| Conan |  Like I said-- same old Son-ya! By the way, did I tell you I like your armor-- what little there is of it?  |
| Red Sonja | An Ophieran pikeman said the same thing to me the other day, just before he made a grab for me. I hope he can learn to wield a pike left-handed. |
Appearing in "Curse of the Undead-Man"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- ⏴ Red Sonja / Son-Ya ⏵ (Main story and flashback)
- Berthilda the Brythunian (First appearance) (Main story and flashback)
Antagonists:
- Bandits (First appearance)
- Rikko (First appearance; dies)
- Costranno (First appearance; dies) (Main story and flashback)
- Costranno's minions (First appearance)
- Fiend from the Pit
Other Characters:
- Shadowed figure (First appearance)
- Girls (First appearance)
- Priests (First appearance)
- Hadranor, King of Zamora (Mentioned)
- Innkeeper (First appearance)
- Turanian Army (Mentioned)
- Yezdigerd (Mentioned)
- City guards (First appearance)
Invocations and Deities:
- Crom (Invoked)
- Mitra (Invoked)
- Ishtar (Invoked)
- Bel, God of Thieves (Invoked)
- Erlik (Invoked)
- Gol-Goroth (Invoked)
- Yog-Sothoth (Invoked)
- Unnameable (Invoked)
- Tarim (Invoked)
- Macha (Invoked)
- Nemain (Invoked)
Races and Species:
Locations:
Items:
- Argossean Wine
- Serpent-Tiara (Mentioned)
Events:
- Hyborian Age
- Fall of Makkalet (Mentioned)
Synopsis for "Curse of the Undead-Man"
Conan marches through the Maul in Arenjun, contemplating on how to pay for the company he plans to keep that evening, when he is almost run over by a robe-wearing priest, who himself is on the run from a band of thieves. The thieves mistakenly decide to make Conan their prey as well, and Conan finishes off all but one before he slips and is almost killed by the final thief. Fortunately, he is saved by his old friend Red Sonja, who kills the final man. Conan looks at what he tripped over, and finds an enjewelled finger. Exploring the alley, the two discover the body and head of the sorcerer Costranno, whose execution Sonja witnessed just that morning. Apparently, he was turned in by the woman Berthilda, who also cut off his finger, the ring on which was the source of his powers, but he vowed to return from the dead to seek revenge. Apparently, Costranno's followers were trying to reassemble the body. In disgust, Conan tosses the finger aside, and doesn't notice it slowly inch its way towards the dead man's hand. As Conan and Sonja rest in a tavern to catch up, the prostitutes Conan has shown interest in earlier show up to mock Sonja, who they believe is Conan's choice for the evening. Sonja fights back, and the prostitutes retaliate by fingering the two for the murders in the alley. The two escape, but not before Conan notices a hooded figure wearing Costranno's ring. Realizing Berthilda might be in danger, and out of morbid curiosity, Conan and Sonja go to her place and find Costranno and his acolytes in the process of sacrificing the woman. Disgusted with Costranno's undead state, Conan attacks. Sonja joins in the fun, but an inhuman arm reaching from a magical pit grasps her leg and tries to pull her in. Conan cuts off Costranno's hand, and with the ring gone the man dies again. Conan tosses the body into the pit, which distracts the arm long enough for Sonja to escape. Conan seals the pit, and he and Sonja leave with the unconscious Berthilda. Unfortunately, the woman awakens and demand they leave her house and she returns for the valuable ring. Conan, knowing that the hand fell into the pit and Costranno has likely revived himself, and deciding he already rescued her once, lets Berthilda go to her fate. Conan and Sonja walk down the street to the sudden screams of Berthilda.
Appearing in "Red Sonja"
Featured Characters:
- Red Sonja (Main story and flashback)
Antagonists:
- King Ghannif (Death) (Main story and flashback)
- Trolus (Main story and flashback)
Other Characters:
- City guards
- Turanian hordes (Mentioned)
- Melissandra (Mentioned)
- Yezdigerd (Referenced)
- Conan (Only in recap)
- Lucrezia
Invocations and Deities:
Races and Species:
Locations:
Items:
- Serpent-Tiara (Only in recap)
Events:
Synopsis for "Red Sonja"
Red Sonja returns to Pah-Dishah after having successfully stolen the Serpent Tiara from the king of Makkalet. She recall how King Ghannif of Pah-Dishah had hired her services and sent her to Makkalet, under false pretenses of sending aid against invaders. In Makkalet, Red Sonja met Conan and tricked him into helping him steal the Serpent tiara. Although the two of them defeated the snake avatar from the tiara and retrieved the item, Sonja abandoned Conan and returned to Pah-Dishah.
