The first three episodes of Invincible Season 3 saw Mark Grayson and Cecil Stedman’s working relationship collapse. This was after Mark learned Cecil had been doing some shady things behind his back. As such, fans have been wondering whether Cecil is an evil person and a villain in the third chapter.
So, is Cecil a villain and antagonist in Invincible Season 3? Here is the answer.
Is Cecil Stedman an evil villain in Invincible Season 3?
Cecil Stedman is not an evil villain in Invincible Season 3. However, he is technically an antagonist. His role as an antagonist arises from his conflict with Mark Grayson, the protagonist. He ends up going against Mark and they clash due to their differing morals.
Cecil does some questionable things in Season 3 that make him a morally grey character. One is implanting a device on Mark, that upon activation can generate powerful sounds capable of weakening him and his powers.
The other questionable thing Cecil does is recruit D.A. Sinclair and Darkwing II to work for him, despite being fully aware of the horrible things they did. This action causes Mark to lose any trust or respect he had for Cecil, while the aforementioned incident only furthered his distrust to the point of antagonism.
Moreover, Cecil’s actions not only make Mark go against him but also affect the dynamic of the Guardians of the Globe. Rex Splode, Shrinking Rae, Monster Girl, Robot/Rudy, and Bulletproof all leave the team after Mark tells them what Cecil did to him, making them lose their trust in the Global Defense Agency director.
It should be noted that Cecil was not always like how he is now. The flashbacks in Season 3 Episode 2 reveal that Cecil once had a similar moral compass like Mark. This moral compass made Cecil believe that wrongdoers should be imprisoned or face justice for their actions. As such, he was angered when his GDA predecessor Radcliffe chose to work with their enemies, The Order of the Freeing Fist.
However, Radcliffe imparted some chilling wisdom to Cecil, which led to his current moral worldview. He had said, “You can be the good guy, or the guy who saves the world. You can’t be both.” Thus, it seems Cecil is now trying to ensure the greater good, even if it means working with amoral individuals.
