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- The first trailer for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania brings a very comic book-inspired Kang The Conqueror to the MCU. While the upcoming movie lacks any obvious connections to the best Kang comic books, it does feature several elements from the comics that fans likely recognize. Kang's armor and vast armies assembled in what is likely his kingdom, Chronopolis, draw from great comic books in the past. Kang's complex story was built over decades, with fantastic creators weaving ever more complicated webs for the villain and his variants as they continue to try and dominate time right up to the present day.
Marvel Studios announced at San Diego Comic-Con that the fifth Avengers movie will be subtitled The Kang Dynasty. This not only spells out Kang The Conqueror's key role as the big bad of The Multiverse Saga but alludes to a major comic book storyline. The Kang Dynasty likely serves as a blueprint for the MCU as do other great Kang comic books.
The MCU likely builds off many Kang The Conqueror comic books, and the best all embody who the villain is and why he's so effective. Thanks to the fact many Kang variants exist in the comics, some stories involve characters with different names like Immortus and Rama Tut. From his first encounters with the Avengers during the Silver Age to his most recent attempts to conquer all history, the best Kang comics provide fans with clues to where his live-action future is headed.
Updated November 10th, 2022, by Darby Harn:
The first trailer for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania brings a very comic book-inspired Kang The Conqueror to the MCU. While the upcoming movie lacks any obvious connections to the best Kang comic books, it does feature several elements from the comics that fans likely recognize. Kang's armor and vast armies assembled in what is likely his kingdom, Chronopolis, draw from great comic books in the past. Kang's complex story was built over decades, with fantastic creators weaving ever more complicated webs for the villain and his variants as they continue to try and dominate time right up to the present day.
The Kang Dynasty
The Kang Dynasty represents a major storyline that ran between Avengers #41-54 in 2001. Written by Kurt Busiek and drawn by Alan Davis, among the best Avengers artists ever, the story features Kang The Conqueror at his most accomplished. He succeeds in taking over the entire world, something no other supervillain in Marvel Comics had done to that point.
Kang's son Marcus also plays a prominent role in the storyline and may in the MCU, helping his father take over the world until the Avengers fight back and undo Kang's oppressive regime.
Avengers #8
Kang first appears in Avengers #8 and while it likely doesn't outrank many classic stories involving the villain, it nevertheless remains a critical juncture in his comic book history. Kang's basic elements emerge here, including his distinctive green and purple futuristic armor, designed by legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby.
The issue establishes Kang as a time traveler from the future seeking to alter the past and among the most powerful Avengers villains. His strength surprises the very well-stacked team, including Thor and Captain America.
Strange Tales #134
Strange Tales #134 furthers Kang's character by showing how simplistic his ambitions are and yet how complex his schemes go to achieve them. He travels back to Medieval England, where he usurps Merlin to take over the country in an attempt to alter history. His gambit fails thanks to the Fantastic Four, who have also been sent back in time.
Kang also counts with the Fantastic Four's most powerful villains, and he likely proves an antagonist for them in the MCU, once they appear in their forthcoming movie, due in Phase Six.
Let The Game Begin
The best Kang comics often showcase the villain using a new powerful weapon. That's the case in Avengers #69. "Let The Game Begin" sees Kang utilize The Light of the Centuries Sphere, a device that speeds through time faster than light and provides Kang with his strongest comic book powers.
Kang also utilizes The Growing Man in this issue. The Growing Man may factor into Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania as this foot soldier grows to enormous size and density thanks to alien 'growth pollen.' Given that, it makes sense he appears in the movie.
Seconds Out
The best Kang stories draw the iconic character into the Marvel Universe's broader cosmic web. "Seconds Out," from Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 2) #19, does just that by weaving the villain into a storyline where the Guardians need him for help. He also gets his hands on the last Cosmic Cube, with potential ramifications for the MCU.
Marvel Comics fans know the Guardians of the Galaxy originally hail from the 31st century. The MCU avoids this aspect but with Kang and the framework laid out in this comic book story, a door opens to potentially explore other Guardians lore.
Timeless
Timeless proves Kang's endurance as a Marvel villain. This 2021 one-shot skips across time to feature Kang trying to conquer various timelines and realities. It provides a possible glimpse into the character's cosmic and temporal scope in the MCU, making it great reading for fans curious about what comes next.
The one-shot also introduced Miracleman to the Marvel Universe. While his MCU future remains an open question, his comic book past is essential reading for superhero genre fans.
