Invincible finally lets its One-Punch Man parody mirror his anime counterpart during the season 3 premiere

Invincible isn't exactly shy when it comes to skewering the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of superhero media. Darkwing is clearly a Batman stand-in, while the second season smartly sidestepped the comics' Spider-Man crossover with a legally distinct wallcrawler.

One that may have slipped by, however, is the background character of Two-Punch Man.

Prior to the third season, the bald superhero had only appeared in the background of a handful of scenes. But the parody of anime and manga hero One-Punch Man suddenly lived up to his hard-hitting billing during the season 3 premiere.

Spoilers for Invincible season 3 follow. You have been warned!

While the supervillain may have momentarily had the upper hand during his ploy to capture all of America's superheroes near the Earth's lava-spewing crust, the arrival of Mark, Eve, and former villain D.A. Sinclair – a point of contention between Invincible and the GDA, to put it mildly – helped turn the tide.

During the superpowered comeback at the 39-minute mark, you'll be able to glimpse a blink-and-you'll-miss-it sighting of Two-Punch Man swooping in and fighting off a handful of monsters.

For the uninitiated, One-Punch Man – real name Saitama – is a hero from the manga of the same name. Later adapted into an anime, One-Punch Man stands out from the crowd due to his hilariously overmatched powers compared to his villains – something that leads to Saitama searching for a worthy foe to fight.

Despite a long hiatus, One-Punch Man season 3 should be hitting our screens this year, though the new anime has been largely radio silent since its initial trailer 12 months ago. Though we can't imagine it will return the favor and have Mark doing battle with the Monster Association anytime soon.

For more, check out the best anime you should be watching in 2025. Then dive into all the latest on Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 and Demon Slayer Infinity Castle.