The secret reason Invincible was able to beat Conquest

After years of buildup, Conquest finally came to Earth in Invincible Season 3 Episode 8 and ruined Mark’s already terrible week.

The ensuing fight between the two Viltrumites was everything we hoped it would be; a frenzied and violent slugfest which, while not as emotionally devastating as Mark’s fight with Nolan, brought a new level of savagery to a superhero show that’s never shied away from brutal violence. 

Still, in the end, Mark (with a bit of help from Eve) managed to turn the older Viltrumite’s face into something resembling a children’s finger painting and win the day. But have you considered how Mark was able to beat an enemy who was clearly more powerful and more experienced than him?

Well, Mark might have a secret advantage that Conquest didn’t know about, and it doesn’t come from his dad’s DNA: it comes from his mom. 

Mark isn’t a full Viltrumite

Prime Video

While being half-alien gives Mark some pretty spectacular powers – including flight, super strength, and let’s not forget he’s… invincible (cue the fanfare) – Conquest might have revealed something interesting about Viltrumite biology.

During their battle, the brutal warlord told Mark, “Getting angry doesn’t make you stronger.” Except here’s the thing, it actually does… or at least it does in humans. It’s called hysterical strength and is a strange phenomenon that allows people in life or death scenarios to push past their usual limits and do impossible things.

The cliché example is a parent managing to lift a car off their child, but this isn’t some urban legend. There are plenty of documented stories of parents performing borderline superheroic feats of strength to save their kids from peril, including my favorite (and arguably the most relevant) Lydia Angiyou, who managed to fight off a polar bear to save her children. 

Fight of flight

Prime Video

The exact biological reason for this isn’t wholly understood, and there are multiple theories behind it – including the brain briefly overriding subconscious limiters put in place to stop people from using 100% of their strength or a flood of adrenaline that gives people a sudden boost of energy. 

So, do Viltrumites not experience this? It’s possible. I mean, they might look human, but we know there are some biological differences between the two species (unless humans can fly and have been keeping it a secret from me). There’s also some evidence in the comics that backs this point up… warning spoilers ahead. 

During Mark’s second fight with Conquest (which he also wins), Nolan tells his son that what gave him the edge was his adrenaline. Now, Nolan doesn’t say this is unique to humans, but the Invincible fan community has taken this idea and run with it to the point it’s become accepted fanon (fan canon). 

Honestly though, even if this is bollocks, there’s probably a more obvious reason that Mark won while Conquest lost. Mark’s fighting for something he loves – Eve, his friends, and the Earth. Conquest though? Well, he’s fighting for an empire even though he admits he is frightened of him. So when it comes to motivation going into the fight, it was clear there was only ever going to be one winner, and it wasn’t Conquest.

If you love Invincible why not check out our list of the best superhero movies and if you’re sad Mark’s adventures are over well, you can check out our list of the new 2025 TV shows and hunt down your next binge.