If you’ve been following the Invincible comics—or you’re bracing yourself for the future of the Amazon Prime show—you know things get dark. But nothing prepares you for the moment Invincible Mark kills Conquest. It isn't just a fight. It’s a total dismantling of who Mark Grayson thinks he is.
Conquest isn't like the other villains. He’s a literal wall of meat and scars. He represents the absolute worst-case scenario of what a Viltrumite can be: a sociopath who genuinely enjoys the act of genocide. When he touches down on Earth, he doesn't have a grand plan or a political agenda. He just wants to see if Mark is "worthy" of the empire.
The brawl that follows is legendary. It’s often cited by fans as the greatest fight in Robert Kirkman’s entire run, and for good reason. It’s where the "no-kill" rule doesn't just bend; it snaps into a thousand bloody pieces.
The Brutality of the First Encounter
Most people remember the headbutt. That’s the image burned into the brains of everyone who read Invincible #64. But the lead-up is what makes the payoff work. Conquest arrives during the Invincible War aftermath. Mark is already exhausted. He’s physically drained and emotionally shattered from fighting evil versions of himself.
Then comes this old, one-armed monster.
The fight is a lesson in power scaling. Conquest treats Mark like a child. He punches him through buildings, mocks his love for Eve, and literally puts a hole through Atom Eve’s chest. That’s the turning point. When Mark sees Eve "die" (though her powers save her in a freakish display of molecular reconstruction), something in his brain shifts. He stops trying to win a superhero fight. He starts trying to commit a murder.
The desperation is palpable. You can feel the weight of every strike because Ryan Ottley’s art doesn't shy away from the gore. Mark is losing teeth. His skin is peeling off. But he keeps coming.
How does he do it? He traps Conquest. He ignores the pain of his own bones breaking to get close enough to do the unthinkable. He grabs the back of Conquest’s head and starts slamming his own forehead into the villain's face.
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It’s sloppy. It’s primal. It’s not a "superhero" move.
Mark headbutts him until his own scalp is gone. He headbutts him until Conquest’s skull literally caves in. By the time it’s over, Mark’s face is a mask of red pulp. He wins because he was willing to destroy himself to stop the monster. He thinks he killed him. We all thought he killed him.
The Second Round: Why Conquest Didn't Stay Down
Comic book deaths are usually fake, but this one felt final. Until it wasn't. Cecil Stedman, being the paranoid strategist he is, recovered Conquest’s body. He tried to see if he could turn the Viltrumite into a weapon or at least study him.
Big mistake.
Conquest wakes up. He escapes. And during the Viltrumite War arc, Mark has to face his nightmare all over again. This time, the stakes are even higher. They are in space. No atmosphere to dampen the sound. No civilian buildings to worry about. Just two gods-tier warriors trying to tear each other's throats out.
The second time Invincible Mark kills Conquest, it’s even more visceral.
They are underwater on a foreign planet. The pressure is immense. Mark realizes that as long as Conquest breathes, everyone Mark loves is at risk. There is no prison that can hold him. No words that can redeem him.
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Mark doesn't use his fists this time. He uses his bare hands to disembowel the old man. Then, in a moment of pure, focused rage, Mark strangles him. He holds on while his own guts are literally falling out of his body. He doesn't let go until the light leaves Conquest’s eyes for the last time.
It’s a gruesome, terrifying sequence. It shows that Mark is the strongest Viltrumite not because of his muscles, but because of his terrifying capacity for endurance and violence when pushed.
What This Death Means for Mark's Morality
Honestly, after Conquest, Mark is never the "boy scout" again. This is where he learns the hard lesson that his father, Omni-Man, tried to beat into him: some people cannot be talked down.
Before this, Mark tried to save everyone. He thought there was always a third option. Conquest proved that wrong. If Mark hadn't killed him, Conquest would have eventually killed Eve, Debbie, and the rest of the planet.
This creates a massive rift in the superhero community. Characters like Rex Splode or the Guardians of the Globe have their own codes, but Mark starts moving toward a "pragmatic" approach to heroism. If you are a planetary threat, you don't get a trial. You get ended.
It’s a slippery slope. Later in the series, this mindset leads Mark to make some questionable alliances and even darker choices. But in the moment? When he’s standing over Conquest’s body? You can't help but feel he did the right thing.
The nuance is what makes the writing so good. Kirkman makes you want Mark to kill him. He makes you cheer for the gore. And then, he makes you sit with the reality of what that does to a person's soul. Mark doesn't feel like a hero after the fight. He feels like a survivor who lost a piece of himself.
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Why Conquest is the Ultimate Foil
- Age vs. Youth: Conquest represents the "old way" of Viltrum—pure conquest and blood. Mark represents the "new way"—empathy and integration.
- Joy vs. Burden: Conquest loves the fight. Mark hates it. Mark only fights because he has to, which makes his victory a tragedy rather than a triumph.
- The Physical Cost: Unlike Superman, who rarely looks messy after a fight, Mark is almost always unrecognizable. The "Invincible" title becomes ironic. He is totally vincible; he just refuses to stop.
Common Misconceptions About the Kill
A lot of fans who only watch the show or read summaries think Mark killed him easily. They think it was a power-up moment.
It wasn't.
Mark was arguably weaker than Conquest in both fights. He won through pure attrition. In the first fight, Mark ended up in a coma for weeks. In the second fight, he nearly died from his disembowelment.
Another misconception is that Cecil let Conquest go on purpose. Cecil was many things, but he wasn't stupid. He genuinely thought he could contain the threat. He underestimated Viltrumite physiology, specifically their ability to enter a "healing sleep" that mimics death.
Moving Forward: The Impact on the Invincible Universe
If you're looking for the ripple effects of this event, look no further than Mark's relationship with Thragg. Killing Conquest put Mark on the map. It showed the Viltrumite Empire that Earth wasn't just another backwater planet with a half-breed protector. It showed they had a legitimate threat on their hands.
It also changed the way the Viltrumites viewed their own culture. If a "weak" Earth-raised boy could take down their greatest champion, maybe their philosophy of "strength above all" was flawed.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Readers
If you want to fully appreciate this arc, here is how to dive in:
- Read the Original Issues: Don't just watch the YouTube recaps. Read Invincible #61-64 for the first fight and #72-75 for the finale. The pacing in the panels is vital to the tension.
- Watch the Anatomy: Pay attention to how Ryan Ottley draws Viltrumite anatomy. The way skin and muscle react to high-velocity impact is actually consistent throughout the series, making the final kill feel grounded in the "rules" of that world.
- Compare to Omni-Man: Contrast Mark’s kill with how Nolan kills. Nolan is surgical and fast. Mark is messy and prolonged. This tells you everything you need to know about their different psychological states.
- Track the "No-Kill" Rule: If you're a writer or a fan of character arcs, map out every time Mark kills from this point on. You'll see a clear trajectory where the Conquest fight acts as the "original sin" for his new world view.
Mark Grayson didn't just kill a villain. He killed the version of himself that thought he could save everyone without getting blood on his hands. That’s the real legacy of the Conquest fight. It’s the day the boy became a man, and the man became a monster to save the world.
Essential Takeaway: Conquest’s death isn't a celebration of violence; it's a commentary on the cost of peace. When Mark finally ends him, the victory feels heavy. It’s a reminder that in the world of Invincible, being a hero isn't about being perfect—it's about being the one who's still standing when the dust settles, no matter how much it hurt to get there.