Kang the Conqueror is a
supervillain who first appeared in
Marvel Comics Avengers #8, after a previous appearance in
Marvel Comics Fantastic Four #19 as
Rama Tut.
Kang is one of the most confusing characters ever to grace the pages of a
Marvel Comic. Kang is/was/ and will be a citizen of
Earth from an
alternate future. Born in the
30th Century, long after Earth had become a peaceful and tranquil world, young Kang was painfully bored. After watching recordings of the exciting
past, Kang began to travel through time, seeking
excitement and
adventure. Thrilled with his new experiences, and in typical
megalomaniacal style, Kang began his quest to rule Earth
throughout all
time. This is the
key to why Kang is so
hard to follow. Alternate times and alternate Kangs are constantly being
created and destroyed through his actions. Kang has even
met himself on many occasions, often in direct conflict with his own goals! Various Kangs have taken different names and roles, and Kang himself has fought against them. Kang himself has
recognised this strange situation, and created a "
Council of Crosstime Kangs", at which various versions of himself met and plotted the quest to conquer all Earths. Even more confusing is the fact that Kang has "
died" on several occasions. In
Avengers #143 he destroyed himself rather than lose to
Thor. Three separate Kangs died in
Avengers 267-269. Truly, Kang is an
eternal problem!
A list of
aliases is essential to understanding Kang. The first and current Kang is known as the
Conqueror of Time. In his first meeting with the
Fantastic Four, in which he was ruling over
Ancient Egypt, he was called
Rama-Tut. A mad Kang once called himself
Fred for a time. He started a 20th century company under the alias
Victor Timely, and for a time renamed himself the
Scarlet Centurion. His son also called himself the
Scarlet Centurion, long after Kang gave up the name. Finally, a version of Kang that acts as an independent villain is called
Immortus. Immortus and Kang have often fought against each other, leading to even more confusion. A really good example of "
know your enemy, know yourself"!
What is generally consistent with all
versions of Kang is the fact that he does not have any
powers beyond his
futuristic technology. He wears full
body armor, in fetching
green and purple, with a strange blue
faceplate. This armor has many
different devices, like a
forcefield and
blaster gauntlets. Kang is also rarely found without a fantastic future weapon or tool, like the
Growing Man android or a
raygun. His method of traveling through time varies. Often, he uses a time-ship, but several Kangs have used devices, and some even the armor itself.
The Many Many Histories of the Conqueror of Time
Bored with the
peace and
tranquility of 30th century Earth, Kang became
obsessed with the exciting past. While doing
genealogical research, he uncovered the plan for and remains of a
time machine in the ruins of his ancestor's property. Repairing the
ancient device, Kang built a ship in the form of a giant
Sphinx and set off to conquer
Ancient Egypt with his technology.
Kang easily installed himself as leader, taking the title of
Pharaoh Rama Tut. He ruled
Egypt for many years until being discovered by the
Fantastic Four during their time traveling adventures. They defeated the
usurper and Kang fled back to the future. He had had his first taste of power and excitement from the past. He renamed himself to Kang the Conqueror and began his
mad quest.
Kang plotted his return, and after dubbing himself the
Scarlet Centurion, he set about conquering
20th century Earth.
The Avengers, who had traveled back in time to
1945, split the
timeline when Kang meddled with their time machine. Using
mind control he set the Avengers from both timelines against each other. They eventually turned against him and repaired the split, causing Kang to flee to the future in haste again.
In his hurry, Kang
overshot his target time and he found himself in the
war-torn 40th century. Kang conquered the declining
civilization. From this
shattered Earth, he set about taking over
space, which quickly fell under his influence. Bored again and dissatisfied with the weak planet he ruled, Kang again set his sights on the
20th century. He hatched a new scheme but before long, he was thwarted by the Avengers. He fled back to the 40th century, vowing revenge. Kang then extended his conquests into other
dimensions, acquiring
strange and
fantastic weapons with which to get his revenge.
During a battle with the Avenger
Thor, Kang was cast into the dimension of
Limbo. It was here that Kang found machines left behind by
Immortus, a Kang of an alternate time. This was also where he discovered that his adventures through time had created many
alternate versions of himself. He studied these alternate Kangs, learning their methods and achievements. One created
Chronopolis, a
fortress within a limbo-like dimension. Another sought to make the
Celestial Madonna his bride. Learning from himself, Kang set about creating a "
Council of Crosstime Kangs" in order to organize his multiple selves and to give him the opportunity to kill them. All the Kangs died at the hands of the original,
save one.
Immortus, a future incarnation of Kang, confronted him. In the ensuring battle Kang grabbed the
Psycho-globe, a device that Immortus used to rule over all Limbo. The globe flooded Kang with the memories of all his alternates. After going mad, Kang fled into Limbo.
In order to escape Limbo, Kang deliberately caused a
divergence, creating a new Kang. One Kang returned to Chronopolis to recuperate. The other Kang, still quite mad, dubbed himself
Fred. Fred unwittingly discovered another Council of Cross-Time Kangs, composed of beings who defeated Kang and adopted his methods. They where in the process of acquiring a
weapon of ultimate destruction, and after involving the Avengers in the ill-fated plot to acquire it, Fred was forever lost in the
time stream.
