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Kang the Conqueror
Kang the Conqueror
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Kang the Conqueror
Textless cover of The Uncanny Avengers #12 (September 2013).
Art by John Cassaday.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearance
Created byStan Lee
Jack Kirby
In-story information
Alter egoNathaniel Richards
SpeciesHuman
Place of originOther Earth, 31st Century
Team affiliationsCouncil of Kangs
Cross-Time Kangs
Partnerships
Abilities
  • Genius-level intellect
  • Skilled hand-to-hand combatant
  • Access to advanced technology
  • Highly advanced battle armor that grants:
    • Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, and durability
    • Time travel
    • Telekinesis
    • Energy, hologram and force-field projection
    • Ability to control other forms of technology

Kang the Conqueror (Nathaniel Richards) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #19 (October 1963) as Rama-Tut, before being reinvented as Kang in The Avengers #8 (September 1964).[2] A time-traveler, several alternate versions of Kang have appeared throughout Marvel Comics titles over the years, such as Rama-Tut, Immortus, Scarlet Centurion, Victor Timely, Iron Lad, and Mister Gryphon.

Kang the Conqueror has been described as one of Marvel's most notable and powerful villains.[3][4][5][6][7] Kang has made media appearances in animated television and video games. Kang made his live-action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), portrayed by Jonathan Majors, who previously appeared as different versions of the character in the Disney+ series Loki (2021–2023).

Publication history

[edit]

The character who would become best known as Kang first appeared in Fantastic Four #19 (October 1963), by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This issue introduced the pharaoh Rama-Tut, a criminal from the year 3000 who had travelled back in time and conquered ancient Egypt. It was implied that he was a descendant or future incarnation of Fantastic Four villain Doctor Doom. After a second appearance the following year in Fantastic Four Annual #2 (September 1964), the character appeared again, this time under the identity of Kang, in The Avengers #8 (published the same month), also by Lee and Kirby. This issue also established that Rama-Tut was a younger version of Kang. A decade later, the character of Immortus, previously introduced in Avengers #10 (November 1964), was retroactively established to be a future identity of Kang's in Giant-Size Avengers #3 (February 1975).

Fantastic Four #273 (December 1984) heavily implied that Kang was not descended from Doom, but from Reed Richards' father Nathaniel, via one of Reed's half-siblings. Building on this, Kang's birth name was revealed to also be "Nathaniel Richards" in What If...? Vol. 2 #39 (July 1992), a fact later incorporated into the primary continuity of the Marvel Universe. However, subsequent publications, such as Avengers Forever #9 (August 1999) and Doctor Doom #6 (March 2020), have continued to present Kang's ancestry as ambiguous, suggesting he may descended from one, both, or neither of the two men, in particular Kristoff Vernard: Doom's adoptive son and a half-sibling of Reed.[8]

Kang featured in an eponymous miniseries in 2021.

Fictional character biography

[edit]

Pre-Kang

[edit]

Nathaniel Richards, a 31st-century scholar and descendant of Reed Richards's time traveling father Nathaniel, becomes fascinated with history and discovers the time travel technology created by Victor von Doom, another possible ancestor of his.[9][10] He then travels back in time to ancient Egypt aboard a Sphinx-shaped timeship and reinvents himself as Pharaoh Rama-Tut, with plans to claim En Sabah Nur—the mutant destined to become Apocalypse—as his heir.[11] The pharaoh's rule is cut short when he is defeated by the time-displaced Fantastic Four.[12] An embittered Nathaniel Richards travels forward to the 20th century where he meets Doctor Doom, whom he believes might be his ancestor.[13] He later designs an armor based on Doom's and, calling himself the Scarlet Centurion, pits the Avengers team against alternate-reality counterparts. He plans to dispose of all of them, but the Avengers manage to force him from the timeline,[14] where a divergent version of him becomes Victorex Prime, archenemy of the Squadron Supreme.[15]

Nathaniel then tries to return to the 31st century, but overshoots by a thousand years, discovering that humanity has ruined the Earth through endless conflict using advanced weapons they no longer understand. He finds it simple to conquer the planet, expanding his dominion throughout the galaxy, and reinvents himself as Kang the Conqueror. But this future world is dying, and so he decides to take over an earlier, more fertile Earth.[16][17]

Early appearances and Ravonna

[edit]

On Nathaniel's first foray into the 20th century under the Kang identity, he meets and battles the Avengers, capturing everyone but the Wasp and Rick Jones, and informs the world that they have 24 hours to surrender to him. Jones and some friends pretend they want to help Kang, but double-cross him once they gain access to his ship, and the Avengers are freed. In an attempt to stop them, Kang releases radiation that only beings from his time are immune to, but Thor uses his hammer to absorb the rays and send them back at the warlord so even he cannot withstand it, and he is forced to escape.[17] He later attempts to defeat the Avengers using a Spider-Man robot, but the real Spider-Man destroys it.[18]

In his own time, Kang falls for the princess of one of his subject kingdoms, Ravonna, who does not return his feelings. In an attempt to demonstrate his power, he kidnaps the Avengers and, after several escape attempts on their part, subdues them and the rebellious kingdom with the help of his army. When Kang refuses to execute Ravonna, his commanders revolt and he frees the Avengers to fight with him against them. They successfully subdue them, but not before Ravonna is mortally wounded when she leaps in front of a blast meant for Kang, realizing she does love him after all. Kang returns the Avengers to their present,[19] and places Ravonna's body in stasis.

Kang appears in modern-day as he attempts to retrieve a rogue Growing Man construct who is growing larger with every blow. Both Thor and the police are not able to subdue the giant, until Kang appears from a time machine disguised as a boulder. He fires a ray, shrinking and subduing the Growing Man to doll-sized so he can be "re-hidden".[20] He later reactivates the Growing Man to kidnap an incapacitated Tony Stark and draw the Avengers into his game, though the purpose is not revealed. Thor fails to keep Kang from escaping into the time-stream.[21]

In hopes of restoring his love to life, Kang enters a wager with the cosmic entity Grandmaster, using the Avengers as pawns in a game which, if won, can temporarily grant him power over life and death.[22] The first round ends in stalemate when an unaware Black Knight intervenes and prevents a clear victory by the Avengers, although the team definitively wins the second round. Due to the first round's stalemate, Kang does not earn the power of both life and death but is forced to choose. He selects the power of death over the Avengers, but is stopped by the Black Knight, who, not being an Avenger at the time, is unaffected.[23]

Next Kang kidnaps the Hulk and sends him to 1917 France to kill the Phantom Eagle before he can save Bruce Banner's grandfather from a cannon. This would prevent the Hulk from existing and consequently, the formation of the Avengers. However, the Hulk destroys the cannon which sends him back to the present while Kang is projected into the Limbo.[24]

The Celestial Madonna

[edit]

Some time later Kang reappears at Avengers Mansion seeking the "Celestial Madonna", who turns out to be Mantis, desiring to marry her as she is apparently destined to have a powerful child. The heroes are aided by a future version of Kang, who, tired of conquest, had returned to ancient Egypt and his identity of Rama-Tut, ruling benevolently for ten years before placing himself in suspended animation to revive in the 20th century, desiring to counsel and change his younger self. While Kang is successfully foiled, Rama-Tut is unable to prevent the accidental death of Swordsman.[25] During an adventure in Limbo, it is revealed that Immortus is the future incarnation of both Kang and Rama-Tut.[26]

While attempting to travel to the time of the Crusades, Hawkeye accidentally comes across Kang, sending both to the Old West. The warlord begins to develop a stronghold to conquer the 19th century, thus also conquering the present. Aided this time by Immortus, the Avengers, with some assistance from the Two-Gun Kid, confront Kang. While trying to muster the strength to defeat Thor, Kang overloads his armor and destroys himself, apparently erasing Immortus and Rama-Tut from existence.[27]

Prime Kang and creation of alternate selves

[edit]

Years later, the Beyonder plucks a living Kang from the timestream to participate on the villains' side in the first of the Secret Wars.[28] Soon after, it is revealed that while Kang had indeed died, his constant time-traveling had created a number of alternate Kangs. The Kang to discover this had been drawn to Limbo after his time-travel vehicle was destroyed by Thor. Finding Immortus' remains inside his fortress, Kang assumes the "Lord of Time" to be deceased and discovers the alternate versions of himself using viewing devices he finds, although he does not realize that Immortus is also a version of himself. At one point, he brings Ravonna to Limbo from the moment before her death, unintentionally creating an alternate reality where he was slain. Determined to be the only Kang, he joins with two particularly cunning divergents whom he determines he cannot easily eliminate, the three forming a council that systematically destroys the other alternate versions. He destroys one of the other two Kangs, then brings in the Avengers as part of a plot to destroy the other one, although the latter Kang eventually discovers the plot. This Kang is delayed by Ravonna, who tells him that if he truly loves her he must not kill the first Kang, but he ignores her, goes after him anyway, and is destroyed. Immortus then reveals he faked his death and manipulated everything from behind the scenes. Now only the one "Prime" Kang remains, who Immortus tricks into absorbing the memories of all the slain Kangs, which drives him insane. Immortus then sends the Avengers back to their own timeline.[29]

This Kang diverges into two alternate Kangs,[30] and one is invited to join the Crosstime Kang Corps (or the "Council of Cross-Time Kangs"), which consists of a wide range of Kangs from multiple timelines who are searching for a Celestial "Ultimate Weapon". This 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 "Nebula" (later retconned to be Ravonna in disguise) from interfering with a timeline.[31] The Prime Kang, having recovered, then attempts to manipulate the Avengers from a time vortex,[32] and encounters the Fantastic Four in a bid to capture Mantis and use her to defeat a Celestial and the other Kangs,[33] and "Fred" is incinerated by a Nebula-possessed Human Torch during a later battle with the Fantastic Four.[34]

New Empire, Avengers Forever, and Young Avengers

[edit]

Later, the Prime Kang appears, captures the Vision, and battles both the Avengers and a new foe, Terminatrix, who is revealed to be a revived Ravonna. Kang is critically injured when he intercepts a blow from Thor's hammer Mjölnir that was meant for his old love, who is distraught over his sacrifice and teleports away with him.[35] Terminatrix places Prime Kang in stasis to heal his injuries 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. She revives Kang, who assists the Avengers in defeating Alioth, but not before allowing the entity to kill the entire Crosstime Kang Corps.[36]

In Avengers Forever, flashbacks reveal that many of Kang's recent actions were motivated by more of a desire to do something rather than a genuine desire for power, and that Rama-Tut is his past and future self; feeling listless and trapped by the burdens of the empire he has created, Kang at one point returned to life as Rama-Tut for a more simple life where he did not have a vast empire to administer. However, as Kang prepares to become Rama-Tut once again and from there Immortus, he glimpses the future and learns of Immortus's servitude to the Time-Keepers of the Time Variance Authority, renewing his horror at the destiny that awaits him as that 'simpering academic'.[30] As a result, Kang rejects this future to the point of aiding the Avengers in protecting Rick Jones from Immortus's latest scheme.[37] When Immortus betrays the Time-Keepers to try and save the Avengers, they kill him and attempt to turn Kang into Immortus before Rama-Tut became Immortus. However, the temporal backlash of Kang's strength of will in a temporally unstable environment causes Immortus and Rama-Tut to split off from Kang, essentially making them both clear alternate versions of Kang rather than Immortus being Kang's definitive future. With the weakened Time-Keepers destroyed, Kang rejoices in his freedom from the destiny of Immortus and Rama-Tut, as he has now technically become them while still being himself.[38]

