Years ago, Kang the Conqueror learned he would one day become Immortus. But the events of the Destiny War broke that link, giving Kang the chance to form his own destiny. In order to fulfil it, he's finally going to defeat the Avengers and successfully invade the 21st century...
Recently, the Earth was briefly transformed into a prison for alien criminals by the Galactic Council, Avengers Mansion suffered serious damage at the hands of Lord Templar while an oversized Bloodwraith rampaged through Slorenia. After facing multiple threats at home, abroad and from across the galaxy, the Avengers have decided to expand their numbers and their approach to defending the planet.
Kurt Busiek offered other editorial offices a chance to take part in this massive, world-spanning story arc and make it a crossover, but no one was willing to join in. I think it was better for it, with the whole story being contained in the Avengers title and a few minor tie-ins.
- Avengers #38-40 (tie-in)
- Avengers #41-43
- Avengers Annual 2001[1/2]
- Avengers #44
- Avengers: The Ultron Imperative #1
- Avengers #45-48
- Avengers #49 (also see 'NUFF SAID)
- Avengers #50-55
Avengers squads have been shutting down the Taskmaster's various mercenary schools and have set up a new system at Avengers Mansion for keeping tabs on other possible threats. Captain America has even set Iron Man the task of creating an alarm system for time-based attacks. Little do they realise, two of their foes are already keeping tabs on them. Plus, Hank Pym appears to have been kidnapped and replaced by another Hank Pym! Warbird and Vision's date is interrupted when the Avengers are summoned to Costa Salvador where the citizens have been transformed into 'Hulks'...
Avengers #39 (tie-in)
The two mystery foes continue to prepare to make their move against the Avengers as they battle the army of Hulks. The cocky replacement Hank Pym realises he can force them to merge by hurling them together, but his plan to shrink them doesn't work and the Avengers are faced with one gigantic Hulk. Having created the army of Hulks from dust samples from Middletown, Diablo arrives at Avengers Mansion only to discover it isn't as empty as he thought when he's faced with Silverclaw. Elsewhere, Wonder Man considers turning down an offer to restart is career in Hollywood, but feels indebted to the Scarlet Witch for resurrecting him
The Avengers struggle to contain a mountain-sized Hulk while Goliath doubles over in pain, unable to help. Quicksilver brings Dr Bruce Banner to the scene. He transforms into the Hulk and merges with the giant Hulk while the Scarlet Witch's chaos magic throws it into further disarray, separating the merged Hulks and restoring them to human form. Back in America, Diablo turns Silverclaw into salt and obtains the Tablet of T'hehly'eh which will grant him the power to shatter dimensional barriers. Silverclaw's transmutation powers allow her to change back and defeat him, with help from Wonder Man. The army of Hulks were a distraction to keep the Avengers busy. 'Diablo' turns out to be a homunculus sent by the real Diablo. SHIELD pick up an intense radiation signal from Siberia which the Black Knight and Firebird decide to investigate. Elsewhere, the two mystery figures watching the Avengers are revealed to be Kang the Conqueror and his son, the Scarlet Centurion...
Avengers #41
Kang has been teaching his son, Marcus Kang - the Scarlet Centurion, the art of war by conquering countless worlds and countless timelines. Kang sends the Centurion to the United Nations Plaza on Earth where he's met by a team of Avengers. He holds his own against Warbird, Goliath, Iron Man, Vision, Triathlon and Wasp until Kang arrives. Expressing his displeasure at the Avengers' treatment of his son, Kang fires a shot from his space-station headquarters Damocles Base which instantly obliterates the UN building. He saves the people inside using bubbles and expresses his intention to rule the Earth in order to save it...
Kang reveals a number of future events to the assembled Avengers outside the ruins of the UN, claiming he can prevent these threats if control of the Earth is given to him. One of the threats, the rise of the Presence in Siberia, immediately comes true as Captain America, Firebird, Black Knight, Quicksilver and Thor arrive too late to save the Winter Guard. Kang finds allies in Attuma's renegade Atlanteans and an army of Deviants.
Avengers #43
The Avengers struggle to deal with high-level threats on multiple fronts. Scarlet Witch, Jack of Hearts and Yellowjacket arrive in Canada to lend the Wasp and Triathlon a hand against the Atlanteans. She-Hulk, Black Widow and Silverclaw join the Vision and Warbird in defending China from the Deviants, becoming trapped underground with them. The Atlanteans are defeated, but Yellowjacket collapses and starts fading out of existence. In Siberia, Cap and his team fall prey to the radioactive zombification powers of the Presence. The immortal Thor and Firebird nowhave to fight their undead friends...
