Kang the Conqueror

Kang the Conqueror sat in his citadel, looking out the window at the flames covering the city. This war was getting out of hand. Soon, there would be no spoils left for the victor. There had to be a better way.

Kang, in his purple and blue armor, helmet and facemask, considered his situation. He had been born in an age where ambition and individual glory were frowned upon, in favor of helping your fellow man. This Earth was torture for a man of ambition like himself.

One day, while working as the head security supervisor of the Temporal Police - a group whose job was to make sure that no one uses time travel to alter the past — he just snapped! He decided that he would take control of the Time Bubble to make his fortune. He escaped into the past to try and find adventure and fortune. He was pursued by some of his former subordinates in the Temporal Police, but since he trained them, he was easily able to outwit and kill them.

Then, heroes from the 31st century, members of the Legion of Super-Heroes, tracked him into the past and dragged him back to his own century. He was arrested, but he escaped jail and sneaked back into the Time Bubble, losing himself in time.

Traveling backwards and forwards in time, he learned all the arts of war and gathered a formidable arsenal of weapons. Returning to the 31st century in his armored disguise, and using the alias "Kang', he took advantage of the Freedom of Identity act and reserved his right to hide his true name. Kang became a cross between evangelist, cult leader, and rabble-rouser. He stirred up a disenchanted segment of the population and twisted them to his way of thinking. They became obedient disciples, eager to do his bidding. Kang then formed an alliance with the alien race known as the Badoon. With their help and the futuristic arsenal he brought with him, Kang and his followers began a revolution and tried to overthrow the Earth government.

Kang thought that he had an advantage, since 31st century Earth was so peaceful, and not used to the ways of war. He figured that conquest could be easy. But he underestimated the Legion of Super-Heroes. The power of those teen heroes equalized the war, which had lasted for six years. Kang was getting impatient to rule. Also, he was starting to wonder if there would be anything left to reign over when this war ended.

Kang hatched a plan to use the Time Bubble to his advantage. Having studied the ways of the Nazis in World War Two, he decided that it would be advantageous to him to change the course of the Second World War and allow the Nazis to win. He knew that their Reich would eventually self-destruct into chaos and set the stage for a world where the strong would rule. This is a world where Kang would be right at home. He would use his futuristic war knowledge to take over that chaotic world and become what he had long ago christened himself . . . Kang the Conqueror!

He thus traveled back to 1943, and attempted to put his plan into action, but he was defeated and nearly killed by the Rampaging Hulk!*

(*JSA # 25)

Having retreated back to the 31st Century, he debated his next move. He still believed that his plan to change the past was a good one. Perhaps just the timing was wrong. Maybe there was a better date to attack the past than 1943. Kang studied his historical records and calculated the best time to go back into years past.

His records showed him that in the early years of the 21st century, an alien race tried to conquer the Earth, but were driven off by the super hero group called the Justice League of Avengers. If this alien race had succeeded, it would have been just the same as if the Nazis had been victorious. Kang needed to alter time so that the JLA will not be around to stop the alien invasion when it comes. Besides, there was another reason that Kang had always meant to go back to the 21st century. Maybe he could get to look into that as well.

Kang headed for the time bubble. He set the controls for nearly six decades after his last visit . . .

Kang gathered up his arsenal and stepped into the Time Bubble. He vanished into the past. His citadel remained silent for almost a whole day, until Kang's enemies breached the fortress. The Legion of Super-Heroes attempted a frontal attack on Kang's citadel. Led by the young Jovian Legionnaire Charlie-27, a group of the young heroes went into the lion's den. They fought passed Kang's defenses and deep into the heart of the complex. The realized that the place was deserted. They were disappointed. Kang had several hideouts and every time the Legion took one, the Conqueror was nowhere to be found.

Charlie-27 looked around. He was the Legion's deputy leader and in charge of this assault. Charlie wore yellow tights, orange boots, and gloves. He had a red facemask with a star on the forehead. He also had a red belt, wristbands, anklebands, and crisscrossed bands over his chest, all of which had yellow studs. Charlie was built very wide and thick. His stocky limbs bulged with dense muscle. Having been born on the mining colony of Jupiter, where the crushing gravity is extremely powerful, his molecular density gave him staggering physical strength and stamina.

"Search the place," Charlie said to the others Legionnaires. "See what you can find."

After a half-hour of studying the place, the Legion came across one of Kang's journals. They learned of his plan to go back in time and change the past . . . to destroy the JLA!

"Oh no!" Charlie-27 whispered, "This is not good!"

Captain America was in the Hall of Justice, rewriting the group charter to include the newest member, Mantis. The lovely empath had joined several weeks back but Cap hadn't gotten around to adding her name to the roll.

Suddenly, there was a flash from the next room. Cap tensed, ready for anything, as he slipped into the other room to see what was amiss. He saw someone moving. Cap crouched into battle stance, holding his shield in front of him defensively. He then got a better look at the intruder. It was literally the last person he expected to see.

"Kang!" Cap yelled incredulously, remembering their long ago encounter.

The armored time traveler smiled. "Greetings, Captain. The pleasure is all mine."

Kang fired at Cap with a laser from his finger. Cap blocked it with his shield, but the impact pushed the star-spangled hero back a few steps. Kang used a reverse-polarity magnetic wave to push the shield back, and Cap with it. Cap was forced back, against the wall, pinned there by his own shield. It squeezed against him, making it hard for him to breathe.

"What . . . what do you want, Kang?" Cap choked.

