Summary

• The Thragg vs. Battle Beast showcased a brutal, intense showdown unmatched in comic book history.
• Battle Beast challenged Thragg not for victory but for a worthy test of abilities, leading to an epic, destructive battle.
• The Invincible animated series ramps up gore early on, promising an even bloodier adaptation of Thragg vs Battle Beast.

Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley and Cory Walker's Invincible series was as remarkable for its brutality as its ingenuity. The combination created some of the most memorable showdowns in comics, and one of the most impressive didn't even feature its main character but two villains.

Beginning with Kirkman and Ottley's Invincible #115 in 2014, the duel of Thragg vs. Battle Beast spanned five issues of the series and raged for days, ravaging cities in its wake. The pretext for the fight is as important as anything else, considering the battle has its roots as far back as Invincible #76. Battle Beast's introduction established him not only as a ferocious leonine warrior but one who could turn to the side of good if the challenges he was up against were formidable enough. Hungry for nothing more than a worthy opponent and death at the hands of someone strong enough to slay him, Battle Beast first met his match in Invincible #76, when the series' villain Thragg seemingly disposed of him with a single punch that rocketed him out into space.

Updated by Timothy Blake Donohoo on April 15, 2024: Though the Invincible comic book has finished publication for years now, the animated series adaptation is only now finishing its second season. The source material by Robert Kirkman's comic book series was known for how it subverted superhero comic book tropes and featured epic, brutal fights. One of these was the Thragg vs. Battle Beast fight, one of the series' most intense. Invincible himself wasn't present when it came to this fight with Battle Beast, making the harrowing fight even more incredible.

Battle Beast Vs. Thragg Was a Fight Worthy of Both Opponents

Thragg was a Viltrumite, one of the strongest species in existence whose strength, durability and flight speed were unparalleled throughout the galaxy. When the Coalition of Planets managed to hunt him down, they sent Battle Beast after him, as well as a team of voracious Ragnars whose unique ability to pierce Viltrumite hides could spell disaster for Thragg and kill him off for good. What the Coalition of Planets did not count on is that Battle Beast did not want to put Thragg down by any means necessary but to engage in a true test of his abilities. When the Ragnars were released, Battle Beast turned on them, slaying them alongside Thragg.

During the confrontation, the Ragnars disemboweled Thragg, weakening him for his showdown with Battle Beast. Unwilling to unfairly face a weakened opponent, Battle Beast opened up his own guts to level the playing field before their duel. The combatants then faced each other in battle, and their showdown immediately jumped to levels of brutality seldom seen elsewhere. Although Thragg seemed to have the upper hand initially, Battle Beast responded by chomping Thragg's head and taking out one of the Viltrumite's eyes. However, this wasn't the end of the Battle Beast vs. Thragg showdown.

The Final Conclusion of Thragg and Battle Beast's Confrontation

The battle of Thragg and Battle Beast continued with the same level of brutality for several more issues as Invincible periodically checked in to see how it progressed alongside the story's main plot lines. That is perhaps one of the best aspects of the fight because it allowed the duel to wage on uninterrupted with increasing amounts of blood, gore, and destruction. It also allowed for the greatest testament to the fighters' stamina that the story could create. Ultimately, the Battle Beast vs. Thragg battle was waged for days and rapidly spanned the planet, destroying entire cities in its wake. In the end, Battle Beast thanked his opponent for a worthy death, and Thragg collapsed with his own life hanging by a thread.

To commemorate the battle, Thragg had Battle Beast's hide made into a replacement for his royal mantle, a macabre detail that added to Thragg's menace throughout the rest of the series. The showdown provided a jaw-dropping effect in increasing the threat of a villain already proven to be one of the series' most powerful characters. It gave a brutally appropriate ending to Battle Beast's story, simultaneously going down as one of the best fights in comic book history.

Thragg vs. Battle Beast in the Invincible Animated Series

In the Amazon Prime Video Invincible animated series, the Thragg vs. Battle Beast fight is still a long way off. Battle Beast has been present since the series' first season, and he's already been shown to be a particularly powerful fighter. However, a lot still hasn't been adapted, with the show's second season mainly dealing with the threat of Angstrom Levy (voiced by Sterling K. Brown). Thragg still has yet to be introduced, so Battle Beast (voiced by Star Trek: The Next Generation actor Michael Dorn) and Thragg's fight won't be for a season or two.

Thus, it's a good thing that Season 2 and Season 3 of Invincible were confirmed at the same time, and given how popular the series has been, it's very likely that the entirety of the comic book will be adapted. It is worth noting, however, that Thragg may have already debuted. A flashback in the series showed a Viltrumite brutally attacking one of the Unopans. The Viltrumite had the familiar mustache of Thragg, and it's highly possible that it was him. Unfortunately, even if that's the case, fans will have to wait a while to see the Thragg vs. Battle Beast fight translated to the silver screen.

The Invincible Show Is Even Bloodier Than the Comic Book

The original Invincible comic book was known for upending superhero comic book tropes and being extremely violent. Although the level of gore in the series' fight scenes wasn't that intense initially, as the series went on, limbs, blood, and guts regularly flew with reckless abandon during the battles. Robert Kirkman has noted that he was trying to start things off fairly mildly before really ramping up the gore, and by the series' end, it was easily distinguishable from a mainstream Marvel or DC comic book.

For as violent as the source material was, however, the animated series adaptation ups the ante. Amazon Prime Video's adaptation of Invincible gets gory a lot sooner than the comic book does, and the show more than earns its rating. It ensures that viewers know that it's not merely a kid's cartoon, which helps the show stand out amid the current onslaught of superhero fiction and media adapted to the big and small screen.

Likewise, bloody animation will always seem more violent than the same imagery in a static comic book. Thus, the best battles in Invincible come to life like never before, and this bodes well for one of the comics' best fight scenes. The Thragg vs. Battle Beast fight might be a ways away, but when it finally is adapted for the Invincible animated series, it'll probably make the comic book version look relatively tame. With how much Thragg and Battle Beast pummeled each other in the comics, moving those images and adding visceral, guttural sounds will be even grislier. Blood will definitely run, and even though Invincible himself won't be involved, it'll certainly be a fight worth streaming.