Phase 5 of the MCU is about to kick off, and with it comes an entirely new master villain. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has promised to introduce us to Kang, one of the iconic Avengers villains from the comics, and someone who is reportedly immensely powerful.
In light of all the hubbub around the new film, it makes sense that some fans want to dive deep into the comics that will be the basis for much of this story. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered with five comics you should definitely check out before Quantumania hits theaters.
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
A limited run that focuses on Ant-Man and the Wasp (as the title might suggest), this comic gives you a good baseline for how Scott and Nadya Van Dyne interact in the comics, and what they get up to in the quantum realm.
As the title of Quantumania suggests, our central characters are going to be spending a decent amount of time exploring the depths of the quantum realm, and they’re fairly likely to come across some characters who exist in the comics. If you want to understand every possible detail about how the quantum realm works, these comics might not be a bad place to start.
The Kang Dynasty (2001-2002)
One of the definitive runs of Kang comics, The Kang Dynasty is probably the best place to start if you want a firm understanding of where Kang sits in the world of the comics. He’s been an Avengers villain for decades, but this run introduces many of Kang’s key powers and also helps us better understand why he’s such a powerful foe for the Avengers.
It’s unclear how much of a resemblance the Kang of the comics will have to the MCU’s version of the character, but it’s nonetheless a great place to start if you want to pack as much information about Kang as possible into your brain.
Kang the Conqueror: Only Myself Left to Conquer (2021)
A very recent series, Kang the Conqueror is a deep dive into who Kang is and how he perceives the universe. As any long-time Marvel fan already knows, Kang is the ultimate time traveler, and he’s managed to live many lives across different variants and timelines.
Because time means nothing to him, Kang’s world is totally different from the one that most of the Avengers inhabit. This series examines what Kang has left to live for after he’s conquered the multiverse, and finds him coming up against the one foe he’s never been able to beat back: himself.
Ant-Man (2020)
This series actually came out while the cinematic version of Ant-Man was busy fighting Thanos, but it tells a much more small-scale story. The series sees Scott Lang living in an anthill after falling on hard times economically, and the limited run is really focused on how Scott relates to Cassie.
If you’ve seen any of the teasers from Quantumania, you likely know that one of the movie’s core emotional threads is going to be the relationship between Scott and his daughter, and this run of comics will give you a deeper understanding of their bond.
Young Avengers (2005)
Although Young Avengers isn’t solely focused on Cassie Lang, it seems likely to be a good primer for understanding her power set and her general personality. Although Cassie has been a comics character for some time now, Quantumania will be the first time that she’s a full-fledged member of her father’s team.
Teenage Cassie is going to be an unknown quantity for MCU fans, and her relationship with Scott could turn out to be one of the emotional pillars of this film. Given all of that context, Young Avengers could be a worthwhile read.
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