Among all the gods, wizards, mutants, and monsters, it is a barbarian that Kang the Conqueror fears the most. Conan the Barbarian, a character originally created by Robert Howard, finds a place among the comic book greats, especially now as the era of the Conqueror ensues. Legends created throughout the past decades have carefully crafted a narrative that puts the sword-and-sorcery character in a world where he has not only persevered and overcome the greatest of adversities but encountered and killed beings far more powerful than himself.
And that particular trait can prove to be a threat to many who might wish to kill him first instead. Although most have tried and failed, there are a rare few who did manage to overpower Conan the Barbarian. One of them just so happens to be Kang himself.
Also read: Kang the Conqueror Explained: How The Marvel Villain Will Change the MCU
Conan the Barbarian Strikes Fear in Kang the Conqueror
Born in Cimmeria among the Snowhawk tribe, Conan the Barbarian hailed from a northern kingdom and was destined to travel far – not simply in terms of geography but time as well. History marks the Hyborian Age as roughly originating around 14,000 BC, and Conan, who was born circa 10,000 BC, thus becomes an ancient Hyborian era hero.
This also consequently makes him roughly 12,000 years older than the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and as formidable as the Avengers may be, their collective strength, battle experience, and evolutionary technology do not stand a chance at repelling Kang the Conqueror away from placing a claim to the all-encompassing reality and timeline of Earth-616. But Conan does.
Also read: Jonathan Majors’ Kang Might be Afraid of One Avenger and It’s Not Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man
In the recent publication, Savage Avengers #28, Kang mentions the exact extent of the existential threat that Conan the Barbarian posits to him and his plans for universal domination: “In one timeline, you acquire a Nova Helmet and left Earth in the late 21st century. In another, you gain immortality from a fallen meteorite with strange properties.” And even though this doesn’t explain why it’s reason enough for Kang to be scared of the barbarian, the all-powerful being’s paranoia is not entirely unwarranted.
Why Does Kang the Conqueror Consider Conan a Threat?
Conan the Barbarian has been somewhat on the sidelines, operating as a member of the Savage Avengers and saving the world one calamity at a time, until the heroes all united alongside Kang the Conqueror in their fight against the evil wizard, Kulan Gath. Soon after, the Conqueror realized the extent of Conan’s power which in turn made him wary of his once comrade in battle, leading him to seek out his death.
Also read: 10 Marvel Heroes Who Have Made Kang the Conqueror Kneel
Conan the Barbarian has been infamous for his high adventures and epic tales of bravery. The hero, even though not at par with the likes of Kang, has still accorded a name for himself that may rival Gorr himself. He has not only killed two gods in a single day [in the publication The Life and Death of Conan] but also ensured the same fate for the blood god, Razazel. Over the course of his lifetime, he has encountered and slain many other gods, demons, monsters, and wizards before going toe to toe with the multiversal Kang – thus making the latter’s assumption of Conan’s potential to become a legitimate threat to him in the future a real matter of worry.
Source: Marvel Comics
