This Missive, This Machination!

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* Poster

**"This Missive, This Machination!"** is the third episode of the second season of *Invincible,* and the eleventh episode of the show overall.

## Synopsis

Mark starts his college career, Deborah struggles with personal trauma, and Allen the Alien returns home to find a new threat facing the Coalition of Planets.

## Plot

Allen the Alien discusses his findings from Earth with the Coalition of Planets. Descending from the planet Unopa, his world was attacked by the viltrumites and his species joined the Coalition to help stop the Viltrum Empire. Bred to be the strongest of the Unopans, Allen's role is to evaluate planets for beings powerful enough to challenge the Viltrumites. He explains Mark's defiance and Nolan's abandonment of Earth; while others remain skeptical, Coalition leader Thaedus supports his findings, believing they now possess an advantage.

Afterward, Thaedus reveals to Allen that he believes that there is a mole within the Coalition and tasks Allen to find it. Later on, Allen is confronted and brutally attacked by three viltrumites; Thaedus then secretly sabotages his recovery. While Mark attends college, Deborah joins a support group for late superhero spouses, but is shocked to learn an acquaintance she made is the husband of the late Alanna/Green Ghost. She later reveals she is Omni-Man's ex-wife and leaves in shame. Mark meets a shapeshifting insect-like alien from the distant planet Thraxa, who tells him his people are in danger and asks for his help. Against Cecil's orders, Mark travels to Thraxa, where he unexpectedly reunites with his father, who serves as the Thraxans ruler.

## Cast

#### Starring

* Steven Yeun - Invincible
* Sandra Oh - Debbie Grayson
* J.K Simmons - Omni-Man
* Seth Rogen - Allen the Alien

#### Featuring the Voices Of

* Zazie Beetz - Amber Bennett
* Peter Cullen - Thaedus
* Rob Delany - Nuolzot (debut)
* Grey Griffin - Monster Girl / Thula
* Walton Goggins - Cecil Stedman
* Malese Jow - Dupli-Kate
* Jason Mantzoukas - Rex Splode
* Ross Marquand - Rudy
* Tatiana Maslany - Telia
* Andrew Rannells - William Clockwell
* Ben Schwartz - Shapesmith
* Paul F. Tompkins - Narrator

## Trivia

* Thaedus is aware of the great purge, hinting at the fact that he is a viltrumite and perhaps was on viltrum when it happened, but the reasons to him leaving Viltrum and helping the coalition are unknown.
* Upon rendering Allen in a near death state, it is remains if Thaedus really is the mole within the Coalition of Planets, that he himself has founded or if he was helping Allen in a way due to Allen's experience of near death somewhat keeping him alive as seen in a flashback.
* Thaedus is voiced by Peter Cullen, the actor who voiced Optimus Prime in the *Transformers* franchise.
	+ Ironically enough several actors of Invincible who played other characters like the Mauler Twins, Female Cecil Steadman, Thula/Monster Girl, Black Sampson, and Killcannon also played transformers characters in other shows and games in the past.
	+ This episode also reveals and confirms Allen's knowledge of Unopia's destruction.
	+ The narrator for the episode is voiced by Paul F. Thompkins who is a comedian in real life and actually worked with Seth Rogan the voice of Allen the Alien in several film projects in the past.
* One of the members of the Coalition of Planets bares a resemblance to Battle Beast, indicating that are both of the same species.
* One of the council members is the Geldarian Emperor from the Tech Jacket comics.
	+ It was a spinoff of Invincible that ran in 2002, a year before the Invincible series started. The emperor was known for the creation of the Tech Jacket suit, currently it is unknown if Zack Thompson, the one who posses the Tech Jacket suit will appear in the series currently and if he will undergo a name change like Seance Dog.
	+ Mark starts college and has intimate romance with Amber.
	+ Mark also starts listening to Cecil less.
	+ Mark mentions that Rick is nearly ready to return to back to college after the last season.
	+ Will also feels bad about getting upset at Mark for not helping him.
* Thula a survivor of the great purge was previously seen in the flashback of episode 8.
* Allen calls Thula a "bi-clop", another term of saying people with two eyes since he is a cyclops.
* Thula is seen with Lucan, a new viltrumite character who may have previously been seen in the Season 1 Finale via flashback to the great purge.
	+ Lucan's design is based on famous TV-host Steve Harvey.
* This episode is the first episode to feature two different end-credits sequences.
* Telia is voiced by Tatiana Maslany who previously voiced, Queen Lizard and Queen Aquaria.
* Samantha, Black Samson and The Immortal, Shrinking Rae, Donald, are absent in this episode.
* During one of the flashback sequences on Unopia, a Viltrumite is seen ripping a Unopan in half. Many fans have speculated that Viltrumite to be either Nolan, or Thragg, a powerful Viltrumite warlord from the comics that has yet to make an actual appearance.