After some months, Kang embarks on an ambitious scheme to conquer the Earth, this time aided by his son Marcus, who uses the "Scarlet Centurion" alias. Kang 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. He then takes control of Earth's defense systems, and forces a surrender after destroying Washington, D.C., killing millions. The Avengers continue to battle the forces of Kang's new empire, and Captain America eventually defeats him in personal combat. Although imprisoned, Kang is freed by his son, revealed to be only one of a series of clones, and kills clone Marcus for betraying him by assisting Warbird during the invasion and keeping it secret despite multiple opportunities to admit the truth; while Kang could tolerate the treachery if it allowed Marcus to become his own man, he cannot tolerate a traitor who remains active in his ranks. Depressed at his new loss, Kang retreats from Earth.[39]

At some point, Kang travels back to his own past to prevent an incident where a confrontation with a bully left him in a coma for a year. Meeting his future self so horrifies Kang's past self that he steals Kang's armor and retreats to the past, using an emergency protocol created by the Vision to recruit a new team that comes to be known as the Young Avengers. The young Kang adopts the alias of Iron Lad. When Kang tracks his younger self to the past, the Young Avengers are able to kill him, but the subsequent changes to history force Iron Lad to return to his time and erase his memory of these events, although the Young Avengers remain as a team with Iron Lad's armor now self-operating with a consciousness based on an amalgamation of Iron Lad and the Vision.[40]

Kang travels the multiverse and recruits a number of individuals to save it.[41] He appears to the remaining members of the Avengers Unity Squad after Earth has been destroyed by a Celestial leaving only the mutants. Temporal barriers prevent Kang simply traveling back himself, but he is able to help the surviving Unity Squad members project their minds back into their past selves so that they can defeat the Celestial that attacked Earth.[42] Kang subsequently attempts to steal the Celestials' power for himself,[43] requiring Sunfire and Havok to put themselves at risk by absorbing some of his energy themselves so that they can force him to expend his stolen power.[44]

Uncanny Inhumans and All-New, All-Different Marvel

[edit]

Before the Inhuman king Black Bolt destroys the city of Attilan to release Terrigen Mist throughout the world, he sends his son Ahura away for Kang to foster. Black Bolt later releases a small amount of Terrigen Mist to activate Ahura's terrigenesis and activate his Inhuman ability. While Ahura is going through the change, Black Bolt asks Kang to save his son from the coming end of all things, which Kang agrees to on the condition that the son remain permanently in his care.[45]

While taunting the Inhumans' efforts to find Ahura,[46] another Kang emerges under the alias of "Mister Gryphon", claiming that he has become splintered into various alternate versions of himself as a result of recent temporal disruptions. With this Kang confined to the present, he mounts a massive assault on the Avengers with the aid of Equinox and a reprogrammed Vision, intending to use Mjölnir's time-traveling ability to return to his era, but is defeated.[47]

When Vision abducts Kang's infant self in an attempt to defeat him, the latter, split into increasingly divergent versions of himself by the fractured state of time, retaliates by attacking various Avengers in their infant states. A possible future version of Kang saves key Avengers from his past self's attack by bringing them into Limbo until Hercules acquires an amulet from a former Fate that protects him from Kang's assault. During a battle inside a temple in Vietnam, the Wasp goes to place baby Kang back where he belongs. Kang is subsequently defeated.[48]

During the "Infinity Countdown" storyline, Kang the Conqueror gains knowledge of the calamity that would come if the Infinity Gems were to be gathered in the same location again. To prevent this from occurring, he abducts Adam Warlock, convinces him to help secure the Soul Gem in exchange for the Time Gem, and sends him back in time to receive counsel from Kang's Rama-Tut counterpart.[49]

Fresh start and Kang the Conqueror solo series

[edit]

In the "Pottersville" arc of the Doctor Doom solo series, Kang is shown to be tethered to Doom in a quantum entanglement, appearing at random times throughout the series conversing with the Latverian despot.[50] This is later revealed to be a ploy by Kang, as by aiding Doom in saving the world Kang is actually making the world easier for himself to conquer in two hundred years' time.[51] In the solo series Kang the Conqueror, Kang rewrites history by manipulating a younger version of him to go through all of his previous identities – Iron Lad, Scarlet Centurion, Pharaoh Rama-Tut, and finally Kang – into becoming the purest form of would-be conqueror, resurrecting Ravonna by giving her the ability of reincarnation.[52]

During the "Venom War" storyline, it is revealed that Kang the Conqueror created the Ruckus symbiote from a sample of Bedlam, a possible future version of Eddie Brock.[53]

Powers and abilities

[edit]

Kang has no superhuman abilities but is an extraordinary genius, an expert historical scholar, and a master physicist (specializing in time travel), engineer, and technician. He is armed with 40th-century technology, wearing 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 is capable of controlling other forms of technology. Courtesy of his "time-ship", Kang has access to technology from any century, and he once claimed his ship alone could destroy the Moon.[17]

As Rama-Tut, he used an "ultra-diode" ray gun that was able to sap the wills of human beings. At a high frequency, it is able to weaken superhuman beings and prevent use of their superpowers. They can be freed from its effects if the gun is fired at them a second time.

Temporal selves

[edit]

Kang has taken on many names throughout his life, and his frequent time traveling has resulted in a number of alternate versions of him with distinct identities and fates.

Pharaoh Rama-Tut

[edit]

Pharaoh Rama-Tut was Kang's original alias when he ruled ancient Egypt.[12] Later in life, he retires as Kang, returns to the Rama-Tut identity, and helps the Avengers defeat his past self when he attempts to capture the "Celestial Madonna".[25] He nearly surrenders to destiny to become Immortus, but changes his mind and returns to the Kang identity when he discovers that Immortus is a pawn of beings called the Time-Keepers.[30]

Immortus

[edit]

Immortus is a future version of Kang who resides in Limbo. Kang was destined to become him until the last issue of the Avengers Forever series, in which powerful beings called the Time-Keepers unintentionally separate the former from the latter.

Iron Lad

[edit]

Iron Lad is an adolescent version of Kang who learned of his future self when Kang tried to prevent a childhood hospitalization. Attempting to escape his destiny, the teen Nate Richards steals his future self's advanced armor and travels back to the past, forming the Young Avengers to help him stop Kang. When his attempt to reject his destiny results in Kang's death, the resulting destruction caused by the changes in history forces Iron Lad to return to his time and undo the damage by becoming Kang.[54]

Victor Timely

[edit]

A divergent version of Kang establishes a small, quiet town called Timely, Wisconsin in 1901 to serve as a 20th-century base, where he occasionally resides as Mayor Victor Timely. Posing as his son Victor Timely Jr., he develops an interest in visiting college graduate Phineas Horton and provides him with knowledge that leads to him creating the original Human Torch.[55]

Doctor Doom

[edit]

When a group of Avengers attacked Kang's fortress in an attempt to alter the warlord's past, they were confronted by Kang's future selves. The Avengers could spot Doctor Doom among them, who claimed that the Avengers had "cornered" them at a point where their powers were at their greatest, which implied that this Doctor Doom was a future Kang as well. He and the other Kangs were later imprisoned at the End of Time.[56]

Scarlet Centurion

[edit]

Nathaniel Richards used the Scarlet Centurion as a one-time identity between his first stint as Rama-Tut and going on to become Kang.[57] The name was later used by Kang's son Marcus during Avengers Forever.[58]

A divergent version of the Scarlet Centurion who was also known as Victorex Prime retained the identity and never became Kang, instead taking over the 40th century of the Squadron Supreme's universe.[30][59] On becoming bored with his success and dictatorship over a total of fifteen moons and planets, Victorex Prime elects to invade the past for further conquests, coming into conflict with the Squadron Supreme by sending "temporal hard light holograms" of his Scarlet Centurion form to the past to fight on his behalf. He later brings several members of the Squadron to his time in order to compete in death games against the Earth-616 Grandmaster, with the Squadron serving as the Gamemaster's champions against Victorex Prime's own Institute of Evil. On losing, Victorex Prime inadvertently inspires the Grandmaster to issue similar challenges to other divergent versions of Kang.[60]

While arranging for his fourth invasion into the past, sending a holographic envoy of his Scarlet Centurion form ahead of him as herald, Victorex Prime is left shaken when Hyperion, "not in the mood" for battle, while mourning a loss, informs him that while he has been allowed to live on his previous defeats, he will be executed if he attempts to invade the past when any members of the team are mourning as per the historical record, and that he would slowly kill Victorex Prime personally should he break these rules. Daunted, Victorex Prime flees to the future, resorting to subtle ways to mess with the Squadron by interfering with Tom Thumb's attempts to develop a cure for cancer (and all other diseases, as well as aging), before succumbing to depression, having conquered everything in the past, present, and future, after a temporal bubble emerges around the late 20th century and surrounding decades, preventing him from visiting the time.[60]

Thirty-five years later, still unchallenged and unfulfilled, Victorex Prime's followers discover a crack in the temporal bubble, displaying a massive humanoid hand emerging from space and growing large enough to engulf the Earth, the Sun, and all of space itself. Emboldened by this new challenge, and once again able to access the past, Victorex Prime sends a new temporal hologram backwards in time to confer with the Master Menace, the greatest criminal scientist of his age, simultaneously with Hyperion seeking out the scientist. Reached a reluctant truce, the Master Menace conceives of a device for Hyperion to use stop the entity's spread over the next ten hours, while Victorex Prime transports Master Menace to his future, where he spends fifteen years perfecting his work before returning the completed device to Hyperion less than an hour after leaving. Victorex Prime realizes he enjoys the excitement of being a superhero instead of a supervillain, and holographically accompanies Master Menace and the Squadron Supreme as they journeyed out into space to confront the entity.[61]

In an attempt to stop the entity, Victorex Prime retrieves the all-powerful telepath known as the Overmind, believing his power could turn it back. When Overmind is instead killed, a terrified Victorex Prime dejectedly admits defeat, and prepares to flee to his future. At the last moment, Arcanna Jones begs Victorex Prime to save the life of her infant son, which after a moment of consideration he refuses. The crack in the temporal bubble seals shut after he returns to the 40th century. Immediately regretting his decision, Victorex Prime spends the remaining 211 years of his life in abject misery, unaware that the Squadron survived because of his decision to leave Arcanna's son behind.[61]

Chronomonitor #616

[edit]

