Did Invincible Season 4 Really Just Kill Off [SPOILER]?

Spoilers ahead for "Invincible" season 4, episode 6, "You Look Horrible."

"Invincible" season 4 has delivered a rematch between Mark Grayson/Invincible (Steven Yeun) and Conquest (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Back in season 3, Invincible was pushed to his limit and beat Conquest to an inch of his life. This time, Mark finished the job, strangling Conquest even as his opponent punched his stomach open. (If you remember Yeun and Morgan's "Walking Dead" roles, then you'll realize Glenn just got his revenge on Negan.)

The latest episode of "Invincible," titled "You Look Horrible," focuses largely on Nolan (J.K. Simmons) and Oliver (Christian Convery) watching over Mark as he heals. Nolan creates a grave for Conquest, saying even he deserves it. Then, at the end of the episode, there's a stinger that returns to the grave, seeming to culminate in an ominous close-up — but then it cuts back to a wide shot, and nothing happens.

The "Invincible" season 4 premiere already featured a post-credits scene of Conquest returning, but the Viltrumite wasn't so lucky this time. The scene is basically a reverse jump scare, one taking advantage of audiences' natural suspicion that maybe Conquest survived. But he didn't, per the original "Invincible" comics, and this post credits scene essentially confirms that he's truly dead in the cartoon as well. 

After two beyond bloody battles with Mark, is there anything else for Conquest to do without hitting diminishing returns?

Spoilers for the "Invincible" comics to follow.

Some "Invincible" fans might be disappointed that the show is keeping Conquest's fate the same, given the series previously added a new dimension to his character. Back in the season 3 finale, Conquest (thinking he was about to kill Mark) confessed that, deep down, he is miserable. As he admitted (abbreviated below):

"I am so lonely. All the other Viltrumites are scared of me. [...] They send me from planet to planet committing atrocities in their name. And as I get better at it, they fear me more and more. I am a victim of my own success. Conquest. I don't even get a real name, only a purpose."

It's now clear "Invincible" writer Robert Kirkman didn't add these lines to seed a new show-original Conquest redemption arc. The obvious thought (and the one I first had) is that he's irredeemable. But is he really that different from Nolan?

After the surviving Viltrumites settle on Earth in the "Invincible" comics, all of them (except Thragg) turn good after living among humans and finding mates. Nolan wasn't the exception; rather, he was the test case showing Viltrumites could be deprogrammed. While Conquest doesn't live to see that, his season 3 finale monologue does help set this up to happen on the show; even the most vicious and sadistic Viltrumite wasn't truly satisfied by their culture.

"Invincible" comic artist Ryan Ottley was recently asked on Twitter if he and Kirkman regretted killing off Conquest. They did not — but Ottley hinted that Conquest will be appearing in the ongoing prequel comic, "Invincible Universe: Battle Beast."

No. Because if we miss him, we can always tell past stories. https://t.co/YmJbWq1oFM pic.twitter.com/1ni18WeV7e

— RYAN OTTLEY (@RyanOttley) April 3, 2026

If you need more of a Conquest fix, there you go.

"Invincible" is streaming on Prime Video.