Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Thanos Annual #1 – Infinity Watch! Given that Kang the Conqueror (temporarily) replaced Thanos as the MCU’s ‘big bad’, it’s only natural that fans would want to compare them, and what better way than a ‘who would win in a fight’ conversation. While both are immensely powerful villains, meaning any hypothetical ‘versus’ fight would be a pretty close one, Marvel Comics actually just settled the argument once and for all with the introduction of one genius secret weapon.

In Thanos Annual #1 – Infinity Watch by Derek Landy and Salvador Larroca, Thanos is once again attempting to claim all the Infinity Stones for himself, as he wishes to activate the full power of his all-new Infinity Stone created from the essence of Mistress Death: the Death Stone. Not only that, but he’s attempting to learn how the Infinity Stones bonded with the members of the new Infinity Watch, as he wants to do the same with the Death Stone.

As he’s trying to figure out what makes these Stone-wielders tick, Thanos faces the full-might of the living embodiments of the Reality Stone, the Space Stone, and the Time Stone. And it’s that last member of the Infinity Watch that gives Thanos the most trouble, as the Time Stone can simply undo any attack he launches against the Infinity Watch. Luckily, Thanos came prepared, unleashing his secret weapon that can defeat any and all time travelers: the Chrono Fish.

Thanos Can Defeat Kang the Conqueror Like It’s Nothing with His Chrono Fish

While Kang the Conqueror does boast a number of awesome powers, his main gimmick is and has always been time travel. Kang’s mastery of the timestream is intrinsic to his character, and is the main reason why he’s such a major threat to the Avengers. Unfortunately, that’s also what makes Kang such an easy opponent for Thanos to defeat, especially if Thanos is able to prepare for their battle.

If these two titans ever battled to the death, then all Thanos would have to do is unleash his Chrono Fish on Kang the Conqueror, and Thanos would have won the victory in an instant. The Chrono Fish was powerful enough to nearly kill the living embodiment of the Time Stone, meaning it’s more than capable of killing Kang – which, by extension, means Thanos would come out on top if these two ever fought.

Thanos Killing Kang with a Chrono Fish Would Be Perfect to Adapt in the MCU

With the controversy surrounding Jonathan Majors, which led Disney/Marvel Studios to fire him, Kang’s status as the MCU’s ‘big bad’ is currently a bit tenuous. It’s unclear if Kang will be recast, or if the character will be scrapped entirely. If the latter comes to pass, then having an alternate version of Thanos from another reality (this is the Multiverse Saga, after all) using a Chrono Fish to unceremoniously kill Kang would be a perfect way to not only scrub the MCU of the villain, but also remind fans who the real ‘big bad’ of the MCU is.

Regardless of any potential MCU adaptations, the fact that Marvel Comics has just settled who would win in a fight between Thanos and Kang the Conqueror is incredibly significant in its own right. These two are some of the biggest Avengers villains in Marvel Comics, and now, fans know who’s the deadliest, as Thanos can officially beat Kang the Conqueror with his genius secret weapon.

Thanos Annual #1 – Infinity Watch by Marvel Comics is available now.