Avengers Annual 2001[1/2]
Wasp, Triathlon and Photon take Yellowjacket and the separated Hank Pym to the their enemies, the morally ambiguous Triune Understanding, for help. Hanks's split personality is merged by Triune leader Jonathan Tremont. Justice and Firestar have infiltrate the Triunes and discover a spaceship that will be powered by souls...Avengers #44
Thor drains the Presence's energies until he restores his fellow Avengers, the Winter Guard and everyone else he transformed, though he's shaken by the experience. His immortality sets him apart from his comrades and he's not sure that he can allow himself to remain close to them and see them get old and die. Warbird challenges the Deviant ruler to combat. Despite being tricked into fighting their champion, Glomm, she beats the odds and wins. Hercules and Stingray come to the Avengers' aid, but the government don't hold out much hope for their success. Val Cooper prepares an army of Sentinels...
Avengers #45
Captain America recovers from his battle with the Presence. Thor becomes increasingly distant. Hank Pym becomes Yellowjacket again to make amends for his past deeds in that identity. The Vision decides to infiltrate the Triune Understanding with Triathlon's help. Triathlon, Vision, Jack of Hearts and Warbird let off some steam with a night on the town. Cap and the Wasp express their concerns over the military's plan to use Sentinels against Kang. Suddenly, the Master of the World brings his fortress up through the earth and all over the surface of the planet. If the Avengers can't defend the world from Kang, he figures he'll do it for them...
Avengers #47
Warbird survives the explosion, but is separated from the other Avengers. She thinks back to the time she became pregnant and gave birth to Marcus Immortus within days. Marcus coerced her into joining him in Limbo as his lover, but he soon died there due to rapid ageing. She's understandably angry at Marcus Kang who share Marcus Immortus' face. But this Marcus is a different man. Behind his father's back, Marcus helps Warbird get past the Master's defences in order to win favour with her. She manages to get in contact with the other three Avengers, keeping her alliance with Marcus a secret. In space, Quasar and Living Lighting witness the arrival of a giant technological pyramid...
Avengers #48
Warbird's team head further into the Master's fortress. From Damocles Base, Marcus shields their presence from the Master until Kang walks in. With the shields dropped, the Master becomes aware of their presence. Warbird tackles the Master head-on, killing him by plunging a metal shard into his chest. Triathlon and the Vision join Triune leader Jonathan Tremont aboard his spaceship as they head to the 'triple threat'. Captain America's team penetrate Damocles Base's defences while Marcus is busy tracking Warbird. Back on Earth, General McGinty gives the order to launch the fleet of Sentinels at the base. Kang kickstarted the creation of robots on Earth in the 20th Century under the guise of Victor Timely, (as revealed during CITIZEN KANG) so he easily takes control of the Sentinels and orders them to destroy Cap's Quinjet. Kang sends his gigantic holographic form marching towards Earth...Avengers #49
Kang marches his giant holographic self to Earth, surrounded by Sentinels and with Damocles base firing down on the Master's defences now under the Avengers' control. The Avengers are too late to rescue the President who is given to the Deviant leader Kro. Kang lattacks Washington, dropping a bomb that wipes out everyone in the city, killing millions of innocents. With no options left, the Earth surrenders to Kang. Rather than have General McGinty sign the Articles of Surrender, Kang insists that the Wasp to does it...