Chronomonitor #616 is a variation of Kang the Conqueror who works for the Time Variance Authority (TVA), inducted into the organization on his first attempt to travel back in time. A renegade Chronomonitor from the organization, he is stripped of his power after interfering with history for personal gain as part of a mid-life crisis before escaping custody and killing and replacing a version of himself as Rama-Tut. Ultimately, Chronomonitor #616 is trapped in a time loop by the TVA, swearing revenge upon them and the Fantastic Four.[62]

Mister Gryphon

[edit]

Qeng Gryphon, or simply Mister Gryphon, is a variation of Kang the Conqueror that is confined to the present. He is the CEO of Qeng Enterprises.[47]

He Who Remains

[edit]

He Who Remains is an older variant of Kang the Conqueror and is the final director of the Time Variance Authority at the Citadel at the End of Time, the last reality of the Multiverse.[63]

Reception

[edit]

Critical response

[edit]

George Marston of Newsarama ranked Kang the Conqueror 2nd in their "Best Avengers Villains Of All Time" list.[4] IGN ranked Kang the Conqueror 16th in their "Top 25 Marvel Villains" list,[64] and 65th in their "Top 100 Comic Book Villains" list.[5] Marco Vito Oddo of Collider ranked Kang the Conqueror 20th in their "20 Most Powerful Marvel Characters" list.[6]

Screen Rant included Kang the Conqueror in their "Marvel: The Avengers Main Comic Book Villains, Ranked From Most Laughable To Coolest" list,[65] in their "10 Best Spider-Ham Villains" list,[66] in their "10 Most Powerful Avengers Villains In Marvel Comics" list,[7] and in their "15 Most Powerful Black Panther Villains" list.[67] CBR.com ranked Kang the Conqueror 2nd in their "Black Knight's 10 Strongest Villains" list,[68] 3rd in their "10 Most Violent Marvel Villains" list,[69] 4th in their "10 Fantastic Four Villains We Want To See In The MCU" list,[70] 7th in their "13 Most Important Marvel Villains" list,[3] 8th in their "10 Greatest Iron Man Enemies" list,[71] and 10th in their "Ms. Marvel's 10 Best Villains" list.[72]

Other versions

[edit]

Crosstime Kang Corps

[edit]

Numerous versions and successors of Kang form the members of this organization, also known as the Council of Cross-Time Kangs. Among them are:

  • Frederick "Fred" Kang, who named himself after the cartoon character Fred Flintstone.[30]
  • Nebula,[31] later retconned as having been Ravonna in disguise.
  • Kang Kong, a version of Kang from a dimension occupied by super-intelligent apes (later retroactively established as the Marvel Apes universe), named in reference to King Kong.[31]

Heroes Reborn

[edit]

An alternate universe variant of Kang the Conqueror appears in Heroes Reborn. This version is the lover of Mantis. Seeking to prove his love for her, he travels to the present to battle and capture the Avengers.[volume & issue needed] However, they eventually free themselves and defeat him.[volume & issue needed] Kang and Mantis flee to Peru to plot revenge, only to be absorbed by Loki.[volume & issue needed]

Spider-Geddon

[edit]

An alternate universe variant of Kang called Kang the Conglomerator appears in Edge of Spider-Geddon #1.[73] This version is a businessman from the year 2099.

Spider-Ham

[edit]

A funny animal-themed alternate universe variant of Kang the Conqueror called Kangaroo the Conqueror appears in Peter Porker, The Spectacular Spider-Ham #15.[74]

Ultimate Marvel

[edit]

A alternate universe variant of Kang the Conqueror, Sue Storm, appears in Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates.[75][76]

In Ultimate Invasion, the Maker meets a Kang who is implied to be Tony Stark.[77]

X-Men/Star Trek

[edit]

An alternate universe variant of Kang the Conqueror appears in the X-Men/Star Trek crossover Second Contact.[78]

Collected editions

[edit]
Title Material collected Published date ISBN
Kang: The Saga Of The Once And Future Conqueror Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #19, Avengers (vol. 1) #8, All-New, All-Different Avengers #13, Avengers (vol. 7) 1–6, Avengers: Back to Basics #5-6, Moon Knight Annual (vol. 2) #1, Symbiote Spider-Man: King in Black #1-5, and material from Fantastic Four (vol. 6) #35, Timeless #1 January 2023 978-1302950675
Avengers: Kang Dynasty Avengers (vol. 3) #41-55, Avengers Annual 2001 January 2002 978-0785109587
Kang the Conqueror: Only Myself Left to Conquer Kang The Conqueror #1-5 February 2022 978-1302930356

In other media

[edit]

Television

[edit]

Marvel Cinematic Universe

[edit]

Kang the Conqueror and his alternative variants appear in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portrayed by Jonathan Majors:

  • He Who Remains appears in Loki. This version was an unnamed former "conqueror" and founder of the Time Variance Authority (TVA) based out of an asteroid at the end of time who sought to control the flow of the "Sacred Timeline" and prevent a new multiverse from forming due to a vast multiversal war having broken out in the previous one.[85]
  • Kang himself appears in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.[86][87] A multiversal traveler in the newly created multiverse who believed that the multiverse was dying due to his variants, he attempted to instigate a war to stop them, only to be captured by the Council of Kangs — led by Immortus, Rama-Tut, and Centurion — and exiled to the Quantum Realm.
  • Victor Timely appears in Quantumania and Loki, with Nasri Thompson additionally portraying him as a child.[88] This version is an inventor from the 19th century who received a TVA handbook from former TVA members and became involved with them, the eponymous Loki, and Sylvie.[89] Compared to his other variants, Loki producer Kevin R. Wright said it was "fun" to have Timely be "sort of an eccentric, quiet inventor that maybe is, like, a bit out of time and out of place" rather than the expectation of the origin of the variant who would become Kang "living in the 31st century" to actually be "some sci-fi villain from the future".[90]

Video games

[edit]

Miscellaneous

[edit]
  • Kang the Conqueror appears in the novel trilogy X-Men & Spider-Man: Time's Arrow, written by Tom DeFalco.
  • Kang the Conqueror appears in the second Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes tie-in comic book.[95]
  • Kang the Conqueror is referenced in a self-titled song written by Ookla the Mok for their 2013 album vs. Evil.[96]
  • The Council of Kangs, renamed the Timelines of Kang, appears in Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game's "Annihilation" expansion,[97] consisting of Kang the Conqueror, Iron Lad, Rama-Tut, and the Scarlet Centurion.

References

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Kang the Conqueror is a fictional appearing in American comic books published by , created by writer and artist . The character first appeared as the pharaoh Rama-Tut in The Fantastic Four #19 (August 1963) and later as Kang the Conqueror in The Avengers #8 (September 1964). Born Nathaniel Richards in the 31st century on the alternate Earth-6311—a timeline where advanced technology flourished without a Dark Ages—he discovered a time machine left by an ancestor from , spurring his ambition to conquer across time and space. As a time-traveling despot, Kang employs 41st-century to dominate eras and civilizations, often clashing with Earth's heroes in his quest for universal rule. His full-body battle armor grants capable of lifting five tons, energy force fields extending up to 20 feet, and protection against nuclear blasts, while his arsenal includes anti-graviton projectors, concussive blasters, and programmable androids like the Growing Man. Kang's stems from genetic enhancements and exposure to temporal , allowing him to age slowly and resist environmental hazards. Kang's identity encompasses multiple temporal variants, including the ancient Egyptian ruler Rama-Tut, the armored Scarlet Centurion, the elderly Immortus (a servant of the Time-Keepers), the youthful Iron Lad who briefly joined the Young Avengers, and industrialist Victor Timely. These personas reflect his fractured timeline, leading to conflicts even among his own selves, such as the Council of Kangs, a group of alternate versions that once attempted to eliminate "inferior" variants. Among his primary adversaries are the Avengers and the , whom he has battled in iconic storylines like his initial defeat as Rama-Tut by the , his abduction of the Avengers to prevent a involving the Celestial Madonna, and the "" event where he infiltrated modern society to seize control. Other notable arcs include his romance with princess Ravonna Renslayer of Carelius, whom he met during his early conquests; her death in saving him intensified his ruthless drive to build an empire capable of reviving her, though she later betrayed him upon learning of his choice to prioritize power over her life, and his rare alliances with heroes against greater threats like the Time-Keepers. Kang's manipulations of the and timestream position him as one of Marvel's most enduring and complex villains, embodying themes of destiny, conquest, and temporal paradox.

Publication history

Creation and debut

Kang the Conqueror was created by writer and artist as a time-traveling antagonist in . The character debuted as the pharaoh Rama-Tut in Fantastic Four #19 (October 1963), where he is portrayed as a conqueror originating from the 30th century who journeys to via a time platform. In this story, Rama-Tut, a descendant of , utilizes the platform—modeled after Doom's own invention—to arrive in around 2500 BCE, enslaving the local population with advanced weaponry, mind-control rays, and robotic servants to establish his rule as a god-king. His initial motivations center on absolute domination, leveraging future technology to impose his will on the past while grappling with the damaged state of his time machine upon arrival. Rama-Tut's persona draws from classic tropes of and imperial conquest, echoing elements in ' The Time Machine (1895) and broader pulp adventure narratives of futuristic overlords reshaping history. After his defeat by the , who destroy much of his arsenal, Rama-Tut repairs his time platform and departs, setting the stage for his evolution. The character transitioned into his Kang the Conqueror identity in The Avengers #8 (September 1964), revealing himself as Nathaniel Richards, a 41st-century warlord who had adopted the Rama-Tut guise in his youth after exposure to advanced temporal knowledge during earlier voyages. Here, Kang returns to the seeking global conquest, deploying an army of enslaved robots and hypnotic devices against the Avengers in his first direct clash with the team. This appearance solidifies Kang's foundational role as a multitemporal threat, with his defeat by the Avengers fueling a personal vendetta that defines his early lore. Kang's full establishment as the armored conqueror unfolds in The Avengers #23 (December 1965), where he deploys more sophisticated strategies from his chrono-empire, though his core origins trace back to the Rama-Tut foundation.

1970s expansions and key arcs

In the 1970s, Kang the Conqueror's character received significant expansion through storylines that explored his emotional vulnerabilities and temporal manipulations, building on his earlier introduction as a ruthless warlord. Ravonna Renslayer, first appearing as the princess of a 41st-century kingdom conquered by Kang in Avengers #24 (1965), was further developed in subsequent narratives that highlighted her as the central figure in his personal obsessions. These expansions portrayed Kang's conquests as driven not solely by ambition but by a desperate quest to secure Ravonna's love and survival amid his time-spanning schemes, transforming him from a straightforward into a more nuanced figure haunted by loss. The most prominent 1970s arc was the "Celestial Madonna Saga," spanning Avengers #129–135 (1974–1975) and Giant-Size Avengers #2–4 (1974–1975), where Kang returned as Rama-Tut to claim the prophesied Celestial Madonna—a woman destined to birth a immensely powerful child capable of reshaping . Believing one of the Avengers, specifically , to be this figure, Kang abducted the team and transported them across timelines in a bid to force a union that would elevate his empire and potentially revive or honor Ravonna's legacy. This conflict intertwined Kang's past as Rama-Tut with his present identity, forcing confrontations with alternate versions of himself, including , whom he discovered was his future self—a revelation that deepened his tragic isolation as he rejected this "cowardly" destiny. Throughout these arcs, Kang's alliances proved fleeting and self-serving, such as his temporary manipulations of temporal guardians like the , but ultimately led to defeats by the Avengers, who allied with his other incarnations to thwart him. His battles emphasized advanced weaponry and time-displacement tactics, yet underscored his growing fixation on Ravonna's fate as a motivator, portraying him as a conqueror undone by personal tragedy rather than mere heroism. This era marked a pivotal shift, establishing Kang's depth as a villain whose multiversal ambitions masked profound emotional turmoil.

