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There’s no denying that Viltrumites are some of the strongest and most ruthless beings in theInvincibleuniverse. Their militaristic approach and survival-of-the-fittest ideology puts them at the top of the food chain, and they see things like humans as nothing more than an “inferior” species destined to be conquered.
Of course, every race has a leader, and the one in this instance is none other than Thragg, the strongest Viltrumite and Grand Regent of Viltrum. He certainly ticks all the boxes for being an example — firm, authoritative, battle-hardened, and loyal to his cause. Unfortunately, that means the other alien races must face a cruel and tyrannical warrior, so understanding him can perhaps shed light on a Viltrumite’s sheer dedication and limit.
This article contains major spoilers from the Invincible comics, particularly surrounding Thragg and other main Viltrumite beings.
Who Is Thragg?
Trained in the arts of war and combat,Thragg is Viltrum’s Grand Regent and the strongest pure-blooded Viltrumitein the Invincible universe. He surpasses other powerful Viltrumites like Conquest, Kregg, and Omni-Man, andeven defeated the mighty Battle Beastin an all-out duel.
Like any other Viltrumite, Thragg has immense physical capabilities, including super strength, speed, durability, regeneration, and flight. The only characters in the series totruly rival him are Battle Beast and Invincible, with only one of them giving Thragg his only loss.
He’s shown toheal critical wounds from devastating battles, and the fact thatother powerhouses like Allen the Alien barely damage himshowcases the extent of his power.
Thragg isthe main villain for most of Invincible’s story, going from a desperate, blood-lusted ruler to an exiled individual who attempts to regain control. He’s completely obsessed withpreserving the Empire, with him overseeing the charge.
Thragg’s Fur Coat
One of the main highlights of Thragg’s appearance isthe animal-carved fur coat he wears in the later parts of the Invincible comics. This coat is actually taken from Battle Beast after Thragg beat him in a fight that lasted several days.
After Omni-Man assumed his role as Viltrum’s true ruler, he sentenced Thragg to exile, who then went to Thraxa to procreate and raise his army. On a fateful day,he found Battle Beast appearing in front of himand challenging him to a brutal showdown.
Battle Beast was originally sent by Allen the Alien after he found out Omni-Man let Thragg go.
The battle was extremely close and fierce, withThragg losing an eye and several limbs to Battle Beast. Nonetheless, he managed to come out on top, and upon recovering from the fight, he wore the former challenger’s hide as a cloak around his body.
Thragg’s Ascension To Power
After Thaedus betrayed and killed Argall, the first Emperor of Viltrum,Thragg was the second-in-command and seized controlof the Empireto uphold his predecessor’s vision.
Since he wasn’t a blood relative to the late emperor,Thragg initially planned to serve as a provisional ruler, vowing to abdicate the throne when someone found a true heir.
However, the “when” slowly changed to “if” the longer he ruled without quarrel, and future events in the story,namely the Scourge Virus outbreak, even made the Empire stop searching for an heir, cementing Thragg’s status as Grand Regent.
He staged and has managed to live through all major Viltrum phases, including the purge and expansion. It was Thragg’s dominance and focused nature to conquer that led Thaedus, the rogue Viltrumite,to form the Coalition of Planets in defiance of the Empire.
His Role In Invincible
You candivide Thragg’s story into two major arcs— one where he’s perceived as an undisputed monarch and another where he’s exiled after committing treason.
With the Scourge virus nearly wiping out the entire Viltrumite race,Thragg became obsessed with finding a way to repopulate his kind.
Then, he found Earth, whose inhabitants had the necessary genetic makeup tocreate the ideal hybrids and carry on the Viltrumite legacy.
Alongside a crisis aversion, though, there’s one more thing Thragg has had his sights on:vengeance. Even as Grand Regent, he thinks of living in Argall’s shadow, convincing himself he’s the destined leader, and so he’ll do anything to make the traitor, Thaedus, pay.
Initially, he sends Omni-Man to conquer Earth, but when plans derail,he dispatches more Viltrumite soldiers to continue the mission. Ultimately, he goes to Earth himself and enters a peaceful arrangement with the Coalition of Planets; they would not harm nor invade humanity, but insteadlive among them and procreate normally to sustain the bloodline.
But things quickly change when Invincible accidentallyinhales a sample of the Scourge Virus. While Mark is hospitalized, one of the doctors tending to him drops a bombshell, telling Thragghe’s the grandson of Argall— Invincible and Nolan are indeed the natural heirs.
Out of rage and fear,Thragg kills the doctors as a way to bury the truth, knowing full well about Nolan’s potential claim and likeliness to overthrow him.
In an assassination attempt on Omni-Man, Thragg eventually reveals the truth to him, and when the nearby Viltrumites find out,they immediately stop the Grand Regentand proclaim Nolan as the rightful king.
Nolan sentences Thragg to exile for treason, marking the end of his first arc. From here,he goes to Thraxa to build an army of Viltrumite hybrids.
The Regent’s Motivations Throughout The Series
Aside from Omni-Man and Invincible, who have a lot more narrative presence,Thragg is arguably the most in-depth Viltrumite characterin the universe.He plays the series' “final boss"that Mark needs to overcome to truly become the strongest.
His priorities lie with safeguarding the Viltrumite Empire. He keeps his people at the forefront andforbids them from killing each otherafter recognizing the lingering threat of extinction after the Scourge Virus.
Thragg is also consumed by the idea of powerand will go to any length to keep his status as Grand Regent. It’s shown thathe keeps Argall’s ruptured skull beside himin the throne room and regularly talks with it — seemingly asking for approval before doing anything.
He feels and proves that, strength-wise, he’s earned the right to rule over the Empire. Of course, it isn’t enough, and he’ll go as far askilling the heirlooms to carry on that fact, unquestionably so.
The Heated Relation With The Graysons
Until Thragg finds out about Mark and Nolan’s heritage,he doesn’t perceive them as more than misguided Viltrumites. In their first battle, he comfortably takes on both of them and even lands a devastating blow on Omni-Man before ultimately sparing them.
A staunch believer in perpetuating Viltrumite lives — especially after the devastation of the Scourge Virus —Thragg prefers diplomacy to outright execution. He offers the rebellious duo second chances, and for a time, an uneasy truce forms, though neither side fully trusts the other.
However, after he discovers Mark’s true lineage, all limits are off. Thragg goes out of his way to kill Omni-Man and Invincible one by one, and he would’ve killed the formerhad the revelation not swayed the other Viltrumites, who came to Nolan’s defense.
In terms of battle history,Thragg has fought both the Grayson Viltrumites up to three times, and almost every single battle was overwhelmingly lopsided. It wasn’t until the final fight with Invincible that the former Grand Regent met his match and was finally put down.
