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 НОЮ
IMAGE comcs PRESENTS

ROBERT KIRKMAN
WRITER & LETTERER
RYAN OTTLEY
PENCILER & INKER
BILL CRABTREE
COLORIST
COVER BY INVINCIBLE CREATED BY
RYAN OTTLEY ROBERT KIRKMAN
AND BILL CRABTREE AND CORY WALKER

FOR IMAGE COMICS:

Erik Larsen - Publisher Eric Stephenson - Managing Editor В. Clay Moore - Public Relations & Marketing Coordinator
Todd McFarlane - President Brett Evans - Production Manager Allen Hui - Web Developer
Marc Silvestri - ceo Cindia Espinoza - Controller Jon Malin - Production Assistant
dim Valentino - vice President Tim Hegarty - So0krede/International Rights

INVINCIBLE VOL. | #13. MAY 2004, FIRST PRINTING. An Image Comics Group title published by Image Comics 1071 N. Batavia St. Ste A,
Orange, CA 92867. Image and its logos are Ф and © 2004 Image Comics, Inc. All rights reserved. INVINCIBLE is ТМ and © Robert Kirkman and
Cory Walker, 2004. All rights reserved.Any similarities to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. With the exception of artwork used
for review purposes, none of the contents of this publication may be reprinted without the permission of Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker.
Publisher and creators assume no responsibility for unsolicited materials.
Image PRINTED IN USA
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MY NAME IS CECIL
STEDMAN. YOU DON’T |в
KNOW МЕ BUT I KNEW
YOUR FATHER VERY eo
ТМ SO HIGH RANKED IN
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT Т
DON’T EVEN HAVE A RANK.
I’M SO FAR ABOVE THE HEAD
PERRA у WELL... OF SOT ニキ ーー OF THE CIA HE DOESN’T EVEN
KNOW Т EXIST. I’M ALSO IN
NANA AN THOUGHT. 4 oe
CHARGE OF THE GUARDIANS
OF THE GLOBE IN THEIR NEW
GOVERNMENT-SANCTIONED
ENTITY, AND THE NEWLY
REINSTATED GUARD
ORGANIZATION.

MY JOB IS TO KEEP

E „ш
THE WORLD SAFE... I WAS THE MAN ON

. HIS BEEPER, AND WHEN

— WAS MY TOP HE WAS IN COSTUME, HIS
OPERATIVE. EARPIECE. I HAVE A TEAM
“| OF WORLD-WATCHERS WHO
ас] MONITOR OUR ENTIRE PLANET
AROUND THE CLOCK. WHEN
PROBLEMS AROSE YOUR
FATHER WAS SENT IN
TO DEAL WITH I HAD NO
THEM. IDEA WHAT HIS
REAL MOTIVES WERE,
AND NOT ALOT SLIPS
PAST ME. І KNOW YOU’RE
GOING THROUGH ALOT
RIGHT NOW... BUT ТР
тв GOOD LIKE TO ASK YOU
TO SEE YOU’RE SOME QUESTIONS.
AWAKE АМР AWARE.
YOUR MOTHER WAS
NEARLY CATATONIC FOR
THE FIRST WEEK AFTER
THE EVENT... SHE’S
STILL NOT ALTOGETHER

2
AÑ

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€
SSS 2-2 ンーンジ

クーンークー クークー グーЕЕ

=
|
|

HAVE YOU HEARD NO. NOBODY IS AT

FROM MARK? H HOME AND I HAVEN’T
HEARD FROM HIM SINCE
THAT STUFF BETWEEN
HIS FATHER AND HIM
WAS ON THE
NEWS

$0, YOU
THINK HE'S
OKAY?
 MRS. GRAYSON... І y T UNDERSTAND THAT
МЕЕР TO TALK WITH YOU NOLAN WAS RESPONSIBLE
FOR A MINUTE. I KNOW FOR THE FAMILY FINANCES
THAT IT IS THE LEAST OF AND THAT YOU HAVE NO
YOUR WORRIES AT THIS INCOME WHATSOEVER
POINT BUT I WANTED TO NM ==. WITHOUT
LET YOU KNOW THAT
YOU’RE BEING
TAKEN CARE 4 |