1990s to 2010s developments

In the late 1990s, Kang's multiversal ambitions took center stage in the 12-issue miniseries Avengers Forever (1998–1999), written by Kurt Busiek and illustrated by Carlos Pacheco. The story depicts Kang waging a desperate war against his aged future incarnation, Immortus, who seeks to prune divergent timelines to preserve the natural order of time. To counter this threat, Kang assembles an unprecedented coalition of Avengers from across history and alternate realities, including figures like the Western Gunslingers and Giant-Man from parallel Earths. This conflict highlights Kang's philosophy of conquest as a means to impose stability on chaotic multiversal branches, ultimately revealing him as the "Essential Kang"—the foundational variant whose existence anchors the entire Kang Dynasty across timelines. The early 2000s brought a more introspective take on Kang through his younger self in (2005), created by and . In this series, a teenage Richards, orphaned and rescued by his future tyrannical self, adopts the identity of and travels back in time to the present day. Motivated by visions of his destiny as Kang, recruits a new generation of heroes—including Wiccan, , Stature, Patriot, and Hawkeye—to form the and preemptively thwart the Conqueror's rise. The arc culminates in a tragic confrontation where slays his older counterpart but realizes the act risks unraveling reality; to avert becoming the villain he fears, he allows his teammates to kill him in , effectively committing to sever the temporal loop. This narrative explores themes of and redemption, positioning a heroic Kang variant against his imperial archetype. Entering the 2010s amid the All-New, All-Different Marvel initiative, Kang's invasions extended to the Inhuman lineage in Uncanny Inhumans (2015–2018), written by Charles Soule with art by Gabriel Hardman and Carlos Pacheco. Seeking to exploit temporal anomalies in Inhuman history, Kang launches a brazen assault on New Attilan, the floating city-home of the Inhumans, by abducting Black Bolt's son Ahura and manipulating events across 7,000 years to destabilize their empire. Black Bolt, the silent king wielding destructive sonic powers, forms a reluctant alliance with Kang, leveraging the conqueror's time-technology to navigate prehistoric battlegrounds and retrieve Ahura. However, Black Bolt ultimately betrays the pact, using his abilities to compel Kang to restore the ravaged timeline and vow never to target the Inhumans again, underscoring Kang's vulnerability to unified royal resolve. Kang's influence permeated larger Marvel events during this era, including Avengers: Rage of Ultron (2015), a by and Jerome Opeña. Here, Kang intervenes as a time-manipulating force by eradicating an alternate future where the Wasp's descendants survive 's genocidal rampage, thereby redirecting the Avengers toward confronting the rogue AI's evolution on Titan. This act establishes Kang's role in reshaping post-cataclysmic timelines to suit his strategic interests. Similarly, in the Secret Empire crossover (2017), orchestrated by and a rotating roster of artists, Kang serves as a clandestine advisor to the Hydra-aligned (Steve Rogers), providing temporal counsel to fortify the regime's grip on a conquered America and avert incursions from rival futures. His involvement amplifies the event's themes of ideological conquest, with Kang viewing the Hydra empire as a potential ally in his broader multiversal designs. The decade culminated in buildup toward Kang's solo exploration in Kang the Conqueror #1–5 (2018), written by with art by Roberto de la Torre. This delves into Kang's existential isolation amid endless s, portraying him as a philosopher-king haunted by the futility of his victories across infinite timelines. Through introspective battles against abstract temporal foes, the story examines his as a bulwark against cosmic , blending high-stakes action with philosophical monologues on power's corrosive nature.

2020s publications and storyline shifts

In the 2020s, Kang the Conqueror received renewed focus through digital-first formats and tie-in events, beginning with the 2023 Infinity Comic series Kang the Conqueror: Only Myself Left to Conquer, written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing with art by Carlos Magno. This 10-issue vertical-scroll series explores Kang's cyclical existence across timelines, portraying him as a time-traveler trapped in an endless loop of conquest, creation, and self-destruction, ultimately confronting the isolation that defines his ambition. The narrative delves into his psychological turmoil, emphasizing how his pursuit of dominance leaves him with only himself as the final adversary, adding tragic depth to his character while recapping his historical incarnations from to . Kang's appearances extended into major crossover events in 2024, notably in Venom War: Fantastic Four #1 by Adam Warren and Joey Vazquez, where he clashes with Doctor Doom in a time-spanning conflict triggered by symbiote-related chaos. This one-shot depicts Kang and Doom ensnaring the Fantastic Four in a temporal loop, pitting their genius against each other across millennia in a battle that underscores Kang's manipulative use of time as a weapon amid broader multiversal threats. The storyline integrates Kang into the Venom War saga, highlighting his opportunistic alliances and rivalries without resolving his overarching isolation from prior tales. By 2025, Marvel's narrative shifted dramatically with the introduction of Myrddin, a magical of Richards, as Kang's successor in key Avengers arcs, teased through the recurring Tribulation Events framework. In Avengers #30, Myrddin is revealed as a Kang empowered by sorcery, stepping into a central antagonistic role amid multiversal overload that strains traditional time-conquest motifs. This pivot, building on earlier Tribulation setups in Avengers #2 (2023), positions Myrddin as a more mystically oriented conqueror, diminishing Kang's dominance by fragmenting his legacy across variants and emphasizing magical succession over pure technological tyranny. The change reflects a broader storyline evolution, with Myrddin manipulating events like the "Missing Moment" in Avengers #29 to alter timelines and challenge the Avengers directly.

Fictional character biography

Origins as Rama-Tut

Nathaniel Richards, born in the 31st century of the alternate timeline Earth-6311—a reality where human technological advancement proceeded uninterrupted by events like the Dark Ages—was a brilliant young robotics student and descendant of Reed Richards, the leader of the . In his youth, Richards discovered and rebuilt a time machine originally constructed by one of his ancestors, using it to embark on adventures across time in pursuit of glory and immortality. This device, shaped like a massive Sphinx, propelled him back approximately 4,500 years to in , around 2500 BC, where he sought to amass wealth and power. Upon arrival, Richards' time machine crash-landed in the desert, and he was rescued and cared for by a nomadic group known as the Sandstormers, who bestowed upon him the name Rama-Tut, meaning "Reborn God of the Sun." Leveraging his future technology, including a powerful Ultra-Diode ray gun capable of altering molecular structures and neutralizing superhuman abilities, Rama-Tut quickly overthrew the reigning Pharaoh and declared himself ruler. He established a tyrannical regime, enslaving the Egyptian populace, suppressing the worship of traditional gods in favor of his own deification, and using robotic servants and advanced weaponry to maintain control for nearly a decade. During this period, around 2500 BC, he fathered an illegitimate son named Ramades with a servant, further embedding himself in the era's history. Rama-Tut's ambitions were thwarted when a time anomaly transported the to , where they directly confronted his rule. Despite initially capturing and depowering the heroes with his Ultra-Diode ray, Rama-Tut was overpowered in battle, aided by the intervention of a young En Sabah Nur—who would later become the villain —and forced to abandon his throne. These successive failures exposed Rama-Tut to the complexities of temporal interference, fundamentally altering his trajectory from a novice conqueror toward more calculated pursuits across the timestream. Rama-Tut later faced defeats in clashes with the Avengers in subsequent stories.

Transformation into Kang and Ravonna's role

Following his defeat as Rama-Tut in , Nathaniel Richards time-traveled to the 41st century, discovering a war-devastated Earth-6311 where had nearly collapsed. Leveraging his superior intellect and time-displaced technology, Richards subjugated the remaining factions, rebuilt society under his iron rule, and adopted the title Kang the Conqueror to symbolize his dominion over a fractured future. Kang soon sought to legitimize his reign by proposing marriage to Princess Ravonna Renslayer, the daughter of King Carelius and ruler of the kingdom of Carelius, the last bastion of organized resistance on the planet. Ravonna initially rebuffed Kang, viewing him as a tyrannical upstart unworthy of her hand, but her perspective shifted after he spared her father's life during an early confrontation, leading to a genuine romantic alliance that humanized Kang's ambitions. As Kang's partner, Ravonna acted as his emotional anchor, influencing his decisions and providing a counterbalance to his growing megalomania, though their bond was tested by his unrelenting drive for conquest. Tensions escalated when Kang invaded Carelius to fully consolidate power, prompting a mutiny from his general Baltag and sparking open war. In the ensuing battle, Ravonna intervened to protect Kang from Baltag's lethal energy blast, sustaining fatal injuries and appearing to die in his arms. Devastated, Kang preserved Ravonna's body in stasis and initiated his campaigns across time, motivated not just by imperial expansion but by a profound desire to alter history and resurrect her, marking this loss as the pivotal tragedy that deepened his character's complexity.

The Celestial Madonna conflict

In the mid-1970s, Kang the Conqueror became entangled in the ancient prophecy of the Celestial Madonna, a figure destined to bear the Celestial Messiah—a child prophesied to usher in an era of universal peace and power. Believing the Madonna to be among the Avengers, Kang launched a campaign to claim her as his bride and father the heir, viewing it as the ultimate validation of his dominion over time. This obsession stemmed from his desire to manipulate predestined events, pitting his temporal ambitions against the team's . The conflict unfolded in the "Celestial Madonna Saga," detailed across Giant-Size Avengers #4 (June 1975) and Avengers #129–137 (1975), written primarily by Steve Englehart with art by Dave Cockrum and others. Kang initiated the assault by abducting key Avengers—Mantis, the Vision, and the Scarlet Witch—to his chrono-citadel, where he revealed Mantis as the Madonna based on temporal scans. In a brutal escalation, Kang executed the Swordsman (Jacques DuQuesne), Mantis's romantic interest, to eliminate rivals and assert control, sparking fierce battles. The Vision and Scarlet Witch mounted a desperate defense, using their synthetic and reality-warping abilities to counter Kang's advanced weaponry and time-displacement traps, while Mantis grappled with her emerging celestial heritage. Complicating the fray was the intervention of , Kang's future self and guardian of the , who sought to prevent timeline disruptions by summoning the —a horde of reanimated historical figures, including Kang's past incarnation as Rama-Tut. This forced Kang into combat against his own younger self, highlighting the paradoxes of self-duplication and the limits of temporal conquest. Rama-Tut, still bearing loyalties to , allied uneasily with the Avengers, turning the battle into a multigenerational clash within Kang's lineage. Immortus's manipulations ultimately unraveled Kang's plans, enforcing a balance between fate and choice. Kang suffered a temporary defeat when rejected his claim, instead fulfilling the by merging her essence with the eldest Cotati in a cosmic union that produced the child Quoi without Kang's involvement; concurrently, officiated the marriage of the Vision and , symbolizing alternative paths to legacy. This failure intensified Kang's fixation on destiny, fueling his recurring schemes to bend to his will and underscoring the saga's of versus in time travel narratives. In the aftermath, Kang's lost love Ravonna was eventually resurrected by the Grandmaster as the vengeful assassin Lady Lotus, further entangling his personal obsessions with broader temporal vendettas.

