A Brief History of Kang part 8: Kang in Camelot
By Owen Erasmus
This actually appeared before the Ravonna stories that Rob reviewed but the Official index lists this as an alternate Kang so the delay was deliberate and not just the result of me losing track of the issues. (honest)
Strange Tales 134
Written by Stan Lee
Penciled by Bob Powell
Inked by Wally Wood
The Challenge of the Watcher.
The story opens with the Watcher once again breaking his vows and enlisting the Thing and the Human Torch to battle an earth-threatening foe, Kang.
Kang has set out to change the past and therefore gain revenge on his Twentieth Century foes such as the Fantastic Four by ensuring they never exist.
The only time Kang had fought the FF at this point was as Rama Tut and as the connection between the two isn't mentioned here, this must have been confusing to the casual reader.
Kang chooses to conquer the Earth in the time of King Arthur and makes his first move by confronting Merlin. His twenty-fifth century science makes easy
work of his magic and he throws the unconscious wizard in a dungeon. Next, he challenges Arthur's knights to a series of duels. He works his way through the Knights of the Round Table, their lances proving no match for his futuristic equivalent. Bound by chivalry, Arthur gives up his throne to the victorious Kang.
Not happy with ruling a kingdom, Kang sets about mixing his technology with medieval weapons and prepares to conquer the world with an army equipped with super weapons. To save history, the Watcher intervenes by sending the Torch and the Thing back to save the day.
Despite Kang's modifications, his knights are swept aside by the two heroes but Kang is a different matter; his lance extinguishes the Torch's flame and sends him fleeing from the battle. Seemingly deserted, Ben loses heart.
Rather than turn chicken, Johnny had in fact gone in search of Merlin and after freeing him, his spells restart Johnny's flames. His return to battle turns the tide and Kang is forced to flee through time to escape. The Watcher retrieves Ben and Johnny and the world carries on its normal timeline.
Owen Erasmus