=
‎‫جج‬ ‫جج‬

ーー

m ||
AS FAR AS THE PUBLIC 15 I HAVE THE POWER TO
CONCERNED YOUR HUSBAND MANIPULATE THE BUYING
DIED IN A HORRIBLE CAR TRENDS OF THE PUBLIC, T
CRASH LAST WEEK. WE CAN ENSURE THAT YOU
WANTED TO PRESERVE HIS WILL HAVE A STEADY,
SECRET IDENTITY AND SUBSTANTIAL INCOME
KEEP YOU AND MARK FOR THE REMAINDER
SAFE. NOLAN OF YOUR LIFE.
GRAYSON, THE
AUTHOR, HAS BECOME AN
INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTAR
AFTER HIS DEATH. HIS BOOKS
ALWAYS DID SELL WELL ENOUGH
TO PROVIDE YOUR FAMILY WITH A
DECENT INCOME. SINCE HIS
DEATH... ALL OF HIS BOOKS HAVE
GONE INTO THIRP PRINTINGS IN
LESS THAN A WEEK.

A PROXY HAS ATTENDED А I KNOW THIS IS ALLA

FAUX FUNERAL, AND BEEN LITTLE OVERWHELMING
INTERVIEWED BY THE PRESS. ANP I APOLOGIZE FOR ALL
DO NOT BE ALARMED IF YOU SEE THAT’S GONE ON... І JUST
YOURSELF ON THE NEWS. OUR HOPE THAT I CAN HELP
HOLOGRAPHICS DIVISION YOU IN SOME SMALL
IS SECOND TO WAY--
NONE.

THIS HAS
ару BEEN DONE TO
COTM ENSURE THAT WHEN
7----77 YOU ARE READY... YOU
ANP YOUR SON CAN
RETURN TO YOUR HOME
ANP RESUME YOUR DAILY
LIVES... WITH AS LITTLE
APPITIONAL PROBLEMS
TO DEAL WITH AS
POSSIBLE.

BECAUSE I FEEL
RESPONSIBLE FOR I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO
YOUR HUSBAND’S LIVE WITH MYSELF IF І
ACTIONS. HE WAS DIDN’T DO EVERYTHING
DOING ALL THIS IN MY POWER TO MAKE
до ven RIGHT UNDER my THINGS AS RIGHT AS
... АМР THEY CAN BE.
DOING ALL NEVER saw
THIS? а IT.
 КЕРГЕТТТГІ

OH, GOOD... ROBOT, I REALLY NEED

YOU’RE HERE. YOUR HELP. INVINCIBLE
І DIDN'T KNOW HAS BEEN MISSING SINCE
IF YOU WOULD THAT FIGHT WITH OMNI-MAN
Be. WAS TELEVISED AND T
DON’T KNOW WHERE
HE COULD
Be.
Ne aay HE
4 9 COULD BE
S DEAD! OR LYING
WE HAVE SOMEWHERE
BEEN USING THIS NEAR
po Y.
BASE AS A TEMPORARY THINK. YOU COULD а
HEADQUARTERS UNTIL CALL IN A FAVOR
THE GOVERNMENT CAN FROM SOMEONE IN
SECURE US A MORE THE GOVERNMENT
SUITABLE AND TRY AND FIND
FACILITY. HIM2 YOU COULD
USE SPY
o SATELLITES OR
| THE ў вометніме.
FORMER
GUARDIANS OF
THE GLOBE
HEADQUARTERS 15
STILL OWNED JOINTLY NOT AWARE
er BY WAR WOMAN'S OF INVINCIBLE'S
CORPORATION AND DISAPPEARANCE.
DARKWING'S I WILL PO MY
BEST TO LOCATE
ESTATE.
HIM. YOU HAVE
MY WORD.