Multiversal empire-building and self-duplication

Kang the Conqueror expanded his ambitions beyond single timelines by forming the Council of Kangs, a coalition of his duplicate selves drawn from divergent timelines created through his extensive time-travel activities. This council, first depicted in Avengers #267 (1986), consisted of Prime Kang and select variants who collaborated to eliminate redundant iterations, aiming to consolidate control over the and prevent timeline fragmentation from undermining his dominion. The formation escalated into a civil war among the variants, as each Kang vied for supremacy, leading to intense conflicts that highlighted the inherent instability of self-duplication. In Avengers #267-269 (1986), Prime Kang orchestrated the systematic elimination of rival duplicates, absorbing their and experiences to strengthen his position and achieve dominance within the council. This internal strife culminated in the dispersal of surviving variants across timelines, with Prime Kang emerging as the survivor, scattering potential threats and allowing him to temporarily centralize power for further conquests. Central to these events was Kang's invasion of modern-day , where he deployed the Growing Man—a massive android construct programmed to grow stronger with each attack—as a vanguard to test Avenger defenses and harvest data on contemporary threats. The Growing Man's rampage in Avengers #267 drew the team into the multiversal conflict, revealing the council's machinations and forcing the heroes to navigate the duplicates' war. This assault served as a diversion, enabling Kang to prune weaker variants while advancing his broader strategy of multiversal subjugation. Kang's self-duplication mechanics relied on harvesting variants from branching timelines, selectively integrating their technologies, armies, and insights to forge the New Empire—a sprawling domain that spanned conquered eras and realities. By culling inferior duplicates and repurposing their resources, Kang built an empire capable of challenging cosmic entities, as explored in various Avengers storylines. This process emphasized efficiency over proliferation, transforming potential rivals into extensions of his will.

Alliances and conflicts in Avengers-era events

In the late , Kang the Conqueror played a pivotal role in the (1998-1999) miniseries, allying with Avengers teams assembled from various timelines to counter existential multiversal threats. Specifically, he joined forces with heroes like the original Avengers, the Vision, and future variants to oppose —his aged future self—and the Time-Keepers, cosmic entities intent on eradicating timelines where humanity posed a risk to temporal stability. This alliance extended to battles against destructive forces such as Terminus, a techno-organic entity seeking to consume realities, underscoring Kang's pragmatic willingness to collaborate when his conquests were endangered. The series culminated in a confrontation that severed Kang from Immortus's influence, restoring his independence and affirming his dominance over his temporal destiny. During the mid-2000s, a youthful incarnation of Kang, operating as , marked a rare heroic pivot in (2005-2006). Traumatized by visions of his future as the tyrannical Conqueror, Nathaniel Richards time-traveled to the present, adopting the Iron Lad persona to avert his dark path. He recruited a new generation of heroes—including Wiccan, , Patriot, and Stature—to form the , stepping in to defend after the adult team's temporary disbandment. Iron Lad's leadership emphasized teamwork and moral resolve, but the storyline revealed the inescapability of his timeline, forcing him to depart and embrace his Kang identity to protect his allies from temporal paradoxes. This arc portrayed Kang's potential for redemption through his younger self, contrasting his usual villainy. Kang's conflicts with Avengers teams frequently involved time-travelling invasions and the insidious interventions of , particularly against the in the early 1990s. In arcs like those in Avengers West Coast (1989-1994), —posing as Kang or directing from Limbo—manipulated key events to undermine the team, including engineering the dissolution of Vision and Scarlet Witch's marriage and influencing Tony Stark to sabotage the Avengers internally. Kang himself led direct assaults, deploying advanced weaponry and temporal disruptions to conquer as a staging ground. A notable escalation occurred when Kang and co-assembled the , resurrecting deceased villains like and from history to overwhelm the in a bid for total subjugation. These clashes, often intertwined with the Council of Kangs—a short-lived coalition of Kang variants—solidified his status as a recurring, multifaceted threat to Avengers unity.

Post-Secret Wars integrations and recent arcs

Following the events of (2015), Kang the Conqueror reemerged as a central in Uncanny Inhumans #1–20 (2015–2017), where he waged a temporal war against the ' city of New Attilan. Kang, having taken Black Bolt's son into his custody as a strategic asset, manipulated history to undermine the , including actions taken 7,000 years in the past that reverberated into the present, causing widespread havoc among their society. In a key development, Kang formed a temporary alliance with the Inhuman villain Maximus, who aided him in psychological and logistical assaults on the royal family, amplifying the threat through betrayal from within Inhuman ranks. This conflict highlighted Kang's use of not just for conquest but for eroding the ' unity and future prospects. In the limited series Kang the Conqueror (2021), Kang found himself isolated in a self-imposed within a temporal limbo-like cycle of endless conflict, confronting existential and philosophical dimensions of his conquests across eras. Trapped in a loop of creation and destruction unseen by others, he battled mythic figures and alternate selves, reflecting on the futility of his empire-building and the isolation inherent in mastering time. This arc shifted focus from external wars to Kang's internal struggles, portraying conquest as a philosophical burden rather than mere domination. The 2023 Infinity Comic adaptation, Kang the Conqueror: Only Myself Left to Conquer, delved deeper into this introspection, culminating in Kang's final battle against manifestations of his self-doubt and fractured identities. As young Nathaniel Richards clashed with his future conqueror persona, influenced by figures like , the story explored the tragic inevitability of his path, resolving in a confrontation that forced Kang to reckon with the psychological toll of his timeless ambitions. As of November 2025, Kang continues to feature in multiversal storylines, with ongoing developments in Avengers titles exploring his role in temporal threats, though no major defeats or pivots have been detailed in recent issues.

Powers and abilities

Temporal manipulation capabilities

Kang the Conqueror possesses advanced expertise in time travel and temporal manipulation, primarily facilitated by his 31st-century technology from Earth-6311. His primary device for timeline navigation is a 20-foot-long space-worthy time machine that generates chronal-displacement fields, propelling him through time by accessing the dimension of Manifestations. This vehicle enables precise jumps across eras, allowing Kang to conquer historical periods by arriving with superior weaponry and knowledge. Additionally, his armored suit incorporates temporal circuitry that permits viewing probable future timelines and recalling himself to any chosen point in history, enhancing his strategic foresight in conquests. Kang's abilities extend to creating temporal paradoxes and selectively altering historical events, such as accelerating or decelerating the aging of targets to neutralize threats without direct confrontation. He can summon variants of himself from alternate timelines or past iterations, as demonstrated when a future Kang intervened to protect his 16-year-old self from , thereby preserving his path to power. These manipulations often involve deploying time-displaced assets, like the Growing Man android—a stimuloid constructed by the extradimensional Kosmosians using growth pollen that causes it to expand in size and strength upon absorbing , serving as a weapon sent across eras to battle heroes like Thor and . However, Kang's temporal powers have inherent limitations; he cannot alter immutable fixed points in the , such as nexus events that anchor , which has repeatedly thwarted his attempts at total domination. Furthermore, excessive multiversal interference exposes him to temporal dissonance, a destabilizing feedback that disrupts his navigation and leaves him vulnerable to counterattacks from guardians like the Time-Keepers or Avengers. His reliance on devices like the Sphinx-shaped time ship or the Chronopolis citadel—powered by the Heart of Forever for undetected cross-era operations—means disruptions to these technologies can strand him in undesired timelines.

Technological enhancements and weaponry

Kang the Conqueror's technological arsenal is primarily derived from advanced 31st-century innovations, which he has augmented through conquests across multiple timelines. His battle armor, constructed from an unidentified future alloy, provides comprehensive protection and offensive capabilities, including energy absorption to siphon power from cosmic entities such as wounded Celestials. This armor also generates a gravito-electromagnetic force field extending up to 20 feet, capable of withstanding nuclear strikes and impacts from Avengers-level assaults. The suit incorporates self-sustaining systems, such as a contained atmosphere, supply, and waste recycling, enabling prolonged operations in hostile environments. Cybernetic enhancements integrated into the armor boost Kang's physical attributes, granting him sufficient to lift approximately 5 tons and enhanced durability against high-caliber threats. These modifications are customized in the labs of Chronopolis, his fortified citadel at the temporal nexus of . Kang's weaponry includes gauntlet-mounted anti-graviton particle that can render objects up to 2.2 tons weightless, disrupting enemy formations. Concussive force blasters deliver blasts equivalent to several thousand pounds of TNT, while molecular disruption beams, with a range of 750 feet, disintegrate targets at the atomic level. Additional armaments encompass an anti-matter defense screen for neutralizing projectiles, a vibration-ray to induce structural failure, and a neutrino-ray launcher for long-range strikes. These devices, often plundered from subjugated eras and refined in Chronopolis, emphasize Kang's reliance on superior hardware over innate powers. Further enhancements include neuro-kinetic interfaces that allow subconscious control of the armor's functions, as demonstrated when Kang equipped his younger self, , with a similar suit replicating neural patterns for intuitive operation. This technology underscores the adaptive nature of his gear, sourced from timelines like and future epochs, ensuring versatility in multiversal conflicts.

Strategic intellect and other skills

Kang the Conqueror possesses a super-genius level intellect, enabling him to master advanced 31st-century technology and invent sophisticated devices from scratch, including time-travel mechanisms and cybernetic enhancements for his armies, such as the Growing Men. As a master tactician, he has orchestrated multiversal conquests by studying cross-dimensional records and deploying strategic deceptions, such as posing as the Scarlet Centurion to infiltrate and undermine the Avengers. His combat prowess stems from centuries of experience across timelines, making him an expert in hand-to-hand fighting and armed warfare, often relying on his strategic acumen to outmaneuver opponents rather than brute force alone. Kang's training in multiple historical eras has honed his and marksmanship, allowing him to hold his own against skilled fighters like the Swordsman during alliances and battles. Kang excels in psychological manipulation and warfare, forging opportunistic alliances with villains to amplify his schemes, such as partnering with on Battleworld to challenge cosmic entities during . His ability to exploit enemies' doubts and timelines has led to elaborate ploys, like creating the Council of Kangs to coordinate multiversal dominance while sowing discord among heroes. Despite these strengths, Kang's arrogance frequently undermines his plans, causing him to underestimate resilient heroes; for instance, his overconfidence in personal superiority led to defeats by when he targeted them directly in historical confrontations. This often results in self-sabotage, as his attempts to rewrite timelines inadvertently create rival variants that thwart his ambitions.

