WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the first three episodes of Amazon Prime Video's Invincible, which are streaming now.

Going through Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley and Cory Walker's original Invincible series can, almost two decades later, be awkward at times. A lot of the language characters use is very much of its time, with teenagers talking in ways that can come off as homophobic. However, Amazon Prime Video's adaptation makes some changes to the source material that fix a lot of those problems. One notable example occurs in "It's About Time," the first episode of Invincible, which reveals that William Clockwell -- Mark's best friend -- is queer much sooner than in the comics, effectively heading off a lot of homophobic rhetoric.

RELATED: Amazon's Invincible Launches Fan-Centric Comic Shop Experience

William from Invincible standing against an open window wearing a knapsack

During the first episode of Invincible, Mark heads to school after his father -- the powerful Omni-Man -- whisks his mother away for a breakfast overseas. As Mark opens his locker, William stands behind him, talking about how the Mauler Twins attacked the White House earlier that day and lamenting that the Guardians of the Globe -- the show's version of the Justice League -- were slow to react.

In response, Mark defends the team and notes that Omni-Man came to assist. William makes fun of Mark for liking a hero that's as overpowered as Omni-Man, though he admits the hero is "hot and all." Soon, William apologizes for the turn the conversation took, saying, "Sorry. OK, straight stuff." The joke here seems to be that Mark is uncomfortable with William talking about his father in this way, though William just thinks it's because Mark is straight. Thus, William makes clear that he's queer in Invincible's first episode.

RELATED: Invincible Teases a Gruesome Scene That Will Leave Your 'Jaw on the Floor'

While William is already out by the time the adaptation begins, the comic book version of the character took a lot longer. In the early issues of Invincible, Mark makes some comments that end up being pretty awkward in retrospect. For example, when Mark takes William flying for the first time, he remarks, "This is so gay." (Atom Eve later says the same thing while taking William, whom she is dating at the time, flying). At one point, Mark also catches William wearing his costume and calls it "Gayyyyyyyyy." However, in Invincible #80, William actually comes out to Mark and reveals he's dating a mutual friend of theirs named Rick Sheridan.

Choosing to have William out by the time Invincible begins showcases the show's approach to the source material. While there's a lot of fidelity in terms of the characters and themes, Invincible as a show modernizes the comic book, which means removing content that's in poor taste. By having William come out earlier, Invincible side steps some of the awkward homophobia in the original series.

Invincible stars Steven Yeun, J.K. Simmons, Sandra Oh, Seth Rogen, Gillian Jacobs, Andrew Rannells, Zazie Beetz, Mark Hamill, Walton Goggins, Jason Mantzoukas, Mae Whitman, Chris Diamantopoulos, Melise, Kevin Michael Richardson, Grey Griffin and Max Burkholder. The series is produced by Skybound, and executive produced by Robert Kirkman, Simon Racioppa, David Alpert and Catherine Winder. New episodes air Fridays on Amazon Prime Video.

KEEP READING: Invincible: Steven Yeun & J.K. Simmons Talk Soaring as a Superpowered Duo