Kang the Conqueror is one of the Avengers' most deadly enemies, and a massive danger to the Marvel Universe overall. Kang has been known by many names and has threatened the Earth through a variety of schemes., but his biggest achievement might just be taking over the entire planet.

This storyline, "The Kang Dynasty," took place in Avengers #41-54, by Kurt Busiek, Alan Davis, Kieron Dwyer, Manuel Garcia, Ivan Reis and Brent Anderson. Everything began when Kang and his son Marcus, the new Scarlet Centurion, arrived at the United Nations building in New York. The conqueror destroyed the UN building using his Damocles space station while saving everyone inside. This awesome display of power gave Kang room to deliver a message. Kang warned the people of Earth about the many dangers their planet will face.

Being from the 31st century, Kang appeared to know what he was talking about. Unless he took over the Earth, Kang reasoned, these threats would doom the planet. Moments later, the Earth was attacked on several fronts. Atlanteans, Deviants, A.I.M., radioactive soldiers and supervillains all threatened the planet, proving Kang's prediction correct. In truth, Kang had manipulated all of these forces so he could scatter and weaken the Avengers. As Earth's Mightiest Heroes fought off their many foes, Kang bided his time. At just the right moment, Kang sent his armies to invade Europe as the first wave attacked humanity.

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While the Avengers fought Kang's forces, they also had to contend with enemies like the Master of the World. Meanwhile, a small group of Avengers attempted to attack Kang's Damocles base. Kang was prepared, however, and he destroyed the Avengers' ship, leaving them stranded in space. In retaliation, Kang took control of a group of Sentinels. The conqueror then obliterated Washington, D.C., in a devastating move that forced the Avengers to surrender on behalf of the planet.

Kang dominated the globe, with only a few pockets of resistance remaining. Prison camps were established, while super-powered individuals were captured and immobilized. Of course, Kang was not quite prepared for the Avengers to return from space.

These heroes had recently fought against the Triune Understanding and the Tri-Evil. After this battle, the Avengers took the Triune Understanding's ship back to Earth and rallied a resistance movement against Kang. Earth's Mightiest Heroes destroyed Damocles base, and afterward, Captain America defeated Kang in hand-to-hand combat. Kang was arrested, but was eventually freed by his son. Marcus had betrayed Kang, however, by helping Carol Danvers in an earlier part of the war. Due to this betrayal, Marcus's father killed him in cold blood.

As a whole, "The Kang Dynasty" showed why Kang is such a serious villain, on the level of Doctor Doom or Ultron. There are some villains who would simply invade the planet in a full-frontal assault. Yet Kang chose to strategize and play the long game against the Avengers.

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Rather than simply strike, Kang manipulated other forces to attack the Avengers on several fronts, and that's why he could be so dangerous in the MCU. Kang used the internal conflict around the globe to conquer the planet from within. Kang definitely had a strong army, but it wasn't his defining feature. The conqueror thought like a warrior, and by doing so, managed to nearly defeat the Avengers entirely.

Readers got an insight into Kang's strategic mind through his discussions with his son, Marcus. Kang clearly defined his strategy and fighting style, giving a strong impression of his keen mind. Kang's mind was his primary tool in this war, allowing him to plant seeds of doubt in the minds of Earth's citizens.

By forecasting possible futures where the Earth was doomed, Kang weakened the planet's morale before he even struck. In weakening the Avengers, Kang ensured that they wouldn't be ready for his own overwhelming armies. On their own, Kang's forces could do some serious damage to the Earth's defenders. By scattering and impairing these defenders, Kang could hit the planet hard and take over at his leisure.

The destruction of Washington, D.C. was a particular stand-out moment, as Kang murdered countless people with considerable ease. Even heroes such as Thor were helpless to stop Kang. After Kang was defeated, he couldn't even stay locked up for very long. Marcus immediately broke his father out of prison. Moreover, Kang remained firm in his radical convictions, murdering his son for betraying him. This ending cemented Kang's place as one of Marvel's most cold-blooded, ruthless villains.

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