Red Sonja (Vol. 1) 1-15 and SAVSCO 23/3

[lettsmonster]

RED SONJA #1 (January 1977)
by Roy Thomas/Clara Noto/Ed Summer and Frank Thorne

APPEARANCES:
Red Sonja, Andar of Bezfarda

SYNOPSIS:
Travelling through Argos, Sonja is forced to kill her horse after it breaks its leg. Walking now, she comes across a scene of men trying to capture a wild horse. The horse is actually a unicorn, and the men, led by Andar of Bezfarda, are trying to capture the creature for its horn. Struggling, the unicorn loses its horn on a tree branch and Andar claims it. Sonja enters the scene, fights the men, and rides off on the unicorn. Andar plots revenge against Sonja while Sonja and the unicorn idle the time away in the woods, enjoying each other's company. The unicorn begins to grow another horn. The men ambush Sonja and the unicorn. Andar will not allow anyone else to have a unicorn horn but himself and wishes to slay the creature. Sonja is knocked unconscious trying to protect the unicorn. As Andar attempts to put a spear through Sonja, the unicorn spears him with its horn, killing him. The other men disperse after their leader dies. With the regrowth of the unicorn's horn, Sonja and the creature realize they must now go their separate ways. They part, with tears forming in Red Sonja's eyes.

RED SONJA #2 (March 1977)
by Roy Thomas/Clara Noto and Frank Thorne

APPEARANCES:
Red Sonja

SYNOPSIS:
Arriving on a bluff overlooking the port city of Venzia, Red Sonja sees two merchant ships collide and sink. Entering the city, she sees it is deserted almost like a ghost city. Finally she see three men attacking a woman. She kills two of them but the third knocks her unconscious and kidnaps her. She awakens in a mirror maze which seeks to attack her in various ways. Surviving, she comes across an unnamed dying wizard. He tells Sonja of his foes, another unnamed wizard trapped at the center of the maze along with the demon who created the maze. According to the dying wizard, Sonja is fated to be the demon's bride. Also, on the way from Khitai is the heart of an ancient holy creature that along with Sonja will free the demon. The wizard caused the collision of the merchant ships to try and sink the object from Khitai. Unfortunately, the heart was not on either ship. Sonja humors the old wizard and heads to the center of the maze, collecting old bones along the way that the wizard said would aid her when the time came.
At the center of the maze waits the trapped wizard and the demon in a pit. The wizard attacks Red Sonja with summoned creatures trying to force her into the pit. Sonja throws the bones she has gathered into the air where they form a skeletal army. Sonja kills the wizard and her skeletal army disintegrates. The demon in the pit hypnotizes Sonja and adapts a pleasing form to get her to release him. The demon returns to his original form and begins to embrace the entranced Sonja. However, the old dying wizard once more causes two ships to collide and this time succeeds in sinking the artifact from Khitai. The demon senses this and howls in agony. This releases Sonja from his hold and she slays the demon, who upon dying is seen to have actually been a man trapped by a spell. Sonja returns to the first wizard who has now revived after the death of his foes. They leave the maze together.

RED SONJA #3 (May 1977)
by Roy Thomas/Clara Noto and Frank Thorne

APPEARANCES:
Red Sonja, Mikal, Sortilej, Grosius Tala

SYNOPSIS:
Red Sonja comes across a fat man named Grosius Tala whipping a servant that is leading the cart he is sitting upon. She frees the servant and the fat man runs away. A wandered named Mikal has witnessed the scene. He tells Sonja that the fat man was travelling to the two sister cities of Athos and Zotoz for the games of Gita. Sonja accompanies Mikal to the cities. Mikal tells Sonja that the games are held between the super rich Athos and the super poor Zotoz. However, Sortilej, the queen of Athos, has decreed that any Zotozian that wins their event will be put to death. They always win though because they are physically superior as a result of their laborious servitude. Using sorcery Sortilej has created her own contestants to compete for Athos, though they possess no intelligence, only brawn.
Witnessing the corrupt games, Sonja enters the competition for Zotoz. Sortilej releases her mindless competitors who immediately start to attack the spectators. The brutes are eventually pacified and Sonja defeats them all at every competition. Queen Sortilej herself then challenges Sonja. They are evenly matched. Eventually Sortilej challenges Sonja to a death match. During the battle, Sortilej transforms into a giant spider. Sonja kills her with a thrown javelin. Mikal asks to accompany Sonja as she leaves the city. She agrees.

RED SONJA #4 (July 1977)
by Roy Thomas/Clara Noto and Frank Thorne

APPEARANCES:
Red Sonja, Mikal, Cyphax, Thatim

SYNOPSIS:
Leaving Athos, Red Sonja and Mikal come across a lake that suddenly discharges a large number of cloaked creatures. They follow the creatures back into Athos and to the Theatre of Monsters. Joining the audience, Sonja and MIkal witness the show put on by the creatures for the blood-crazed Athosians. The creatures invite Sonja on stage where they quickly attack her. Overwhelmed by Sonja's prowess, the creatures ask for mercy. Their leader, Cyphax, invites Sonja and Mikal back to the lake. They enter a magical city under the lake called Chimu. Cyphax relates that the lake creatures come from another world and their ship crashed into the lake. In order to survive they had to enter the bodies of native creatures, but now many go mad from the interbreeding. They built the city underwater to live but now have to perform on stage just to get by. Cyphax tells of their greatest leader, now a prisoner of the Singing Tower. Sonja agrees to search for this leader. The mad citizens of Chimu attack, led by Cyphax's brother Thatim. Cyphax is killed and Sonja and Mikal barely escape. Red Sonja vows to still find the previous leader of the lake people. Mikal says he will go with her.

