The Invincible Universe has returned in brutal, glorious fashion with Battle Beast #1, a spin-off prequel focused on one of the most fan-favorite characters to ever emerge from the franchise: Battle Beast. This issue delivers everything you’d expect—blood, battle, and backstory—and then some. Let’s dive into this carnage-filled epic and explore the full story as told in the first issue.
Revisiting Battle Beast’s First Appearance
The story kicks off with a recreation of Battle Beast’s first appearance in Invincible #19. In that issue, Machine Head summoned Battle Beast and other villains to fight the Guardians of the Globe. The results were devastating—Battle Beast decimated the heroes with ease. Holding Black Samson and Bulletproof’s broken bodies high, he shouted his infamous lines:
“I came for sport, the thrill of the hunt. I was told this realm offered fierce and worthy combatants. I was deceived.”
He then stepped through a portal, leaving behind a bloodied Invincible who could only muster a sarcastic “Jerk.”
What Happened After the Portal?
The comic then picks up right after Battle Beast returns through the portal to his ship. Enraged by the weak battle on Earth, he declares that none were worthy of his strength. This statement hits hard when you realize he just steamrolled through Earth’s most powerful defenders, the Guardians of the Globe—essentially Invincible’s version of the Justice League.
As Battle Beast walks the blood-stained halls of the ship, the ship’s AI, previously hidden, introduces itself. The AI explains that it remained silent during the crew’s battle with Battle Beast in hopes it might have helped them survive. Now that they’re all dead, it sees no reason to stay quiet.
Battle Beast isn’t thrilled by the AI’s tone and threatens to rip the ship apart if it continues being annoying. Wisely, the AI complies.
Weeks of Silence and Cannibalism
Some time later, as the ship drifts through space, the AI changes its tone and tries to initiate conversation. Battle Beast, in a rare show of civility, says the silence had been long, and the company is welcome. While chewing on the remains of the crew, he explains that while he prefers fresh meat, he has eaten worse during his travels.
The AI then offers to help Battle Beast find a location or purpose. But Battle Beast only hungers for combat—not direction. He seeks a worthy opponent who can finally test his strength. The AI is curious: why this obsession with battle?
The Origin of Battle Beast
In an uncharacteristically vulnerable moment, Battle Beast opens up. He reveals that he was once known as Thokk, hailing from a savage planet called Dornn, where war was constant. As he matured, his rage became uncontrollable, but it gave him immense power. Eventually, he brought peace to Dorne, but his fury remained, growing even stronger in times of peace.
To prevent himself from destroying the utopia he helped build, Stark left his world behind, cursed to roam the galaxy in search of opponents who might finally exhaust his rage. In his own words, “I hunger only for a worthy opponent.” The AI responds by saying it has a vast cosmic database and could help him find someone powerful enough to kill him—an idea that Battle Beast welcomes with open arms.
A Deadly Alliance
With mutual goals in mind—Battle Beast’s desire for death through combat and the AI’s wish to avenge its lost crew—they form a dark alliance. The AI offers to search for a fitting adversary who could potentially end Battle Beast’s curse of endless rage.
We then see an epic visual: Battle Beast seated like a warlord on a throne, gripping his sword, ready for whatever may come. The AI sets course for a potential deathmatch.
The Colossus of EMSIU: A New Challenge
The AI leads Battle Beast to an abandoned planet. There, he encounters a strange cylindrical structure with a face. Instinctively, he senses life within and confronts the creature hiding inside. The being, ancient and powerful, is impressed by Battle Beast’s wisdom and strength—qualities rarely found together.
The creature shares a tragic tale. He was once a prince of a mighty empire, overthrown by his brutal sister and banished to this desolate world. Now, imprisoned in what he calls a “cosmic nail,” he begs for release.
Battle Beast says nothing—but acts. He smashes the prison and frees the creature.
The Colossus Unleashed
The creature, now revealed as The Colossus of EMSIU, towers over Battle Beast and boasts of his past reign of terror. He mocks Battle Beast for being fooled into freeing him, declaring that his return marks a new age of conquest.
But Battle Beast was never fooled.
He lunges at the Colossus, wraps his cape around the giant’s neck, and shouts:
“I know your power, and I want it. All of it. Give it to me.”
They clash. Battle Beast headbutts the creature, shattering its teeth but injuring himself in the process. The Colossus taunts him—saying the first blow he received was from himself—and yet Battle Beast, bloodied but unbroken, demands more.
A Fight Worthy of Battle Beast
The Colossus regenerates, healing severed fingers instantly. Battle Beast slashes through him, unfazed, eager to see his enemy at full power. He tells him to recover—because he doesn’t want an easy win. He wants the ultimate challenge.
This sets the stage for what promises to be one of the most brutal battles in the Invincible Universe—a clash not just of strength, but of philosophy. A tyrant hungry for domination versus a warrior cursed with endless rage.
Final Thoughts: A Savage Journey Begins
Battle Beast #1 delivers on every level. It’s brutal, philosophical, and deeply character-driven. We finally get the backstory fans have craved for years, and it makes Battle Beast even more compelling. His thirst for battle isn’t just mindless violence—it’s a tragic curse. He’s a hero of his own making, destroyed by the very peace he created.
And now, with the Colossus of EMSIU awakened and war on the horizon, Battle Beast might finally get what he’s always wanted: a fight that could end it all.
One issue in, and this series already roars with promise.
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