3. Kang The Conqueror
My potential Red Skull-scenario two pages ago would be at its best if the Red Skull re-appeared as a time-displaced conqueror out for vengeance, but this character trait is actually already a fundamental part of another Avengers' villain. And it ain't Khan. Kang the Conqueror is a battle-hardened warrior of dominion and conquest hailing from the 40th century. He is a genius of unsurpassed intellect, a master tactician and has access to some of the most frightening war machines of the future. And he has been a thorn in The Avengers' side since first appearing in Avengers #8 back in 1964. One of the most interesting things about the character of Kang is that as a time-traveller there have actually been different 'versions' of him that The Avengers have faced throughout their publication history from the Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Rama-Tut that was instrumental in the rise of Apocalypse to Immortus of the distant future. But one thing has been the same no matter what name or guise Nathaniel Richards donned upon engaging the heroes of the modern era, he sought the conquest of this world. Kang coming to take on The Avengers of the past would have made a grand follow-up to The Avengers as it would have forced them into battle with a villain who is simply beyond their capacity which would have given a solid onus for the introduction of more Avengers from the original comic books to battle the threat. While on one hand the basic plot sounds incredibly similar to the first Avengers film, Kang's motivations differ from Loki's in some regards namely that Kang originally came back in time to face the 21st Century Avengers because he was unable to defeat The Avengers of his era. If this plot piece was adapted to the film as well it would present a great deal of opportunities to differentiate the nefarious plots of Loki and Kang.