Hello and welcome to another exciting edition of Ye Olde School Café! In this week’s installment, we’ll be diving even deeper into the Avengers story Kang: Time and Time Again! Last week, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes had to fight the Squadron Sinister, and that group of villains was no pushover! This time around, they’ll face an even more formidable foe, so strap on your seat belts!
The Black Knight is one daring and adventurous hero. He’ll jump into any situation, and he’s about to get knee deep in the affairs of Kang the Conqueror. Dane Whitman then lights the Brazier of Truth, to find out what’s going on with the Avengers. Sir Percy of Scandia, whose soul resides in the flames, tells Dane that it isn’t too late to help his friends against the Grandmaster. Speaking of the adventures in outer space, we watch as Kang the Conqueror has a moment of compassion, as he looks at his beloved Ravonna inside her capsule. He vows to one day revive her, but then continues with his plan to win the contest and steal the power of the Grandmaster!
The next game that the Avengers will play is one that will be tougher than the original, because they will be sent into the past to battle the WWII Era Invaders! First, Vision, Wasp (Pym), and Black Panther must contend with some Nazis. After quickly disposing of them, Captain America, The Human Torch, and Namor appear. The two teams lunge at each other during the confusion, and it’s on. Meanwhile, Dane has come to the conclusion that he must help his friends, so the Brazier and his connection to the Ebony Blade transport him to the ship where the other Avengers are being held by Kang and the Grandmaster. He arrives to find them under some kind of hypnotic ray, but after beating down a couple of guards, he finds Janet van Dyne in the next room (she was in civilian clothes, so Kang apparently didn’t think she was a threat?). The two quickly begin to plot on a rescue plan to save the Avengers.
Back in the past, Captain America and Black Panther are having an epic duel of supreme athletes. Both men can fight, and have speed and strength way above everyday men. Wasp then takes on Namor, and although you’d think Namor would win easy, Wasp has some tricks up his sleeve. He uses his wasp sting, but that basically just bothers Namor. He then shrinks down to avoid being punched by the undersea king. Wasp uses his last trick when he summons bees to attack Namor. A few yards away, the Human Torch is battling the Vision. That battle is a stalemate, as neither fighter can subdue the other. Wasp and Black Panther tell Vision to pass through the other combatants to end the fight without anyone getting killed.
Kang claims victory and the Grandmaster is angered by this, but he keeps his end of the bargain and asks Kang if he wishes power to give life or to take it. Initially, Kang wants to revive Ravonna, but as he’s ready to make his choice known the Avengers that were being held captive bust in, as they were freed by the Black Knight and Janet. The Avengers demand that Kang send them back to Earth, but he refuses, and tells them that his hate for the Avengers is more than his love for Ravonna, so he tells the Grandmaster that he wants the power to take life. As he does, the Avengers attack him, but he swats them away like gnats. Even Thor using all his Asgardian might cannot hurt him. Just as Kang is about to claim victory by killing the Avengers, he’s slashed from behind by the Ebony Blade of the Black Knight! You see, Kang wished for the power to kill the Avengers, but at this point the Black Knight wasn’t an Avenger yet, therefore he could hurt Kang. The team thanks Dane for his valiant efforts, then leaves to celebrate their victory this day.
Well, that’s it for now, but be back here next week as we finish up our look at this awesome trade paperback, starring one of Marvel’s greatest villains! We’ll see Kang versus the Incredible Hulk, and another round with the Avengers with Immortus caught in the middle! See you next week!
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
