Kang the Conqueror (Nathaniel Richards) is a
supervillain
A supervillain or supercriminal is a variant of the villainous stock character that is commonly found in American comic books, usually possessing superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero.
Supervillains are oft ...
appearing in
American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. The character is most frequently depicted as an opponent of the
Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
**Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
and the
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
. A time-traveling entity, several alternate versions of Kang have appeared throughout Marvel Comics titles over the years, including his respective future and past heroic selves, Rama-Tut,
Immortus
Immortus (; Nathaniel Richards) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the future self of Pharaoh Rama-Tut, Scarlet Centurion, Kang the Conqueror, and Iron Lad / Kid Immortus, and a descenda ...
, and
Iron Lad
Iron Lad (Nathaniel "Nate" Richards) is a fictional superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is an adolescent version of Kang the Conqueror, armed with a bio-metal suit that responds to mental command ...
.
Kang the Conqueror has been described as one of Marvel's most notable and powerful villains.
[Kang the Conqueror is number 65](_blank)
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
. Kang has made media appearances in animated television and video games. He is set to make his feature film debut in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
film ''
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania'' (2023), in which he will be portrayed by
Jonathan Majors
Jonathan Michael Majors (born September 7, 1989)Majors in is an American actor. He rose to prominence after starring in the independent feature film ''The Last Black Man in San Francisco'' (2019). In 2020, he garnered wider notice for portraying ...
, who will reprise the role in ''
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty'' (2025).
An alternate version of him known as "
He Who Remains
The Time Variance Authority (TVA) is a fictional organization appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is depicted as a group of timeline monitors.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Chronicoms, based on the lower-ran ...
" appeared in the first season of the
Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
series ''
Loki
Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
'' (2021), in the episode "
For All Time. Always.
"For All Time. Always." is the sixth episode and season finale of the first season of the American television series '' Loki'', based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Loki. It follows alternate versions of the character as they attemp ...
", also portrayed by Majors.
Publication history
The character who would become best known as Kang first appeared in ''
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
'' #19 (Oct. 1963), by
Stan Lee
Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...
and
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He gr ...
. This issue introduced the pharaoh Rama-Tut, a criminal from the year 3000 who had travelled back in time and conquered ancient Egypt, and who was implied to be a descendant (or possibly future incarnation) of Fantastic Four villain
Doctor Doom
Doctor Victor Von Doom is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first appeared in ''The Fantastic Four'' #5 in July 1962. The monarch of the fi ...
. After a second appearance the following year in ''Fantastic Four Annual'' #2 (Sept. 1964), the character appeared again in ''
The Avengers'' #8 (published the same month), also by Lee and Kirby, which revealed that Rama-Tut had gone on to travel to the year 4000, where he had adopted the identity of Kang. A decade later, the character of
Immortus
Immortus (; Nathaniel Richards) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the future self of Pharaoh Rama-Tut, Scarlet Centurion, Kang the Conqueror, and Iron Lad / Kid Immortus, and a descenda ...
, previously introduced in ''Avengers'' #10 (Nov. 1964), was retroactively established to be a future identity of Kang's in ''Giant-Size Avengers'' #3 (Feb. 1975).
Fictional character biography
Pre-Kang
Nathaniel Richards, a 31st-century scholar and descendant of
Reed Richards
Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member, and the leader, of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mastery of mechanical, aerospace and ...
' time traveling father
Nathaniel
, nickname =
{{Plainlist,
* Nat
* Nate
, footnotes =
Nathaniel is an English variant of the biblical Greek name Nathanael.
People with the name Nathaniel
* Nathaniel Archibald (1952–2018), American basketball player
* Nate A ...
, becomes fascinated with history and discovers the time travel technology created by
Victor von Doom
Doctor Victor Von Doom is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first appeared in ''The Fantastic Four'' #5 in July 1962. The monarch of the fi ...
, another possible ancestor of his. He then travels back in time to ancient
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
aboard a Sphinx-shaped timeship and becomes the Pharaoh Rama-Tut, with plans to claim En Sabah Nur—the
mutant
In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It ...
destined to become
Apocalypse
Apocalypse () is a literary genre in which a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a human intermediary. The means of mediation include dreams, visions and heavenly journeys, and they typically feature symbolic imager ...
