Invincible: How Every Main Character Dies In The Comics

"Invincible" has quickly earned a reputation as one of the greatest superhero television shows ever made — it's also one of the most violent. For the most part, the Prime Video series isn't injecting the extreme level of gore and brutality out of nowhere. Almost every death (or near-death) has a direct predecessor in the original Image Comics series. Robert Kirkman, who scripted and co-created the source material with artists Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley, serves as the TV adaptation's creator, executive producer, and co-showrunner (alongside Simon Racioppa).

While Kirkman has been praised for significantly reworking certain narrative aspects to emphasize the series' overarching themes, the stylistic preference toward hyper-violence has been directly translated — often down to the specific method of dismemberment, disembowelment, and death destined for each hero and villain. As such, the article must come with a massive spoiler warning for the entire "Invincible" comic run and future seasons of the TV series. If you aren't ready to learn how the fight for Earth's future resolves — and who has to sacrifice their lives along the way — you'd be better off satisfying your "Invincible" cravings with one of our recommendations.

As some readers may know, Shrinking Ray is one of the most reworked characters from the comics. For starters, in the animated TV series, the character is a woman named Shrinking Rae/Rachel (voiced by Grey DeLisle) who develops a romantic relationship with her teammate Rex Splode (Jason Mantzoukas). She ultimately retires from the Guardians of the Globe after a near-death run-in with the Lizard League and is written out of Season 4 entirely.

That same run-in plays out similarly in the comics, save for the "near" part. Shrinking Ray confronts the Lizard League with his Guardians of the Globe teammates and is scooped up and swallowed by the hulking Komodo Dragon. The TV adaptation of this moment gives Rae a defiant and disturbingly ineffective attempt at killing the nigh-indestructible human reptile by growing inside of him. It results in her breaking almost every bone in her body, but surviving nonetheless. Ray is not as lucky, seemingly killed instantly. Compared to his on-screen counterpart, he was hardly a supporting character.

In contrast to Shrinking Ray/Rae, the character arc of the Immortal has played out fairly closely to how it did in the comics — right through to his predetermined death in the distant future. In Season 3, Episode 4, "You Were My Hero," Mark (Steven Yeun) is abducted by twin time travelers (both voiced by "Cobra Kai" star Xolo Maridueña) who need his help liberating their society from a despotic Immortal (Ross Marquand). As it turns out, the Immortal had been behaving in such a brutal, tyrannical way because his extreme longevity had finally driven him mad — he was intentionally provoking the execution Mark reluctantly delivers.

This is precisely how this death takes place in the comics — and, according to Robert Kirkman himself, the Immortal's canonical fate rather than a potential alternate future. Due to some other more spoiler-y twists we'll get to further down, Mark actually sets up the Immortal's mental breakdown unwittingly at the very end of the comic book series. He still believes the Immortal is the right person to serve as Earth's lead protector by that point — despite this execution being a formative moment in Mark's development as a hero. Plot-hole or not, if the "Invincible" series ends with Mark leaving the Immortal in charge (with a certain brain-in-a-jar as his right hand), it's probably safe to assume this death remains a closed loop.

Rex is notably hard to kill in the comics and the TV series. Both handle his confrontation with the Lizard League and his ultimate fate in the same way. In the former incident, he miraculously survives countless broken bones, dismemberment, and a point-blank gunshot wound to the back of the head. It's an impossible survival that works best when you're reading the comics for the first time. The series undercuts it somewhat with Rae also making it out, and comic fans already know that Dupli-Kate's (Melise) original body is safe somewhere else.

Conversely, his death during the Invincible War is a bit more impactful in the animated show than it is in the comics. The storyline works as a cheeky subversion of crossover comic book events that spanned multiple issues across multiple titles from a single publisher. As a meta joke, the "Invincible War" squeezes all the expected tropes into a single issue, including a heroic sacrifice fulfilled by Rex (as seen in the series, he detonates his own skeleton to take out an Invincible variant). However, in the show, Rex's death is given more space, build-up, and emotional impact through his relationship with Rae. It's a subtle but remarkable improvement.

Both in the TV series and in the comics, the structure of Conquest's demise takes the same distinct, two-part shape. The TV adaptation emphasizes the point of that structure in Mark's journey.

Conquest arrives on Earth in the aftermath of the Invincible War, sent on behalf of the Viltrumite Empire to compel Mark to accept their planet-conquering imperative. In both versions of the story, Mark is dealing with immense psychological conflict. The archenemy he felt deep, shameful remorse over "killing" (Angstrom Levy) returned and took countless lives, leading an army that looked like him. Especially after Conquest seemingly kills Atom Eve, Mark's initial decision to beat him to death feels less like a premeditated act and more like a trauma response.

