Invincible Universe: Battle Beast # 1 Cover J Variant Die-Cut Mask Cover NM

Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #1 2025 marks the highly anticipated return of the original Invincible creative team—writer Robert Kirkman and artist Ryan Ottley—to the franchise. The smash-hit series expands on the lore of the wildly popular character from the comics and Prime Video animated show.

The Continuity & Timeline

The series acts as a mid-continuity "interquel". Issue #1 specifically picks up directly after the events of Invincible #19, right after Battle Beast (Thokk) brutally defeats Invincible and the Guardians of the Globe on Earth and escapes through a portal. He doesn't reappear in the main series until issue #55, and this book reveals exactly what he was doing across the galaxy in the meantime.

The Core Plot & Premise

The plot explores the psychology and tragic "curse" of the universe's most bloodthirsty warrior:

• The Savage Curse: Battle Beast views his bottomless well of unquenchable rage and thirst for violence as a curse. Having already brought peace to his home planet of Dornn by basically slaughtering everyone in his path, he left his utopia so his internal fury wouldn't eventually destroy it.
• The Cosmic Quest: He traverses the stars on a singular, desperate mission: to find a warrior mightier than himself who can withstand his fury and kill him in glorious battle before his curse forces him to harm those he actually loves.
• The Reluctant A.I.: After retreating to his spaceship, he clashes with the ship's sentient computer. The A.I. despises him because he massacred the ship's previous crew, creating a hilarious dynamic where the computer actively tries to find a worthy opponent to get Battle Beast killed.
• The First Challenger: The computer sends him to a planet to face down a massive cosmic threat known as the Colossus of Emsiu. Battle Beast tears through the Colossus, only to discover Prince Salaka of the Fantanian Empire trapped inside, setting off a brand-new space-faring alliance.

Production & Legacy

The debut issue features the classic, over-the-top, jaw-droppingly graphic violence and dark humor that made the main Invincible series famous. It has become an absolute juggernaut for Image Comics and Skybound, achieving historic status with a staggering 10 separate printings to keep up with massive fan demand.