—as his heir. Rama-Tut's rule is cut short when he is defeated by the time-displaced
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
.
[''Fantastic Four'' #19 (Sep. 1963). Marvel Comics.] An embittered Nathaniel Richards travels forward to the 20th century where he meets
Doctor Doom
Doctor Victor Von Doom is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first appeared in ''The Fantastic Four'' #5 in July 1962. The monarch of the fi ...
, whom he believes might be his ancestor. He later designs an armor based on Doom's and, calling himself the Scarlet Centurion, pits the
Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
**Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
team against alternate-reality counterparts. He plans to dispose of all of them, but the Avengers manage to force him from the timeline.
Nathaniel then tries to return to the 31st century, but overshoots by a thousand years, discovering a war-torn Earth that uses 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.
[''Avengers'' #8 (Sep. 1964). Marvel Comics.]
Early appearances and Ravonna
On Nathaniel's first foray into the 20th century under the Kang identity, he meets and battles the
Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
**Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
, capturing everyone but the
Wasp
A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. Th ...
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.
He later attempts to defeat the Avengers using a
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
robot, but the real Spider-Man destroys it.
In his own time, Kang falls for the princess of one of his subject kingdoms,
Ravonna
Princess Ravonna Lexus Renslayer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in '' Avengers'' #23 (December 1965) and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. A princess an ...
, 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, 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". He later reactivates the Growing Man to kidnap an incapacitated Tony Stark and draw the Avengers into his game, though the purpose isn't revealed. Thor fails to keep Kang from escaping into the time-stream.
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. The first round ends in stalemate when an unaware
Black Knight
The black knight is a literary stock character who masks his identity and that of his liege by not displaying heraldry. Black knights are usually portrayed as villainous figures who use this anonymity for misdeeds. They are often contrasted with t ...
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.
Next Kang kidnaps the Hulk and sends him to 1917 France to kill the
Phantom Eagle
Phantom Eagle is the name used by two fictional aviator heroes appearing in American comic books.
The first character to use the name was teenaged Mickey Malone, a young aviator who appeared in the 1940s in Fawcett Comics publications depicting ...
before he can destroy a giant German cannon which would otherwise kill Banner's grandfather who is fighting in the trenches. 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.
The Celestial Madonna
Some time later Kang reappears at Avengers Mansion seeking the "Celestial Madonna", who turns out to be
Mantis
Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They ha ...
, 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 the Avenger the
Swordsman
Swordsmanship or sword fighting refers to the skills and techniques used in combat and training with any type of sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to a ...
.
[''The Avengers'' #129 and ''Avengers Giant-Size'' #2 (Nov. 1974). Marvel Comics.] During an adventure in Limbo, it is revealed that
Immortus
Immortus (; Nathaniel Richards) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the future self of Pharaoh Rama-Tut, Scarlet Centurion, Kang the Conqueror, and Iron Lad / Kid Immortus, and a descenda ...
is the future incarnation of both Kang and Rama-Tut.
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
The Two-Gun Kid is the name of two Western fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first, Clay Harder, was introduced in a 1948 comic from Marvel predecessor Timely Comics. The second, Matt Hawk a. ...
, 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.
First Resurrection
Years later, the
Beyonder
The Beyonder () is a fictional cosmic entity appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Jim Shooter and artist Mike Zeck, the Beyonder first appeared in ''Secret Wars'' #1 (May 1984) as an unseen, self-procl ...
plucks a living Kang from the timestream to participate on the villains' side in the first of the
Secret Wars
''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'', commonly known as ''Secret Wars'' for short, is a twelve-issue American comic book Fictional crossover, crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written ...
. 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.
This Kang diverges into two alternate Kangs,
[''Avengers Forever'' #9. Marvel Comics.] 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
Celestial may refer to:
Science
* Objects or events seen in the sky and the following astronomical terms:
** Astronomical object, a naturally occurring physical entity, association, or structure that exists in the observable universe
** Celes ...
"Ultimate Weapon". This Kang calls himself "Fred" (by his own admission a humorous nod to
Fred Flintstone
Fred Flintstone is the main character of the animated sitcom '' The Flintstones'', which aired during prime-time on ABC during the original series' run from 1960 to 1966. Fred is the husband of Wilma Flintstone and father of Pebbles Flintsto ...
