Warning: This article reports on social media posts containing graphic imagery and objectionable language.

Comic book fans have been arguing over who would win in an isn’t pretty for the Man of Steel.

Posting on X, Ottley shared an illustration of Invincible punching his way through Superman’s chest, the iconic S-symbol on the DC legend’s costume sticking to the younger hero’s fist.

It is a brutal image, one that makes clear which hero is more powerful, at least in Ottley’s mind; given that Ryan Ottley was the artist for much of the Invincible comic’s run, many fans will be inclined to trust his judgement when it comes to this question of who would emerge victorious, Invincible or Superman.

Invincible Co-Creator Makes It A "No Contest" Between Superman And Invincible

Spoilers: Invincible Wins

Ryan Ottley's post came in response to a fan who posted a meme criticizing the idea that Invincible's Omni-Man, the eponymous hero's alien father, could defeat Superman in 1-v-1 combat. Ottley shifted the conversation to Invincible himself, and his bloody answer is in line with the violent sensibilities and dark humor. The graphic depiction frames Invincible at the top of the illustration, soaring forward soaked in viscera, entrails flying around him, mouth open in an adrenaline-fueled battle-cry, all while the Man of Steel is left behind, at the bottom of the image, with a massive hole through his mid-section.

This last detail is what makes Ottley's artistic rendering of this moment legitimately disturbing; the look of anguish on Superman's face makes it clear this has all gone down so fast that he can only use his last few seconds alive to process what happened, and ask how it could have happened. It is a gnarly answer to the fan question of "Invincible vs. Superman," one in which artist Ryan Ottley is unafraid to make his bias clear; of course, as one of Invincible's co-creators, there's no hiding his dog in this fight.

Invincible's Parallels To Superman Make Them A Dream Match-Up For Superhero Fans

The "Who Wins" Debate Doesn't End Here

Of course, definitive as it might seem, Ottley's true motive is to further the conversation, which elevates Invincible to the status of the hero that inspired him in the first place. The subvert and satirize superhero story clichés throughout its run, the parallels between the two make theories about a potential match-up even more exciting.

Superman remains the prototypical superhero in the average person's mind, but there are many contenders for that role in the future, including Invincible.

So, while Ryan Ottley's illustration of Invincible easily killing Superman will settle the debate for some fans, and stir further rebuttals from others, the comparisons between the two heroes will continue. That is because Invincible, as a franchise, and Invincible as a character, have taken on further prominence in the upper echelon of mainstream superheroes, thanks to the Amazon adaptation of the comic. Nearly a century after his first appearance, Superman remains the prototypical superhero in the average person's mind, but there are many contenders for that role in the future, including Invincible.

Source: Ryan Ottley on X