Avengers #129
Bid Tomorrow Goodbye!
While investigating a strange star that has appeared in the sky over Avengers Mansion, the team is suddenly confronted by Kang the Conqueror, who has come to take over the Avengers’ era. While Earth’s Mightiest Heroes have defeated him many times in the past, he believe that this is his time to win.[1]
When the Avengers attack, Kang summons his Macrobots — highly advanced robots from the 41st Century[2] — to battle his foes. These robots appear to be impervious to the Avengers’ powers and they soon fall before the three robots. When the police arrive he easily swats them away. When the Avengers Butler, Jarvis, tries to come to their aid he too is incapacitated. Kang then reveals that he has come to this era because this day is the dawn of the Celestial Madonna. Although many details of this era were lost in the future, Kang knows that the Madonna will either bet Mantis, the Scarlet Witch, or Agatha Harkness. The Celestial Madonna is supposed to give birth to a powerful being and Kang intends to mate with her so that it is his son. Kang then teleports all the Avengers away, except for the Swordsman, who has deemed to be beneath his notice.
When Kang teleports away himself, the Swordsman — his self-esteme at its lowest ebb — wonders what he can do to save the others. That’s when he is telepathically contacted by Agatha Harkness, who tells him that she and the Avengers have been taken prisoner in a high tech lab hidden in an Egyptian pyramid. After he is given the pyramid’s location, the Swordsman makes sure Jarvis is fine before leaving in a Quinjet. As he heads to Egypt, the Swordsman thinks about how Mantis has recently rejected him in favor of the Vision and hopes that this rescue mission will convince her to love him once more. When he arrives in Egyptian airspace, the Swordsman is soon intercepted by some military aircraft. Although his Quinjet is damaged in the chase, he manages to make a crash landing out front of the pyramid he is looking for.[3] He is contacted by Agatha Harkness again, who tells the Swordsman to hurry.
By this time, Kang has discovered that the Swordsman is outside and realizes that the old witch is communicating with him and knocks her out. With the male Avengers immobilized with a paralysis beam he boasts over their defeat and explains that he had this lab hidden in this pyramid for centuries. He explains that prior to being Kang the Conqueror, he was a bored time traveler who went back in time to rule over Egypt as Pharaoh Rama-Tut. Discovered in that era and defeated by the Fantastic Four, Rama-Tut tried to return to his own era and overshot his trip by a century. He arrived in the war-torn 41st Century. There he reinvented himself as Kang the Conqueror and used his might to not only conquer worlds, but other points in history, before setting his sights on this era.[4] He once again dismisses the Swordsman and shuts off the monitor, satisfied his defenses will deal with the nuisance.
Outside, the Swordsman manages to find and pull out the opening block into the pyramid. However, his arrival has awaken Amenhotep an ancient vampire that had been trapped in the pyramid for thousands of years.[5] Frightened by the creature, the Swordsman fights for his life but it is a losing battle until the Egyptian soldiers he was fleeing enter the tomb. As the vampire slaughters the troops, the Swordsman falls through a secret passage way where an old sarcophagus has been hidden. Fearing for his life, the Swordsman flees unaware that reflected light from outside has been shining on the sarcophagus and is now beginning to open.
Deciding to check his security monitors, Kang sees Amenhotep slaughtering the Egyptian soldiers and assumes that the Swordsman also perished. When the vampire flies outside and is killed by the sunlight, he is pleased with not having to deal with the monster himself. With the male Avengers now fully incapacitated, Kang then has each of then placed inside one of his Macrobots to increase their powers. He intends on using each robot to attack the United States, Russia, and China in the hopes of triggering a nuclear war that will allow him to conquer the world.[6]
Watching from the shadows is the Swordsman who prepares to blast Kang from behind and end his life. However, he is stopped as the last moment by a man in ancient Egyptian clothing who introduces himself as Rama-Tut.[7]
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Iron Man, Thor, Scarlet Witch, Swordsman, the Vision, Mantis), Agatha Harkness, Kang the Conqueror, Rama-Tut, Edwin Jarvis, Ebony, Amenhotep
Continuity Notes
A footnote here mentions all the previous times the Avengers fought Kang. These battles took place in Avengers #8, 23, 24, 69, 70, and 71.
It should be noted that the 41st Century that Kang comes from is not the future of Earth-616, but an alternate reality known as Other-Earth. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Realities 2005 designates that reality as Earth-6311.
The Swordsman quips that he has a habit of crashing Quinjets. The last time he did so was in Avengers #117.
Kang glosses over quite a bit of his history here. He’s also repeating himself since he told the Avengers all of this when he first mentioned his origins in Avengers #8. However, I think this was probably done for the benefit of new readers. Anyway, here are the deets:
Kang’s time as Pharaoh Rama-Tut and his defeat at the hands of the Fantastic Four was first detailed in Fantastic Four #19. This is expanded upon in Avengers #269, What If? (vol. 2) #39, Doctor Strange (vol. 2) #53, West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #20-21, Captain America Annual #11, Killpower: The Early Years #12, Rise of Apocalypse #1-4, Avengers Forever #9, New Excalibur #12.
Kang glosses over some details about his escape from Ancient Egypt to the 41st Century. First of all, a time storm forced him to make a pitstop in the Modern Age, as detailed in Fantastic Four Annual #2. It’s later revealed that Immortus created this time storm to ensure his own existence as explained in Avengers #269.
Identified as Amenhotep here, the vampire’s real name is Khufor per the Vampires: Marvel’s Undead handbook. It also reveals that this was the Egyptian ruler whose kingdom was saved by Dynaman in Daring Mystery Comics #6. He was overthrown by Rama-Tut, per Rise of Apocalypse #2.
Iron Man laments making his armor mentally controlled recently. That was in Iron Man #68.
This story is expanded upon in Fantastic Four Annual #25 and Avengers Forever #9.
Topical References
It is stated multiple times in this story that the Modern Age takes place in the 20th Century. This should be considered a topical reference due to the Sliding Timescale. It has pushed the Modern Age forward so that it now does not begin until the 21st Century.
There is a poster hanging on a lamp post that reads “Nixon’s the One!”, which was the campaign slogan that Richard Nixon used during the 1968 Presidential Election. It’s use in this story here is a nod to the fact that when this comic was published in 1974, it was at the height of the Watergate scandal which saw Richard Nixon impeached and resign as President of the United States.
It is stated that Amenhotep had been trapped in the pyramid for 5000 years. This measurement of time will also constantly change as the Sliding Timescale continues to bump the Modern Age forward. 5000 years should be considered a rough estimate. I go into the math below if you’re that interested.
Determining the passage of time since Amenhotep was trapped in the pyramid.
So if you’re reading this you want to figure out how the Sliding Timescale effects the length of time Amenhotep was imprisoned in the tomb you have determine what year he was trapped. This can be gleaned based on the assumption that the “5000 years” was originally intended to be the length of time from when this comic book was first published in 1974.
1974 AD - 5000 years = 3026 BC
Next you need to figure out where this story takes place relative to the Sliding Timescale. Assuming we’re calculating “now” as November 1, 2021, this puts us in the “Year Sixteen” period of the Modern Age. This story takes place during “Year Four”, 16 - 4 = 11. So this story takes place 11 years prior to “now”. 2021- 11 = 2010. There is 36 years between 2010 and 1974, so by the above calculation Amenhotep was locked away for 5036 years by “Year Four” or 5047 years “now”. This of course will change every year the Sliding Timescale pushes things forward.
