Kang the Conqueror | |
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Cover of Avengers #129 (Nov. 1974), featuring Kang the Conqueror battling the Avengers. Art by Sal Buscema. |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance | as Rama-Tut: Fantastic Four #19 (Oct. 1963) as Kang: Avengers #8 (Sep. 1964) |
Created by | Stan Lee Jack Kirby |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Nathaniel Richards |
Team affiliations | Council of Kangs Cross-Time Kangs |
Notable aliases | Iron Lad, Rama-Tut, Victor Timely, Scarlet Centurion, Immortus |
Abilities | Genius-level intellect Master tactician and strategist Skilled armed/unarmed combatant Access to advanced technology Slowed aging |
Kang the Conqueror is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Avengers #8 (Sep. 1964), and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. In 2009, Kang was ranked as IGN's 65th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.
Contents |
Fictional character biography
Nathaniel Richards was a scholar born in the 30th century. Bored with the perfection of his society, Richards became fascinated with history and discovered the time travel technology created by one of his ancestors, Reed Richards.[1] Richards then traveled back in time to ancient Egypt circa 2950 B.C., in a Sphinx-shaped timeship, and became the Pharaoh Rama-Tut, with intentions of claiming En Sabah Nur — the mutant destined to become Apocalypse — as his heir.[2] Kang's rule lasts until being driven off after a defeat at the hands of the time-displaced heroes of the 20th century, the Fantastic Four (with some help from a time-traveling Doctor Strange[3] and Khonshu[4]), and he escapes into time.[5] He returns to rule, and encounters the time-traveling West Coast Avengers.[6]
Embittered by this defeat, he travels forward to the 20th century of an alternate timeline, being Earth-689, and meets his ancestor Doctor Doom, first encountering him adrift in outer space and returning him to Earth.[7] Richards then designs armor for himself based on Doom's, and calling himself the Scarlet Centurion manipulates the Avengers from this timeline — the original team — into apprehending all heroes and villains. The Centurion then transports the Avengers from the mainstream Marvel universe (Earth-616) into the timeline, hoping that they will defeat their Earth-689 equivalents, and can then be disposed of. While the mainstream versions do defeat their counterparts, they are also able to force the Centurion from the timeline, where he battles the Squadron Supreme on an alternate Earth.[8] The Centurion then travels back to his home century, and reinvents himself as Kang the Conqueror, and using the resources at his disposal establishes an empire.
On Kang's first foray into the 20th century, his attempt to conquer this time period is thwarted by the superhero team the Avengers.[9] Kang is furious and swears vengeance, and battles the Avengers to a stalemate, using a Spider-Man robot.[10] He returns, attempting to win the hand of Princess Ravonna by demonstrating his power to her father by battling the Avengers; however, Ravonna is mortally wounded.[11] After an encounter with the Thunder God Thor utilizing his Growing Man,[12] Kang returns and enters into a wager with the cosmic entity Grandmaster in hopes of restoring life to Ravonna, and uses the Avengers as his pawns against the Grandmaster's newly created champions, the Squadron Sinister.[13] This also ends in a stalemate, and Kang later has a brief encounter with the Hulk, utilizing him in a scheme to conquer Earth during World War I,[14] before trying to capture the Avengers once more — a scheme foiled by Spider-Man, the Human Torch, and the Inhumans.[15]
Several months later Kang reappears, seeking the Celestial Madonna for a mate, whom he believes is on Earth. The discovery that it is the Avenger Mantis leads to another confrontation with the Avengers. The Avengers are aided by a futuristic version of Rama-Tut, who had returned to ancient Egypt in his old age and ruled for ten years, and then placed himself in suspended animation to revive in the 20th Century. This Rama-Tut has abandoned his identity as Kang and seeks to counsel and change his younger, conquering self. While Kang is foiled in his quest for the Celestial Madonna, Rama-Tut is unable to prevent the accidental death of the Avenger the Swordsman.[16] As Kang escapes, the Avenger Hawkeye chooses to pursue him (courtesy of Doom's time-travel machine), which results in a final battle in the Old West in 1871. Aided by the futuristic Rama-Tut once more — who has evolved after a journey to Limbo and a study of time into Immortus[17] — Hawkeye, Thor, and ally Moondragon confront Kang. In trying to defeat Thor, Kang draws on an excessive amount of energy and destroys himself.[18]
Resurrection
Years later the Hulk has an encounter in the future with Kang's still devoted minions,[19] and the Beyonder plucks a living Kang from his timeline to participate on the villains' side in the first of the Secret Wars.[20] He was revealed as a possible descendant of Nathaniel Richards from the 31st Century of an alternate Earth.[21] It was then revealed that while the original Kang was dead, his constant time-traveling had caused the creation of a number of other flawed "Kangs", and so the few stable versions of the villain form a council to eliminate the others and stop a proliferation of still more of their number. The Avengers are drawn into the conflict, and once again with the help of Immortus triumph, with only one "Prime" Kang remaining, who falls into nothingness in Limbo.[22]