, with a prehistoric name being appropriate for a time-traveler) and has a brief encounter with the Avengers while trying to stop the space pirate
Nebula
A nebula ('cloud' or 'fog' in Latin; pl. nebulae, nebulæ or nebulas) is a distinct luminescent part of interstellar medium, which can consist of ionized, neutral or molecular hydrogen and also cosmic dust. Nebulae are often star-forming regio ...
from interfering with a timeline. The Prime Kang, having recovered, then attempts to manipulate the Avengers from a time vortex, and encounters the Fantastic Four in a bid to capture Mantis and use her to defeat a Celestial and the other Kangs, while "Fred" is incinerated by a Nebula-possessed
Human Torch
The Human Torch (Jonathan "Johnny" Storm) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. He is writer Stan Lee's and artist Jack Kirby's reinvention of ...
during a later battle with the Fantastic Four in the timestream.
New Empire
Later, the Prime Kang appears, captures the
Vision
Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to:
Perception Optical perception
* Visual perception, the sense of sight
* Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight
* Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain un ...
, 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
Mjolnir that was meant for his old love, who is distraught over his sacrifice and teleports away with him. 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.
In ''
Avengers Forever
''Avengers Forever'' is a twelve-issue comic book limited series published from December 1998 to November 1999 by Marvel Comics. It follows the storyline of Rick Jones and his quest to build a team of Avengers from the past, present, and future. ...
'', 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. However, as Kang prepares to become Rama-Tut once again and from there
Immortus
Immortus (; Nathaniel Richards) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the future self of Pharaoh Rama-Tut, Scarlet Centurion, Kang the Conqueror, and Iron Lad / Kid Immortus, and a descenda ...
, he glimpses the future and learns of Immortus's servitude to the
Time-Keepers of the
Time Variance Authority
The Time Variance Authority (TVA) is a fictional organization appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is depicted as a group of timeline monitors.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Chronicoms, based on the lower-ran ...
, renewing his horror at the destiny that awaits him as that 'simpering academic'.
As a result, Kang rejects this future to the point of aiding the Avengers in protecting
Rick Jones from Immortus's latest scheme. 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 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.
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.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, 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
A warbird is any vintage military aircraft now operated by civilian organizations and individuals, or in some instances, by historic arms of military forces, such as the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the RAAF Museum Historic Flight, or the ...
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.
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, but 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 come to be known as the '
Young Avengers
The Young Avengers are the names of two fictional superhero teams appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first team, created by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung, features numerous adolescent characters who typically have ...
', with the young Kang adopting the alias of '
Iron Lad
Iron Lad (Nathaniel "Nate" Richards) is a fictional superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is an adolescent version of Kang the Conqueror, armed with a bio-metal suit that responds to mental command ...
'. When Kang tracks his younger self to the past, the Young Avengers are able to kill him, but the subsequent changes to history force the young Kang 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.
Kang travels the multi-verse and recruits Stryfe, Earth-X Venom (May "Mayday" Parker), Doom 2099, Iron Man 2020, Ahab, Magistrate Braddock, and Abomination Deathlok to save the multi-verse and possibly restore the universes that have already been erased. He appears to the remaining members of the
Avengers Unity Squad
''Uncanny Avengers'' is a comic book series first appearing in the October 2012 debut of Marvel NOW!, published by Marvel Comics. The series follows an interconnected fictional superhero team, featuring members from the Marvel Universe (specifica ...
after Earth has been destroyed by a Celestial leaving only the mutants, offering to help them save Earth by projecting their minds back into their past selves so that they can defeat the Celestial that attacked Earth, but subsequently attempts to steal its power for himself, 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.
