Isparana (Earth-616)

Sword-Thief Isparana
Name	Isparana
Current Alias	Sword-Thief Isparana
Affiliation and Relationships
Affiliation	Formerly Free Companions; ally of Conan
Physical Characteristics
Gender	Female
Eyes	Irises: Black
Hair	Black
Origin and Living Status
Origin	Human
Living Status	Alive
Reality	Earth-616
Place of Birth	Mobile; formerly Squatter's Alley, Zamboula, Turan, Hyboria
Personal Information
Identity	No Dual
Citizenship	Zamboulan, , possibly Stygian
Occupation	Mercenary, thief
Creators and Appearances
Creators	Andrew J. Offutt, Roy Thomas, Mike Docherty
First	Savage Sword of Conan #53 (April, 1980)
First	Savage Sword of Conan #53 (April, 1980)

History

Origins and Early Years

During the Hyborian Age, Isparana was a thief from Squatter's Alley, in Zamboula. It was also hypothesized (though it was stated in a defamatory rant) that she had been a prostitute on Zamboula's streets as well.

She possibly had Stygian origins (see notes).

Free Companions

She became one of Conan's Free Companions. When they reached Bisara after escaping the Kothians, Ispara congratulated with Conan and approved his leadership. After they docked in the Islands of Pearl and met Acheron, she was instantly charmed by his persona.

As Conan and the Free Companions set up camp on Dagoth Hill, Acheron and Isparana continued to grow closer, and one night they consummated their love. However, that same night, Acheron was awakened from his sleep and drawn into the catacombs, where he found the empty armor of the Devourer. Isparana awakened and followed Acheron, while Conan heard their voices and investigated. Conan threatened Acheron to keep away from the armor, which caused Isparana to draw her sword to defend him. As Conan and Isparana struggled, Acheron fell the rest of the way under the sway of the call of the Devourer, and he donned the helmet. After putting on the entire suit of armor, Acheron was transformed both physically and mentally back into the Devourer.

When Conan escaped from the catacombs and confronted the Devourer, Isparana joined him, but their swords were no match for the Devourer. However, as Conan struggled vainly in hand-to-hand combat with the giant Devourer, smoke began to billow forth from the Devourer as it was consumed from within. The face of Acheron appeared once again within the helmet of the Devourer, and he told Isparana that his love for her kept his human aspect alive, and that he had managed to destroy the Devourer. The effort cost him, however, as his human body crumbled to dust, and the armor collapsed empty to the ground.

When they set up camp in an oasis not far from Shadizar, Conan let her sleep in his tent because of her nightmares, but she couldn't stop the assassins of the Night Cult from kidnapping the Cimmerian and bringing him back to Shadizar.

When Conan returned to the mercenary camp and his captainship was replaced by Milo, she didn't help the Cimmerian, afraid to endanger the child she bearing. She then decided to stay with the Free Companions and met Conan again in the Turanian steppes.

She briefly stayed with the Cimmerian at the Kozak camp, but overnight she sneaked away unnoticed.

Notes

• Isparana was created by Andrew J. Offutt in "Conan and the Sorcerer" (1978), adapted in "The Sorcerer and the Soul" (Savage Sword of Conan #53; June, 1980), written by Roy Thomas and penciled by Mike Docherty.
• In Conan: Flame and the Fiend #1, she is called a "Stygian strumpet", while being correctly identified by Conan as a Zamboulan. It is unclear whether this is an error (in-universe from the Turanian sergeant, or out-of-universe from the author), or if Isparana has either Stygian lineage or citizenship as well.

See Also

• 19 appearance(s) of Isparana (Earth-616)
• 2 minor appearance(s) of Isparana (Earth-616)
• 5 image(s) of Isparana (Earth-616)