The goal of THE WARLORD was to give an overview of Kang's history while also explaining some of his contradictory appearances. Kang's origin was expanded upon following this story arc to much better effect in the Avengers Forever series.
The question of Kang's identity is featured in an article by the ever-knowledgeable Brian Cronin over at CBR.
- CITIZEN KANG - Kang's war with the Terminatrix
- Captain America Annual #11[4/4]
- Thor Annual #17[4/4]
- Fantastic Four Annual #25[5/5]
- Avengers Annual #21[4/4]
Immediately following his first clash with the Avengers, Kang reviews how he became a time-travelling conqueror. Growing bored of the technological paradise of his life on Earth-6311 in the year 3000, the descent of either Reed Richards or Victor von Doom becomes obsessed with the Avengers. Locating his ancestor's time travel capabilities, he travelled back to ancient Egypt to conquer it under the guise of Rama-Tut. He was ousted by the time-travelling Fantastic Four, met Doctor Doom while travelling back to the future and became the Scarlet Centurion, pitting the Avengers of two universes against each other (during DEATH BE NOT PROUD). He travelled to the year 4000 and became absolute master of Earth as Kang. He believed himself unbeatable until he travelled back in time to face an early incarnation of the Avengers on Earth-616 and suffered a humiliating defeat.
Thor Annual #17[4/4]
Kang recounts his life following a another fateful clash with the Avengers (during ENDGAME). Having failed to best the Avengers with a Spider-Man robot and having the Thing and the Human Torch sabotage his attempt to change the course of history by becoming ruler of Camelot, Kang tries to win the heart of Ravonna Renslayer in the 40th century by defeating a team of Avengers in front of her. It ends in tragedy when one of his own lieutenants, Baltag, tries to kill Kang but Ravonna takes the hit for him. Kang becomes obsessed with freeing Ravonna from her comatose state and agrees to a tournament with the Grandmaster with power over life or death as the prize. When he wins, Kang doesn't choose power over life to save Ravonna and instead chooses the power to kill the Avengers. When he's defeated by the Black Knight, Kang is left defeated and with the realisation that his vengeance is greater than his love for Ravonna.
Kang continues to record the story of his life, continuing with the discovery that each of his journeys through time has resulted in the creation of a divergent version of himself. His attempt to change the outcome of World War II is thwarted by the Hulk. He's drawn into the Tomorrow War against Zarrko the Tomorrow Man. His attempt to father the Celestial Messiah by capturing the Celestial Madonna is ruined by the Avengers and his own future self and Immortus. And he cheats death in battle with Thor and again when he's killed by Doctor Doom (during SECRET WARS). He then pulls a Ravonna from Earth-8657 in the moment before she was shot, saving her life but immediately losing her to Immortus when she's horrified to see Kang murder his own divergent selves when he draws them together as the Council of Kangs. Having stolen Ravonna from him, Immortus reveals he's actually a future version of Kang, increasing the conqueror's rage...
Avengers Annual #21[4/4]
Avengers: The Terminatrix Objective #1-4 (1993)
Ravonna battles another divergent future version of herself called Revelation while successfully reviving Kang; Terminatrix soon finds herself at war with Kang again; Ravonna of Earth-8657 is revealed to have married Immortus; Terminatrix kills Ravonna of Earth-8657 so that she can die alongside her husnad when old age finally takes him.
See how this story fits into the Marvel Universe chronology with these reading orders:
Avengers: Citizen Kang
Kang saved Ravonna Renslayer when he took a blow from Thor's hammer (during CITIZEN KANG). Now he's the one in stasis while Ravonna - now calling herself Terminatrix - reviews the recordings of Kang's life. How he witnessed the rise of Kang Nebula in the ranks of the Council of Cross-Time Kangs (during FUTURES IMPERFECT) unaware that she was actually Ravonna, and how he sought revenge against Mantis (during I DIE LIKE THE STARS) while divergent Kangs clashed with the Avengers (during INFERNO) and the Fantastic Four (INTO THE TIMESTREAM!). It's then revealed that he formed the town of Timely in 1901, immediately after his first confrontation with the Avengers. As Victor Timely, he became Mayor and introduced relatively advanced robots to the town, which later resulted in Dr Phineas T Horton leaving Timely and creating the original Human Torch. Timely's tech would seed all robotics from that point on throughout all timelines as part of Kang's plan to conquer the 20th century. But there's still no clue as to who he really descended from, and even calls his run-in with an alternate Fantastic Four into question which revealed his name to be Nathaniel Richards. While Terminatrix struggles with her feelings for Kang, Ravonna of Earth-8657 is revealed to still be beside Immortus as they observe her.
Ravonna battles another divergent future version of herself called Revelation while successfully reviving Kang; Terminatrix soon finds herself at war with Kang again; Ravonna of Earth-8657 is revealed to have married Immortus; Terminatrix kills Ravonna of Earth-8657 so that she can die alongside her husnad when old age finally takes him.
West Coast Avengers #20 (1987)
Kang becomes Rama-Tut again as part of a bid to prevent his past self from claiming the Celestial Madonna.
Avengers Forever #9 (1999)
Kang's definitive origin and timeline is laid out, but it remains unclear if he's a descendent of Reed Richards or Victor von Doom.
Fantastic Four #581 (2010)
Immortus pits the various remaining multiversal versions of Nathaniel Richards (father of Reed Richards against each other - making it less certain that he's a descendant of the Richards bloodline as he'd risk his own existence - during THE HEROIC AGE.
Avengers Epic Collection vol.23: Fear the Reaper
Both include...
Avengers Annual #21
Captain America Annual #11
Fantastic Four Annual #25
Thor Annual #17
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