The formation and evolution of shear bands in Inconel 718 nickel-base superalloy under plane strain compression was investigated in the present work. It is found that the propagation of shear bands under plane strain compression is more intense in comparison with conventional uniaxial compression. The morphology of shear bands was identified to generally fall into two categories: in "S" shape at severe conditions (low temperatures and high strain rates) and "X" shape at mild conditions (high temperatures and low strain rates). However, uniform deformation at the mesoscale without shear bands was also obtained by compressing at 1050 • C/0.001 s −1 . By using the finite element method (FEM), the formation mechanism of the shear bands in the present study was explored for the special deformation mode of plane strain compression. Furthermore, the effect of processing parameters, i.e., strain rate and temperature, on the morphology and evolution of shear bands was discussed following a phenomenological approach. The plane strain compression attempt in the present work yields important information for processing parameters optimization and failure prediction under plane strain loading conditions of the Inconel 718 superalloy.dangerous factor for deformation and may result in localized deformation and local failure. It not only can significantly degrade the mechanical properties of alloys, but also can lead to the final failure of the component due to the shear-induced cracking. Therefore, a new insight of the flow characteristics at various deformation conditions during hot-working process is of great importance in controlling deformation, and contributing to obtain desirable components.Up to now, many studies focused on the flow instability of alloys by means of isothermal uniaxial compression [10][11][12]. However, only few investigations primarily concerned with the flow behavior under the plane strain compression [13]. In the present study, the deformation behavior of Inconel 718 superalloy in generalized plane strain conditions subjected to pressure and elevated temperature is investigated and discussed. The effect of processing parameters on shear band propagation and unstable plastic was studied by analyzing the flow curves and microstructures. Furthermore, the finite element method (FEM) [14,15] was employed to interpret the occurrence and evolution of shear bands during the compression process. The present work for Inconel 718 superalloy yields important information for the optimizing of processing parameters and failure prediction under plane strain conditions.