across the multiverse. After the storyline, the surviving members of the Guardians and Teen Team reunite and reform the former team, even recruiting more members to replace the heroes who fell in the conflict. With season 3 approaching that plot beat, it wouldn't be surprising to see season 3 end with the Guardians reunited.

The Return Of Teen Team Revives An Underused Group From Invincible's Past

The Teen Team Have Really Come Into Their Own In Invincible

Rex and Rae chatting in Invincible Season 3 Ep 3

In the meantime though, the splintering of the Guardians means that audiences get a better chance to see the Teen Team. The group of young heroes was where many of Invincible's super-heroic supporting cast first worked together, with the likes of Robot, Dupli-Kate, Atom Eve, and Rex Splode all operating together in the group. In the comics, they were the initial heroes that Invincible worked alongside, but their quick promotion to the Guardians of the Globe means the animated show never really got to show them in action on their own.

What makes this return of the Teen Team so interesting is the way it showcases the established heroes and their character growth. Rex and Rae acknowledge how much they've changed while Robot has grown more empathetic thanks to his relationship with Monster Girl. Bulletproof teases his teammates about their group name, but remains alongside them instead of brushing them aside as he may have done in season 2. While the Teen Team might not be around for long in Invincible, it's a clever way to zero in the show's character focus on that roster.