Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Marvel Comics’ history of the next MCU epic. (spoiler alert! Kang wins).
The MCU Avengers aren’t taking a break.
Avengers: Kang Dynasty, the fifth movie in the franchise, was announced at Comic-Con International San Diego. The team will now face one of the most difficult and daunting challenges they have ever faced – Yes, that includes Thanos and Infinity Gauntlet.
Following the defeat of Thanos in Avengers: Endgame’s fight, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are now facing Kang the Conqueror – the master of time – possibly in the Multiverse.
If the title of this film is any indication, it won’t go super well for the Avengers.
In the comic Kang Dynasty you can see Kang winning. Kang becomes the unquestioned ruler of Earth after the Avengers lose.
It’s right there in Kang the Conqueror’s name.
The Avengers do eventually come back, and it’s in an epic way. We’re talking about a 100-foot tall Captain America sword fighting an equally massive Kang in outer space. However, the Avengers are there to prevent another of the worst-case Marvel Universe scenarios from happening.
Comic book story Avengers – Kang Dynasty(Opens in new tabArchived from Avengers (Vol.3)(opens new tab) #41-55 (2000-2001), and marked writer Kurt Busiek’s swansong from the title after relaunching it alongside the late, legendary artist George Pérez as part of the ‘Heroes Return’ era.
The entire run represented a return of classic form for the Avengers. Kang Dynasty was illustrated by a team that included Alan Davis, Kieron Dayer, Ivan Reis, Manuel Garcia and a number of other artists. It also includes many plot threads that have been running for years and were written during Busiek’s tenure as a writer.
It’s difficult to understand the entire story due to its length. We’ll now focus on the “Kang” of it all.
What happens to Avengers: Kang Dynasty
Kang is the first Marvel Comics villain in Avengers: Kang Dynasty to physically conquer and rule Earth in modern times.
However, he destroys the Marvel Universe, joins with a bunch of villains and defeats all the Avengers. He also tells the most important Kang story ever.
Kang and Marcus begin their conquest of Earth when they use Kang as the Scarlet Centurion’s old identity. They attack the United Nations using Kang’s space station Damocles base, which is ultra-futuristic. This destroys the building while keeping its inhabitants safe.
Kang issues an edict that any and all of Earth’s villains who wish to join him will be allotted their own territories to rule under his command when he has taken over, and numerous villains from the Eternals’ foes the Deviants, to the armies of Atlantis (which was then ruled by Namor’s old enemy Attuma), and many more join Kang in taking over parts of the Earth.
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Kang, who is able to launch attacks from the future while keeping himself safe with the Avengers beyond their timeline, leaves Marcus/the Scarlet Centurion in charge of the physical assault against the Marvel Universe.
After a series attacks on Europe, Kang turns his attention to the Avengers in the United States. The US government plans a counterattack using reprogrammed Sentinels (as in giant robots which hunt mutants) that will be led into space in the future by a faction from the Avengers.
The attack is thwarted by Kang’s future knowledge. Kang’s future knowledge allows the Avengers to abandon the mission, leaving behind the Sentinels. Kang then captures them and makes them his own weapons.
Kang launches an attack on Washington DC that kills millions of Americans and forces the Avengers and other nations to fall under his control.
What does Avengers: Kang Dynasty have to do with the Marvel Universe?
Many of the Earth’s remaining heroes and Avengers are captured and imprisoned following Kang’s invasion. Their powers are also diminished along with many other world leaders.
Back in space, however, the Avengers who failed to attack Damocles Base with their attacks are saved by a huge ship that looks like a floating pyramid. Are you familiar? It’s possible that you’re thinking about the Eternals’ ship in the MCU movie. However, this is not who’s coming to the Avengers rescue.
It’s actually a cult called the Triune Understanding, who are committed to defeating Kang’s evil arrival. They interpret this as their fulfillment of prophecies. The Triune Understanding plotline was connected to the Triathlon recruits, and dated back to the first issues of the Avengers title. But that’s just the TL;DR.
(And honestly, if the MCU adapts Avengers’ fated space fight, they have already got the aforementioned Eternals Pyramid ship to pull in instead of establishing yet another subplot.
The power of the space Pyramid allows them to surprise attack Damocles Base. In which the Avengers return home to Earth, many of their allies are freed from the camps and the Avengers are freed. They establish a new base of operations far from Kang’s reach, and plan to launch a counterattack on Earth as well as in space.
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Captain America leads an astronaut team on the mission against Damocles using the pyramid ship. Wasp is the creator of the comic book Avenger Janet Van Dyne.
Kang uses Damocles Base full power to attack the Avengers. Kang is projected into space 100 feet high as an energy construct and wields the Damocles Base sword as a weapon. Captain America then uses the power and the Pyramid to project his energy construct, complete with a shield, to defeat the Conqueror.
Cap finally defeats Kang in space. They take the fight from their energy constructs into a face-toface battle on Earth. Captain America wins, ending Kang’s conquest and taking Kang into custody in a specially-designed prison.
Kang’s genetic clone Marcus, however, uses Damocles Base rebuilt to save Kang using the power of time travel.
It is in this moment that Kang’s true nature and code of ethics are revealed.
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Kang had always been a warrior code. He won’t use his time travel abilities against his enemies by fighting them in the past. Later stories will show that he breaks this code.
Kang Dynasty’s vaunted Conqueror is defeated by Captain America in one-on-one combat. He decides to accept the consequences of his loss.
Marcus rescues Kang, but Marcus expresses his disappointment at Kang not accepting the opportunity to lead Kang’s empire and instead choosing to rescue Kang.
Kang dispatches Marcus and kills his son. Kang also incites another clone to help him take control of his empire. Kang vows to beat the Avengers again.
And again… and again… and again…
What will Avengers: Kang Dynasty bring to the MCU?
It is likely that there will be some differences from the details of Avengers: Kang Dynasty in comic books. For one, it’ll likely start the wrap-up of some long-running MCU storylines and not just comic book ones. However, the overall story of Avengers is cinematic.
There are many elements to a movie: Kang’s surprise attack, his enlisting of other villains to his armies, the Avengers’ failed space attack, imprisonment, and their eventual rallying and defeat against the Conqueror.
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For some of the MCU side elements, there is even space for Namor, the Eternals, or even Doctor Doom.
Avengers: Kang Dynasty will be moving on to Avengers: Secret Wars just six months after the end of the current so-called “Multiverse Saga” of the MCU. Secret Wars is the film that wraps up Avengers: Kang Dynasty, which itself was adapted from Secret Wars (2015).
This means that almost anything could happen to create the story of the Multiverse’s possible destruction and rebirth. Avengers: Kang Dynasty almost certainly will connect to Secret Wars directly. This could set up a two-part one–two punch in Kang winning the conflict, similar to the surprise defeat ending of Avengers Infinity War. This would allow the Avengers to make an Endgame-like return and possibly close the MCU door against the Multiverse.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (one of the best Avengers storiesAll time.