Another Kang was later revealed to have survived, and is invited to join the Crosstime Kang Corps (or, the "Council of Cross-Time Kangs"), which consists of a group of various aliens posing as Kang, searching for a Celestial "Ultimate Weapon". This version of Kang calls himself "Fred" (by his own admission a humorous nod to Fred Flintstone, with a prehistoric name being appropriate for a time-traveler) and has a brief encounter with the Avengers while trying to stop the female space-pirate Nebula from interfering with a timeline.[23] The Prime Kang then attempts to manipulate the Avengers from a time vortex [24] and later encounters the Fantastic Four in a bid to capture Mantis,[25] while "Fred" is incinerated by a Nebula-possessed Human Torch during a later battle with the Fantastic Four in the timestream.[26]
Immortus reappears and reveals in a battle with the Avengers West Coast that he desires to be master of all time and plans to use the Avenger the Scarlet Witch as a nexus in order to control time. Immortus' plan is foiled when a group of beings called the Time Keepers — who charged Immortus with responsibility for the period of time from 3,000 B.C to 4,000 AD — appear and use him as the nexus point to stabilize the damage done to the timestream by his interference.[27] Prime Kang then makes a brief appearance as an ally of Dr. Doom when the latter tries to steal the Infinity Gems.[28]
New Empire
The Prime Kang then appears and takes the android Avenger the Vision prisoner, and battles both the Avengers and a new foe — Terminatrix — who is revealed to be Kang's old lover Ravonna. Kang is critically injured when he intercepts a blow from Thor's hammer Mjolnir that was meant for Ravonna, who is distraught over his sacrifice and teleports away with him.[29] Terminatrix then places Prime Kang in stasis to heal and assumes control of his empire. However, she finds the empire under attack by a chronal being called Alioth, and is forced to summon the Avengers to assist. Terminatrix also revives Kang, who assists the Avengers in defeating Alioth, but not before allowing the entity to kill the entire Crosstime Kang Corps.[30]
A recovered Prime Kang later aids the Avengers and their companion Rick Jones against another scheme implemented by his future self, Immortus, who is now allied with the Time Keepers. When Immortus betrays the Time Keepers they kill him, and are in turn killed by Kang, though not before resurrecting Immortus by "splitting him off" from Kang. This then allows Kang to be free of Immortus as he has now fulfilled his destiny of becoming Immortus without being trapped by it.[31] After some months Prime Kang embarks on an ambitious scheme (the Kang War) to conquer the Earth, this time aided by a son, Marcus, who now uses the alias of the Scarlet Centurion. Kang first promises any who aid him on Earth a place in his new order, which puts Earth's defenses and the Avengers under strain as they fight off villain after villain. Kang then takes control of Earth's defense system, and after destroying the city of Washington and killing millions, forces a surrender. The Avengers continue to battle the forces of Kang's new empire, and eventually he is defeated by Captain America in personal combat. Although imprisoned, Kang is freed by his son Marcus, who is revealed to be only one of a series of clones. Kang then reveals that he is aware of Marcus' betrayal (Marcus fell in love with and aided the Avenger Warbird) and kills him before retreating from Earth.[32]
In a more recent development, the hero Iron Lad is revealed to be an adolescent version of Kang, and on learning this kills Prime Kang to try and prevent this from occurring. The result is disastrous for the timeline and Iron Lad then goes back in time to undo the damage by becoming Kang.[33]
Kang established a small, quiet town called Timely in northern Illinois around 1910, as a private retreat from the daily stresses of the Empire, where he occasionally resides as mayor Victor Timely.[volume & issue needed] It was during one of his vacation times that he took an interest in a young visiting college graduate named Phineas Horton, providing Horton with some insights during their talks which led him to eventually create the original Human Torch.[volume & issue needed]
Realm of Kings
Kang came to assist the Guardians of the Galaxy when they barely halted the spread of the space-time tear referred to as the Fault. He informs them that Adam Warlock has become Magus.[34]
Powers and abilities
Kang has no superhuman abilities, but is an extraordinary genius, an expert historical scholar, a master physicist (specializing in time-travel), engineer, and technician. Courtesy of 40th century technology, he has mastered combat and tactics, and is thoroughly versed in the principles of time travel. Kang wears highly advanced battle armor that enhances his strength; is capable of energy, hologram and force-field projection, has a 30 day supply of air and food, and the ability to control other forms of technology. Via his "time-ship", Kang has access to technology from any century.
