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Appearing in "Night of the Dark God"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

  • Unnamed Vanir fisherman (First appearance)
  • Mala, daughter of Hafgar (First appearance) (Death) (Only in flashback)
  • Picts
    • Brogar (First appearance)

Antagonists:

  • Vanir raiders (First appearance; dies)
    • Tostig (First appearance; dies)
    • Thorfel the Fair (First appearance; dies)

Other Characters:

Races and Species:

Locations:

Items:

  • Zamorian Coins (Mentioned)
  • Dark God idol (First appearance)

Vehicles:

  • Unnamed Vanir fisherman's boat (First appearance)

Events:

Synopsis for "Night of the Dark God"

Conan, feeling a longing for home, has ridden straight through to Cimmeria and his home village, which he discovers has recently been raided by Vanir and his childhood love Mara taken. He tracks the Vanir to a lake in Vanaheim and borrows a boat from a fisherman to finish the journey to the Isle of Swords. He finds an boatload of dead Picts and Vanir floating on the sea, and takes a surprisingly lightweight statue he finds on board with him on his journey, the statue seemingly guiding him. Finally, he reaches the Isle of Swords and begins to spy on the Vanir encampment. The Vanir find his boat and take the statute to their camp, but for them, the statue is impossibly heavy. Conan makes his way into the camp, killing witnesses, until he finds the drinking hall, where Mara is about to be an unwilling bride to the brigands' leader, Thorfel. Before anyone can act, though, Mara steals Thorfel's dagger and plunges it into her chest. Enraged, Conan bursts from hiding and begins to slaughter the brigands. The odds begin to turn against the barbarian, until the doors burst open when a party of Picts join the fray in order to retrieve the Dark God statue that sits in the hall. Conan is free to change last words with the dying Mara, and then kill Thorfel. After the battle, the pict leader Brogar explains that another group of picts stole this last statue of Brule the Spear Slayer, the friend of King Kull from Valusia, and were killed by the Vanir. Conan then sails quietly away.

Appearing in "The Crusader"

Reprint of the 4th story from
Black Knight #2
(originally printed as Origin of the Crusader, Part II)

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

Races and Species:

Locations:

Items:

  • Saracen

Synopsis for "The Crusader"

Reprint of the 4th story from
Black Knight #2
(originally printed as Origin of the Crusader, Part II)

Continued from last issue...

On his quest to join King Richard I of England, El Alemain, now known as the Crusader fights through the last of the Mongolian warriors whom he travelled with prior to meeting his late brother Sir John O'Dare. His travels take him to Egypt where he clashes with the Muslim warriors there coming to the aid of King Richard and his men, turning the tide of battle. King Richard learns of El Alemain's origins and quest to continue the battle for his brother, King Richard accepts him with open arms but some of his men are less than accepting. One knight even attempting to attack the Crusader, but King Richard stops him.

Suddenly, the Saladin of Egypt appears and the Crusader offers to battle him. The two clash with honor for one another, and although the Saladin proves to be a fierce fighter, he ultimately loses to the Crusader who lets the Saladin go free, hoping to meet him in battle again. While the lone dissenter against the Crusader believes this proves their new arrival is not loyal to the King, King Richard believes otherwise and officially knights the Crusader and welcomes him among his army.

Appearing in "The Dweller in the Dark"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Conan the Barbarian #12

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Soldiers of Zahmahn and servants of Fatima (First appearance)
    • Yulek (First appearance; dies)
    • Unnamed sword-wielding eunuch (First appearance)
    • Palace Guard (First appearance)
  • Queen Fatima (First appearance; dies)
  • Dweller in the Dark (First appearance)

Other Characters:

Races and Species:

Locations:

Events:

Synopsis for "The Dweller in the Dark"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Conan the Barbarian #12

Conan travels - against his last thought in the previous issue about Argos - east and arrives at the Corinthian city of Zahmahn. As he attempts to drink from a protected spring, he is surprised by Zahmahn soldiers. The Cimmerian kills the captain of the guards and is knocked out by another soldier in fear that the queen may question them as to who killed her favorite. The soldiers manage to get the best of the weary barbarian and drag him before their queen, the power-mad Fatima. Impressed by the barbarian, she takes him as her consort for several weeks until Conan makes the mistake of being nice to the slave girl Yaila. The insanely jealous, or maybe just insane, Fatima sentences the two to death in the sewers at the pleasure of the Dweller in the Darkness. Conan is chained next to Yaila upon an ancient wall as both hear something coming from down inside the darkened caverns. Conan manages to break free of the chains that hold him as a huge pink tentacle reaches around a corner.The Cimmerian and the girl travel down the sewer tunnel just as the Dweller, a giant octopus, slithers into view in a vast chamber beyond. The wretched creature, once human but now transformed into the thing, lashes out at Conan and Yaila. Conan attempts to rescue the girl who snatches up one of the veil creature's tentacles. Even the monster is spongy and hard to cut, Conan manages to slice one of the creature's eyes, blinding it. The monster, now in pain, begins lashing out as the Cimmerian and the girl attempt to find an escape.

Conan, carrying Yaila, scrambles up a tunnel in the ceiling. Breaking through a manhole, they find themselves in the throne room in the middle of Fatima and a group of guards. Fed up with the situation, Conan grabs the queen and threatens to throw her down the hole to the monster. Fatima promises Conan anything he wants if he lets her go. Not believing her for a second, Conan tosses her to the Dweller and listens, satisfied with the screams. Conan turns to face the guards, but is surprised when they cheer; they were fed up with Fatima themselves. Conan takes the opportunity to attempt to make himself king, but when he discovers that Zahmahn only allows queens, names Yaila as the next ruler and, having enough of queens, leaves town.

Notes

Trivia

  • "Night of the Dark God" is a loose adaption of Robert Howard's "The Dark Man", starring one of his other recurring heroes Turlogh Dubh O'Brien and featuring a figure of Bran Mak Morn instead of Brule.

See Also

Links and References

References

  1. Savage Sword of Conan #191 ; Jade Coils in Black Khemi - Skull on the Seas Part II
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