Okay, that’s a perfect cover for the January 1971 issue.
Kang is sick of losing to The Avengers, so he decides to go further back to World War I, alter the time stream, and make it so the heroes never exist. He does this by…
He does this by sending Hulk back in time to eliminate The Phantom Eagle (World War One flying ace, and a character created by Herb Trimpe in 1968).
Why did Kang send him back? To stop him from being born. You see, Banner’s ancestor was part of a French resistance group saved from slaughter by Phantom Eagle, so if Hulk destroys the pilot before he can save the French, Hulk will never exist. Variations of the “go back in time to kill Hitler” concept are many, but I don’t think I’ve seen one where someone is sent back in time to stop themselves from being born.
No, of course that’s not well thought out. Why wouldn’t Kang kill Banner’s actual parents? Or send Hulk to destroy young Steve Rogers?
Don’t ask. Because if you can ignore that, this is a fun ride.
And really, if Kang was well-thought-out, a dude with his skills and powers should easily have conquered the 20th Century–so it makes sense he’d have another dumb idea.
Kang’s plot is foiled by a “time storm.”
Trimpe’s pencils continue to have their special, unique charm and they’re made even better by inker Sal Buscema.