Kang's temporal identities

Pharaoh Rama-Tut

Pharaoh Rama-Tut is the first temporal identity adopted by Nathaniel Richards, a student from Earth-6311 in the 31st century, who utilized his ancestor's time platform to journey to in 2950 BC with ambitions of conquest. Upon arrival, his vessel crash-landed, temporarily blinding him, but he swiftly recovered using a radioactive from the wreckage and overthrew the reigning Khufor, whom he transformed into the vampire Amenhotep, assuming the throne as Rama-Tut. Leveraging advanced future technology, including an Ultra-Diode ray gun capable of mind control and energy blasts, Rama-Tut established a tyrannical regime, enslaving native populations to construct monuments and expand his domain. Rama-Tut's rule involved brutal suppression of dissent, including massacres of nomadic groups like the Sandstormers, with survivors either enslaved or fleeing into hiding. His conquests drew the attention of time-displaced heroes; in one pivotal encounter, the , led by Reed Richards, arrived seeking an ancient cure for blindness and were captured to serve as slaves, leading to a direct confrontation where Richards and his team dismantled Rama-Tut's sphinx-shaped time platform, disrupting his operations and scattering his forces. Subsequently, Rama-Tut clashed with the timelost Avengers, who were pulled into 2940 BC amid related temporal anomalies; his guards overwhelmed the heroes initially, but the ensuing battle exposed vulnerabilities in his control, further eroding his hold on power. As a megalomaniacal driven by unbridled ambition, Rama-Tut exhibited a raw, domineering personality marked by manipulation and strategic foresight, though less polished and tactical than his later iterations. He sired a son, Ramades, during his reign in 2945 BC, but ultimately entered within a to evade capture, preserving his essence for future resurgences. This phase laid the groundwork for Rama-Tut's cyclical returns across timelines, where echoes of his Egyptian empire repeatedly influence subsequent conquests and temporal conflicts.

Immortus

Immortus is the future incarnation of Nathaniel Richards, known as Kang the Conqueror, originating from an alternate timeline designated Earth-6311. In this pruned timeline, an aged Kang, weary from centuries of conquest, was recruited by the Time-Keepers, cosmic entities tasked with preserving the integrity of the . They granted him , halting his aging process upon his entry into , a timeless realm, in exchange for his service as a guardian of the . As , he adopted a more supervisory role over historical events, particularly those involving the Avengers, often manipulating outcomes to maintain temporal balance rather than pursuing outright domination. A prominent example is his orchestration of the 1975 marriage between Vision and during the events of Avengers #141 (November 1975), where he posed as a clergyman to officiate the ceremony while subtly influencing the couple's destiny to avert greater threats to the timeline. His interventions frequently targeted 's reality-altering powers, such as preventing the birth of her children in arcs like (1985-1986), to forestall paradoxes that could unravel the . Immortus played a central antagonistic yet conflicted role in several key 1980s storylines, including the series (1985-1994), where he indirectly shaped team dynamics through agents like the Space Phantom and clashed with other Kang variants over control of divergent timelines. In the "Celestial Madonna" arc (Avengers #129-131, 1974, with extensions in later issues), Immortus opposed the Rama-Tut incarnation of Kang, who sought to abduct —the prophesied Celestial Madonna—whose offspring was destined to wield immense universal power; Immortus allied with the Avengers to thwart this scheme, revealing his divided allegiances. These events underscored his position as a reluctant enforcer, often defying the Time-Keepers' directives when they conflicted with his lingering ties to his Kang identity. Characterized by a profound weariness from eons of temporal oversight, embodies a tragic evolution of Kang, burdened by the isolation of and the moral ambiguities of his guardianship. His loyalty remains fractured, oscillating between subservience to the Time-Keepers—who empowered him in Avengers Forever #8 (1998)—and a nostalgic pull toward the conqueror's unbridled ambitions, leading to periodic rebellions against his masters. This internal conflict humanizes him as a jaded sentinel, more philosopher than , forever entangled in the webs of time he once sought to master.

Scarlet Centurion

The Scarlet Centurion is an early temporal identity adopted by Nathaniel Richards, originating from a divergent timeline in Earth-6311 where advanced technology allowed him to construct a time machine in the 31st century. After his initial foray as Pharaoh Rama-Tut in ancient Egypt, Richards was displaced through time and, inspired by the armored appearance of Doctor Doom, donned a distinctive red-and-green suit of armor to establish himself as a conqueror in the 20th century. This identity marked his first major confrontation with Earth's heroes, as he assembled an army of warriors from a distant future to battle the Avengers, using hypnotic devices and temporal manipulation to pit the team against itself. The Scarlet Centurion's schemes were ultimately thwarted, leading him to abandon the moniker and evolve into Kang the Conqueror after being hurled into the 41st century. The identity reemerged in the 1998 miniseries Avengers Forever, where a variant Scarlet Centurion participates in multiversal conflicts, leading assaults across timelines to eliminate threats to Kang's dominion and reshape key Avengers events. In this storyline, the character coordinates with other Kang variants in a loose alliance akin to the Council of Kangs, targeting anomalies that could splinter the further. The Scarlet Centurion possesses technological arsenal similar to Kang's, including a battle suit granting , force fields, capabilities, and weaponry such as energy blasters and an ultra-diode ray for disintegrating matter. These enhancements are augmented by expertise in time travel, allowing precise jumps to orchestrate invasions, and a command over automated drones and soldiers for large-scale temporal operations. The variant's strategic intellect emphasizes , as seen in manipulations that exploit heroes' doubts to fracture alliances during conquests. Later iterations, such as Marcus Kang adopting the Scarlet role during the "" arc in Avengers vol. 3 #41-55, demonstrate the identity's recurring use in familial power struggles and conquests. Ultimately, variants bearing the Scarlet name meet their end amid the internal conflicts of the Council of Kangs, where divergent selves wage war to purge "aberrant" timelines, resulting in the destruction of many such identities during multiversal purges.

Iron Lad

Iron Lad represents a heroic variant of Richards, originating as a 16-year-old robotics student from Earth-6311 in the year 3016. Rescued from a life-threatening situation by his future self, the time-traveling conqueror Kang, young Richards was provided with a suit of psychokinetic bio-metal armor modeled after Iron Man's designs, intended to allow him to alter a traumatic event in his past. Horrified by Kang's tyrannical methods and unwilling to follow that path, he instead used the armor's time-travel capabilities to flee to in the present day, determined to avert his destiny as a villain. Upon arriving in the early 21st century, Iron Lad accessed the Avengers' emergency fail-safe program, which contained dossiers on potential young recruits, to assemble a new team of adolescent heroes. He contacted Elijah Bradley (Patriot), Billy Kaplan (Wiccan), and Teddy Altman (Hulkling) in New York City, leading to the formation of the Young Avengers, with Cassie Lang (Stature) and Kate Bishop (Hawkeye) soon joining the group. This debut occurred in the comic series Young Avengers #1 (April 2005), written by Allan Heinberg with art by Jim Cheung. Throughout #1-12 (2005), led the team in battles against threats including the Sons of the Serpent and a time-displaced Kang, who sought to capture or eliminate his younger self. In a climactic confrontation, , aided by veteran Avengers like and , stabbed Kang with the Swordsman's sword, seemingly defeating him. However, to prevent a temporal collapse that would unravel reality—including the existence of his teammates— made the self-sacrificial decision to return to his native era and fulfill his role in the timeline as Kang, effectively erasing his prolonged presence in the present and dissolving the . He left behind his armor, which merged with the disassembled parts of the original Vision, resulting in the creation of a new teenage Vision who joined the . Iron Lad's legacy endures through the enduring team he founded, which continued operating independently and influencing subsequent generations of young heroes in the . Elements of his identity partially resurface in later stories, such as Avengers: The Children's Crusade (2010-2012), where a returned version of aids the in a quest involving the but ultimately perishes in battle against forces aligned with , though his influence persists via the reformed Vision and the team's ongoing missions. The narrative of emphasizes themes of redemption and resistance against inherited villainy, portraying a young man's battle to defy the cyclical conquests tied to his family lineage—particularly the shadow of Kang—while forging a path of heroism through alliance and selflessness.

Victor Timely

is one of the temporal identities adopted by Kang the Conqueror, specifically as a guise in early 20th-century America to build a covert power base. Following his defeat by the Avengers in the , Kang journeyed back to January 1, 1901, and established himself as , a pioneering inventor and industrialist rivaling contemporaries like and . In this role, he founded the town of Timely, , serving as its inaugural mayor and transforming it into a center of technological advancement through innovative infrastructure and manufacturing. Kang, as Victor Timely, launched Timely Industries, a conglomerate specializing in robotics and cutting-edge machinery that laid foundational influences on subsequent Marvel Universe innovations. To sustain his dominance over generations without exposing his ageless nature, he deployed sophisticated robotic duplicates to impersonate his fictional heirs, Victor Timely Jr. and Victor Timely III, who continued to steer the company into the mid-20th century. One such automaton even guided the work of scientist Phineas T. Horton, indirectly facilitating the development of the original Human Torch android in the 1930s. This charismatic businessman persona masked Kang's true intentions, presenting Timely as a benevolent visionary dedicated to progress while secretly embedding future-derived technologies into Earth's societal fabric. The core objective behind the identity was to conduct long-term manipulations of historical events and technological trajectories, aimed at destabilizing potential threats to Kang's future conquests by weakening the foundations of heroic organizations like the Avengers. These efforts included subtle interferences in early 20th-century American , such as accelerating industrial and influencing key inventions, all designed to create a timeline more amenable to Kang's rule upon his return. However, his schemes drew opposition from contemporary figures and early heroes who suspected irregularities in Timely's rapid advancements, leading to investigations and confrontations that threatened to expose his operations. Ultimately, the broader plot unraveled in the present day when the Avengers and uncovered the temporal alterations, forcing Kang to abandon the identity after partial implementation of his vision.