In their rematch, however, Mark is determined to kill him at any personal cost. Conquest was revived and imprisoned by Cecil without Mark's knowledge, allowing him to reunite with the Empire. After he attacks Mark and the Coalition of Planets, Mark grabs him by the throat and refuses to let go — even as Conquest rips a hole in his stomach. The TV series has the benefit of better pacing, allowing it to land more clearly as a moment of escalation and self-destruction in the Coalition's mission (plus a sly rematch-reunion between "The Walking Dead" stars Steven Yeun and Jeffrey Dean Morgan).

The TV adaptation basically retells the story of the Viltrumite War mostly as it was in the comics. Thaedus (voiced by iconic "Transformers" actor Peter Cullen) is successful in uniting a powerful enough Coalition of Planets to go toe-to-toe with the surviving Viltrumites. Together, with Mark and a reformed Nolan Grayson (J.K. Simmons), they manage to destroy the planet Viltrum. It's meant to force a surrender from the Empire and an end to violence. Their leader, Grand Regent Thragg (Lee Pace), isn't swayed.

He retaliates by rushing Thaedus and tearing his head from his body with a single motion. In doing so, he remarks that he has avenged the legendary Viltrumite Emperor Argall, whom Thaedus assassinated prior to defecting. Thaedus was successful in death, however, as Thragg does eventually decide that the Viltrumites have lost too much — their planet, their soldiers — to justify killing Mark or Nolan.

With his death, and the subsequent truce with the Earth-bound Viltrumite Empire, we're right where Season 4 leaves off. Given how closely Robert Kirkman has adapted most of these deaths for the show, this is your final warning — below are potential major spoilers for all future episodes of "Invincible."

Dinosaurus' death was one of the most morally complicated in the original comic book series. TV audiences were first introduced to the villain — real name David Anders (voiced by Matthew Rhys) — in the Season 4 premiere. It seems for a moment that Mark might kill him in his vulnerable, remorseful human form due to the threat he poses to humanity, but he ultimately relents.

About 20 issues after where Season 4 ends, Mark makes a different choice. Having actually formed something of a partnership with David-slash-Dinosaurus, Mark is shocked when he decides to cause a global flood in the hope that killing millions will save billions. Dinosaurus then stages a fake, televised death for Mark in a baffling final attempt to sway Invincible to his cause.

Later, convinced by Mark that he can't be sure of his own theories, Dinosaurus deems himself too dangerous to be kept alive. At Dinosaurus' own request, Mark kills him off-panel.

After the Invincible War, Angstrom is taken captive by the Technicians (the creepy aliens that souped him up for said war in the first place). When he is finally let go, he sees Mark's "death" during Dinosaurus' flood and accepts that his archnemesis has died. Before Angstrom can fully move on, however, Mark reveals himself to be alive.

Angstrom makes his final play for vengeance. He holds a pregnant Eve hostage and forces Mark into a dimension where he must fight for his life against evil Invincible variants also stranded there. Surprisingly (perhaps because of the fake-out death), Eve is able to convince Angstrom to let his vendetta against Invincible go. He attempts to right his wrongs, starting by returning the other Invincibles home — only for Mohawk Mark to take him hostage.

By the time Robot and Mark track him down, Mohawk Mark has completely vivisected Angstrom in a gruesome attempt to exploit his powers. Robot mercifully kills the half-dead Angstrom — then uses it as an opportunity to strand Mark in the alternate dimension.

If you're confused by Robot's motivations, it's probably because you're a TV viewer who ignored our spoiler warnings. As comics fans know, at this point in the series, Rudy/Rex/Robot has returned from the Flaxan world having ruled them for centuries. Now fully convinced of his superior leadership abilities, he quietly resolves to make a play to rule Earth. Benevolently, of course.

As such takeovers often go, it requires the immediate neutralization of Robot's potential adversaries. He strands Invincible in the alternate dimension because he still holds deep feelings of friendship for his former teammate. Cecil, not so much.

Once Mark returns and reveals Robot's intentions to the Global Defense Agency, Robot slits Cecil's throat and crushes his head. By Robot's own admission, he was the only human capable of resisting his rise to power. Pacing-wise, it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect this twist to occur by the end of Season 6.

With Cecil gone, Earth's last line of defense is its heroes — now left without institutional support and being targeted by the supergenius trusted to lead them all.

Robot deploys upgraded, unmanned drones around the globe to purge superheroes from the planet. One of his first targets is, tragically, Black Samson, the heart of the Guardians of the Globe in the TV series (voiced by veteran superhero actor Khary Payton). Samson is oblivious to Robot's turn and greets the drone as a friend. It severs his body in two with a single blast.

Samson is far from the only casualty in the purge. The Martian hero Shapesmith (voiced by Ben Schwartz in the series) is also killed, as are several notable heroes we have yet to see in the show. In the aftermath, Robot consolidates global power under the GDA, negotiates a new truce with the Viltrumites, and forces Mark to surrender. He fully takes over the planet and makes it peaceful to the extent that Invincible is seemingly made obsolete.

