Warning! Spoilers ahead for Kang the Conqueror #1

As seen in Marvel Comics’ new Kang the Conqueror series, the time-traveling despot’s admiration and obsession with Captain America should totally be featured in the MCU. In the new issue, Kang is looking to train and mentor a younger version of himself, hoping to create a better and superior Kang. However, when Nathaniel Richards starts gravitating towards the ideals of a hero, Kang shuts him down. He uses Captain America as an example of an iconic hero throughout all of history, stressing that he sees the ideals of a hero as flaws. The fact that Kang chose Steve Rogers as the quintessential hero after everything he’s seen is pretty impressive, and it also tracks with the admiration for the Super Solider he’s had in past comics.

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In Kang the Conqueror #1 from Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and Carlos Magno, Kang begins teaching his younger self, Nathaniel, in the Creaetecous period, showing him how to fight and survive. He also shares his past battles, losses, and victories so Nathaniel might learn from them to become a better Kang than Kang himself. However, the young and future Kang becomes drawn to a nearby tribe where he’s soon infatuated with a young woman. Eventually, heroic notions start to take hold in Nathaniel’s mind, and he wants to use his and Kang’s control of time to save the tribe from their imminent destruction from a meteor.

However, Kang rejects Nathaniel’s desires for love and wanting to be a hero, naming figures from across time that exemplify prime heroism which he sees as flaws that inhibit greater victory: Alexander the Great and Steve Rogers’ Captain America. Not only does this confirm his respect and admiration for the Super Soldier, but it’s revealed that Captain America seemingly becomes a major hero of renown well on into the future as far as into the 31st century. As such, it would be really cool to see this same level of admiration held by the MCU’s Kang.

This also tracks quite well with past comics like in Kurt Busiek’s Kang Dynasty where Kang saw it as an honor to face Rogers one-on-one as a worthy opponent. Captain America’s exploits and legendary heroism earned the conqueror’s respect, being seen by Kang as the hero across all of time. Unfortunately, while a version Nathaniel has turned to heroism in the past (becoming Iron Lad), that doesn’t appear to be the case with this version. Kang slaughtered the tribe Nathaniel had befriended, wanting to eliminate the potential “weakness” of heroism and any desire to emulate Rogers and Alexander before it grew any further. However, this resulted in Nathaniel betraying Kang by taking his suit and equipment, jumping forward in time while leaving Kang to die by the incoming meteor.

Especially with Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers having retired in the MCU, this would be a really cool way to show his legacy living on where it even impacts villains from the far future of the movie universe. With everywhere Kang the Conqueror has been and everything he’s seen, the high esteem he holds for Captain America is remarkable, and it would be epic to see that same sentiment translated from the comics over to the MCU.

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Kevin Erdmann
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Kevin Erdmann is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers. With a major in Cinema Studies and a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin is pretty sure he’s writing for the right site. While Kevin is a huge Marvel fan, he also loves Batman because he’s Batman and is a firm believer that Han shot first. Disney also shares a big part of his fan patronage. Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

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