The Infinite is a Image Comics comic-book series by Robert Kirkman, with art by Rob Liefeld.
After years of trying and failing to defeat The Infinite, freedom fighter Bowen realizes that his foes are too powerful, and too entrenched. Thus, he goes back in time to join forces with his younger self to overthrow The Infinite before it takes over.
The Infinite provides examples of:
- Assimilation Plot: The Infinite took over by using image scrambles to pose as humans and infiltrate their military bases until they had enough personnel on the inside to take over those bases.
- Cut Short: The series was abruptly cancelled after Issue #4.
- The Empire: The Infinite is a vast empire that has conquered the world. Naturally, it rules with an iron fist.
- Faceless Goons: The Infinite's soldiers wear full-body armour with blank masks.
- Heel–Face Turn: Core turns against Imperius after Future!Bowen tells him that that Imperius won't be able to cure Core's sister in the future, as he had promised. However, Future!Imperius claims that Core's defection will ultimately benefit the Infinite...
- Knight Templar: Imperius is determined to bring order to the world at any cost.
- Future Me Scares Me: Bowen isn't exactly thrilled to see the sort of humourless bastard he'll turn into.
- Out-Gambitted: Imperius allowed Bowen and Case to get hold of his masking technology, which he had the means to counteract, so that they'd walk straight into his base thinking themselves hidden and he could finally catch them. Turns out, Bowen and Case knew the technology could be counteracted - and also knew that Imperius wouldn't be able to resist crowing to them about his victory in person, giving them a chance to steal his time-travelling belt.
- Set Right What Once Went Wrong: Bowen plans to go back in time to team up with his younger self to defeat The Infinite before it takes over everything.
- Survivor Guilt: Future!Case was the one who was originally meant to go back in time, but he was killed in the fight with the Infinite. Future!Bowen is bitterly certain that the mission would have been in better hands if he'd been the one to die instead.
- Timey-Wimey Ball: There were hints that the time-travelling shenanigans were going to get extremely complicated if the story had continued, with both sides making use of knowledge of different versions of the future and sending back masked allies (who were probably future versions of other characters) to undo each other's victories.