Avengers #50
The Trion - mystical beings from another dimension - cast all the evil from themselves and imprisoned it. But a sliver of evil escaped and entered our universe which countered it with antibody pyramids in space, only for one to become evil. The evil pyramid travelled across the universe, turning everything in its path evil as its power grew. On Earth, three brothers were born; one was wise, one strong and the other charming. Sickness killed the wise and strong one, leaving only the charmer. In the 1950s, pilot Chuck Chandler gained superhuman while defending Earth from invading Skrulls, merging with his brother Hal Chandler to become the 3-D Man. Hal stole his brothers girlfriend and eventually stopped Chuck from taking control of the 3-D Man. Chuck turned to Jonathan Tremont to find a way to free his brother. Tremont (the charming man) took the 3-D Man's power and used it to resurrect his brothers as Pagan and Lord Templar, then gave the remaining power to disgraced athlete Delroy Garrett, turning him into Triathlon. In the present day, Jonathan Tremont rescues Cap's squad, but they're all taken prisoner by the pyramid and mentally given their fondest desires. Captain America rejects this and breaks free. The pyramid retaliates, unleashes many-angled demons. Tremont summons Pagan and Lord Templar to join the fight, revealing himself to be behind their attacks on the Avengers. Burning up the souls of his believers and his brothers, Tremont is able to take control of the pyramid until Triathlon finds the antibody of cosmic goodness in the corpse of a dead alien, defeating Tremont and casting the pyramid's evil from the universe. Triathlon is now merged with Hal Chandler and the 3-D Man and now controls the pryamid's energies, still charged with the life-forces of the good souls it took. Before they can use it to attack Kang, the team learn they've been prisoners inside the pyramid for weeks and that Earth has surrendered to Kang.Avengers #51
All the super-humans on planet Earth have been rounded up into prison camps with control collars keeping them subdued. The Scarlet Witch and Wonder Man find themselves in the same camp. After they agree that their relationship doesn't work, the Scarlet Witch uses her powers to break Wonder Man free of his control collar. As punishment, the guards blast him to atoms, not realising this won't kill him. Wonder Man escapes the prison in a ghostly form, leaving the Witch behind...
Avengers #52
Warbird's team finally figure out how to utilise the Master's Plodex technology and use it to free the Wasp from captivity. The remaining Avengers activate the Master's defensive walls which attack Kang's forces. They're joined in their assault by the Deviants, Atlanteans, the Presence and Starlight. Kang figures out the location of the Avengers within the Master's base and concentrates his assault there. The space pyramid suddenly materialises over Damocles Base. Using the technology that generates a giant holographic body, Kang stands before the pyramid, only to find it can emulate this ability when a giant holographic Captain America stands ready to fight him...Avengers #53
While holographic versions of Kang and Cap beat the each other senseless in space, the Avengers and the Presence attack Damocles Base. Triathlon realises he's using the souls of the good against Kang so sends Jonathon Tremont to fly out there and sacrifice himself to break Kang's shields.The Avengers enter Damocles Base. Warbird confronts the Scarlet Centurion, but Jack of Hearts shoves him out the way allowing her to overload the base's power core. The Avengers escape as the base is slowly destroyed. Kang pushes his son into an escape pod while he remains to behind, going down with the ship as it falls to Earth...
Avengers #54
There are more civilian casualties when Damocles Base crashes into Maryland. The Avengers look for survivors while Cap deals with Kang. Cap knocks Kang down, but refuses to grant him the honour of death in battle. Triathlon finds a way to release the souls trapped within the pyramid. The Avengers return to New York where they're greeted as heroes. Warbird's squad evacuate the Master's base when a countdown kicks in. Kang sits in prison, hoping he's taught Marcus enough to take over from him. But Marcus returns to free his father, stealing more honour from him. Marcus insists on gathering more forces and attacking Earth again, but Kang reveals the truth about his son's origins. Marcus was Kang's twenty-third attempt at creating a worthy heir. As payback for betraying his father for Warbird's affections and lying to him about it, Kang kills Marcus, leaving the would-be conqueror with no world to rule and no heir...Avengers #55
Warbird demands to stand trial for murdering the Master of the World. The Avengers decide she's not guilty as it was a time of war. Triathlon restores Charles Chandler and Hal Chandler, separating them without the 3-D Man powers. Triathlon keeps the powers, using them to help rebuild the damage done by Kang. The Master's headquarters self-destructs. The Avengers learn their government liaison Duane Freeman was killed in Kang's attack on Washington. Thor returns to Avengers Mansion with a feast for his friends.
MCG Note: The entries in blue and black are the stories that are directly impacted by the major events of 'The Kang Dynasty'. The issues in grey are stories impacted by the sub-plots and moments that aren't key to the main story threads.
Fantastic Four #47-48 (2001)
The Avengers struggle to contact Mister Fantastic of the Fantastic Four when Kang in the early stages of Kang's invasion because he's in an alternate reality during THE RESURRECTION OF GALACTUS.Iron Man #42-44 (2001)
Tony Stark finishes working on Iron Man's SKIN armour.
Iron Man #46-48 (2001-2002)
Ultron resurfaces with Antigone, taking control of Iron Man's SKIN armour; Jocasta helps Iron Man defeat Ultron.
Thunderbolts #58 (2002)
Thunderbolts #58 (2002)
Hawkeye escapes prison in pursuit of the Chain Gang during LIFE SENTENCES.
Thunderbolts #63 (2002)
Hawkeye returns to his role as leader of the Thunderbolts during BRAVE NEW WORLD.