SUFFICIENT
FOR OUR
NEEDS. KNOW AS SOON
AS YOU FIND
SOMETHING

GAVE YOU THE

IMPRESSION
THAT WE WERE
SPEAKING
AGAIN?
 =
PENTAGON
ae
>

CE
КТТ

THANKS
un SORRY FOR
FOR WAITING.
THE DELAY.

BEFORE WE START THE HE'S FINE. WE HAVE HIM ІМ

MEETING, IT’S BEEN BROUGHT CUSTODY. HE WAS INJURED AND
TO MY ATTENTION THAT A WE HAVE BEEN PROVIDING HIM
COLLEAGUE OF MINE HAS GONE WITH MEDICAL ATTENTION. BUT
MISSING. INVINCIBLE HASN’T ROBOT, BETWEEN YOU AND Т...
BEEN SEEN OR HEARD FROM HE'S THE LEAST OF YOUR YOUR
SINCE THE INCIDENT WITH CONCERNS. HANDPICKED
HIS FATHER, OMNI-MAN, GUARDIANS OF
WAS ALL OVER THE THE GLOBE ARE
News. STRUGGLING. THE
RESPONSE TIME OF
YOUR TEAM LEAVES
MUCH TO BE DESIRED
I WAS AND WHILE YOU
WONDERING HAVEN’T OUTRIGHT
IF YOU'D BE FAILED ON A MISSION
WILLING TO YET... THE TOP
ALLOW МЕ BRASS IS NOT
TO-- HAPPY.

ALL
EYES ARE
ON YOU. YOU NEED
TO MAKE SURE YOU
DON’T MESS ANYTHING
UP IN THE COMING WEEKS.
YOU’RE MORE OR LESS
ON PROBATION.

UNDERSTOOD.
 YEAH... TO SAY THE LEAST. IT’S
PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU WERE
N Е ОММ!-МА . N W тн
PUBLIC SEES YOU ANP OMNI-MAN IN
A KNOCK-DOWN, PRAG-OUT BRAWL

や
> = >z <

Еб

ご5 Ф $=そい
5と
た° oz
x

YOUR FATHER. NOBODY

KNOWS THAT YOU WERE
RISKING YOUR LIFE FOR

HEAR ...
Š CO“
©LD HEAR HIM. IT
PICKS UP QUITE A BIT, T

THROU
HERE

4 ў

YAN ES
 AS I WAS SHE WAS PRETTY
SAYING, we UPSET BUT I
HAVE THE WHOLE THINK IT WILL BE
CONVERSATION GOOD FOR HER
ON TAPE. WE LET IN THE LONG RUN
YOUR MOTHER TO HAVE HEARD
LISTEN TO IT... EVERYTHING
TO SAVE YOU an FATHER
THE TROUBLE
OF HAVING
TO EXPLAIN
THIS WHOLE

YOU DID
WHAT?!
SHE
HEARD
EVERYTHING
HE SAID? HOW
COULP YOU
DO THAT то
HER?!

SOME
OF THE
THINGS HE
SAID... Т CAN'T
BEAR THE
THOUGHT OF HER
EVER HEARING
THEM. WHAT THE
HELL WERE YOU
THINKING?

IT WAS THE BEST WAY. TRUST I DID THE RIGHT THING.

ME. WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE IF YOU HAD SUGAR COATED
TOLD HER HAD HAPPENED? THE WHOLE SITUATION
HIS REASONS... HIS MAYBE SHE WOULD BE
MOTIVES? SITTING AT HOME WAITING
FOR HIM TO COME BACK
INSTEAD OF DEALING
YOU THIN WIT THE
SHE DESERVES SERIOUSNESS
OF IT ALL.
TO KNOW THE
 ге Га |“

2 о о of
OKAY,
THAT’S
ENOUGH.

