Avengers #8

AVENGERS #8 (1964)
by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby

Kang is so much of a continuity mess that his first appearance is already weird, because he first showed up as Pharaoh Rama-Tut a year before this in Fantastic Four #19.

We begin with the Avengers returning to their mansion while discussing the oddities of their leadership. At this time they had a rotating chairmanship, which yes, it means that Thor has been chairman and that the Hulk would’ve been chairman if he hadn’t left the team.

So the Avengers assembly for the all-important task of watching a transmission from the Pentagon, which is so secret that perennial sidekick Rick Jones is allowed to be there. (????)

The images are straight from one of those old monster stories that Marvel used to publish before superheroes, depicting an invasion from what looks like an alien ship. It’s pretty great and quite cinematic!

And that’s when Kang makes his first appearance! He might want to work on that mask, because it looks like it fits horribly.

I’ve never understood the idea that Kang is related to Doctor Doom that keeps showing up for no reason, but I might have found its origin: they both cannot sit down like a normal person.

(also: Wasp, can you please stop being thirsty for like thirty seconds!?)

Kang seems to be the chilliest supervillain ever.

Since the Avengers are unable to do anything to Kang, it’s time to negotiate with the authorities.
I would assume Iron Man is the one that immediately recognizes the undersecretary, right? If it was the actual Secretary of Defense I would understand being more publicly known, but I don’t think anyone who doesn’t routinely work with the department would recognize him.
(I’m not counting Captain America since he’s been defrosted too recently)

It’s here that Kang recounts his origin as Rama-Tut, but also acknowledges this takes place immediately after he met Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four Annual #2.

Hower, after that story he was sent off-course into the 41st century by “electro-static disturbances in the relative time stream”.

And that’s the origin of Kang! We’re not even told WHY he changed his name to Kang.
If there’s an official explanation for the name, I’m not aware of it. I’ve already talked how the idea that his name is Nathaniel Richards is monumentally stupid.
Personally I would’ve preferred to keep it simple and that Kang really WAS his real name (it’s an actual surname in at least Korea and China), but unfortunately now it’s too late.

Kang proclaims that he wants to conquer the 20th century, so a fight ensues.
However even Thor has a hard time against him. I have no idea how Thor can possibly know that teleporting his hammer wouldn’t work a second time!

Wasp tries a different approach, but she isn’t more effective.

The Avengers are sucked into his ship…

…which is a big deal for Thor, because he turns back into Don Blake and can’t escape.
Though he’d probably say this wouldn’t work a second time.

Kang does, however, let Wasp escape. Because I guess even 30th century technology can’t escape 1960s sexism.

It’s quite hard to keep track of the passage of time in this story (which I suppose fits Kang), because the newspapers are already talking about it!

I have seen Krypto give birth, Jor-El enslave a planet with capes and a birthday cake for a cannibal robot… and yet somehow THIS is the most unbelievable panel I’ve ever come across.

2022 version:

This looks like a job for the Teen Brigade, SOMEHOW.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, is when the story goes bonkers. Because THIS WORKS!!!!

Also Kang asks the Teen Brigade to bring him a certain component from the ship… despite the fact that so far everything has been 100% automated!
I get that he used to be a pharaoh so he gets off on commanding people to do stuff for him, but COME ON!!!

How does the Teen Brigade know this thing won’t explode like a nuke!?

Once on the ship, Rick Jones plays the fundamental role of… pushing random buttons.

This frees the Avengers, and it’s a rare acknowledgment that Thor keeps his medical knowledge even in his godly form.

While this was going on, Wasp was in Giant-Man’s lab looking for a specific weapon. Why couldn’t SHE be the one to infiltrate Kang’s ship and push buttons!? You mean to tell me the Teen Brigade can be trusted to infiltrate a ship but not to carry a gun!?

Poor Hank Pym gets no respect, because this is actually Tony Stark’s weapon.

Also, if the Teen Brigade had taken care of the weapon, the fate on the world wouldn’t rest on gun-wielding ANTS.

Impressively, Kang manages to completely ignore Thor’s hammer. That shield is something!!!

When all you have is a god with a hammer…

Thor manages to create an opening for Stark’s weapon, which is… an acid that dissolves clothes.

Yeah that does sound like something Stark would come up with.
For military purposes only, of course.

However Kang has one last weapon at his disposal: the Neutrino Missile™!

You know I’m starting to think Kang’s bark is way worse than his bite.

Wait, he has a SECOND ultimate weapon: radioactivity!

Which is also kind of useless.

And so we end with Kang just escaping into the future and his very, very, VERY messy timeline.

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Historical significance: 9/10
As far as the Avengers go, possibly the most significant villain debut.

Silver Age-ness: 8/10
On the Marvel scale, sure, but in what other period would the Teen Brigade save the day!?

 Does it stand the test of time? 4/10
This starts promising enough. The tape from the Pentagon is a fantastic way to increase the tension, and the first confrontation where Kang wipes the floor with the Avengers is a great fist act.
Once the Teen Brigade is given a prominent role, however, everything falls apart. Not only the plan makes little sense (seriously, why isn’t Wasp the one to infiltrate the ship!?), but Kang has to be a complete moron to fall for any of this. And no security whatsoever on the ship? Really!?

How close is this to the modern character? WHICH ONE!?!?!
These are all supposed to be the same person!

Yeah I’m not going down that rabbit hole.