The first three episodes of Invincible Season 4 introduced a surprise amount of lore about the Viltrumite Empire, mostly in Episode 2, “I’ll Give You The Grand Tour.” And one of the most eyebrow raising names dropped in that episode, at least for fans of the comic book, is former Emperor Argall. If you’re wondering about who Argall was and what to know about him? Well, he’s the key to a shocking twist late in the series that changes everything.
Spoilers past this point, in the episode we get to see a younger version of Nolan (Talon Warburton), aka Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons) teaching a class of kids on Viltrum to kill each other, when Nolan is attacked by two Viltrumites who seem to be his parents. His “mom” wants to kill him when Nolan fails to kill them; his “dad” holds back. And Nolan is about to move up in Viltrumite society when the Scourge Virus hits, killing everyone in the Viltrumite Empire except for about 50 of them — including Nolan, who sees his parents dead in mass piles of bodies.
Later, we get confirmation that Thaedus (Peter Cullen), the leader of the Viltrumite resistance in the Coalition, was the one who killed the beloved Viltrumite Emperor Argall, which led to Thragg (Lee Pace) being named Regent. Thragg, of note, also survived the virus, and keeps Argall’s skull with him, as a tribute to the great leader. And Thaedus has perfected the Scourge Virus, meaning he can now wipe out the remaining Viltrumites if he wants to.
…But here’s the thing: that’s only half the story. If you want to know what happens next, I’m going to put a second spoiler warning here.
What Is Argall’s Connection To Nolan — And Invincible?
In Invincible #102, we get a ton of info that truly does change everything. Specifically, Thragg confirms something that had been hinted at for a while: Nolan is the lost son of Argall, something the baddie has known for a while.
“Can you imagine how disgusted I was to learn that you, who sided with the betrayer, Thaedus – – who murdered your father, was the rightful ruler of the Viltrum Empire?!” Thragg tells Nolan.
So yeah, to lay it all out, Nolan is Argall’s heir — likely one of many. Thaedus killed Argall, and though we don’t know this for sure, likely when Nolan was young enough that he doesn’t remember his father, nor that he’s the heir apparent to the Viltrumite Empire. This is not in the comics, but it’s also likely those two Vultrumites we saw as his “parents” where in fact entrusted with his keeping. And the reason the “dad” holds back is he’s not going to kill Argall’s son.
That’s a guess, though. What we know for sure is that Thragg was searching for the son of Argall for a long time, ostensibly to cede power to him, but (again, assuming) knowing Thragg, like to kill him. When the Scourge Virus happened, Thragg assumed Argall’s heir was killed as well, not knowing it was Nolan. And furthermore, he likes being leader.
So yeah, when it comes down to it, Nolan is the actual heir to the Viltrumite Empire, and Invincible/Mark (Steven Yeun) is next in line… Not Thragg. Once this truth comes out, though it likely won’t be this season, the hierarchy of power in the Viltrumite Empire will change forever. And it’s all because of Argall.
Where To Watch Invincible:
Invincible Season 4 Premiere Dates And Episode Guide:
Season 4 of Invincible will premiere on Prime Video on Wednesday, March 18 at 3 am ET / 12 am PT with three new episodes. New episodes will then roll out one a week until the season finale on April 22, 2026.
Here’s the full list of episodes in Invincible Season 4:
- Wednesday, March 18, 2025: Invincible, Season 4, Episode 1
- Wednesday, March 18, 2025: Invincible, Season 4, Episode 2
- Wednesday, March 18, 2025: Invincible, Season 4, Episode 3
- Wednesday, March 25, 2025: Invincible, Season 4, Episode 4
- Wednesday, April 1, 2025: Invincible, Season 4, Episode 5
- Wednesday, April 8, 2025: Invincible, Season 4, Episode 6
- Wednesday, April 15, 2025: Invincible, Season 4, Episode 7
- Wednesday, April 22, 2025: Invincible, Season 4, Episode 8 *Season Finale*
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