Uncanny Inhumans and All-New, All-Different Marvel
Before the
Inhuman
Inhuman may refer to:
Comics
*Inhumans, a fictional race in Marvel Comics
** ''Inhuman'' (comics), a comic book series focusing on Inhumans
** ''Inhumans'' (TV series), a television series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
*Kristoff Vernard, ...
king
Black Bolt
Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appears in '' Fantastic Four'' #45 (December 1965). Black Bolt is the ...
destroys the city of Attilan to release
Terrigen Mist
The Inhumans are a fictional superhuman race of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many peopl ...
throughout the world, he sends his son
Ahura
Ahura (Avestan: 𐬀𐬵𐬎𐬭𐬀) is an Avestan language designation for a particular class of Zoroastrian divinities. The term is assumed to be linguistically related to the Asuras of Indian Vedic era.
Etymology
Avestan ''ahura'' "lord" der ...
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.
While taunting the Inhumans' efforts to find Ahura, 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
A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun crosses the Earth's equator, which is to say, appears directly above the equator, rather than north or south of the equator. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise "due east" and se ...
and a reprogrammed Vision, intending to use
Mjolnir's time-traveling ability to return to his era, but is defeated.
[''All-New, All-Different Avengers'' #6. Marvel Comics.]
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
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
, the Wasp goes to place baby Kang back where he belongs. Kang is subsequently defeated.
During the "
Infinity Countdown
"Infinity Countdown" is a 2018 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. The storyline leads into the "Infinity Wars" storyline.
Premise
The story depicts the Ultron/Hank Pym going after the Infinity Gems that were recreated when the Multiv ...
" storyline, Kang the Conqueror gains knowledge of the calamity that would come if the
Infinity Gems
The Infinity Gems (originally referred to as Soul Gems and later as Infinity Stones) are six fictional gems appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, named after and embodying various aspects of existence. The gems (Mind, Pow ...
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.
Fresh Start
Kang the Conqueror has most recently been seen as a recurring character in the "Pottersville" arc of the
Doctor Doom
Doctor Victor Von Doom is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first appeared in ''The Fantastic Four'' #5 in July 1962. The monarch of the fi ...
solo series, in which he is shown to be tethered to Doom in a quantum entanglement, appearing at random times throughout the series conversing with the Latverian despot. 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.
Powers and abilities
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
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
.
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.
Variations
There are different variations of Kang the Conqueror:
Immortus
Immortus is an alternate 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
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 steals his future self's advanced armor and travels back to the past, forming the
Young Avengers
The Young Avengers are the names of two fictional superhero teams appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first team, created by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung, features numerous adolescent characters who typically have ...
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.
Rama-Tut
Rama-Tut was Kang's original alias when he ruled ancient Egypt.
Later in life, he retires as Kang and returns to the Rama-Tut identity, and helps the Avengers defeat his past self when he attempts to capture the "Celestial Madonna".
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.
Victor Timely
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
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
Victor Timely. Posing as Victor Timely Jr., he develops an interest in a visiting college graduate named
Phineas Horton
This article lists Marvel characters beginning with the letter "H", with a brief description introducing each one.
Hala the Accuser
Gabrielle Haller
Gabrielle Haller was a catatonic Holocaust survivor who awoke from the disorder after Charles ...
, providing the young man with insights which eventually led to his creating the original
Human Torch
The Human Torch (Jonathan "Johnny" Storm) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. He is writer Stan Lee's and artist Jack Kirby's reinvention of ...
.
Scarlet Centurion
Numerous versions of Kang have assumed this alias:
* Nathaniel Richards the Second, in a one-time identity he assumed after being the Pharaoh Rama-Tut but before going on to become Kang.
* Marcus Kang aka Marcus XXIII, the son of Kang the Conqueror who was active during ''
Avengers Forever
''Avengers Forever'' is a twelve-issue comic book limited series published from December 1998 to November 1999 by Marvel Comics. It follows the storyline of Rick Jones and his quest to build a team of Avengers from the past, present, and future. ...
''.
* A version of Kang who remained the Scarlet Centurion and conquered the alternate universe
Earth-712
The Squadron Supreme is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, of which there are several notable alternate versions. The original team was created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, derived from the previous ...
.
Mister Gryphon
Mister Gryphon is a variation of Kang the Conqueror that is confined to the present. He is a
businessman
A businessperson, businessman, or businesswoman is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial or industrial) for th ...
and the
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
of Qeng Enterprises.