He Who Remains

He Who Remains is a of Richards, known as Kang the Conqueror, who achieved dominance over his multiversal counterparts following a cataclysmic war among the variants. Exiled to the far end of time after his victory, he established at the End of Time as his isolated stronghold, from which he meticulously managed the fabric of reality to avert further conflicts. This , first introduced in the (MCU), represents an aged, weary incarnation of Kang who has transcended conquest in favor of enforced stability. Central to his role is the oversight of the Time Variance Authority (TVA), a bureaucratic entity he founded to prune divergent timelines and preserve a singular Sacred Timeline, thereby preventing the resurgence of rival Kang variants and the chaos of multiversal incursions. In the lore of the Loki series, He Who Remains orchestrated the TVA's operations through proxies like Ravonna Renslayer and Miss Minutes, waging a subtle, eternal campaign against the Council of Kangs and other threats that could unravel his carefully maintained order. His actions stem from the original Multiversal War, where unchecked variants like Kang the Conqueror sought dominion over infinite realities, leading him to isolate himself as the last guardian of equilibrium. Characterized by profound isolation and prophetic foresight, He Who Remains embodies a paradoxical figure: a brilliant strategist burdened by the weight of infinite possibilities, often appearing as a disheveled, rambling who speaks in cryptic warnings about "the one who comes after." His guardianship focuses on mitigating incursions—collisions between universes that could culminate in total annihilation—by suppressing across timelines, a method he views as the only path to peace. This trait underscores his evolution from Kang's aggressive to a more contemplative, almost paternal role in preserving existence. In comic precedents, a separate He Who Remains entity created the Time-Keepers, artificial beings that later manipulated , Kang's future self, highlighting thematic ties to temporal control without direct equivalence. In 2020s MCU narratives, particularly the Loki series (2021–2023), He Who Remains' legacy drives the arc of multiversal collapse, as his assassination by Sylvie in 2021 unleashes rampant branching timelines, overwhelming the TVA's Temporal Loom and precipitating incursions seen in projects like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). Season 2 of further explores his pre-victory machinations through time-slipping visions, revealing his contingency plans against variants like and emphasizing the fragility of his exile as the catalyst for broader threats, including the Council's machinations in (2023). These stories position him as the linchpin of the Saga, where his failure to contain the variants signals an impending war echoing his past triumphs and defeats.

Other variants

In addition to the primary temporal identities of Kang the Conqueror, several lesser-known variants have appeared across continuity, often serving niche roles in multiversal conflicts or as impostors. One such variant is the Doctor Doom persona adopted by Nathaniel Richards from Earth-6311, a 41st-century inventor and time-traveler who impersonates the Latverian ruler during a scheme involving advanced armor and sorcery to conquer timelines, as depicted in Avengers vol. 7 #1-6 (2018) where he allies with and battles the prime . Another variant, Chronomonitor #616, operates as a rogue agent for the (TVA) in the Null-Time Zone, tasked with monitoring and pruning divergent timelines in but ultimately abusing his position for personal conquests before being imprisoned in a temporal loop; this incarnation first emerged in (2018) #5, highlighting Kang's recurring theme of temporal oversight gone awry. Mister Gryphon represents an avian-themed divergence of Kang, trapped in the present-day due to a glitch, where he poses as a corporate and CEO of Qeng Enterprises, using futuristic tech and hired villains to amass power while concealing his conquest origins; introduced in Avengers (2013) #21, this variant blends business intrigue with subtle time manipulation. The Crosstime Kang Corps, more accurately known as the of Cross-Time Kangs, comprises an ensemble of impostor Kangs—humans, aliens, and other beings—who mimic the Conqueror's appearance and tactics to dominate alternate realities, only to be exposed and defeated by the true Kang during a multiversal purge in the 1980s storyline spanning Avengers #267-269 (1986). More recent stories, such as Timeless #1-2 (2024), introduce variants like the Annihilating Kang amid escalating multiversal wars.

Reception

Critical analysis

Kang the Conqueror is frequently lauded in comic book reviews for his multifaceted character design, portraying him as a tragic time-lord whose ambitions stem from a profound sense of isolation and predestined conflict, rivaling Thanos in narrative depth and emotional resonance. Critics have noted that his backstory, involving self-inflicted temporal loops and the burden of foreknowledge, elevates him beyond a typical conqueror to a figure haunted by his own multiplicity, adding layers of pathos to his villainy. This complexity is particularly evident in explorations of his internal struggles, where good intentions warp into tyrannical actions through the inexorable pull of time. Thematic depth in Kang's stories often centers on destiny and isolation, as seen in the Kang the Conqueror mini-series, where he confronts the cyclical nature of his existence and the loneliness of wielding temporal power. Here, his journey through alternate selves underscores a poignant isolation, emphasizing how mastery over time isolates him from genuine connections and traps him in a of conquest.

Cultural and fan impact

Kang's popularity surged following his introduction as He Who Remains in the Loki series finale (2021), shifting fan focus from other speculated villains and igniting widespread interest in his multiversal threats. This MCU debut, portrayed by , led to increased engagement through at conventions like 2022 and a proliferation of depicting Kang variants, as evidenced by concept pieces exploring his armor and throne room aesthetics. The character's complex layering of intellect and menace resonated, boosting merchandise sales and online theorizing about his role in Phase 5, with outlets noting a fixation that overshadowed prior fan obsessions like Mephisto theories. In 2025, Marvel's introduction of Myrddin as a new Kang in Avengers #30 (September 2025) sparked significant fan backlash on , with many decrying the shift as an unnecessary reboot amid the character's MCU pivot to . Revealed as Nathaniel Richards adopting a mystical alias inspired by to pursue the "Missing Moment" in time, Myrddin's emergence in the Tribulation Events storyline positions him as Kang's successor, clashing with traditional variants like and the Scarlet Centurion. The storyline continued in Avengers #32 (November 2025), depicting Kang's battle with Myrddin and Kang's attempt to create his own universe. Critics among fans argued this diluted Kang's technological conqueror identity, leading to heated discussions about Marvel's handling of legacy villains post-Jonathan Majors' departure. In the MCU, reports as of November 2025 confirm that will adapt elements of Kang's abandoned multiversal storyline in Avengers: Doomsday, though some praised the comic developments as a fresh evolution for the Avengers narrative.

Alternate universe versions

Ultimate Marvel Universe

In the Ultimate Marvel Universe (Earth-1610), Kang the Conqueror is reimagined as a female character originating from a dystopian future devastated by the events of the catastrophe in 2009, where Magneto's actions flooded the world and decimated its population. This version of Kang is Susan Storm, the , who was dispatched back in time by her husband, Reed Richards—known here as the villainous Maker—to avert further catastrophe and seize control of the fractured timeline. Unlike her counterpart, this Kang relies less on advanced time-travel technology and more on her innate force field powers, strategic alliances, and a ruthless pragmatism suited to the gritty, post-apocalyptic setting. Kang's debut occurs in Ultimate Comics: Wolverine #4 (2013), where she emerges as a enigmatic figure claiming to possess a plan to prevent Earth's , quickly forming the —a team including characters like , , and Quicksilver—to hunt for the . Her brutality is evident in her willingness to manipulate and sacrifice allies for the greater goal, culminating in a confrontation with the that exposes her identity and fractured relationship with the Maker, who had equipped her with a containment suit for but ultimately betrayed her timeline. This portrayal emphasizes a more grounded conqueror, focused on salvaging a single, ruined world rather than multiversal domination, highlighting themes of regret and temporal desperation in the line's darker tone. In a development within Marvel's relaunched (Earth-6160), a twist reveals Tony Stark as a potential future variant of Kang, emerging from a timeline where Stark's technological genius evolves into conquest amid escalating conflicts with figures like the Maker and . This iteration maintains the tradition of personal transformation into tyranny but shifts the focus to Stark's arc, implying his persona could darken into Kang's armor-clad rule without relying on multiversal elements. The revelation adds layers to the Kang legacy, portraying conquest as an inevitable corruption in a high-stakes, isolated future.

Heroes Reborn and other 1990s iterations

In the "Heroes Reborn" storyline spanning 1996 to 1997, a of Kang the Conqueror played a pivotal antagonistic role within the created by Franklin Richards to resurrect the Avengers and after their apparent sacrifice against Onslaught. This iteration of Kang, originating from Earth-6311 but adapted to the artificial environment, positioned himself as a 30th-century time-traveler seeking to conquer the reborn heroes. Teaming with his lover , Kang orchestrated an to demonstrate his prowess, launching a surprise assault on Avengers Island that resulted in the capture of the entire team and the theft of key artifacts, including Thor's hammer Mjolnir and , which he displayed as trophies of dominance. Thor eventually liberated the Avengers, leading to a direct confrontation where Kang was overpowered and forced to flee after jettisoning the damaged Vision from his ship. This Kang exhibited enhanced, near god-like mastery over and time within the pocket universe's confines, leveraging advanced temporal technology to manipulate events and environments on a scale amplified by the realm's malleable structure. Later, Kang and retreated to to scheme a comeback, but their plans were thwarted when absorbed them during his bid for global control, leaving Kang's ultimate fate in that unresolved. The late 1990s miniseries "" (1998–1999) introduced at least five distinct Kang variants across timelines, including the classic Conqueror, , and temporal offshoots manipulated by the Time-Keepers, who sought to eradicate the Avengers from history. These variants clashed in a multiversal war, with one Kang allying temporarily with assembled Avengers from various eras to counter 's schemes involving the Forever Crystal, an artifact granting control over multiple realities. This depiction highlighted the fracturing of Kang's identity across timelines, portraying him as both villain and reluctant ally in a bid to preserve his conquest legacy. These 1990s portrayals, especially the multiversal entanglements in "Avengers Forever," laid foundational retcons for 2000s narratives by solidifying Kang's variants as independent entities prone to infighting, influencing arcs like "The Kang Dynasty" where his descendants and temporal echoes further complicated Marvel's chronology.

What If? and crossover depictions

Kang the Conqueror has appeared in several non-canonical "What If?" stories, exploring alternate timelines where his conquests succeed in ways that diverge from main continuity. Inter-company crossovers further expand Kang's role in hypothetical scenarios involving licensed properties. In the 1998 one-shot Star Trek: The Next Generation / X-Men: Second Contact, Kang serves as the primary antagonist, attempting to disrupt the time continuum by allying with temporal anomalies and clashing with the Enterprise crew and . The story portrays Kang as a strategic manipulator, using the crossover's temporal anomalies to attempt domination over both mutant and interstellar societies, ultimately thwarted by combined efforts but showcasing his adaptability in multiversal conflicts. More recently, in (2018), an alternate variant of Kang known as the Conglomerator emerges as a temporal hunter in the , targeting Spider-heroes across dimensions to consolidate corporate and chronological power in a punk-infused reality. This iteration emphasizes Kang's entrepreneurial ruthlessness, hunting web-slingers like Hobie Brown () to prevent uprisings against his conglomerate empire. These depictions collectively explore themes of Kang's potential for unchallenged , delving into "what if" scenarios where his victories lead to dystopian regimes, alliances with god-like entities, and predatory pursuits across universes, underscoring the villain's enduring threat in speculative narratives.