Young Avengers
Kang The Conqueror plays a central role in the Young Avengers' origins, making their comics from the early 2000s must-reads. A younger but still very powerful Kang The Conqueror variant travels back in time and becomes Iron Lad, a Young Avengers' founding member alongside Kate Bishop and eventually Kid Loki.
Young Avengers #1-6 features Iron Lad fighting back against the primary Kang, who comes back in time to stop him from trying to prevent Kang from ever emerging in the first place.
Once An Avenger
"Once An Avenger" spans Avengers #22 and #23 and introduces Ravonna Renslayer to the Marvel Universe. Comic book fans know Ravonna plays a significant role in Kang's life and Marvel lore as his primary love interest. He meets her when he travels forward to the 40th century and conquers her world for its highly advanced technology.
Ravonna initially resists Kang's affections, but she eventually joins him in his quest. This leads to significant consequences for both, with Ravonna seeming to lose her life protecting Kang.
Immortus Emerges
Immortus, among the most powerful Kang The Conqueror variants, first appears in Avengers #10. This issue also features Hercules' first Marvel Comics appearance, though comic book fans know that Hercules comes with an asterisk. Immortus attacks the Avengers by sending Hercules forward in time to fight Thor and proving all Kang's vested interest in defeating the Avengers.
Immortus inspired the appearance somewhat for He Who Remains, the figure Loki and Sylvie confront in the Loki season finale, and who explained the Sacred Timeline exists because of the war his variants created.
Controlling The Scarlet Witch
Immortus plays as critical a role in Marvel Comics lore as Kang and his connections to the Avengers also likely inspire the MCU. A possible storyline the franchise draws from also counts as a great Kang comic book. Immortus manipulated and transformed the Scarlet Witch into his personal weapon to take over all time, thanks to her extraordinary power as a Nexus Being.
This storyline begins to unfold in Avengers West Coast #48 and leverages Wanda's grief from losing her husband and children in recent issues. Ironically, Immortus officiated The Vision and The Scarlet Witch's wedding in Giant-Size Avengers #4.
The Celestial Madonna
"The Celestial Madonna" spans several issues, including Giant-Size Avengers #4, in which Kang seeks the titular character, who prophecies indicate will give birth to a powerful child Kang hopes to control. The storyline, running through several Avengers issues, ends up retconning many discordant comic book details, including Kang's connection to the ancient Egyptian villain Rama-Tut.
Kang's ability to rewrite time and retcon history presents extraordinary possibilities in the MCU. If the franchise seeks a reboot or consolidation, say to integrate the X-Men, Kang proves the perfect vehicle to do so as he's done in the comics for years.
The Council Of Kangs
Avengers #267-269 follows Kang as he seeks to destroy all his variants, something that clearly happened prior to the Sacred Timeline in the MCU. This then introduces the Council of Kangs, a parliamentary-style body representing infinite multiversal variants. This leads to a direct battle with Immortus, who represents Kang's 'final form.'
Something similar to this war on Kang's variants like plays out in the MCU as He Who Remains warned Sylvie about his work's cyclical nature. His death immediately led to a Kang variant appearing in the Time Variance Authority in the Loki season finale.
Kang War One
Kang War One pits the villain against a new Avengers team including Sam Wilson as Captain America and Jane Foster as Thor. Since these characters potentially fight him in the MCU, this Kang comic book makes for good reading. It features a classic battle between Kang and the Avengers as he tries to exploit their duress after Civil War II.
This Kang comic book also features unique and outstanding art from Mike Del Mundo. His distinctive style also made The Vision miniseries a standout and a comic book that inspired WandaVision.
Only Myself Left To Conquer
Only Myself Left To Conquer comprises the 2021 Kang The Conqueror miniseries. This excellent Kang comic explores the character's motivations and interiority much more deeply than ever before. By leaning into his timeless failures and tragic romance with Ravonna, the comic gives him dimension for the first time.
This likely serves as a template in some form for the MCU. With Kang featuring as The Multiverse Saga's primary villain, his appearances in many movies and shows will allow the franchise to explore him in detail.
Avengers Forever
Avengers Forever represents in many ways the ultimate Kang story in Marvel Comics. Kang seeks the Forever Crystal, racing literally and figuratively against time to get it before Immortus and the Time Keepers do. Kang helps assemble Avengers from numerous timelines to help him in his quest, leading to an epic battle.
The idea that Avengers from different timelines and universes join forces likely emerges in the MCU with The Multiverse Saga building toward Kang and Secret Wars, recently announced to be the sixth Avengers movie.