Reception
Accolades
* In 2009, ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' ranked Kang the Conqueror 65th in their "Top 100 Comic Book Vilains" list.
* in 2019, ''
CBR.com
''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion.
History
Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' ranked Kang the Conqueror 4th in their "10 Fantastic Four Villains We Want To See In The MCU" list.
* In 2019, ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' ranked Kang the Conqueror 16th in their "Top 25 Marvel Villains" list.
* In 2021, ''
Screen Rant
''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. ''Screen Rant'' was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. ''Scr ...
'' included Kang the Conqueror in their "Marvel: The Avengers Main Comic Book Villains, Ranked From Most Laughable To Coolest" list and his Kangaroo the Conqueror persona in their "10 Best Spider-Ham Villains" list.
* In 2022, ''
Collider
A collider is a type of particle accelerator which brings two opposing particle beams together such that the particles collide. Colliders may either be ring accelerators or linear accelerators.
Colliders are used as a research tool in particle ...
'' ranked Kang the Conqueror 20th in their "20 Most Powerful Marvel Characters" list.
* In 2022, ''
Newsarama
Newsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews, and essays about the American comic book industry. It is owned by Future US. In June 2020, Newsarama was merged with the website GamesRadar+, also owned by FutureUS.
History
N ...
'' ranked Kang the Conqueror 2nd in their "Best Avengers villains of all time" list.
* In 2022, ''
Screen Rant
''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. ''Screen Rant'' was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. ''Scr ...
'' included Kang the Conqueror in their "10 Most Powerful Avengers Villains In Marvel Comics" list and his Scarlet Centurion persona in their "15 Most Powerful Black Panther Villains" list.
* In 2022, ''
CBR.com
''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion.
History
Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' ranked Kang the Conqueror 2nd in their "Black Knight's 10 Strongest Villains" list, 3rd in their "10 Most Violent Marvel Villains" list, 7th in their "13 Most Important Marvel Villains" list,
8th in their "10 Greatest Iron Man Enemies" list, and 10th in their "Ms. Marvel's 10 Best Villains" list.
Other versions
Spider-Ham
The
Spider-Ham
Spider-Ham (Peter Porker) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is an anthropomorphic pig and is a cartoon animal parody version of Spider-Man. He was created by editor Larry Hama, T ...
reality contains a
kangaroo
Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...
named Kangaroo the Conqueror.
X-Men/Star Trek
In the ''X-Men''/''Star Trek'' crossover ''Second Contact'', an alternate version of Kang disrupts a number of timelines before being defeated by the combined effort of the mutant
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
and the crew of the
''Enterprise''-E. His timehooks, which the two groups use to travel in time, later draw the X-Men into the ''Enterprise'' timeline when the ''Enterprise'' hook becomes exposed to verteron particles. This creates a link to the other hook, as
Nightcrawler is similarly infused with verteron particles when he teleports.
Heroes Reborn
In the
Heroes Reborn universe created by
Franklin Richards, Kang and his lover
Mantis
Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They ha ...
travel to the modern era in order to battle the greatest heroes of all time, the recently formed Avengers. He wishes to utterly defeat them as a token of his love. Kang's assault on Avengers Island leads to the capture of all the Avengers, with Kang taking Thor's hammer,
Captain America's shield
Captain America's shield is a fictional item appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is the primary defensive and offensive piece of equipment used by Captain America, and is intended to be an emblem of American cultur ...
,
Swordsman
Swordsmanship or sword fighting refers to the skills and techniques used in combat and training with any type of sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to a ...
's swords,
Hawkeye's bow and arrows, and the
Vision
Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to:
Perception Optical perception
* Visual perception, the sense of sight
* Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight
* Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain un ...
as his trophies. However, Thor frees himself and his fellow Avengers and easily bests Kang in a rematch, forcing the villain to flee the scene after ejecting the severely damaged Vision from his ship.
Kang and Mantis hide out in Peru, where they plot their revenge against the Avengers. This plot would never come to fruition, as
Loki
Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
absorbs the two in his bid to take over the Earth. Loki is ultimately defeated, and while many of the super-beings that he absorbed are seen active following the battle, Kang's ultimate fate is not depicted.