The remaining Kang tried to accomplish the unfinished goals of the alternate Kangs. Kang, seeking to kill two birds with one stone, used
Mantis, now the Celestial Madonna, in a quest to acquire the
ultimate weapon, the quest which had doomed Fred. The Fantastic Four foiled this renewed attempt, so Kang once again turned his attention to his
chronological empire. For many years, Kang
popped up in search of adventure. He sought to acquire the
Cosmic Cubes, not for his own, just for the
challenge.
During this time, Kang also
meddled with the timeline in order to remake history in his image. He traveled into the
1930's and founded
Timely Industries. The company
littered the early 20th century with advanced technology, making all sorts of fantastic creations possible. It also saw a hand in the creation of the heroes and villains of the
Marvel Universe.
Professor Horton, creator of the
Original Human Torch had worked for Timely Industries. Timely Industries components have turned up in other places too, like
Doctor Doom's
time machine, and the
Bolivar Trask's
Sentinel robots.
Kang once again became restless and bored. He returned to his previous role as Rama-Tut. It was at this point that he resolved to free himself from his future, breaking the cycle of events that would see him become Immortus. Kang had discovered that Immortus was destined to become a became a pawn of the
Time-Keepers. In order to deny Immortus, Kang set about to destroying his own empire. Kang also destroyed his ability to create alternate versions of himself at
will, in order to remain the
one true Kang. A war raged as the two villains sought to destroy each other.
Immortus eventually captured Kang's
Forever Crystal, the key to keeping
Chronopolis at the center of all time. Chronopolis was destroyed and Immortus and the Time-Keepers made massive changes to the timeline. The Avengers, seeing time being changed sought to stop Immortus. To order to destroy Kang, the Time Keepers tried to
merge Immortus and Kang into one. Kang's
will prevented the merger and this caused Immortus to permanently split from Kangs future. Having denied his own future Kang escaped with his
victory.
After his success in defeating Immortus, Kang began to
ponder his
legacy. Always concerned with is control over time, Kang recognised that even he may not
live forever. He decided that he would pass his empire to his child. In typical Kang style, he scoured his empires for the perfect bride, and sent her into the past to bear his child. When Kang deemed him ready, his son
Marcus assumed the
mantle of the
Scarlet Centurion, one of Kang's previous identities.
The pair soon turned their attentions back on the 20th Century. After destroying the
UN Building in
New York, Kang declared war on Earth. Those that rose up to fight with him and his son where promised
power and riches. The Avengers fought across the world to try and
keep order. Thus the
Kang War began!
The Avengers struggled against Kang's forces worldwide. One
abortive attack saw Kang gain control of a
squadron of
Sentinels, which he used to destroy
Washington D.C.! The campaign proved to be Kang's most successful assault on the 20th century. With the destruction of Washington, the Avengers
capitulated and
surrendered the
United States to Kang's control. The Avengers that had plagued him for so long where finally in his clutches.
After the fall of
America, the rest of the world quickly followed. Most of the world's
superheroes where captured and held in camps scattered around the
globe. Only two small forces of Avengers remained. Ultimately they would prevail, aided by the
treachery of the Scarlet Centurion. The Centurion had fallen in love with the Avenger
Warbird, and he aided her group in capturing the base of the
Master of the World, another
supervillain. The Master's base provided the Avengers with the means overthrowing Kang. Kang knew of his son's
betrayal, and confronted him about it. The Centurion lied to his father. In the moment of his defeat, he commanded his son to assume his role as
Emperor of Earth.
The Scarlet Centurion defied his father, not understanding that Kang was
pleased with his accomplishments. He had finally conquered the time that had caused him so much
strife. He had
cowed the mighty Avengers into surrender and he set his son in place to carry on his
greatest quest. The
weary Kang was content to rest in the
prison the Avengers had him locked away in. Marcus rescued his father, and urged him to
raise again against the Avengers. Kang confessed that controlling this time was not his goal this time. He intended the war to be a
test for his son, to start him on his way to fulfilling Kang's dream. The
betrayal and the
rescue had sealed the Centurion's fate. Kang deemed him an
unworthy heir, and
killed him. With a great
weariness, He then placed the Scarlet Centurion's body among the many
other failed Centurions that littered his
citadel and set about his next
mad scheme. Where and when he will appear again is a mystery.
Who dares defy the Mighty Kang, Master of Time?
Kang is first and foremost an
Avengers foe. The first team of heroes to meddle with his plans where the
Fantastic Four during his earliest adventure as Rama Tut. The mighty
Thor caused one Kang to commit suicide rather than submit, and he has been tousled with many of the heroes of the
Marvel Universe at various times.
Ruling all time is not for the weak.
Make no mistake, Kang is evil. As befitting a
supervillain, he has done some pretty nasty things. He killed his own son, the Scarlet Centurion, when he didn't meet his expectations, probably many many times. One blew up the
Avengers Mansion using a
nuclear weapon; others have meddled with
time rifts and
annexed entire centuries. He has destroyed
Washington D.C., and ruled as an
absolute dictator in a thousand times and places. But it always comes back to his one driving desire: total domination of Earth for all time. The question is, how many worlds and times can he conquer?