MCU Phase 5 and 6’s powerhouse villain, Kang, is officially the biggest threat to the Avengers and The Conqueror variant in Ant-Man 3 is a forewarning glimpse of the danger that awaits the multiverse. Fortunately, The Lang family and the alien freedom fighters of the Quantum Realm manage to stop the warrior Kang (Jonathan Majors) with a little help from an unlikely ally, MODOK. Even so, fighting a Nexus being also comes with its share of ramifications.

Warning: The article contains major spoilers for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

With the release of Ant-Man 3, the second segment of the multiverse has officially kicked off. But responses since its premiere indicate the threequel has not received much praise among critics, at least not equivalent to Black Panther 2. Nonetheless, its impact on Phase 5’s storytelling has MCU fans sold —all thanks to Kang.

While the supervillain’s introduction at the start of Ant-Man 3 does not seem as frightening as his reputation holds, Janet’s (Michelle Pfeiffer) recollection of her time with Kang while helping him recharge the multiverse traveling ship’s energy core shows a sequence of devastation left behind by The Conqueror. Furthermore, It’s evident in Scott Lang’s (Paul Rudd) first encounter with Kang that his access to future technology gives him the upper hand against every other Marvel superhero, including “the one with the hammer”, Thor.

Kang learns through MODOK that Scott Lang’s thieving skills are perfect to retrieve the time-traveling chair’s energy core. It’s also when he addresses the Kang dynasty and his forced exile to the Quantum Realm by his other variants.

Scott Lang’s only option is to either help Kang with the Multiversal engine core or watch his daughter die. So Ant-Man decides to help Kang and jumps into the core’s central point, the “probability storm” which turns into a psychedelic ride of Scott facing every probability of him. But eventually, he and Hope (Evangeline Lilly) manage to shrink the core using the Pym Particle.

Kang’s failure to keep up his end of the bargain and release Cassie from his prison leads to an all-out battle against his forces. The Lang family (& the sized-up evolved ants) along with the alien resistance take the fight to Kang. Meanwhile, Cassie is being hunted by MODOK though during their run-in, Darren realizes he could be more than the Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing or in Cassie’s words, “It’s never too late to stop being a dick”.

MODOK’s last act as Darren in Ant-Man 3’s ending explained

Kang’s empire soon comes crumbling down due to the rebellion’s push and the conqueror is forced to take matters into his own hands. While he overpowers Ant-Man, The Wasp and Cassie – Hank Pym’s (Michael Douglas) ants give them the edge they needed to corner Kang. The final push comes from MODOK’s attack against Kang’s forcefield which leaves him open to attacks.

Unfortunately, MODOK’s grave injuries make him a martyr as dies embracing his human identity as Darren (and as a self-proclaimed Avenger?). Though MODOK’s death does not seem too impactful due to the comedic relief elements surrounding his demise scene. But Scott and his family have a bigger fish to deal with – escaping the Quantum Realm whilst also making sure Kang remains inside.

While Janet, Hope, Hank and Cassie manage to exit the portal – Kang stops Scott from jumping out, which eventually leads to a one-on-one fight between Scott and Kang. Although the villain seemed to outclass Ant-Man – Hope jumps back into the Quantum Realm in the nick of time and helps destroy the Multiversal Engine using the Pym Particle discs. Kang is also shown getting trapped in the electromagnetic force sucking the energy core inside out which seems to kill him.

Kang the Conqueror’s death is later confirmed by the Kang council in Ant-Man 3’s post-credits scene. Moreover, it also serves as a reminder of the looming threat of Kangs to the multiverse. In fact, the second post-credit sequence shows a scene from Loki season 2 where Mobius and the god of mischief come across a version of He Who Remains.