It was written by Kurt Busiek and illustrated by a number of artists including Alan Davis, Kieron Dwyer, Ivan Reis and Manuel Garcia.

The story is noteworthy for its length, as well as depicting the destruction of the United Nations headquarters building (though without loss of life, as Kang saved them all to make a point) and the death of the entire population of Washington, D.C.; it had been planned before the events of September 11, 2001, but was published afterwards as Marvel Comics decided not to alter the storyline.

[citation needed] Kang the Conqueror appears with his son Marcus, the new Scarlet Centurion, in front of the United Nations after Marcus is barely defeated by Goliath, Triathlon, Iron Man, Vision, Wasp, and Warbird, and destroys the building using a blast from a space base, Damocles, which is shaped like a giant sword, but when Wasp talks of the murders he has committed, he shows none of the occupants have been killed.

Kang creates a force-field around the group, and shows many visions of the Earth's possible futures, all of them dark and horrific.

Meanwhile, the Presence is attacking Russia with a group of radioactive ghost-like creatures that most of the Soviet-Super Soldiers have been turned into and who several Avengers member meet.

Meanwhile, as part of a wrap up to a long-running plotline, the Avengers discover that the religious cult known as the Triune Understanding is trying to protect Earth from a mysterious threat named the Triple Evil.

Kang seizes control of the Sentinel Fleet the US planned to protect themselves with, and uses a futuristic weapon to devastate Washington DC and kill millions.

The Avengers stranded in space are saved by Quasar and the Triune Understanding, aided by Justice, Firestar and Vision, who warn them that the Triple Evil has arrived; an enormous floating black pyramid on the far side of the Moon.

They confront it and eventually triumph, the ancient power of the billions the Triple Evil had destroyed passing to Triathlon, who becomes the re-embodiment of 3D-Man.

On Earth, Kang and the Scarlet Centurion are gloating over their victory when they are told the Avengers are attacking their main prison.

They discover how to activate his technology (the huge ring-walls) across America, which prove a massive threat to Kang.

Thanks to Jan's calls, across the world others assault Kang's forces, including the Presence, the Atlanteans and the Deviants.

Kang turns to find an enormous holographic projection of Captain America in space beside him, the same size, saying "Now you miserable jacked-up little tin Hitler... Let's end this."

Kang, in his cell, is content to die as he had built an Empire, won great victories and even defeated the Avengers.