Recent multiversal variants

In the 2020s, Marvel Comics has expanded Kang the Conqueror's multiversal presence through ties to Spider-Man events and new ongoing series, introducing variants that blend his time-conquering ambitions with alternate heroic archetypes. One notable example is Kangaroo the Conqueror, an anthropomorphic pig variant from Earth-8311 in a Looney Tunes-style universe, who reemerged in the (2020) miniseries. In #4, this variant joins the Kang Collective—a multiversal alliance of Kangs—but faces swift judgment and expulsion for his chaotic nature, highlighting the rigid hierarchy among Kang iterations. The Spider-Geddon event (2018) and its expansions through 2024 further diversified Kang's portrayals by integrating him into web-slinging narratives. In Edge of Spider-Geddon #1, Kang the Conglomerator debuts as a corporate overlord from Earth-138, clashing with (Hobie Brown) in a dystopian 2099 setting where he monopolizes intellectual property through Kangco Inc. This variant embodies capitalist conquest over temporal domination, using advanced tech to commodify heroes like . Subsequent stories, such as those in (2023-2024), reference Conglomerator-like Kangs influencing cross-dimensional incursions, expanding the event's legacy without direct web-slinging abilities but through manipulative alliances with Inheritors. A significant 2025 development in the relaunch positions Tony Stark as a successor to Kang's legacy. In #13, a future vision depicts Stark donning modified armor in Kang's signature colors—blue, green, and purple—leading an army of enhanced against multiversal threats, implying his evolution into a conqueror figure after the original Kangs' downfall. This twist recontextualizes Stark's ingenuity as a pathway to Richards' tyranny, setting up potential conflicts in the Ultimate line's exploration of doomed timelines. Ongoing series have introduced emerging Myrddin-influenced variants, adding layers of self-conflict to Kang's mythos. In Avengers (2023) #30, Myrddin is revealed as a disguised Kang variant from Earth-6311, a sorcerer-scientist who manipulates the "Missing Moment" to outmaneuver his prime self, blending Arthurian mysticism with time tech. This iteration defeats the standard Kang in Avengers #24, forcing alliances with the Avengers against his own machinations. By Avengers #31, Myrddin's arc delves into Kang's psychological fractures, portraying him as a self-imposed rival in a narrative of endless temporal civil war. These developments underscore Kang's adaptability in contemporary stories, with incomplete resolutions in the series teasing further variants.

Collected editions

Key trade paperbacks

Key trade paperbacks collecting stories featuring Kang the Conqueror provide accessible entry points into his major arcs, emphasizing his role as a time-traveling and identities across Marvel's timeline. These volumes compile seminal issues from the character's history, highlighting his confrontations with the Avengers and explorations of his complex origins. The 2022 trade paperback Kang the Conqueror: Only Myself Left to Conquer gathers the 2021 five-issue by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and Iban Coello, delving into Kang's cyclical existence across eras as a , , and conqueror trapped in a loop of self-destruction and rebirth. The story explores his psychological depth, including interactions with alternate selves and figures like Ravonna, emphasizing themes of inevitability in his villainous path. Avengers Legends Vol. 1: , the 2002 trade paperback, compiles the 1998-1999 twelve-issue miniseries by and , where Kang—manifesting as —schemes to eliminate the Avengers across timelines by targeting Rick Jones. This narrative assembles Avengers from various eras to counter Kang's multiversal manipulations, revealing his mastery over time and ties to Rama-Tut. The 2006 trade paperback Young Avengers Vol. 1: Sidekicks collects Young Avengers #1-6 by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung, centering on Iron Lad—a youthful incarnation of Kang who forms the Young Avengers team to avert his future tyrannical destiny. Iron Lad's arc highlights Kang's potential for heroism, as he recruits teen heroes like Wiccan and Hulkling while grappling with visions of his conqueror fate. The 2023 trade paperback Kang: The Saga of the Once and Future Conqueror collects stories including Avengers (2015) #13 and Kang the Conqueror (2021) #1-5, presenting Kang's enduring menace as a time-traveling despot against the Avengers and other heroes. This volume traces his conquests and battles across the , offering a comprehensive look at his role in Marvel's multiversal narratives.

Hardcover collections

Several deluxe editions compile key stories featuring Kang the Conqueror, emphasizing his role as a time-traveling in Avengers narratives. These volumes often gather early appearances and major arcs, providing comprehensive access to his character development across decades. The : The Avengers Vol. 1 collects Avengers #1-10 from 1963-1964, including Kang's debut in issues #8-10 where he invades the present day from the 41st century as a would-be conqueror of . This edition, with reprints including a 2009 release, highlights Kang's introduction by creators and , establishing his technological prowess and rivalry with the team. For 1970s material, the : The Avengers Vol. 12 compiles Avengers #129-145 from 1974-1975, encompassing the "Celestial Madonna" saga where Kang clashes with the Avengers over the prophecy of , involving time manipulation and his connections to Rama-Tut and . Published in hardcover in 2014, this volume captures Kang's strategic battles and the epic scope of his temporal ambitions during Steve Englehart's run. The Avengers: The Omnibus, released in hardcover in 2007, assembles Avengers vol. 3 #41-55 (1999-2001), Avengers Annual 2001, 2001 #1-2, and related material, depicting Kang's grand invasion of Earth with his empire-spanning forces under and . This collection underscores Kang's peak as a multiversal threat, culminating in a war that tests the Avengers' unity across timelines. Immortus-focused stories, revealing his ties to Kang as a future incarnation, appear in the West Coast Avengers Omnibus Vol. 2, a 2019 hardcover gathering Avengers West Coast #21-56 (1987-1991) and ancillary issues like #228-231. Key arcs include the "Time and the " storyline (#42) and revelations in #51-52, exploring Immortus's manipulations of the team's history.

In other media

Animation and television

Kang the Conqueror first appeared in animated television in the 1999 series The Avengers: United They Stand, voiced by Ken Kramer. In the episode "Kang," he emerges from the 41st century as a time-traveling seeking to subjugate the present era with his advanced armada and temporal weaponry, only to be repelled by the Avengers' united efforts. A more prominent role came in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (2010–2012), where Jonathan Adams provided the voice for Kang across multiple episodes. He debuts in season 1's "Meet " as the pharaoh Rama-Tut, using to rule and clash with a displaced . Later, as Kang, he features in "The Man Who Stole Tomorrow," attempting to plunder 21st-century resources; "Come the Conqueror," where he unleashes an army of robotic soldiers on New York; and the three-part arc's finale, "The ," in which he launches a full-scale invasion from his timeship, forcing the Avengers to assault his vessel and disrupt his bid for global domination. These arcs portray Kang as a calculating obsessed with rewriting history to cement his empire, often leveraging stolen future tech against Earth's heroes. Kang returned as a key antagonist in Avengers Assemble (2013–2019), voiced by . In season 3's "The Conqueror," he arrives from a dystopian future to eliminate , viewing him as the catalyst for his empire's downfall, and deploys growing-armor variants to battle the team. This leads into "," a multi-episode arc where Kang abducts the Avengers to his timeline, pitting them against his forces in a bid to secure his rule, with humorous undertones in his exaggerated boasts and the heroes' quips amid time-hopping chaos. In these depictions, animation simplifies Kang's complex comic timeline into focused conquest plots, emphasizing his armored prowess and temporal gadgets while injecting levity through his pompous demeanor. An English-dubbed appearance occurs in Marvel Future Avengers (2017), again voiced by Steve Blum, where Kang serves as a formidable foe in time-manipulation schemes against young heroes. Overall, animated adaptations streamline Kang's multiversal intricacies for episodic storytelling, highlighting his role as an unstoppable conqueror whose grand designs provide high-stakes action and occasional comedic flair in defeat.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Kang the Conqueror was introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) through Jonathan Majors' portrayal of He Who Remains, a variant of the character who serves as the founder and overseer of the Time Variance Authority (TVA), in the season 1 finale of the Disney+ series Loki (2021). He Who Remains reveals himself as the victor of a multiversal war among Kang variants, having pruned infinite timelines to maintain a single Sacred Timeline and avert further chaos. Majors' performance established the character's intellectual menace and temporal mastery, setting up the MCU's Phase 4 and 5 exploration of the multiverse. Majors reprised the role as additional Kang variants in subsequent projects. In Loki season 2 (2023), he appeared as , a 19th-century inventor and another Kang who develops time-manipulating technology, aiding the TVA's efforts to stabilize the timeline before his true nature is exposed. Majors then played Kang the Conqueror directly in (2023), depicting the warlord as a banished imprisoned in the Quantum Realm, where he battles (Ant-Man) and seeks to escape using stolen time technology. This film positioned Kang as the central antagonist of the Multiverse Saga, with post-credits scenes introducing the Council of Kangs, a cabal of variants plotting multiversal conquest. Originally, Kang was slated to headline Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, announced in 2022 with a planned release of May 2, 2025, and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, focusing on the Avengers confronting the Council of Kangs. However, following Majors' arrest in March 2023 on charges of assault and harassment, and his subsequent conviction in December 2023 for reckless assault and harassment, Marvel Studios fired him that same month. The film was shelved amid these developments, with Marvel pausing production and reevaluating the storyline. By 2025, Marvel had fully abandoned the Kang arc, shifting focus to Doctor Doom as the primary antagonist for the Multiverse Saga's conclusion, with Robert Downey Jr. cast in the role and the project retitled Avengers: Doomsday, set for release in 2026. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige stated in July 2025 that the studio had begun pivoting away from Kang even prior to Majors' legal issues, citing the character's perceived lack of scale compared to Thanos as a reason to seek a more imposing threat. Majors expressed interest in returning as Kang in a March 2025 interview, noting his affection for the role and the MCU, though no such plans have materialized and appear unlikely given Marvel's direction. This pivot leaves the multiverse threats established by Kang variants in Phases 4 and 5 largely unresolved, with potential for minor cameos or narrative closure in future projects.

Video games and merchandise

Kang the Conqueror appears as a cameo character in (2011), featured in Super-Skrull's ending where he is depicted as a time-traveling conqueror. In (2017), Kang serves as the primary antagonist, pulling heroes from various eras into his city of Chronopolis; he is playable as a DLC character with abilities including time manipulation and advanced weaponry. The game includes levels centered on time travel themes tied to Kang's storyline, such as battles across historical periods. Kang was introduced as a playable Universal-type character in the mobile game on August 9, 2023, inspired by his portrayal, complete with variant uniforms like and Rama-Tut. His kit emphasizes tech-based attacks and time-rewind mechanics, making him a high-cost summonable unit in world boss events. In , Kang debuted as a 3-cost, 4-power card in 2023, with its ability reworked on September 16, 2025, to replace itself at game start with four variant Kangs copying text from random higher-cost cards, tying into recent comic multiversal arcs. In the tabletop miniature game Marvel: Crisis Protocol, Kang the Conqueror was released as a playable character in April 2025, accompanied by variant sculpts representing his different temporal identities. Merchandise featuring Kang surged following his MCU exposure, including the Funko Pop! Vinyl figure of his Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania design, released in 2023 with glow-in-the-dark variants. Hasbro's Marvel Legends Series produced a 6-inch action figure in 2023, detailed with interchangeable hands, energy sword, and throne accessory, as part of the Quantumania wave. In trading cards, the 2025 Topps Chrome Marvel set includes base card #181 of Kang, available in refractor parallels like Sapphire and SuperFractor editions.

References

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