Ungoliantschilde

Secret Wars — Mike Zeck

And you can tell its from “Secret Wars” because there’s like 2 or 3 sentences in the entire series that DO NOT end with exclamation points!

Seriously, the entire series is like that! Every sentence… Ends… With… Exaggerated… Punctuation!! Must… Read… Something… Other… Than… Secret Wars!

"Secret Wars" was an event comic book that was designed to sell toys and other merchandise, and to grow the Marvel brand in general. Basically, every hero or villain with the ability to sell was whisked away to a planet created by the Beyonder, called "Battle World" or something. The book was Jim Shooter’s baby, and people like to use Secret Wars as an example of his writing on the whole.

In retrospect, Shooter’s writing was never literary or high-minded. It’s not bad, it’s just decidedly aimed at a younger audience. So, I don’t recommend Secret Wars unless you meet an 11 year old from the ’80s. That being said, I liked Shooter’s Legion of Superheroes arc with Francis Manapul. Anyways, Secret Wars.

The book sold pretty well, and then came the toys. Along came Secret Wars II, and Marvel’s action figures were off and running. The comic book itself is a lot like this panel. Seriously: this exact panel over and over and over again. Mike Zeck’s production rate slowed down quite a bit during and after the series. Subsequently, he mostly has done cover artwork and the occasional special issue or so.

Avengers Forever # 01 SDCC Exclusive Variant, pencils by Carlos Pacheco... featuring Kang the Conquerer.

Kang was born in the far, far future of the Marvel Universe. He is actually a direct descendant of Reed Richards, if memory serves. Kang was born in a time of pacifism and scientific exploration. He was wealthy beyond imagining, successful without peer, and utterly bored.

The guy reminds me of Dirk Dasterdly and Snidely Whiplash. Or the general cast of villains from Wacky Races. He gains nothing from fighting the Avengers (mostly), but he does it anyways because he is bored. He is bored, and more importantly, Kang is an arrogant jerk.

Kang spent most of his free time reading about the past exploits of the famed adventurers of the Marvel Age. He got bored, and decided to go back in time and become a better ruler of our time. He specifically chose the Avengers as the first people to piss off. All of them in one room, and he teleports himself in and tells the Avengers he challenges them to a duel. 

He compliments them in battle too. Such a dick.

He views the crap he pulls as a gentlemanly sport. I like Villains like that. No ulterior motive -plenty of schemes- but no deception about it. Kang is just a dick, and he is a dick because he enjoys doing it. I support it.