"I came to offer you and your Justice League compatriots a challenge," Kang said. "I have set four bombs to explode, all around the world. Not primitive bombs such as you use in this century, but bombs of my own devising. I call them Time Bombs. They will devolve anything within their range into a more primitive state. There is one in Tokyo, Japan. Another is in Rome, Italy. One in Edinburg, Scotland and one here in your United States, in the place you call Florida. You must find them within six hours, or those cities will be returned to a more primitive state."

"Why warn me?" Cap breathlessly asked.

"As I said, this is a challenge!" Kang answered. "I have my reasons. All that needs concern you is that you now have 5 hours and 59 minutes to save four cities from being devolved. What you do next is up to you."

Just then, J'Onn J'Onzz - the Martian Manhunter - phased in through the wall. He immediately took stock of the situation.

"Release Captain America at once!" the Martian said.

"Make me!" Kang mocked.

J'Onn fired rays of Martian vision at the time traveler, but they rebounded off the force field. J'Onn tried to phase through Kang's shield, but he experienced a sudden pain as the shield disrupted his incorporeal body. J'Onn cried out in pain, and was thrown to the ground.

Kang grinned. "Pathetic primitives. The savages of this century are nothing to Kang the Conqueror!"

Cap forced out a few more words. "We beat you before!"

Kang sneered at the memory of his nearly fatal confrontation with the Hulk. "Silence, primitive! Your words mean nothing to a superior man. I leave you now. Meet my challenge, if you dare!"

Kang vanished in another flash of light. Cap was freed from the magnetic wave. He took a deep breath. Taking no time to recover, he rushed to J'Onn's side. J'Onn was pulling himself up from the floor,

"You are injured?" Cap asked.

"Merely stunned, Captain," the Martian answered. "I will be fine."

"Good, I'll need you!" Cap said, "I'll need everyone. Send out a telepathic signal. Call in the troops!"

J'Onn nodded, and sent out a mental message to the other 12 JLA members: Thor, Iron Man, Flash, Wonder Woman, Firebird, Vision, Icon, Captain Marvel, Giant-Man, Wasp, Mantis, and Batman.

Captain America led his team into Tokyo. Now that they had UN clearance, they were allowed into Japan anytime that they wished. Cap's group consisted of Captain Marvel, J'Onn J'Onzz, and Mantis. Using a device thrown together by Iron Man, Giant-Man, and Batman, they tracked the Time Bomb across the city. The device Cap held could locate temporal energy.

"We're getting close," Cap said. The Martian Manhunter was carrying him.

Mantis, who was being carried by Captain Marvel, nodded. "Yes, this one senses the emanations in time. She feels that the bomb will soon explode."

"No, it will not!" J'Onn said. "We will prevent it!"

Cap looked down at Tokyo. "I haven't been here in a long time."

"I was here just recently," Captain Marvel said. "In fact, I see that they're still repairing some of the damage that Godzilla did."*

*(see Doom Patrol #12)

"I'm getting a reading," Cap said. He pointed down. "There!"

The four heroes descended to the spot, which the device had indicated. It was the memorial site, which had once been ground zero of an atomic blast. Captain America wished that he had gone to one of the other locations. This spot brought up many unpleasant feelings. Feelings of guilt, sadness and of many other emotions. What happened here was the reason that he had quit the Justice Society, nearly 60 years ago.

The JLA members noticed a complicated looking device sitting on the ground. "That must be what we're looking for," Captain Marvel said.

"It is," Mantis said. "This one senses it."

"Then let's destroy it quick, before anyone tries to stop us!" Marvel suggested.

"Excellent plan," J'Onn said, and fired his Martian Vision at the device. Unexpectedly, a force field activated, protecting it. The device suddenly emitted a ray from a small port. It was a Time Ray. It hit J'Onn and the Martian began to change.

"J'Onn!" Cap yelled, concerned.

The Martian devolved into a more primitive version of his species. A less humanoid looking version, with a pointed head. The primitive creature roared savagely. He saw the three humans surrounding himself, and immediately attacked. The Martian equivalent of a Neanderthal leaped a Captain Marvel, tackling him.

"J'Onn! Stop, it me!" Captain Marvel shouted, to no avail.

Captain America threw his shield at the Martian creature, but it bounced off with little damage. The creature fired its Martian vision at Cap, zapping him before his shield returned to his hand. Captain America fell, and Captain Marvel was pinned by the raging alien. Mantis decided to focus her attention on the device, and set herself to the task of getting past the force field. While she thought, she sensed someone behind her. She spotted the man with the purple armor and mask.

"You are Kang, this one assumes," Mantis said.

"I am," Kang said. "And you are coming with me!"

"She is not!" Mantis said.

Kang fired some energy rays, but Mantis amazingly evaded them. Then, Kang tossed a gas bomb. Mantis succumbed and fell to the ground, asleep. Kang scooped her up and transported away with her.

"Mantis!" Captain Marvel yelled. He tried to get loose, but the Martian beast wouldn't release him. He didn't notice that the Time Bomb had been altered to go off prematurely.

The Time Bomb counted down. 5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .

Massive waves of temporal energy blanketed Tokyo, and the city started to devolve. The trappings of the modern world fell away, to be replaced by echoes of the distant past. Tall buildings became feudal huts. Businessmen became wandering Samurai, brandishing swords. The present became the past.

Captain Marvel, whose body was a construct of magic, had immunity to the time distortion. He threw the Martian aside and looked around. He was at a loss as to what he should do next. He turned to Captain America for advice, but to his dismay, Cap was no long the man he was.

The man who had been Captain America was sitting on the ground, clothed in the garb of a Revolutionary War minuteman. He held a musket. "In the good Lord's name, what madness is this?"

Before Captain Marvel could answer, the Martian attacked him from behind. The minuteman didn't know what to make of these creatures, and so ran for his life.