As Rama-Tut, he used an "ultra-diode" ray-gun, able to sap the wills of human beings; at high-frequency, able to weaken superhuman beings and prevent use of their superhuman powers.
Other versions
Ultimate Marvel
Writer Mark Millar plans to use Kang in an upcoming story arc of the new Ultimates series, Ultimate Avengers.[citation needed]
Old Man Logan
Kang is also mentioned to have defeated Reed and Sue Richards in the Old Man Logan series.[volume & issue needed]
Justice League/Avengers
Kang is mentioned in a story where he teamed up with the Lord of Time and pitted the Justice League and the Avengers against each other for a chronal egg.[35]
X-Men/Star Trek
In the X-Men/Star Trek crossover Planet X, an alternate universe version of Kang disrupts a number of timelines, and is defeated by the combined effort of the mutant X-Men and the crew of the Enterprise-E.[36]
Exiles
The Crystal Palace which serves as the Exiles base of operations was revealed to a benevolent, female Kang.[volume & issue needed]
In other media
Television
- Kang's Rama-Tut persona features in the 1967 Fantastic Four animated series.[citation needed]
- Kang, in the persona of Immortus, appears in the X-Men Animated Series four-part episode Beyond Good and Evil.[citation needed]
- Kang appears in The Avengers: United They Stand episode "Kang."
- Kang (in his guise as Rama-Tut) appears in a flashback depicting Apocalypse's origin in X-Men: Evolution.[citation needed]
Song
- Kang is referenced in the mc chris song Nrrrd Grrrl; "Wanna conquer her like Kang when you kiss like Cassie Lang".[37]
References
- ^ Mentioned in Avengers #11 (Dec. 1964)
- ^ The Rise of Apocalypse #1 - 4 (Oct. 1996 - Jan. 1997)
- ^ Doctor Strange Vol. 2 #53
- ^ West Coast Avengers Vol. 2 #20-23
- ^ Fantastic Four #19 (Sep. 1963)
- ^ West Coast Avengers #22 (Jul. 1987)
- ^ Fantastic Four Annual #2
- ^ Avengers Annual #2 (Sep. 1968)
- ^ Avengers #8 (Sep. 1964)
- ^ Avengers #11 (Dec. 1964)
- ^ Avengers #23 - 24 (Dec. 1965 - Jan. 1966)
- ^ Thor #140 (May 1967)
- ^ Avengers #69 - 71 (Oct. 1969 - Dec. 1969)
- ^ Hulk #135 (Jan. 1971)
- ^ Marvel Team-Up #9 - 11 (May. 1972 - Jul. 1973)
- ^ Avengers #129, 131-132 (Nov. 1974) and Avengers Giant-Size #2 (1974)
- ^ Thor #282
- ^ Avengers #141 - 143 (Nov. 1975 - Jan. 1976)
- ^ Hulk #286 (Aug. 1983)
- ^ Secret Wars #1-12 (May 1984 - April 1985)
- ^ Fantastic Four #273
- ^ Avengers #267 - 269 (May - Jul. 1986)
- ^ Avengers #291 - 297 (May - Nov. 1998)
- ^ Avengers #300 (Feb. 1999)
- ^ Fantastic Four #323 - 325 (Feb. - Apr. 1989)
- ^ Fantastic Four #337 - 341 (Feb. - Jun. 1990)
- ^ Avengers West Coast #48 - 62 (Sep. 1989 - Sep. 1990)
- ^ Infinity War #1 - 6 (Jun. - Nov. 1992)
- ^ Captain America Annual #11; Thor Annual #17; Fantastic Four Annual #26 and Avengers Annual #21 (all 1992)
- ^ The Terminatrix Objective #1 - 4 (Sep. - Dec. 1993)
- ^ Avengers Forever # 1 - 12 (Dec. 1998 - Dec. 99)
- ^ Avengers #41 - 55 (Jun. 2001 - Aug. 2002) + Avengers Annual 2001
- ^ Young Avengers Special #1 (2006)
- ^ Guardians of the Galaxy #19
- ^ JLA/Avengers #3
- ^ Second Contact (1998)
- ^ Ward, Chris. "Nrrrd Grrrl." Lyrics. mc chris is dead. mc chris LLC, 2008.
External links
- Kang and Rama-Tut at Marvel.com
- A Brief History of Kang
- Immortus at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
- Cassandra Richards/Warlord at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
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