Hey all. Just wanted to post some thoughts. Over the past several weeks, I've been rereading old Avengers storylines and runs. I've definitely looked at them in a new light. The first of which was Kang Dynasty:
This was the final storyline that Busiek wrote on his run on the title. At the time it was published, I remember a sense of awkwardness around it. It started out with such fanfare and promise. Busiek and Alan Davis seemed to hitting all cylinders with the story and art. Kang was this force that showed he could easily take over the world (and he did). That scene where he destroyed the U.N. building shocked me. However, many things got in the way of me enjoying it. The story seemed to drag on and on. Alan Davis left the title and numerous artists had to fill in. My biggest gripe was the disconnect with the rest of the Marvel Universe. In this storyline, Kang was taking over the world. Yet Thor becoming king of Asgard, Iron Man changing armors, Morrison's X-Men run, these things didn't show up in the story. Today, Kang Dynasty would have been it's own blockbuster event series with dozens of tie-in's. Back then, however, it seemed to be in it's own separate corner of the universe.
Reading it back now, I certainly appreciate it more. Kang shows how much of a conqueror he can be in this storyline. He's observant, dominant, and confident and forces the Avengers in positions of weakness and even humiliation. However, the Avengers show this underdog kind of spirit. Even knocked down, they aren't knocked out. Instead, through persistence and a little bit of luck, they win out in the end. Furthermore, the Avengers team included some B-listers at the time who really shined. Yes, there were Cap, Iron Man, Thor, Wasp, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Warbird, and Wonder Man. But then there were Black Knight, Living Lighting, Firebird, Silverclaw, and Stingray. Those guys had their moments, really good and emotional ones too.
I saw this particular scene, the final battle between Cap and Kang, in a new light:
At the time, I didn't get it. Teenage me wanted to see a knock down, drag out, issue long match between these two warriors. What I got were just a few panels and quick knock out from Cap. But adult me sees the real message here. Kang is not some conqueror. He isn't "badass" or "cool." In this scene, he's pathetic and delusional who doesn't deserve respect, let alone Cap's. Cap admires those who uplift, heal, and build. In one fight, I learned much about both characters.
So, back in the day, a lot of flaws prevented me from enjoying this. Today, however, I can look past those flaws. And what I found was a really great Avengers story.