Zugthuu (Earth-616)

Zugthuu the Slitherer
Name	Zugthuu
Current Alias	Zugthuu the Slitherer
Aliases	Editorial Names: Beast from the Abyss Other Aliases: Zogthuu, The Slitherer in the Night
Physical Characteristics
Gender	Male
Unusual Features	Giant slug/demonic form
Origin and Living Status
Origin	God cast into demonic form by a higher being, worm-demon
Living Status	Deceased
Reality	Earth-616
Place of Death	Kamula, Valusia
Cause of Death	Killed by King Kull
Personal Information
Identity	Secret
Occupation	Formerly god
Base of Operations	Kamula, Valusia, Thuria
Creators and Appearances
Creators	Robert E. Howard, Lin Carter, Steve Englehart, Howard Chaykin
First	Savage Sword of Conan #2 (August, 1974)
First	Savage Sword of Conan #2 (August, 1974)
Death	Savage Sword of Conan #2 (August, 1974)
Death	Savage Sword of Conan #2 (August, 1974)

History

Origins

Zugthuu the Slitherer was a god during the Pre-Cataclysmic Age.

Presumably for some nameless crime beyond imagination, he was cast by a higher being, possibly Valka, into the demonic form of a worm-demon.

Age of Kull (18,500 BC)

That giant slug-like creature was held in the undergrounds of Kamula, Valusia, where the decadent court of Kamula (including Baron Ergon of the Northern Shore, the girl Zareta, and Taligaro the poet) held twisted rites, as part of their unholy worship of Zugthuu.

On a visit of King Kull accompanied by Brule and a few Pict, one of them, Grogar, was abducted for such ceremony. Kull interrupted the rite, slaughtering his hosts, then attacked the sluggish creature. While slashing it in vain, Kull recognized in its eyes a pain originated from the sadness of an intelligent mind locked in a primeval form. He stopped and instead set the monster aflame, as an act of inspiration or compassion. Before fleeing with Grogar, Kull saw gratitude in the eyes of the creature.

Notes

• Zugthuu the Slitherer, originally "Zogthuu", was created in "Black Abyss" (1967), a story completed by Lin Carter from an unfinished manuscript by Robert E. Howard (Lin Carter named that character). The story was adapted in "Beast from the Abyss" (Savage Sword of Conan #2; October, 1974) by Steve Englehart and Howard Chaykin.
  • Englehart forgot to name the character in the issue, though he was named "Zugthuu the Slitherer" in the table of contents.
• Zugthuu's first reference in Marvel Comics was erroneously stated in the Demons' profile of the Marvel Zombies: The Book of Angels, Demons & Various Monstrosities #1 (September, 2007) to occur in Savage Sword of Conan #1 (August, 1974) instead of in Savage Sword of Conan #2 (October, 1974).

See Also

• 1 appearance(s) of Zugthuu (Earth-616)
• 1 mention(s) of Zugthuu (Earth-616)
• 2 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Zugthuu (Earth-616)
• 1 image(s) of Zugthuu (Earth-616)

Links and References

• Zugthuu the Slitherer at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe