Kang the Conqueror Reading Order: The Complete Comics Guide
The 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, like every year, came with several major stunners. One of them was the announcement of two new Avengers movies, one of which will revolve around Kang the Conqueror – the guy we met in Loki Season 1, portrayed by Jonathan Majors.
Now, if you aren’t already super hyped about such an iconic Marvel character making a full-feature appearance in the MCU, you certainly will after reading these comics. Without further ado, here’s the complete comics guide for the reading order of Kang the Conqueror comics.
Kang the Conqueror Reading Order (At a Glance)
- Fantastic Four Epic Collection: The Master Plan Of Doctor Doom
- Essential Avengers Vol. 1
- Avengers: Kang – Time And Time Again
- Marvel Team-Up Masterworks Vol. 1
- Avengers: The Complete Celestial Madonna Saga
- Avengers: The Serpent Crown
- Secret Wars
- Avengers: The Once And Future Kang
- Avengers: West Coast Avengers – Lost In Space And Time
- X-Men: Inferno Crossovers
- Infinity War Omnibus
- Avengers: Citizen Kang & Avengers: The Terminatrix Objective
- X-Men: The Rise Of The Apocalypse
- Avengers Forever
- Avengers: The Kang Dynasty
- Young Avengers: The Complete Collection
- Avengers: The Heroic Age
- Avengers: The Children’s Crusade
- Uncanny Avengers Vol. 2: The Apocalypse Twins
- Uncanny Avengers Vol. 3: Ragnarok Now
- Uncanny Avengers Volume 4: Avenge the Earth
- Siege: Battleworld
- All-New, All-Different Avengers Vol. 1: The Magnificent Seven
- Avengers: Unleashed Vol. 1: Kang War One
- Avengers: Back To Basics
- Infinity Wars By Gerry Duggan: The Complete Collection
- Thanos: The Infinity Saga Omnibus
- Avengers Mech Strike
- Kang The Conqueror
Kang the Conqueror Reading Order (Fully Explained)
Fantastic Four Epic Collection: The Master Plan Of Doctor Doom
Included in collection: Fantastic Four #19-32 (1963), Annual #1-2 (1963)
This was the first time that Kang ever appeared, albeit as Rama-Tut, a time traveler from the future who was bored and started exploring the past. He soon comes face-to-face with the Fantastic Four and gets defeated, after which Rama-Tut escapes and meets Doctor Doom.
Essential Avengers Vol. 1
Included in collection: Avengers #1-24 (1963)
This collection was the first time ever that Kang the Conqueror appeared as such in Avengers #8. In the series, there have been several encounters between Kang and the Avengers, where he attacks them with a Robot Spider-Man, and Immortus appears for the first time as well. We also get to see Kang fall in love with Ravonna.
Avengers: Kang – Time And Time Again
Included in collection: Avengers #69-71 (1963), Avengers #267-269, Thor #140 (1966), Incredible Hulk #135 (1971).
This collection has Kang pulling the Avengers into the future to 4000 AD, where they are forced to fight the Grandmaster’s Squadron Sinister. It ends with Incredible Hulk #135, where he tried using the Hulk for his personal gain but failed miserably.
Marvel Team-Up Masterworks Vol. 1
Included in collection: Marvel Team-Up #1-11 (1972)
The 70s weren’t too kind for Kang. He appeared in issues #9-11, where Spider-Man, Iron Man, Human Torch, and the Inhumans all teamed up to battle Kang and his new ally, Zarrko the Tomorrow Man, both of which came from the future. Kang was just about to show signs of redemption, especially towards Ravonna, but just reverted back to his evil ways in a heartbeat.
Avengers: The Complete Celestial Madonna Saga
Included in collection: Avengers #124-125, #129-135, Captain Marvel #33 (1968), Giant-Sized Avengers #2-4, Avengers Celestial Quest #1-8
The Celestial Madonna, aka Mantis, had a prophecy upon her that she’ll be the mother of a child with incredible powers. Kang came and wanted to be the father, and through the three-decade drama, we learn about how Rama-Tut, Immortus, and Kang are connected.
Avengers: The Serpent Crown
Included in collection: Avengers #141-144, #147-149
This was the first time we’ve seen one of the Kangs die, as Immortus transported Thor and Moondragon back into the Wild West to find Hawkeye and a Kang variant that went missing. As the 1970s come to a close, Kang gets completely wiped from the time stream but would return better than ever in the 1980s.
Secret Wars
Included in collection: Marvel’s Secret Wars #1-12 (1984-85)
The Beyonder creates the Battleworld and transports selected superheroes and supervillains there to fight for survival. Kang is one of the villains chosen to participate, and his friendship with Doctor Doom grows there. Well, until Kang betrays Doom, and Doom kills him, only to resurrect him a few issues later.
Avengers: The Once And Future Kang
Included in collection: Avengers #262-269, Avengers Annual #15 (1985), Avengers Wes Coast Annual #1 (1986)
By now, we already have dozens of Kangs in the mix, so they form the Council of Kangs. Our main guy, Kang the Conqueror, tries to destroy all other members of the Council, which, as a result, elaborates and fleshes out his relationship with Immortus even further.
Avengers: West Coast Avengers – Lost In Space And Time
Included in collection: West Coast Avengers #17-24, Fantastic Four #19, Doctor Strange Vol. 2 #53
Doctor Strange and the West Coast Avengers travel back in time to Ancient Egypt, where Rama-Tut rules as a Pharaoh. The story explains how Rama-Tut was also involved in the Celestial Madonna Saga, culminating with Doctor Strange Vol. 2 #53, where Rama-Tut escapes, and the Fantastic Four is saved from his temple.
X-Men: Inferno Crossovers
Included in collection: Avengers #298-300, Fantastic Four #322-324, Amazing Spider-Man #311-313, Spectacular Spider-Man #146-148, Web Of Spider-Man #47-48, Daredevil #262-265
The Inferno event was a major thing in Marvel Comics, and this particular storyline included two Kangs – one battling the Avengers and the X-Men, and the other trying to capture Mantis again, who is then protected by the Fantastic Four. It was a wild ride, giving you the full spectrum of the differences between Kang variants.
Infinity War Omnibus
Included in collection: Infinity War #1-6; Fantastic Four #366-370, Spider-Man #24, Deathlok #16, Daredevil #310, Warlock And The Infinity Watch #7-10, Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #42-47, Silver Surfer #67-69, Wonder Man #13-15, Alpha Flight #110-112, Silver Sable & The Wild Pack #4-5, Guardians Of The Galaxy #27-29, Quasar #37-40, New Warriors #27, Marc Spector: Moon Knight #41-44, Nomad #7, Sleepwalker #18, Material From Captain America #408, Alpha Flight #109, Marvel Comics Presents #108-112
This was obviously a huge event, and not every issue included Kang. Still, he was a major player in the storyline, along with his buddy Doctor Doom, as the two tried to stop Magus in his devious plans. It further elaborated and fleshed out the Kang/Doom relationship.
Avengers: Citizen Kang & Avengers: The Terminatrix Objective
Included in collection: Captain America Annual #11, Thor Annual #17, Fantastic Four Annual #25, Avengers Annual #2, Avengers: The Terminatrix Objective #1-4
The two events are actually one large storyline, where Ravonna (Kang’s ex-lover) is now called Terminatrix and is going up against two Kangs and a future version of herself. Meanwhile, Kang has a city called Chronopolis that spans the entire history of Earth and is guarded by the deadliest warriors of every age, known as the Anachronauts.
X-Men: The Rise Of The Apocalypse
Included in collection: Rise Of Apocalypse #1-4, Further Adventures Of Cyclops & Phoenix #1-4, X-Men: Apocalypse/Dracula #1-4, Black Knight: Exodus, Fantastic Four #19
This storyline takes us back to the early days of the Apocalypse (the evil mutant guy portrayed by Oscar Isaacs in the X-Men movie), and we learn that Rama-Tut had much to do with his rise. It’s starting to look like this guy had his fingers on everything!
Avengers Forever
Included in collection: Avengers Forever #1-12
This was one of my favorite Kang storylines. Here, Kang wages war against his menacing variant, Immortus, by trying to unite other Kangs from different time periods and universes. It was a great story that really put depth into both Kang and Immortus as characters.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty
Included in collection: Avengers #45-54 (2001)
Kang rarely wins, but preparation, tactics, and the help of his son, Marcus, who was the new Scarlet Centurion, helped Kang the Conqueror actually defeat the Avengers and take over Earth.
Young Avengers: The Complete Collection
Included in collection: Young Avengers #1-12, Young Avengers Special
This particular time in the history of Kang focuses on Iron Lad – a young version of Kang that came back from the future to stop Kang – or the future himself. This and the next few storylines focus on Iron Lad trying to prevent himself from becoming Kang.
Avengers: The Heroic Age
Included in collection: Avengers #1-6, Avengers Prime #1-5, New Avengers #1-6
In this particular storyline, several different versions of Avengers from multiple timelines are caught in between Kang and an Ultron variant battling it out. It’s an epic storyline that shows just how mighty Kang actually is.
Avengers: The Children’s Crusade
Included in collection: Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #1-9, Avengers: The Children’s Crusade– Young Avengers #1
This was another storyline about Iron Lad, that travels back in time to try and defeat his future self, Kang.