Ultimate Marvel
A female version of Kang appears in the
Ultimate universe
Ultimate Marvel, later known as Ultimate Comics, was an imprint (trade name), imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring re-imagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Univers ...
, claiming she has a plan to prevent the destruction of Earth. It is revealed she is from an alternate Earth sent back with a containment suit, arriving one week after the
Ultimatum Wave
The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features.
Places
Certain places fe ...
destroyed New York, convincing
Reed Richards/Maker to stop it from happening to his own. Alongside Maker, she recruits
Quicksilver, the
Hulk
The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk' ...
and as part of a plan to steal the
Infinity Gauntlets, and destroys the
Triskelion
A triskelion or triskeles is an ancient motif consisting of a triple spiral exhibiting rotational symmetry.
The spiral design can be based on interlocking Archimedean spirals, or represent three bent human legs. It is found in artefacts of ...
in the process. Kang eventually reveals that she is
Sue Storm.
Squadron Supreme
An alternate version of Kang who retained the "Scarlet Centurion" identity is depicted as having taken over the future of the
Squadron Supreme
The Squadron Supreme is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, of which there are several notable alternate versions. The original team was created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, derived from the previous ...
's universe.
''Spider-Geddon''
''
Spider-Geddon
''Spider-Geddon'' is a 2018 comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics featuring multiple alternative versions of Spider-Man that had appeared in various media, and his supporting cast. In this sequel to ''Spide ...
'', a sequel to the ''
Spider-Verse
"Spider-Verse" is a 2014 in comics, 2014–2015 in comics, 15 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. It features multiple alternative versions of Spider-Man, alternative versions of Spider-Man that had appeared Spider-Man in other medi ...
'' storyline, features a version of Kang called Kang the Conglomerator, a businessman from the year
2099
In contemporary history, the third millennium of the anno Domini or Common Era in the Gregorian calendar is the current millennium spanning the years 2001 to 3000 (21st century, 21st to 30th century, 30th centuries). Ongoing futures studies se ...
who wants to take
Spider-Punk
Spider-Punk (Hobart Brown) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is an alternate version of Hobie Brown and Spider-Man who opposes President Norman Osborn, V.E.N.O.M., and the Inheritors.
Spider-Pu ...
into the future to take control of his franchise because of his marketability. Opposing this idea, Spider-Punk fights Kang along with
Captain Anarchy and the
Hulk
The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk' ...
. Kang is defeated, but he disappears claiming Spider-Punk will die young while Captain Anarchy will die an old man.
Collected editions
In other media
Television
* Rama-Tut appears in a self-titled episode of ''
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
'', voiced by
Mike Road
Mike Road (born Milton Brustin;The Boston Advertiser, June 29, 1958 March 18, 1918 – April 14, 2013) was an American voice actor and Warner Bros. television series contract player whose television career dates back to the 1950s and in fi ...
.
* Kang the Conqueror appears in ''
The Avengers: United They Stand'' episode "Kang", voiced by Ken Kramer.
This version hails from the 41st century, where he was overthrown during a revolution and imprisoned between dimensions, with an
obelisk
An obelisk (; from grc, ὀβελίσκος ; diminutive of ''obelos'', " spit, nail, pointed pillar") is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. Originally constructed by Anc ...
as his only means of escape.
* Rama-Tut makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in ''
X-Men: Evolution''.
* Kang the Conqueror appears in ''
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes'', voiced by
Jonathan Adams.
This version hails from the 41st century. Introduced in the episode "Meet Captain America", Kang's timeline is retroactively erased from existence due to a temporal anomaly, which leaves his lover Princess
Ravonna
Princess Ravonna Lexus Renslayer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in '' Avengers'' #23 (December 1965) and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. A princess an ...
in a coma after she is caught in it. Kang traces the disturbance to
Captain America
Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
's presence in the 21st century, and in the episode "The Man Who Stole Tomorrow", launches an attack against the
Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
**Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
, taking them to his time to show them the devastation he claims Captain America caused. However,
Iron Man
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...
gains access to Kang's Time Chair and transports everyone back. Injured and defeated, Kang escapes to his flagship, the ''Damocles'', and prepares to conquer Earth with his armada. In the episode "The Kang Dynasty", the Avengers launch an attack against him, boarding the ship and sending most of the armada back to the 41st century. Before they can return Kang's ship, the
Wasp
A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. Th ...
discovers what happened to Ravonna and convinces her team to find a way to save her. In the episode "New Avengers", the Council of Kangs frees the original Kang from prison and provides him with new armor, which he uses to take over
Stark Tower
The Stark Tower Complex is a fictional high-rise building complex appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, USA, the complex is named after its owner Tony Stark, who is the alter eg ...
so he can use its arc reactor to bring his citadel to the 21st century, incidentally causing "time ripples" across New York and scattering the Avengers across time. In response, the
New Avengers Protocol is activated and
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
,
War Machine,
Wolverine
The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for "gluttony, glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is ...
, the
Thing
Thing or The Thing may refer to:
Philosophy
* An object
* Broadly, an entity
* Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant
* Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focuses ...
,
Luke Cage
Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #1 (June 1972) and was created by Archie Go ...
, and
Iron Fist join forces to defeat Kang, casting him out of the timestream and returning the original Avengers to the present while
S.W.O.R.D.
S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient World Observation and Response Department) is a fictional counterterrorism and intelligence agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Its purpose is to deal with extraterrestrial threats to world ...
repurposes the ''Damocles'' as their headquarters.
* Kang appears in ''
Avengers Assemble'', voiced by
Steve Blum
Steven Jay Blum (; born April 29, 1960) is an American voice actor. Known for his distinctively deep voice, his most well-known roles include Spike Spiegel from the anime series '' Cowboy Bebop'', Garazeb Orrelios from the animated series ''St ...
.
This version hails from the 30th century. Throughout the series, he battles the Avengers amidst failed attempts to destroy Manhattan and negate his rival
Iron Man 2020
Iron Man (Arno Stark) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a superhero appearing as the counterpart of the superhero Iron Man in the (then) future year of 2020 set in the multiverse world o ...
's existence, with one appearance seeing him join the
Cabal
A cabal is a group of people who are united in some close design, usually to promote their private views or interests in an ideology, a state, or another community, often by intrigue and usually unbeknownst to those who are outside their group. Th ...
in successfully scattering the Avengers across time and space, though they are eventually reunited.
* Kang appears in ''
Marvel Future Avengers
is a Japanese superhero anime television series produced by Madhouse and Walt Disney Japan, based on the Marvel Comics universe. The first season began airing on the Dlife satellite channel in July 2017 and ran for 26 episodes, followed by ...
'', voiced by
Jiro Saito in the Japanese version and reprised by Steve Blum in the English dub.
This version is the leader of the
Masters of Evil
The Masters of Evil is a supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in '' The Avengers'' #6 (July 1964), with the lineup continually changing over the years.
Publicatio ...
and the mastermind behind the Emerald Rain Project, an attempt to reverse-engineer
Terrigen Crystals
The Inhumans are a fictional superhuman race of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many peo ...
to create a race of superhumans under his control and defeat the
Inhumans
The Inhumans are a fictional superhuman race of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many peop ...
in his time.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
Jonathan Majors
Jonathan Michael Majors (born September 7, 1989)Majors in is an American actor. He rose to prominence after starring in the independent feature film ''The Last Black Man in San Francisco'' (2019). In 2020, he garnered wider notice for portraying ...
portrays variants of Kang the Conqueror in media set in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
:
* An alternate universe version of the character known as "
He Who Remains
The Time Variance Authority (TVA) is a fictional organization appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is depicted as a group of timeline monitors.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Chronicoms, based on the lower-ran ...
", a
composite character
In a work of media adapted from a real or fictional narrative, a composite character is a character based on more than one individual from the story.
Use in film
*Several characters in the movie '' 21''.
*The character Henry Hurt in the docudra ...
based on his
namesake
A namesake is a person, geographic location, or other entity bearing the name of another.
History
The word is first attested around 1635, and probably comes from the phrase "for one's name's sake",
which originates in English Bible translations ...
and
Immortus
Immortus (; Nathaniel Richards) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the future self of Pharaoh Rama-Tut, Scarlet Centurion, Kang the Conqueror, and Iron Lad / Kid Immortus, and a descenda ...
from the comics, appears in the
Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
series ''
Loki
Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
'' episode "
For All Time. Always.
