Kang the Conqueror

Kang the Conqueror (born Nathaniel Richards and also known as Iron Lad, Pharaoh Rama-Tut, Immortus, and the Scarlet Centurion) is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in the Marvel Universe. The character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appears in Avengers #8 (Sep. 1964).

Fictional character biography

Nathaniel Richards was a scholar and born the futuristic 40th century. Bored with the perfection of his society, Richards became fascinated with history and discovered the time travel technology created by one of his ancestors, Doctor Doom. ^[1] Richards then travels back in time to ancient Egypt and becomes the Pharaoh Rama-Tut, with intentions of claiming En Sabah Nur, the mutant destined to become Apocalypse, as his heir. ^[2] Kang's rule last until being driven off after two encounters with the time-displaced heroes of the 20th century, being the Fantastic Four ^[3] and later the West Coast Avengers. ^[4] Embittered by this defeat, he travels forward to the 20th century of alternate timeline, being Earth-689, and meets his ancestor Dr. Doom. Richards then designs armour for himself based on Doom's, and calling himself the Scarlet Centurion manipulates the Avengers from this timeline - the original team - into apprehending all heroes and villains. The Centurion then transports the Avengers from the mainstream Marvel universe (Earth-616) into the timeline, hoping that they will defeat their Earth-689 equivalents, and can then be disposed of. While the mainstream versions do defeat their counterparts, they are also able to force the Centurion from the timeline. ^[5] The Centurion then travels back to his home century, and reinvents himself as Kang the Conqueror, and using the resources at his disposal establishes an empire. On Kang's first foray into the 20th century, he is thwarted by the superhero team the Avengers. ^[6] Kang is furious and swears vengeance, and battles the Avengers to a stalemate on two more occasions. ^[7] After an encounter with the Thunder God Thor, ^[8] Kang returns and enters into a wager with the cosmic entity Grandmaster, and uses the Avengers as his pawns against the Grandmaster's newly created champions, the Squadron Sinister. ^[9] This also ends in stalemate, and Kang later has a brief encounter with the Hulk ^[10] before trying to capture the Avengers once more - a scheme foiled by Spider-Man, the Human Torch and the Inhumans. ^[11] Several months later Kang reappears, seeking the Celestial Madonna for a mate, whom he believes is on Earth. The discovery that it is the Avenger Mantis leads to another confrontation with the Avengers. The Avengers are aided by a futuristic version of Rama-Tut, who has abandoned his identity as Kang and seeks to counsel and change his younger, conquering self. While Kang is stopped, Rama-tut is unable to prevent the accidental death of the Avenger the Swordsman. ^[12] As Kang escapes, the Avenger Hawkeye choses to pursue him (courtesy of Doom's time-travel machine), which results in a final battle in the Old West in 1871. Aided by the futuristic Rama-Tut once more - who has evolved after a study of time into Immortus - Hawkeye, Thor and ally Moondragon confront Kang. In trying to defeat Thor, Kang draws on an excessive amount of energy and destroys himself. ^[13]

Resurrection

Years later the Hulk has an encounter in the future with Kang's still devoted minions, ^[14] and the Beyonder plucks a living Kang from his timeline to participate in the Secret Wars. ^[15] It was then revealed that while the original Kang was dead, his constant time-travelling had caused the creation of a number of other flawed "Kangs", and so the few stable versions of the villain form a council to eliminate the others and stop a proliferation of still more of their number. The Avengers are drawn into the conflict, and once again with the help of Immortus triumph, with only one "Prime" Kang remaining, who falls into nothingness in Limbo. ^[16] Another Kang was later revealed to have survived, and is invited to join the Crosstime Kang Corps, which consists of a group of various aliens posing as Kang. This version of Kang calls himself "Fred" (by his own admission a humourous nod to Fred Flintstone, with a prehistoric name being appropriate for a time-traveller) and has a brief encounter with the Avengers while trying to stop the female space-pirate Nebula from interfering with a timeline. ^[17] The Prime Kang then encounters the Fantastic Four in a bid to capture Mantis, ^[18] while "Fred" is incinerated by a Nebula-possessed Human Torch during a later battle with the Fantastic Four in the timestream. ^[19]

Kang first battles the Avengers on the cover of Avengers #8 (Sep. 1964). Art by Jack Kirby.

Immortus reappears and reveals in a battle with the Avengers West Coast that he desires to be master of all time and plans to use the Avenger the Scarlet Witch as a nexus in order to control time. Immortus' plan is foiled when a group of beings called the Time Keepers - who charged Immortus with responsibility for the period of time from 3,000 B.C to 4,000 AD - appear and use him as the nexus point to stabilise the damage done to the timestream by his interference. ^[20] Prime Kang then makes a brief appearance as an ally of Dr. Doom when the latter tries to steal the Infinity Gems. ^[21]

New Empire

The Prime Kang then appears and takes the android Avenger the Vision prisoner, and battles both the Avengers and a new foe - Terminatrix - who is revealed to be Kang's old lover Ravonna. Kang is critically injured when he intercepts a blow from Thor's hammer Mjolnir that was meant for Ravonna, who is distraught over his sacrifice and teleports away with him. ^[22] Terminatrix then places Prime Kang in stasis to heal and assumes control of his empire. However, she finds the empire under attack by a chronal being called Alioth, and is forced to summon the Avengers to assist. Terminatrix also revives Kang, who assists the Avengers defeat Alioth, but not before allowing the entity to kill the entire Crosstime Kang Corps. ^[23] A recovered Prime Kang later aids the Avengers and their companion Rick Jones against another scheme implemented by his future self, Immortus, who is now allied with the Time Keepers. When Immortus betrays the Time Keepers they kill him, and are in turn killed by Kang. This then allows Kang to be free of Immortus as he will now never become him. ^[24] After some months Prime Kang embarks on an ambitious scheme to conquer the Earth, this time aided by a son, Marcus, who now uses the alias of the Scarlet Centurion. Kang first promises any who aid him on Earth a place in his new order, which puts Earth's defences and the Avengers under strain as they fight off villain after villain. Kang then takes control of Earth's defence system, and after destroying the city of Washington and killing millions, forces a surrender. The Avengers continue to battle the forces of Kang's new empire, and eventually he is defeated by Captain America in personal combat. Although imprisoned, Kang is freed by his son Marcus, who is revealed to be only one of series of clones. Kang then reveals that he is aware of Marcus' betrayal (Marcus fell in love with and aided the Avenger Warbird) and kills him before retreating from Earth. ^[25] In a more recent development, the hero Iron Lad is revealed to be an adolescent version of Kang, and on learning this kills Prime Kang to try and prevent this from occurring. The result is disastrous for the timeline and Iron Lad then goes back in time to undo the damage by becoming Kang. ^[26]

Powers and abilities

Kang is a normal man with no superhuman abilities. He has mastered the art of combat and tactics, and wears highly advanced battle armour capable of flight, energy projection, hologram projection and the ability to control other forms of technology. Kang also has access to machines that allow time travel, and as such has access to weaponry and equipment from across the centuries.

In other media

• Kang appears in two episodes of the animated series Avengers: United They Stand.
• Kang's Rama-Tut persona features in the 1967 Fantastic Four animated series, voiced by uncredited Mike Road.
• Kang (in his guise as Rama-Tut) appears in a flashback depicting Apocalypse's origin in X-Men: Evolution.

References

External links

• Kang on the Marvel Universe Character Bio Wiki
• A Brief History of Kang
• [http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix3/immortuslimbo.htm
• A chronological history of Cassandra Richards/Warlord