The penultimate episode of Invincible season 3 ended with one of the biggest dogs in the yard showing up to Earth to check on the progress of Mark Grayson. Mark was supposed to prepare the world for the Viltrum Empire. Since he refused, it was time for him to face the consequences of his actions. The consequences came in the form of a brutal and unrelenting Viltrumite warrior named Conquest.
This writer has repeatedly mentioned that this was a fight that people were looking forward to seeing. That left a lot of pressure on the creative team and, especially, the animators. As viewers witnessed during the Invincible War, everyone was in good hands. Conquest vs Invincible didn’t disappoint.
They started this fight with a punch to each other’s fists that sent a shockwave that destroyed buildings and possibly killed people. That was the biggest indication that this was going to be great. Then, as the fight continued, we saw Mark like we’d never seen him before. This isn’t like when he fought his father; he's stronger and more full of rage. The creative team of the Prime Video series knew and understood the comics, and how to build up a character.
Another takeaway is how much of the dialogue from the comic was used in this battle. For example, when Conquest was trying to pull Oliver in half; that moment was important to the story and the character. You needed to know that Conquest understood what it meant to not just kill someone or move without concern for others. He was versed in torture and what it does to people’s minds while he’s inflicting pain. You are meant to hate and fear him and that was executed flawlessly.
The creative team did change a lot of the fight to make sure it was better for television. Like when Conquest used Mark as a battering ram. It was more ruthless than the train scene in season 1 with hundreds of more deaths and injuries and millions of dollars in damage. As if that wasn't bad enough, he's talking trash the entire time. This will have new fans talking about him forever.
Another alteration from the source material was a weird one. Conquest started talking about being lonely. He said the other Viltrumites wouldn’t go near him because they were scared of him. He said he’d cry but there was no point. It seemed odd that this monster would have feelings. You may have even felt bad for him when he says he doesn't have a name, only a purpose. That was until he told Mark to take that to his grave and started to choke him.
"I don't care how strong you are. I don't care how fast you are. I can see the future. You don't live to see tomorrow." - Mark Grayson
See you on the other side!!! pic.twitter.com/sEipVvEhIX
— INVINCIBLE (@InvincibleHQ) March 13, 2025
And then there was the savior of this, Atom Eve. Unlike the comics, her first stint at fighting Conquest wasn’t brief. She slowed him down, made him bleed, and gave Mark enough time to recover. She may have died in the process, but look at what she did when she came back. Without her, Earth would be under Viltrumite control.
But, in the end, Mark shows the world that they can stop talking about him being weak. He didn’t just defeat Conquest. He was hurt worse than he’d ever been, near death, but had to keep fighting. His arms were useless, but he had to keep fighting. So what does Mark do? He beats him with his head. Yes, he had help, but who wouldn’t need it against someone like this? This should be more than enough for people to understand that Mark is still growing into his name and that there’s no ceiling to his abilities and determination.
Some viewers have complained about the animation in Invincible for various reasons because they don’t understand it’s expensive and time-consuming to animate certain things. That’s why they saved the budget for the moments that count. It’s also why Ryan Ottley was on the show back in season 2 reprising a joke made in the comics. I don't want to hear any of that after this. Mark and Conquest's showdown was the best animated fight in history and now you know where the money goes.
What did you think of the fight? Was it everything you hoped for? Let us know on our social media pages on Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter.