Appearing in "Chapter Three: Crom Whispers"
Featured Characters:
- Conan (Bonds to an unnamed symbiote)
- Wolverine (Logan)
Supporting Characters:
- Punisher (Frank Castle)
- Elektra Natchios (Impersonates a Hand ninja)
- Unnamed symbiote (Bonds to Conan)
- Doctor Voodoo (Jericho Drumm) (Impersonates Sickle Priest)
Antagonists:
- The Hand
- Kulan Gath
- Unidentified Egyptian cult
Other Characters:
- Crom (Mentioned)
- Maria Castle (Mentioned)
- Lisa Castle (Mentioned)
- Frank Castle, Jr. (Mentioned)
- Sickle Priest (Johan Richter) (Illusion or holographic simulation)
- Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange) (Mentioned)
- Daniel Drumm (Mentioned)
- Marrow God (Jhoatun Lau)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth
- Antarctica
- Cimmeria, Hyboria (Referenced)
- Crom's Grey Mountain (Referenced)
- Hell (Invoked)
Items:
- Punisher's Suit and Arsenal
- Elektra's Twin Sai
- Wolverine's Suit
- "Third Eye of Agamotto"
- Pabst (Mentioned) (Topical Reference)
Events:
- Death of Wolverine (Mentioned)
Synopsis for "Chapter Three: Crom Whispers"
Wielding an assault rifle and a katana, the Punisher mows down Hand ninja and furiously demands to know where his family is. One of the ninja calls out to him, and as he turns to open fire the ninja plugs the barrel of his gun with a sai. Recognizing Elektra Natchios, Castle stops and the assassin calls him out on falling for an obvious trap. Castle brusquely informs her that the Hand stole the bodies of his family, causing her to express sympathy in his plight. Elektra offers to scout ahead and warns him that the Hand are collecting the blood of warriors for a sinister purpose. Noticing three sets of gouges on one of the pillars, Castle notes they're not alone. Elektra retorts that Wolverine can handle himself, and that they should be more concerned for their own safety.
Bound and suspended by chains over the sacrificial bowl, Logan snarls that he's going to kill Kulan Gath. The Hyborian sorcerer slashes him with a sickle and sneers that he should have died hours ago, calling him a freak and noting that Logan's healing factor might give him enough blood to finish the ritual.
As he exits the City of Sickles and prepares to make his escape, Conan of Cimmeria hears Logan's agonized screams and turns back to rescue the mutant. The symbiote also hears Logan's screams and sets off to seek revenge on the wizard for capturing and torturing it.
At the temple, the Sickle Priest arrives and holds out the Third Eye... only for Kulan Gath to sneer that such a pathetic illusion would never be able to fool him. Dropping the disguise, Doctor Voodoo says it was worth a shot and stabs Kulan Gath in the chest with a katana. More annoyed than hurt, Kulan Gath grabs Doctor Voodoo by the throat and remarks that he was hoping to face off against the Sorcerer Supreme. Drumm sneers that Gath isn't a big enough problem for Doctor Strange to concern himself with, but Kulan Gath snarls that he was the Sorcerer Supreme of the Hyborian Age. Removing the katana and pressing the tip to Drumm's chest, Kulan Gath tells Drumm that his brother's soul was captured by the Hand, threatening to destroy it unless Drumm swears fealty to him. Drumm begs him not to, but before Kulan Gath can say anything more he's shot in the head.
Standing in an archway, Elektra tells Castle that she'll free Logan while he does his thing. Castle angrily demands to know where his family is, and Kulan Gath - unharmed by the headshot - tells him they were tossed into the sacrificial bowl and that he's welcome to go searching for them. Kulan Gath then offers to resurrect them if Castle hunts down the one who stole his amulet and returns it to him. Logan tells Castle not to fall for it before sneering that Gath's amulet is long-gone. No sooner does he say this than Conan arrives and offers the amulet in exchange for his new comrades' lives, threatening to run Kulan Gath through if he refuses. Elektra states they already tried that, but Conan retorts that Gath hasn't been impaled through the heart by him. Deciding to capitalize on the distraction, Elektra frees Logan with a flurry of shuriken, remarking that she'd heard he was dead. Logan remarks that that sounds about right, landing heavily as Elektra breaks the last chain holding him. Summoning a group of Hand ninja and Egyptian priests, Kulan Gath tells the group of antiheroes that he'll grant them quick and merciful deaths if they give him the amulet, but that if they refuse then he will make them suffer exquisitely.
Conan sneers that he could slay Kulan Gath by himself, clapping Logan on the back and boasting that together with his "dwarven companion" victory is ensured. Logan extends his claws... before promptly passing out from blood loss. As Conan tries to rouse Logan, telling him to fight for Pabst, Kulan Gath commands his servants to bring him the amulet. Drawing his sword, Conan easily slays the ninja and priests attacking him, Kulan Gath firing a bolt of mystical lightning at him. Conan dodges and the lightning hits Elektra instead. Taking advantage of the distraction, Kulan Gath impales Conan through the chest with his arm, grabbing the Third Eye in the process. As Kulan Gath cheerfully remarks that he's just in time for the convergence, Conan collapses to his knees. The symbiote emerges from the shadows behind him and bonds to him, healing the fatal wound, covering his arm, and manifesting a sword. Mistaking the symbiote's bloodthirsty voice in his mind for that of his patron god, Conan obeys its command to kill all their enemies. Undeterred, Kulan Gath begins the ritual to summon Jhoatun Lau, Drumm warning his allies not to shed any more blood. Ignoring him, Conan bisects a Hand ninja with his abyssal sword and sends the corpse plummeting into the sacrificial pit. Elektra and Castle recoil in horror as the Marrow God rises from the pool of blood and corpses, Kulan Gath jubilantly declaring his victory.
Solicit Synopsis
• Kulan Gath’s return is no good for anyone who digs being alive. His trap for the deadliest warriors in the Marvel Universe is sprung, and if humanity is to survive, the Savage Avengers must slay a god.
• Elektra tries to corral Conan, Voodoo and Logan into an effective fighting force, and the Punisher desperately searches for his disinterred family.
• Plus: Conan hefts a deadly new Savage Sword!