Iron Man #50 (2002)
Tony Stark completes the construction of his new armour - Iron Man Model 20 (the 'Tin Man' armour).
New X-Men #114 (2001)
A new breed of Sentinels - Wild Sentinels - emerge, destroying Genosha.
Thor #85 (2004)
Ragnarok claims Asgard but doesn't affect Earth during AVENGERS DISASSEMBLED.
Young Avengers #3 (2005)
Avengers #74 (2004)
Hawkeye rejoins the Avengers.
Avengers #76 (2004)
Jack of Hearts stays with the Avengers until he sacrifices himself to stop his powers going out of control.
Jack of Hearts stays with the Avengers until he sacrifices himself to stop his powers going out of control.
Avengers #500 (2004)
The Avengers face another army of Ultrons (this time, they're creations of the Scarlet Witch) during AVENGERS DISASSEMBLED.
Thor #85 (2004)
Ragnarok claims Asgard but doesn't affect Earth during AVENGERS DISASSEMBLED.
Young Avengers #3 (2005)
Kang returns to the present day to pursue his younger more heroic self, Iron Lad.
Fantastic Four #525-526 (2005)
House of M: The Day After #1 (2006)
Fantastic Four #525-526 (2005)
The real Diablo is revealed to have escaped his other-dimensional prison.
House of M #1 (2005)
Reality is altered with Magneto ruling over humanity during HOUSE OF M.
Reality is altered with Magneto ruling over humanity during HOUSE OF M.
House of M: The Day After #1 (2006)
The US Government use Sentinels to contain the mutant population during HOUSE OF M / DECIMATION.
Beyond! #1-6 (2006-2007)
It's revealed that the Wasp and Hank Pym's relationship has ended.
Annihilation: Nova #4 (2006)
Beyond! #1-6 (2006-2007)
It's revealed that the Wasp and Hank Pym's relationship has ended.
Quasar dies allowing Ego's essence to escape his body during ANNIHILATION.
Avengers: The Initiative #12 (2008)
Triathlon becomes 3-D Man.
Secret Invasion #1-8 (2008)
The Skrulls invade Earth as retribution of the acts of Earth's heroes; Mockingbird is revealed to be alive during SECRET INVASION.
Mighty Avengers #21-23 (2009)
Chthon rises again during DARK REIGN.
Dark Reign - The List: X-Men #1 (2009)
Secret Invasion #1-8 (2008)
The Skrulls invade Earth as retribution of the acts of Earth's heroes; Mockingbird is revealed to be alive during SECRET INVASION.
Mighty Avengers #21-23 (2009)
Chthon rises again during DARK REIGN.
Dark Reign - The List: X-Men #1 (2009)
Norman Osborn activates Marrina's Plodex programming, sending her to attack her husband Namor the Sub-Mariner during DARK REIGN / DARK REIGN - THE LIST / NATION X.
2010-??? World War Hulks #1 (2010)
The Leader induces a number of Earth's heroes with gamma-based powers during WORLD WAR HULKS.
2010-??? World War Hulks #1 (2010)
The Leader induces a number of Earth's heroes with gamma-based powers during WORLD WAR HULKS.
Alpha Flight #4 (2011)
The Master of the World is revealed to have survived during FEAR ITSELF.
Avengers Solo #3-5 (2012)
Giant-Man fights a fake Alkhema.
Age of Ultron #1 (2013)
Ultron takes over the Earth during AGE OF ULTRON.
See how this story fits into the wide Marvel Universe continuity with these reading orders:
Ultron takes over the Earth during AGE OF ULTRON.
Uncanny Avengers #12 (2013)
Kang is revealed to have another son, also called Marcus Kang.
Avengers: Rage of Ultron (2015)
Ultron is merged with Hank Pym as the two become one being.
- KANG: The Conqueror (1963-2015)
- PHOTON: Monica Rambeau (1996-2005)
- RED GUARDIAN/STARLIGHT - Soviet Super Soldier (1967-2015)
- WARBIRD: Carol Danvers (1998-2005)
Avengers Assemble vol.4-5
Avengers by Kurt Busiek and George Perez Omnibus vol.2Both include...
Avengers #38-55
Avengers #38-55
Avengers Annual 2001
Avengers: The Ultron Imperative #1
Avengers: Above and Beyond
Avengers #36-40, 56,
Avengers Annual 2001
Avengers: The Ultron Imperative #1.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty
Avengers #41-55
Avengers #41-55
Avengers Annual 2001
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