Elsewhere, in outer space, Thokk — also known as Battle Beast — is still nursing his defeat at the hands of Thragg and the Viltrumites. Eager for a rematch, he travels to the planet Thraxa (Oliver Grayson's home world) once he learns the Grand Regent has stationed himself himself there. Thokk challenges him to a final fight to the death, which lasts an astounding six issues.

The grudge match is surprisingly even, though Thragg is at one point gravely wounded by an intervening Rognarr. Insulted by the unearned advantage, Thokk guts himself with his own sword — then continues the fight. In the end, Thragg is able to reach inside this wound and retrieve Thokk's heart. Thragg crushes it, with a final word of gratitude from Battle Beast for giving him the battle of a lifetime.

Thragg's exile on Thraxa was part of his larger plan to regain control of the Viltrumite Empire. During this time, Oliver Grayson (now much older thanks to a significant post-Robot-takeover-reboot-time-jump) "defects" to Thragg's side in order to spy on him for the Coalition of Planets.

Eventually, Oliver learns directly from Thragg that he has plans to kill Mark, Eve, and their young daughter Terra. When they commence their attack, he betrays Thragg and his Thraxan children, and declares that the Graysons are the true destined rulers of the Viltrumites as Argall's descendants. In response, Thragg impales Oliver with his fist. His death serves as the catalyst for the final war between Mark, Nolan, and Thragg.

Anissa is a deservedly infamous character in the "Invincible" fandom. The next season might well have to make a choice about how it deals with a controversial subplot that sees her assault Mark to conceive another Viltrumite — a sickening event that creates the circumstances for an unexpected redemption before her death.

Anissa has the child and raises him with a human man named Scott Murphy. Through them, she discovers genuine humanity and chooses to fight on the side of the Graysons in the final battle against Thragg. During the conflict, one of the wild Rognarr (brought to the fight as one of Thragg's pets) goes to attack Eve. Anissa fights it off, but sustains mortal wounds in the process. She uses her last words to express complicated feelings of guilt and gratitude to Eve for what she did to Mark, as it led to the birth of her son.

Okay, let's rewind a bit, before the deaths of Anissa and Battle Beast and the final battle for the Viltrumite Empire.

The Viltrumite War doesn't end because the Coalition destroyed Viltrum, but because all parties — including Mark — come to an uneasy truce that allows the Viltrumites to repopulate their species by mating with humans. As exemplified by Anissa later in the series, this ultimately has the effect of making them sympathetic to human survival. Thragg cannot accept this and is forced into exile by Nolan and the changing Viltrumites after it's revealed that Nolan is Argall's heir.

He then goes to Thraxa, where he exploits the Thraxans' accelerated aging to breed an entire army of Viltrumite-Thraxan children, whom he sends to be pulverized in the final battle. Seeing how brutal and careless he is, his daughter Ursaal convinces the surviving children to surrender as Mark tackles Thragg into the sun. They have one last fight to the near death, with Mark's durability bolstered by a suit from Robot. When they are finally reduced to muscle and bone, Mark tears out Thragg's throat with his teeth and sends him to burn at the heart of the star.

Both "Invincible" the comic and the TV series use Nolan Grayson to ask big questions about power, leadership, and the potential to wield either morally. Having fully reformed from his genocidal ways and been deemed the rightful heir to the Viltrumite throne, he defines his rule with his first act — he exiles Thragg rather than executes him. It's hardly meant to be a coincidence that this choice is what kills him in the end.

Though the comic doesn't necessarily make the explicit argument that Nolan should've killed Thragg, it does allow him to regain the strength to wage another war. During this conflict, Thragg handily overpowers Nolan yet again and drives his fist through his chest. Nolan uses his control of his physiology to protect his heart — Thragg senses this and bisects Nolan for good measure. He's left to drift in space for much of the battle, before Anissa protects Eve long enough for her to recover the body.

Unfortunately, it's too late. Nolan succumbs to his injuries shortly after being reunited with Mark. He passes the throne to him, making Mark the final Emperor of Viltrum in the series.

Though Robot fights alongside Mark in the battle against Thragg, he has already prepared for the subsequent conflict brought on by their victory. Mark was never able to accept Rudy as the benevolent ruler of Earth — knowing this, Robot preemptively abducted countless Viltrumite-Human children still on the planet in an attempt to force a rift between Mark and his new subjects. It works, briefly, sending the world into one last bloody conflict to determine which of them will shepherd the future of humanity.

With the help of Monster Girl, Mark tracks down Robot and takes him into space. After a philosophical discussion about the benefits of Robot's authoritarian rule and Mark's lack of certainty about the best way forward, Mark decides to kill him — kind of.

Mark does jam his fist through Robot's body and end his human life. He does, however, preserve his brain, so that its ideas can be a resource to a more moral leader. And who does Mark choose to be that leader? The Immortal. Robert Kirkman confirmed after the original ending that Robot's brain manages to disturb the Immortal's sanity, bringing about the future audiences saw on TV years ago.