LIGHTS.

N <

WHAT? IT’S STILL HERE. IT I TURNED THE LIGHTS OFF THAT'S...

WHAT IN THE HASN’T MOVED. THE FOR A SECOND JUST 50 YOU COMPLICATED.
WORLP JUST WATER AMERICA DRINKS COULD SEE WHAT Т/М S0 IF IT’S
HAPPENED? SO CONVENIENTLY FROM TALKING ABOUT. I HOPE YOU We
YES. YOU THE LIGHT IN РІРМ?Т WANT
THEIR TAP IS LACED AND EVERYONE DIDN'T SEE TOO MUCH... IF THE ROOM THAT’S
WITH A CHEMICAL THAT YOU РР... T'LL HAVE TO YOU TO BE TOO
ELSE IN AMERICA MAKING МЕ UNABLE ALARMED WHEN
INHIBITS THE EYE’S DON’T HAVE THE KILL YOU. TO SEE ANYTHING, YOU CAME IN ... IT
ABILITY TO SEE CERTAIN ABILITY TO SEE THINGS HOW COME T САМ WAS IMPORTANT
FREQUENCIES OF IN THIS ROOM, AND SEE MYSELF... THAT YOU AT
LIGHT. ELSEWHERE. YOU'D BE AND YOU?
AN LEAST SEE
SURPRISED HOW HAH OLDIE BUT SOMETHING.
OFTEN THIS HAH! VERY A GOODIE.
IT'S ALL IS USED. FUNNY.
JUST
FREQUENCIES INVISIBLE?
ARE USED IN EXPLAINING
THIS ROOM. THAT WOULD
BE A WASTE
OF TIME... A
LOT oF
TIME.

OKAY... WHERE WAS 12 OH AREN’T YOU THE LEAST DON’T WORRY... WHAT ТМ GETTING AT WE NEED A
YEAH... YOUR MOTHER KNOWS. BIT CONCERNED WITH IT’S NOT THAT IS HE’S GONE. YOUR FATHER REPLACEMENT.
I’VE ALSO TAKEN CARE OF YOUR WHAT І WILL WANT IN WAS VERY VALUABLE TO US...
FAMILY FINANCES SO YOU WON’T RETURN FOR ALL THIS? YOUR ESPECIALLY AFTER THE
HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT AN І АМ PART OF THE BIG FATHER IS GONE. GUARDIANS OF THE GLOBE
INCOME. YOUR COLLEGE TOO SCARY GOVERNMENT, WE MONITORED HIM ON WERE DEAD. HE SAVED A
WILL BE PAID FOR. I’VE PULLED AFTER ALL. OUR SENSORS ALL THE WAY WE HAVE LOT OF LIVES AND THIS
SOME STRINGS. YOU GOT А PAST OUR RANGE. HE DIPN’T PROOF THAT ENTIRE PLANET MORE
FULL SCHOLARSHIP TO CHANGE TRAJECTORIES AT THERE ARE OTHER TIMES THAN I CAN
UPSTATE UNIVERSITY ALL. HE WAS GOING PLANETS CAPABLE OF REMEMBER.
LAST WEEK. SOMEWHERE. НЕ 15 NOT IN SUPPORTING LIFE.
OUR SOLAR SYSTEM KNOWING HOW LONG HE
ANYMORE. CAN HOLD HIS BREATH
AND HOW FAST HE CAN
FLY... IT 16 NOT
UNREASONABLE TO
ASSUME YOUR FATHER
COULD MAKE IT TO
ONE OF THESE
PLANETS. HE WAS
NOT COMMITTING
SUICIDE BY FLYING
INTO SPACE--THAT
WAS ONE OF OUR
TECHNICIANS’
THEORIES--AT LEAST...
WE’RE PRETTY
SURE HE WASN’T.
 PRETTY
MUCH, YEAH.
We’VE BEEN KEEPING
AN EYE ON YOU SINCE
YOUR FATHER TOLD US
YOU WERE DEVELOPING
POWERS OF YOUR OWN.
YOU’VE IMPROVED YOUR
VASTLY IN A VERY FATHER HIMSELF
SHORT AMOUNT OF SAID THAT YOU WILL
TIME. EVENTUALLY ВЕ JUST
AS POWERFUL AS HIM.
МЕ NEED YOU... AND
AS YOU ALREADY
KNOW... WE HAVE A
LOT TO OFFER YOU
IN RETURN.

