At this year’s New York Comic Con, Invincible creator Robert Kirkman explained Spawn’s absence from the TV adaptation of the “Invincible War” storyline. It was not a creative decision that kept the Image Comics legends from crossing over, like they did in the comics, but rather a matter of the tangled web of licensing rights which complicated things.
As reported by Popverse, Kirkman explained that Spawn’s cameo in Invincible #60, the epic “Invincible War” issue, was easy. Both series are Image books, and Spawn creator Todd McFarlane personally signed off on the appearance.
Once TV and film studios, and major corporations, got involved, replicating the crossover on screen turned out to be more trouble than it was worth.
Spawn’s Cameo In The “Invincible War” Comic Explained, And Why “Invincible” Couldn’t Replicate It On TV
Invincible #60, Written By Robert Kirkman; Art By Ryan Ottley; Special Guest Appearance By Spawn
The premise of the “Invincible War” involves the hero fending off an invasion by evil versions of himself from across the Multiverse, a threat so formidable that he needs absolutely all the help he can get to even survive the battle. Enter: Spawn. The iconic anti-hero appears briefly fighting alongside Invincible and his other heroic allies.
Season 3 of the Invincible TV series featured its own version of the “Invincible War” story, and while it largely satisfied fans’ expectations for the adaptation, Spawn was noticeably absent. Most fans figured that behind-the-scenes logistics led to the omission, and Robert Kirkman finally confirmed that at NYCC this year.
According to Kirkman:
In comics, you could freewheel…A good example is Spawn. Spawn appears in [Invincible #60.] That’s because I can call Todd on the phone — Todd McFarlane, the creator of Spawn — and say, ‘Hey, can Spawn appear in this issue?’ And he goes, ‘Yeah.’ And it happens.”
When you’re on Amazon Prime and you’re a show, I call Todd and I go, ‘Can Spawn appear in a TV show?’ And he’s like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to call Jason Blum. I’ve got to do the other thing. I’ve got to go to this person.’ And then I’m like, ‘It’s too much trouble.’ And then we don’t do it.”
In other words, Spawn’s Invincible cameo didn’t run into any legal roadblocks that kept it from happening, but only because the mere idea of such impediments made it not worth doing for showrunner Robert Kirkman. It quickly became not fun, and it didn’t need to happen, so the plan was nixed.
Spawn’s Minor Role In “Invincible War” Was A Major Milestone In The Evolution Of Robert Kirkman’s Superhero Franchise
Why It Mattered For The Image Comics Heroes
Spawn’s role in Invincible #60 is disproportionately small, compared with its outsized impact on Invincible fandom; that is, how memorable it proved to be for fans. Spawn’s appearance amounts to just a few frames, and the teaser that the evil Invincible he’s fighting has “killed [Spawn] before” in at least one other timeline.
What made Spawn’s “Invincible War” cameo so exciting? It connected Invincible to a larger comic book lineage, while linking the franchise’s Multiverse to the wider Image Comics pantheon of characters. It teased potential future, more substantial crossovers between the two Image heroes. These ultimately never materialized, but it’s not impossible that they still could.
Symbolically, it was also a kind of “passing of the torch” moment. Spawn was among Image Comics first heroes, created by Image co-founder Todd McFarlane in 1992. Invincible came along just over a decade later, and has gone on to be arguably Image’s most successful superhero over the last twenty years.
Losing Spawn’s “Invincible War” Cameo Wasn’t A Net Negative On The Story Arc’s Amazon Adaptation
Why It Didn’t Have The Same Weight On TV
Replicating Spawn’s “Invincible War” cameo in the Invincible show would have been cool, but it wouldn’t have had the same weight as the comic version. For starters, Robert Kirkman’s explanation of why it didn’t happen highlights why a substantial role, or future appearances, for Spawn in Invincible lore would be unlikely.
Worst case scenario, it actually would have been a distraction from “Invincible War” for more casual fans. Like the rest of the Invincible TV show, the adaptation of “Invincible War” effectively served as a “second draft” for creator Robert Kirkman. The Spawn cameo is a first draft detail that wasn’t necessary, so it could be cut.
An Easter Egg like Spawn in “Invincible War” exists as fan service. It was meaningful for what it was in 2009 when Invincible #60 was released, but over fifteen years later, if the Invincible and Spawn franchises were going to crossover today, both deserve for the stakes to be much higher.
An “Invincible X Spawn” Crossover Is Still At The Top Of Every Image Comics Fan’s Wishlist
It Could Still Happen On The Page, Or On Screen
As related by Robert Kirkman, it wasn’t worth the trouble to jump through the hoops it would take to clear Spawn’s appearance in the Invincible TV series. At least, not for a potential “blink-and-miss-it” cameo, or even a limited role. Which is all the series would’ve had time for, given the “Invincible War” played out in just a single episode.
That doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be worthwhile if a major crossover were in the cards. It would take even more complicated behind-the-scenes maneuvering, but the pay-off would be considerably larger. Alternatively, there is always the chance Amazon acquires the rights to Spawn in the future, making a team-up with Invincible much easier.
Finally, there is always the opportunity for Robert Kirkman and Todd McFarlane to work together at Image Comics, in order to deliver the Spawn x Invincible comic book crossover that “Invincible War” got readers’ hopes up for years ago. Most fans would likely agree that would be even better than repeating Spawn’s “Invincible War” cameo.
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Invincible: Guarding the Globe
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Invincible, Debbie Grayson, Atom Eve, William Clockwell, Omni-Man