Red Sonja returns to King Ghannif, hoping to claim her reward, but the King pays her service with treachery. At his command, all his guards restrain Sonja and the King explains that he intends to make her part of his harem and claim her famed virginity. Although Sonja tries to fight, she is advised to do the opposite and allow the King to let her live in his castle, without concerns other than pleasing him.
Sonja is taken to the rest of the women, who bathe and dress Sonja for the night she will spend with the King and after listening to the other women, Sonja decides to play along for the moment. When the time comes, Sonja is taken to the King's private chambers, where the King awaits alongside his man-servant Trolus. Sonja tries to persuade the King to remove Trolus from their presence as to have more privacy, but the Ghannif refuses. Sonja then approaches him and while she removes his clothing, she grabs a small dagger from Ghannif, who is taken by surprise by her bold move. Ghannif commands Sonja to give the dagger back and she complies by tossing it to the man's throat, killing him.
The King's servant, Trolus, attacks Sonja and chases her to avenge the King's death. Sonja kills a couple more guards and take their swords to fight Trolus. Sonja asks the man why is he so concerned about avenging a pig, to which Trolus replies that with the King dead, his life will mean little less than nothing and he worries for his future. Red Sonja decides to relieve the man from his concerns by killing him. She then grabs her armor and weapons and flees from Pah-Dishah, never to return.
Appearing in "Blackmark"
Featured Characters:
- Blackmark
Supporting Characters:
- Amarix
- Marnie
- Zeph the Tinker
Antagonists:
- Balzamo
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth-71181 (First appearance)
Synopsis for "Blackmark"
- Synopsis not yet written
Appearing in "The Frost Giant's Daughter"
Savage Tales #1
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Aesir fighting-men (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Vanir
- Hymdul (First appearance; dies)
- Atali (First appearance)
- Atali's brothers (First appearance; dies)
- Ymir
Other Characters:
- Wulfhere's band (Corpse, skeleton or other remains)
- Wulfhere (Corpse, skeleton or other remains)
- Crom (Invoked)
Races and Species:
- Humans
- Frost Giants
- Gods of Ice and Snow (Mentioned)
Locations:
Items:
- Rion's Pendant
- Atali's Gossamer Dress
Events:
Synopsis for "The Frost Giant's Daughter"
Savage Tales #1
Conan, now a member of an Aesir war party, is just finishing off a band of Vanir in the snowy plains, but soon stumbles and falls due to his injuries. A beautiful, scantily clad maiden appears to him, and when she tempts him a little too much, he chases her lustily towards the mountains, knowing she might be luring him to an ambush. When her frost giant brothers appear, he swiftly deals with them and continues his chase, finally catching her. She prays to her father, the god Ymir, to save her, and she vanishes in a flash of blue light. Conan collapses, and is rescued by his Aesir companions, who, while they don't entirely believe his story, are disquieted with the remnants of a dress Conan holds in his hand.
Notes
- Curse of the Undead-Man was freely adapted from the story Mistress of Death by Robert E. Howard. That story was originally unfinished draft for a Dark Agnes story. It was completed by Gerald W. Page and first published in Witchcraft & Sorcery Vol. 1 #5 (January–February 1971).[1] Dark Agnes was replaced by Red Sonja[2] (the former being partially based upon the latter).[3]. In Conans chronology the story takes place between Conan the Barbarian #42 and #43.
- Red Sonja is a continuation of the story from Conan the Barbarian #24.
- The issue also includes:
- A Hyperborean Oath, "From the iron-bound books of Vathelos the Blind- from the secret scrolls of Skelos- a glimpse at the unguessed future!".
- Conan's Women Warriors, an article by Fred Blosser.
- An Atlantean in Aquilonia: "The story behind the end of King Kull and the creation of Conan, revealed for the first time", by Glenn Lord.
Reprints[]
- Curse of The Undead-Man is reprinted in Conan the Barbarian #78.
- Blackmarck is the reprint of the series by Gil Kane from Bantam Books paperback (1971), whom he edited from the paperback-size page to the comics format. The series had originally failed to sell enough to continue but was considered too good to be forgotten, and because Kane was influenced by the work of Robert E. Howard, it was considered that Savage Sword of Conan was the perfect place to reintroduce it.
- The Frost Giant's Daughter is a reprint from Savage Tales #1.
See Also
Links and References
References
- ↑ "The Annotated Savage Sword of Conan - Curse of the Undead-Man" on Comics Classic Forum
- ↑ Dark Agnes at Wikipedia
- ↑ Afterword by Roy Thomas, in The Chronicles of Conan Volume 4: The Song of Red Sonja and Other Stories (Dark Horse, 2004)