Uncanny Avengers Vol. 2: The Apocalypse Twins
Included in collection: Uncanny Avengers #6-11
In one of the wildest Kang storylines ever, he uses Loki’s tactics and impersonates the God of Mischief to kidnap the twin babies born from two horsemen of the Apocalypse. He raises the babies in an alternate reality, but of course, it doesn’t really pan out well for him.
Uncanny Avengers Vol. 3: Ragnarok Now
Included in collection: Uncanny Avengers #12-17
The kidnapped Apocalypse twins rebel against Kang and destroy his future. Meanwhile, he forms the Chronos Corps – a group of individuals he saved from various realities and dimensions.
Uncanny Avengers Volume 4: Avenge the Earth
Included in collection: Uncanny Avengers #18-22
The before-mentioned Chronos Corps help save the Earth, while Kang tries to absorb the cosmic powers of a dead Celestial, which, of course, turns out to be another failure from the conqueror.
Siege: Battleworld
Included in collection: Siege #1-4, Uncanny X-Men #9-10
We’re now in the 2010 Marvel comics era, and Kang still plays major roles. In this storyline, he is the second-in-command for Abigail Brand, that runs a not-so-nice version of S.H.I.E.L.D. on Doom’s Battleworld.
All-New, All-Different Avengers Vol. 1: The Magnificent Seven
Included in collection: All-New, All-Different Avengers #1-6, Avengers 0
Kang adopts the alias Mr. Gryphon and launches Qeng Enterprises after a glitch in the timestream made him stuck in the 21st century. He tries ending the Avenger by allying himself with Warbringer, a notable Chitauri warrior.
Avengers: Unleashed Vol. 1: Kang War One
Included in collection: Avengers #1-6 (2017)
In an attempt to stop Kang’s undoings, Vision travels back in time to try and kidnap a baby Kang. However, his actions cause a massive amount of new Kangs to emerge from various timelines, and the Avengers have to form teams from several generations to try and defeat the newly-created army of Kangs.
Avengers: Back To Basics
In the collection: Avengers: Back to Basics #1-6
We turn back to Mister Gryphon, a Kang alias who sends Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) back in time and pits her in the middle of an Avengers battle against Kang the Conqueror that happened all the way back in Avengers #8 (1963), when Kang first appeared as himself.
Infinity Wars By Gerry Duggan: The Complete Collection
Included in collection: Infinity Countdown Prime #1, Infinity Countdown #1-5, Infinity Countdown: Adam Warlock #1, Free Comic Book Day Amazing Spider-Man/Guardians of the Galaxy (2018) (Guardians of the Galaxy Saga), Infinity Wars Prime #1, Infinity Wars #1-6, Infinity Wars: Fallen Guardian #1, Infinity Wars: Infinity #1, Thanos Legacy #1 (B story)
This is a huge storyline where Kang isn’t the main character, per se, but plays a vital role. He’s actually one of the good guys here. He is murdered, then resurrected, only to join the Cosmic Avengers in a battle against Requiem, a very powerful cosmic warrior.
Thanos: The Infinity Saga Omnibus
Included in collection: Thanos Annual #1 (2014), Thanos: The Infinity Revelation, Thanos Vs. Hulk #1-4 (2014), Thanos: The Infinity Relativity, Infinity Entity #1-4 (2016), Thanos: The Infinity Finale (2016), Guardians Of The Galaxy: Mother Entropy #1-5 (2017), Thanos: The Infinity Siblings (2018), Thanos: The Infinity Conflict (2018), Thanos: The Infinity Ending (2019)
This particular Saga from Jim Starlin has Kang appearing as one of the many faces The Mad Titan encounters on his quest for absolute power. Kang and Thanos battle, after which Kang joins Adam Warlock and his war against The Mad Titan.
Avengers Mech Strike
Included in collection: Avengers Mech Strike #1-5 (2021)
In this cool storyline, we learn that Kang has obtained unfathomable power and became the master of time itself. An unsuspected ally joins the Avengers to give them some hope against Kang the Conqueror, now known as Anno Kang.
Kang The Conqueror
Included in collection: Kang the Conqueror #1-5 (2021)
Finally, Kang the Conqueror got his own title in 2021, and it was a great one! We learn more about the enigma that is Kang – how he came to be, how it all started, and how Kang was caught in an endless cycle of creation and destruction, starting and finishing with Kang sending a younger version of himself down a dark path.
Some of Kang’s most notable allies and adversaries make an appearance, such as Immortus, Rama-Tut, the Avengers, Ravonna, Doctor Doom, etc. The best Kang-centered storyline so far, if you ask me.