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Kang the Conqueror #4 gives insight into what corrupted the Marvel villain, revealing a tragic heartbreak he experienced at the end of the world.
WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Kang the Conqueror #4, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
Ever since joining his future self in a journey through time, Nathaniel Richards has discovered the true meaning of both love and hate. Nathaniel came to love Ravonna, who he found a kindred spirit in among the constant struggle of a primordial world, and he came to hate his future self, Kang the Conqueror, who made it a point to snuff out any love from their shared existence. Yet somehow, defying the centuries and even death, Ravonna has always found her way back into Nathaniel’s life. Unfortunately, the young time traveler has discovered in Kang the Conqueror #4 (by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Carlos Magno, Espen Grundetjern, and VC’s Joe Caramagna) that not every iteration of a person is the same across time, leading him to experience a tragic heartbreak at the end of time.
Nathaniel Richards would have likely chosen to not follow his future self through time, had he known the hardships that were waiting for him. Although he has slain one future version of himself upon coming to understand his own potential for brutality, every other Kang variant since then has only been worse, and has still managed to keep Nathaniel from Ravonna, who he considers to be his true love. He encounters her again when he ventures to the end of the world, finding a fleeting moment of happiness with her in an otherwise desolate landscape.
Side by side, Nathaniel and Ravonna lead a gruesome assault on the forces of Arbalest, a mad tyrant and warlord of this era. When the violence has stopped, Ravonna notices the pounding of Nathaniel’s heart, wondering if the bloodshed has brought about his excitement. In what might be his most vulnerable moment, Nathaniel confesses to Ravonna everything he feels, and her response is not ideal.
Ravonna reminds him that unlike the other versions of herself that he has met across the ages, she comes from a world of constant struggle, one in which living in the rare moments of beauty is nothing more than a death sentence. When that doesn’t dissuade him, Ravonna turns to violence, putting her would be suitor on his back before making it perfectly clear that she is no one’s but her own, no matter how desperate Nathaniel is to rekindle the flame they once shared.
While this might not be the way Nathaniel had hoped things would go, it isn’t all that surprising to see play out. The story of Kang and Ravonna has been told countless times, and only on the rarest of occasions has it culminated in anything other than death and heartbreak.
There is also the fact that, in spite of everything that has happened between him and this version of Ravonna, Nathaniel is destined to find at least one other on his trip through time. Assuming he can survive until then, he might even have a shot at his happily ever after.
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