Young Avengers 5 page 22 Death of Kang the Conqueror!

The first Young Avengers arc written by Allan Heinberg and drawn by the incredible Jim Cheung is probably my all time favorite Kang storyline and it mostly has to do with this one page. Kang is my favorite Avengers villain for the fact that he doesn't use brute force rather, like Loki, he uses manipulation. This particular story arc involves Kang confronting his younger self named Iron Lad, and 'teaching' him how to be cruel and unforgiving. When Iron Lad refuses Kang's instruction, it begins to alter the timestream to the extent that Iron Lad must choose to sacrifice not only his life and morality but kill his future self thereby sealing his fate but saving the present. The irony is that he is the hero for becoming the villain.

This particular page takes place after Kang has defeated and killed the current Avengers. Victory is his, yet his younger self takes away his victory and secures his own damnation with one thrust of his own sword. Cheung's perfect composition with just enough of Iron Lad's face visible makes the reader feel the pain and regret while focusing on the dramatic death of Kang the Conqueror. Cheung's pencils are wonderfully captured by John Dell's inks for one great page.

Thanks to fellow collector Demetrios Williams for parting with this historic page!