Invincible: Whatever Happened To Damien Darkblood, Demon Detective?

While "Invincible" differs from the comics in many ways, Damien Darkblood's (Clancy Brown) role is just as small across both mediums. Although Cecil Stedman (Walton Goggins) hires him to investigate Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons), the demon detective isn't around when the Season 1 finale rolls the credits. So, where did he go?

Well, he's in Hell. Shortly after Darkblood begins looking into the deaths of the Guardians of the Globe, he deduces that Omni-Man is responsible. Naturally, the detective wants the world to know of the hero's villainous acts, but that doesn't align with Cecil's plans. The head of the Global Defense Agency (GDA) believes Omni-Man is responsible but wants to know why he did it and how to stop him. So, because he and Darkblood can't get on the same page, Cecil is left with no other option but to banish him back to Hell.

Unsurprisingly, banishing a demon to Hell isn't a simple task. Darkblood felt a sense of false confidence because, long before the events of the story, he had destroyed the "Demonius Ex-Mortum," the book used to banish demons. However, Cecil and the GDA used artificial intelligence to recreate it and send Darkblood back to his realm just a few episodes after the show introduced him. Still, all may not be lost for the demon detective.

Within the pages of the "Invincible" comics, Damien Darkblood is just about as clear-cut as he is in the show. He isn't around long, only appearing in a handful of the 144 issues. In fact, Robert Kirkman gives the character way more to do in the "Invincible" show than he ever did in the original story. Currently, no signs point to the demon detective returning anytime soon. But his lack of character in the comics makes him the perfect test subject for "Invincible" to further develop on screen. 

This entire theory hinges on Kirkman. The creator and executive producer of the animated series is also the writer of the comics, meaning he could easily give Darkblood more of a story if he deems it necessary. All the character does in the comics is solve the murder of the Guardians of the Globe after the narrative reveals what happened to the reader. While it shows that maybe Darkblood isn't the best detective, it also means his story is as open-ended as they come. 

Kirkman and the "Invincible" team have already shown a willingness to give Darkblood more to do in the animated version. He was the butt of a joke in the comics, and the show transformed him into a compelling character. That trend could easily continue in future seasons. Season 2 already confirmed the return of a dead character, so why couldn't Darkblood, who doesn't share that fate, get a similar treatment?