Posted in: Comics | Tagged: arrow, Comics, cw, entertainment, invasion, Metagene, Metahumans

Why The Invasion Comic Series Still Matters Today

Published Mon, 28 Nov 2016 16:30:13 -0600

Last updated Fri, 02 Dec 2016 09:45:55 -0600

With constant reboots and revisions, a lot of the comics that were important in the 80's and 90's have been rendered irrelevant to continuity… though it takes nothing away from the quality of the work. But an event like Invasion did a lot at the time to change things, but now those changes have been undone or rendered null. But there was one concept that was introduced in Invasion that continues on today and it may be the reason they are doing it as part of the Arrowverse… the Metagene.

The idea is that there are humans with the metagene that, with some form of catalyst, are predisposed to developing super powers. Similar to the mutant gene for Marvel Comics, though it's triggered by puberty.

The metagene has become part of the DC universe in that powered individuals are not called super heroes or super villains but rather Metahumans. It's a term that is used through out the comics, television and films. It may be that part of the reason for the crossover is to introduce the metagene into the Arrowverse as an explanation on why certain people in Central City got powers during the particle accelerator explosion and why some didn't. It could also lay the groundwork for other metahumans in the future.

The series also took an minor alien race from Legion of Superheroes and turned them into a major galactic threat that continue to plague the LoSH and the Green Lantern Corps.