Savage Sword of Conan #44-45

[Col_Fury]

SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #44 (September 1979)
By Roy Thomas & Sal Buscema

APPEARANCES:
Conan, Queen Marala, King Moranthes, Count Rigello, Ophirean peasants (inc Hostas), Ophirean soldiers (inc Capt. Garus, Capt. Bulak, Barras), Ianthe residents (inc Dr. Khafrates, Torgrio, Junia, Rima), ghosts (inc Count Alarkar, Marala’s ancestor)

FLASHBACK:
Recap of SAVSCO 14 (even though the editor’s note says 13, oops).
SYNOPSIS:
Arriving in Ophir, Conan stops at an inn, get some food and learns why everyone is so poor (the king’s gone crazy and his regent Rigello is cruel). Capt. Garus arrives, upset he failed Queen Marala. Conan buys him dinner but other soldiers arrive to arrest Garus. They defeat the soldiers and continue to Ianthe to free the queen. They meet some friendly folks and hatch a plot. It works and the queen is secreted out of the city, where Conan gives her the Star of Khorala. King Moranthes orders Count Rigello to retrieve her. Conan and friends are cornered by soldiers in a dilapidated castle. They fight until Marala uses the Star of Khorala to bring forth ghost soldiers to help them, and they win when Marala kills Rigello. Marala has lost her ring and decides to go to Aquilonia where she has family. She says if Conan ever visits her there she’ll likely be known as Countess Albiona. Conan decides to visit Cimmeria.

NOTE:
Adapted from “The Star of Khorala” by Sprague de Camp & Lin Carter.

Followed by “Notes on Hyborian Heraldry and Cartography,” and article about coats-of-arms by (apparently) Roy Thomas.

Followed in turn by “Conan the Conquistador,” an article about the 1960s Mexican Conan comics by Douglas Menville.

SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #45 (October 1979)
By Roy Thomas & John Buscema

APPEARANCES:
Conan, Barachan Buccaneers (inc Capt. Gonzago (also in fb), Mena, Fabio, Abimael, Tono, Borus), Siptah (sorcer, in fb), sea farers (in fb), large bat-beast

FLASHBACK:
Siptah acquires a magic gem that sea farers rumor about, but anyone who tries to reach the tower of Siptah dies. Capt. Gonzago swears to find the gem.
SYNOPSIS:
The crew of the Falcon draws ashore on an island, and Capt. Gonzago is in a rush to reach the tower he seeks before nightfall, but Mena warns of death. They eventually reach the tower of Siptah; Mena begins to cast a spell of invisibility but is killed. They continue anyway, building a ladder from the trees, but the tower is too tall and they make camp to plan. That night a large bat-beast kills Gonzago and Conan is put in charge. After some sentries are killed, Conan decides to set a fire around the tower and smoke the bat-beast out. After setting the fire the bat-beast attacks; Conan rides the beast to the top of the tower and kills it. He enters the tower and finds Siptah’s corpse, still gazing upon his gem. The b at-beast, not dead, attacks Conan again. With no other weapons available Conan throws the gem at the beast; it dodges it and it smashes on the wall. The beast begins to melt and turns to dust. Conan finds a bit of treasure and the pirates prepare to set sail.

NOTE:
Adapted from “The Gem in the Tower” by L. Sprague de Camp & Lin Carter.

When the bat-beast melted and turned to dust, it reminded me of the stop-motion effects in the first Evil Dead movie at the end, when the ghouls were defeated by Ash Williams. And of the CGI version of the same effect when Ego died in Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 (movie).

Followed by “Chains and Fetters,” an article about slavery in the Hyborian Age by Jim Neal.

Followed in turn by a Conan quiz! (it was pretty tough, lemme tellya)

2nd Story:
This Red Sonja tale was already covered elsewhere.

Chronologies!

LARKAR, COUNT
SAVSCO 44

*ALBIONA, COUNTESS/MARALA
*SAVSCO 44
{GSCO 3}
GSCO 4
CO@ 5
KCO 5-FB

CONAN
……
SAVSCO 212/2
*SAVSCO 44 (remove brackets)
SAVSCO 221-FB
……
[SAVSCO 114]
*[SAVSCO 99]
*SAVSCO 45
*[SAVSCO 227/2]
*[SAVSCO 190]
[SAVSCO 206]
M/SSPEC 2
……

KING MORANTHES
SAVSCO 44

QUEEN MARALA
See Countess Albiona

RIGELLO, COUNT
SAVSCO 44

SIPTAH
SAVSCO 45-FB
SAVSCO 45