Kang Dynasty
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| "Kang Dynasty" | |
|---|---|
 The Kang Dynasty. Cover to Avengers v3, #49 Art by Kieron Dwyer | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| Publication date | June 2001 – August 2002 |
| Genre | |
| Title(s) | Avengers (vol. 3) #41–55 Avengers Annual 2001 |
| Main character(s) | Avengers Kang the Conqueror |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Kurt Busiek |
| Artist(s) | Alan Davis Kieron Dwyer Rick Remender Ivan Reis Manuel Garcia |
"Kang Dynasty", sometimes called "Kang War", is a 16 part comic book storyline which ran through Avengers (vol. 3) #41–55 and Avengers Annual 2001 between June 2001 and August 2002. It was written by Kurt Busiek and illustrated by a number of artists including Alan Davis, Kieron Dwyer, Ivan Reis and Manuel Garcia.
The story features
The story is noteworthy for its length, as well as depicting the destruction of the
Plot summary
Kang the Conqueror appears with his son Marcus, the new
-like creatures that most of the Soviet-Super Soldiers have been turned into and who several Avengers member meet.After these attacks are stopped, Kang launches his invasion of Europe with his army from the far future. The Avengers and UN troops fight back valiantly at the ramparts they had constructed, while the American forces are occupied with an attack by the self-proclaimed
The Avengers try to infiltrate Kang's starship, Damocles Base. Meanwhile, as part of a wrap up to a long-running plotline, the Avengers discover that the religious cult known as the
The Avengers stranded in space are saved by
On Earth, Kang and the Scarlet Centurion are gloating over their victory when they are told the Avengers are attacking their main prison. Thor and the Avengers left on Earth free Wasp and many other heroes, taking them to the Master's base, which they use as their new base of operations. They discover how to activate his technology (the huge ring-walls) across America, which prove a massive threat to Kang. Their plan is to distract him so that Warbird, Thor, Iron Man, Wonder Man and Firestar can attack Damocles Base, with the Master's technology hopefully taking down its protective force field. Wasp has reservations until the President himself, who is safely at the base, encourages her to do it. She agrees, but first says she has to make some calls.
Meanwhile, Captain America's team in space heads for Earth, using the Pyramid's power. On Earth, Kang declares that he will destroy a city each hour until the Avengers surrender. Before he makes good his threat, the Master's technological towers erupt from the ground and attack. Thanks to Jan's calls, across the world others assault Kang's forces, including the Presence, the Atlanteans and the Deviants. With his forces locked in a counter-attack, Kang and the Centurion retreat to Damocles Base. From there, he locates the Avengers' new base and opens fire on it. Facing a no-win situation, the five heroes who had agreed to attack his base take off anyway. Just as Kang is about to triumph, the Pyramid materializes beside Damocles Base, opening fire on it. Captain America tells Triathlon to ready the technology.
Kang uses his technology to project an enormous
Vision, Quasar, Justice, Jack of Hearts, Firestar and Photon attack Kang's base along with the pyramid, even as the giant Captain battles the giant Kang. Damocles Base focuses its fire on the pyramid, allowing the Earth defenses to attack it, even as the heroes from Earth join the battle against it. The Presence and Starlight also fly into space to aid them. Kang has the edge on Captain America and is about to defeat him, but at that point the damage to Damocles Base becomes so severe, Kang is unable to maintain the holographic projection.
Triathlon is unsure whether or not to continue using his power, since it belongs to dead civilizations. Enraged, the captive Tremont uses his remaining power to break free and charge into space, using all of his power to take down the Damocles Base force field, even as he himself is vaporized. The Avengers assault the base, and Warbird destroys the main core. Kang then forces the Scarlet Centurion to take a capsule to his own time, leaving Kang to die honorably. The Avengers evacuate as the crippled Damocles Base plunges to Earth.
The base crash lands in Maryland, causing devastation. Kang alone survives, finding the Avengers waiting as he emerges from the ruin. He tells them he wishes to die fighting. Captain America steps up to battle him alone, shield against sword. The Captain defeats Kang in battle, and takes him into captivity. Triathlon declares he has to leave to get in touch with himself as the Avengers fly back. They are told that most of Kang's armies are now surrendering. Across the world, millions of people cheered their salvation, celebrating. The festivities are interrupted when the Avengers discover that the Master's base is beginning to self-destruct.
Kang, in his cell, is content to die as he had built an Empire, won great victories and even defeated the Avengers. However, the Scarlet Centurion arrives and saves him. An angry Kang tells Marcus that he should not have done so, but returns to his ship. Kang takes Marcus into his private chambers, which is revealed to be a morgue with twenty-two bodies, all of them exact duplicates of Marcus. Kang tells him that he is not the first Marcus, but the previous ones had always proved unsuitable. He had thought that Marcus was different, but then revealed that he had known all along that Marcus had helped Warbird. If Marcus had confessed, Kang would have been content to die and let Marcus be his heir. But since he had survived, Kang could not tolerate a traitor. He then stabs Marcus in the chest, killing him.
Bibliography
- Avengers vol. 3 #41 "The High Ground" (Jun 2001)
- Avengers vol. 3 #42 "No More Tomorrows" (Jul 2001)
- Avengers vol. 3 #43 "Global Presence" (Aug 2001)
- Avengers Annual 2001 "The Third Man"/"Desperate Measures"/"Secrets Within" (2001)
- Avengers vol. 3 #44 "Down Among the Dead Men!" (Sep 2001)
- Avengers vol. 3 #45 "Life During Wartime" (Oct 2001)
- Avengers vol. 3 #46 "Absolute Mastery" (Nov 2001)
- Avengers vol. 3 #47 "In the Heart of Battle" (Dec 2001)
- Avengers vol. 3 #48 "Warplan "A" (Jan 2002)
- Avengers vol. 3 #49 "There are No Words" (Feb 2002; part of the 'Nuff Said event)
- Avengers vol. 3 #50 "Book of Revelations" (Mar 2002)
- Avengers vol. 3 #51 "Prisoners - A Love Story" (Apr 2002)
- Avengers vol. 3 #52 "Counter Attack" (May 2002)
- Avengers vol. 3 #53 "The Last Castle" (Jun 2002)
- Avengers vol. 3 #54 "Good Day To Die" (Jul 2002)
- Avengers vol. 3 #55 "The Last Farewell" (Aug 2002)
References
- ^ Marvel Graphic Novel #27: "Avengers: Emperor Doom"
External links
- Kang Dynasty at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)