"For All Time. Always." is the sixth episode and season finale of the first season of the American television series '' Loki'', based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Loki. It follows alternate versions of the character as they attemp ...
" He claims to have originally been a scientist from the 31st century who created the
Time Variance Authority
The Time Variance Authority (TVA) is a fictional organization appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is depicted as a group of timeline monitors.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Chronicoms, based on the lower-ran ...
(TVA) to prevent villainous variants of himself from destroying the timeline as well as prevent a
multiversal
The multiverse is a Hypothesis, hypothetical group of multiple universes. Together, these universes comprise everything that exists: the entirety of space, time, matter, energy, information, and the physical laws and Physical constant, consta ...
war from occurring. Describing him as a "very charismatic sociopath", series creator
Michael Waldron
Michael Waldron (born April 23, 1987) is an American screenwriter and producer known for his work on television series ''Rick and Morty'' and '' Heels'', as well as creating the Marvel Cinematic Universe series '' Loki'' and writing the script ...
worked "to leave a lot of meat on the bone in terms of how evil he could be", since much of his character is trying to convince others his variants are worse than he is.
* Kang the Conqueror will debut in the upcoming film ''
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania'', and will reappear in ''
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty''.
Video games
* Kang appears as a boss and unlockable playable character in ''
Marvel Avengers Alliance
''Marvel Avengers Alliance'' was a turn-based social-network game developed by American studio Offbeat Creations and published by Playdom on March 1, 2012. It is based on characters and storylines published by Marvel Comics, and written by Alex Ir ...
''.
* Kang appears as a boss in ''
Marvel Contest of Champions
''Marvel Contest of Champions'' is a 2014 fighting video game developed and published by Kabam. It was released on December 10, 2014, for iOS and Android. The fighting game is primarily set in the Marvel Universe. The game is strongly based o ...
''.
* Kang appears as a boss and playable character in ''
Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2
''Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One on 14 November 2 ...
'', voiced by
Peter Serafinowicz
Peter Szymon Serafinowicz ( ; born 10 July 1972) is an English actor, comedian, director and screenwriter, best known for his roles as the title character in the 2016 live-action series of ''The Tick'', Pete in ''Shaun of the Dead'' (2004) and ...
. He captures specific locations in time and space to form
Chronopolis and later tricks the Avengers into defeating
Man-Thing
The Man-Thing (Dr. Theodore "Ted" Sallis) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Gerry Conway and artist Gray Morrow, the character first appeared in ''S ...
so he can destroy the Nexus of All Realities. During the final battle, Captain America defeats Kang before
Ravonna
Princess Ravonna Lexus Renslayer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in '' Avengers'' #23 (December 1965) and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. A princess an ...
uses his time crystal to regress him to an infant. In the post-credits, an elderly Kang joins Ravonna,
Cosmo the Spacedog
Cosmo the Spacedog (russian: Космо, Kosmo) is a fictional character, appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Cosmo, a telepathic Soviet space dog, is the security chief of the space station Knowhere and a member of th ...
, Man-Thing, and the
Supreme Intelligence
The Supreme Intelligence is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Supreme Intelligence is an artificial intelligence that rules the alien race known as the Kree.
The Supreme Intel ...
in warning Captain America,
Captain Marvel, and Iron Man of a new threat.
Board game
Kang the Conqueror appears in ''
Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game''s Annihilation expansion. This expansion set also includes a group of Kangs called Timelines of Kang, consisting of
Iron Lad
Iron Lad (Nathaniel "Nate" Richards) is a fictional superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is an adolescent version of Kang the Conqueror, armed with a bio-metal suit that responds to mental command ...
, Rama-Tut, Immortus, and the Scarlet Centurion.
Music
The band
Ookla the Mok devoted a song to Kang on their 2013 album ''vs. Evil''.
Miscellaneous
Kang the Conqueror appears in ''The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes'' tie-in comic book.
References
External links
Kang the Conqueroran
Rama-Tutat Marvel.com
*
*
*
{{Authority control
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Characters created by Stan Lee
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Marvel Comics supervillains
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