ALL I HAVE TO DO IS JUST BE THAT’S THE

A SUPERHERO AND ALLOW YOU GIST OF IT,
TO TELL ME WHERE I NEED KID.
TO BE WHEN BAD STUFF
HAPPENS?

AND IN
RETURN YOU’LL
TAKE CARE OF MY
MOM AND І GET A
SCHOLARSHIP?

ALL RIGHT THEN.

FOLLOW МЕ. NOW ALL
WE NEED TO DO IS FIT
YOU WITH AN EAR PIECE
AND GET YOU A BEEPER
AND YOU’LL BE READY
TO GO HOME WITH
YOUR MOTHER.

WELCOME
ABOARP,
MARK.
 OH, GOOD. І WAS AFRAID 2
YOUR PARENTS WOULD ANSWER
THE DOOR. I HADN’T COME UP Ира
WITH A GOOD EXCUSE FOR AN І DO
BEING HERE THAT DIDN’T A FOR YOU?
INVOLVE OUR MUTUAL DID YOU
FRIEND BEING A 0 HEAR FROM
SUPERHERO. N MARK?

ко, BUT MY... UM...

FRIEND... WORKS FOR
THE GOVERNMENT, AND
НЕ SAYS THAT HE WAS
INJURED... BUT THAT
THEY HAVE HIM AND
HE'S HEALING
UP.

SO MARK’S FINE? ‘WE YOU WANT TO

Wi GOOD. THAT'S GREAT \ N GET SOMETHING
NEWS. MAN, I WAS MEA TO EAT... TO
CELEBRATE?
HIM. АА Я
 WHAT DO
WE HAVE,
CECIL?

SECOND, ARE
YOU WEARING
COSTUME?

7723
NEVER ACTIVATE THE
HEADSET UNTIL YOU ARE
IN COSTUME. THE BEEPER 2
IS YOUR COVER. 5 YOU
CAN ALWAYS USE THAT AS AN ро. І $
OUT IF YOU ARE WITH PEOPLE. peg s

ジ
YOU NEED TO GET IN THE МҮ spare [SY x
HABIT OF NOT ACTIVATING COSTUME 272
с.—
THE HEADSET UNTIL YOU YOU
AND ТМ
ARE IN COSTUME SO NEED TO GET
GONE. ES опери
の КаSX
PEOPLE NEVER SEE INTO SPACE RIGHT
NOW. YOUR FRIEND 16 OOK
>2
YOU ACTIVATE
222
THE HEADSET. BACK. YOUR DAD TOLD МЕ ) E SS

N
as NN
HOW YOU TALKED TO HIM

Š oe
ABOUT NOT RETURNING. HIS
REAPPEARANCE HAS ME

522 y
WORRIED THAT THIS 15
CONNECTED TO YOUR
FATHER IN SOME WAY.

We
As
WORKING WITH YOUR
FATHER ALL

м
ALONG.
 INVINCIBLE,
THANK HEAVENS!
WHEN YOU DIDN’T
IMMEDIATELY SHOW
UP I THOUGHT I
WAS TOO LATE! 1
HAVE TO WARN
You!

WHAT DO
YOU MEAN?
WARN ME OF
WHAT? WHEN T
RETURNED TO THE
COALITION OF PLANETS
HOME WORLP AND TOLD
THEM THAT I HAD BEEN
GOING TO EARTH INSTEAD
OF URATH THEY FLIPPED
OUT! IT SEEMS EARTH
IS OFF LIMITS TO THE
COALITION. な

YOU’VE C a
GOT A
VILTRUMITE
LIVING
AMONG
You!

WHAT
DO YOU
MEAN? YOU ,
ALREADY I VRR
KNOW? i і ・ š 7 ‫و‬‎ I DON’T
ç : š ` за“ “<... UNDERSTAND.
 50... THAT 16 HIGHLY UNORTHODOX
YOU'RE А BEHAVIOR FOR A YIETBUMITE.
VILTRUMITE? 1. THEY DON’T JUST THEIR
YEAH. TVE POST. THEY DESTROYED MY
NEVER EVEN HOME WORLD HUNDREDS OF
BEEN TO VILTRUM. X YEARS AGO. MY PEOPLE ARE
I DON’T REALLY ・ А NOMADIC SPECIES
KNOW MUCH ABOUT | BECAUSE WE RESISTED
THEM. BUT YEAH... 9 THE VILTRUMITES WHEN
AS FAR AS WE CAN :
TELL MY рар IS eee к
JUST GONE.

DON’T ВЕ.
YOU HAD NO PART IN IT.
FROM THE SOUNDS OF IT...
I’M THE ONE THAT SHOULD
BE APOLOGIZING TO YOU. IF
I HAD CHECKED MY RECORDS
BEFORE I LEFT HERE, I
MIGHT HAVE SEEN THAT
EARTH HAD BEEN FLAGGED
AS BEING PREPPED FOR
A VILTRUMITE
TAKEOVER.
 I WOULD
HAVE JUST
GONE TO MY y STILL...
DAD AND ASKED I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD
HIM ABOUT IT. WHO HAVE DONE SOMETHING.
KNOWS HOW THINGS I CANNOT IMAGINE WHAT
WOULD HAVE PLAYED YOU’RE GOING THROUGH.
OUT HAD THAT SINCE OUR HOME WORLD
ACTUALLY WAS DESTROYED MY
HAPPENED? PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TAKING
STEPS TO ENSURE OUR
SURVIVAL. WE HAVE
BREEDING CAMPS AND
CHILD RAISING
COLONIES.

NEVER EVEN
MET MY
FATHER.

THE COALITION OF PLANETS

WILL WANT TO HEAR ABOUT
YOU. WE ARE AT ODDS WITH
THE VILTRUM EMPIRE. A
GREAT POWER STRUGGLE IS
BREWING IN THE FARTHEST
REACHES OF SPACE. THE THE
COALITION IS TRYING TO VILTRUMITES ARE
UNITE ENOUGH WORLDS TO SO STRONG INDIVIDUALLY
HAVE AN ARMY POWERFUL THAT THEY ARE VIRTUALLY
ENOUGH TO STOP THE UNSTOPPABLE. BUT NO ONE HAS
VILTRUMITE EXPANSION _ EVER HEARD OF A VILTRUMITE
THROUGHOUT THE ABANDONING HIS POST OR ONE
GALAXY. THAT DEFIES THE EMPIRE
ALTOGETHER. I MUST BRING
THEM THIS NEWS AT
ONCE.
THIS
COULD ВЕ
THE ADVANTAGE
THEY’RE
LOOKING
FOR.

WILL DO. T’LL

CERTAINLY LET YOU
KNOW AS SOON AS
I HEAR SOMETHING
FROM THE я
COALITION.

IN THE
LET Me MEANTIME...
KNOW IF I CAN WHAT ABOUT
PO ANYTHING TO YOU? WITH YOUR
HELP. I’M NOT FATHER GONE AND
LOOKING FORWARD ALL THAT’S
TO VILTRUM HAPPENED... WHAT
RETURNING TO ARE YOU GOING
THIS PLANET TO TO DOF
CLAIM IT AS
PART OF THE
EMPIRE.
 FINISH
HIGH
SCHOOL, I
GUESS.