RED SONJA #5 (September 1977)
by Roy Thomas/Clara Noto and Frank Thorne

APPEARANCES:
Red Sonja, Mikal, Tijal, Kir-el, Orubu

SYNOPSIS:
Camped in the forested hills of Argos, Red Sonja and Mikal observe a procession of men pass by. While watching, Sonja and Mikal are attacked from behing by the Truands, half-sized forest dwellers. The forest dwellers are easily defeated and Sonja questions Tijal their leader about the location of the Singing Tower. He says to follow the dark riders which have just passed. The riders are an elaborate trap. Kir-el, leader of the riders, reveals that Sonja and MIkal have been followed for days. They want Mikal, who is led away. Sonja is now brought into Bor Ti-Ki, the city of bells. Unrestrained and angry, Sonja topples a lizard statue. Orubu, leader of the city, appears and releases a giant two-headed lizard to attack and test Sonja. She kills the lizard. Orubu tells Sonja her coming was foretold. Sonja inquires about the location of the Singing Tower. Orubu says Mikal has been taken there as his prisoner. Orubu also reveals that he himself is the previous leader of the lake people and that the power of the Singing Tower allowed him to change form.
Leading Sonja to the bell tower, Orubu claims that Mikal is not a simple wanderer but heir to the throne of Athos. On the roof, Orubu points to the Singing Tower in the distance and claims that he and Sonja shall fly. When the bells begin to chime, they knock Orubu off the roof and he falls to his death. Red Sonja leaves the city of bells and heads toward the Singing Tower.

RED SONJA #6 (November 1977)
by Roy Thomas/Wendy Pini/Clara Noto and Frank Thorne

APPEARANCES:
Red Sonja, Mikal

SYNOPSIS:
Arriving at the Singing Tower, Red Sonja is overwhelmed by the fragrant flowers that surround its base. Two guardians gather the unconscious Sonja and place her on an altar inside the tower. Before she can be bound, she awakes and attacks the guardians who quickly form a cocoon around themselves for protection. Sonja spies a giant winged figure bound by her own hair and attempts to free her. The hair grows back as quickly as Sonja cuts it. A swarm of tiny bee-like warriors appears, stinging Sonja and trapping her next to the giantess.
At dawn, the keeper of the bees arrives leading a chained Mikal. Seeing an imprisoned Sonja, Mikal attacks the keeper but is knocked unconscious. Intending her to become the new queen, the keeper orders the bees to ensnare Sonja further using a mind-numbing nectar. Sonja spits it out and frees herself with her dagger. The keeper and his bees returns. The giantess queen begs Sonja to kill her, saying that it is the only way to break the keeper's spell. Asking forgiveness, Sonja does so. The bees go crazy, killing each other. Sonja fights the keeper. She throws one of the cocoons at him. It bursts apart revealing countless slugs that devour the keeper. Sonja and Mikal discover a fortune in gold. Sonja questions Mikal about his being the heir to the throne of Zotoz. He admits it and plans to use the gold to free his people from the servitude to Athos. Sonja declines the offer to be his queen and, as she leaves, tosses away a ring he gave her from the treasure trove.

RED SONJA #7 (January 1978)
by Roy Thomas/Clara Noto and Frank Thorne

APPEARANCES:
Red Sonja, Oryx, Suumaro, Apah Alah

SYNOPSIS:
Attempting to cross an old wooden bridge over a chasm, Red Sonja falls as the bridge collapses. She barely manages to cling to the side of the chasm. Tree roots reach toward her (in actuality one form of the sorceress Apah Alah) and she climbs up to find herself face to face with Oryx, the son of the king of Skranos, astride a behemoth, a mastodon type creature. Oryx challenges Sonja and is defeated. He leads her back to Skranos. In the city, a horse, which the behemoths hate, gets too close to their pen and they stampede. Taking charge, Sonja contains the stampede. Retiring to a tavern with Oryx, Sonja is questioned by him about her involvement in the death of a certain Hyrkanian king. Knowing the price on her head, Oryx secretly summons bowmen to prepare to kill her. Also at the tavern is Oryx's half brother Suumaro, who warns Sonja not to trust his brother. Leaving the tavern, Sonja is surrounded by bowmen. Cowardly unable to give the order for the bowmen to shoot Sonja, Oryx instead sends her to the gallows. The issue ends with a rope being placed around Red Sonja's neck.

RED SONJA #8 (March 1978)
by Roy Thomas/Clara Noto and Frank Thorne

APPEARANCES:
Red Sonja, Oryx, Suumaro, Jimodo, Apah Alah

SYNOPSIS:
As Red Sonja is about to be hanged, Suumaro swings from above to release her. Fighting their way through a handful of guardsman, the pair escape the city. Suumaro takes Sonja to the camp of the army he has raised to reclaim Skranos from Oryx. Entering the command tent of Suumaro, Sonja is attacked by a giant golden snake, another form of Apah Alah. Surviving the snake, Sonja is told by Suumaro that it was a test by his mother, a sorceress. It was also she who saved Sonja from falling into the chasm.
Continuing the tour of the camp, Suumaro and Sonja arrive at the tent of some of Suumaro's wives, guarded by Jimodo, one of Suumaro's generals. Furious at their chained captivity, Sonja breaks the bonds of the women. This breaking of the law elicits a trial of combat against Jimodo. Sonja maneuvers the battle to the top of a bloated behemoth carcass. Jimodo's great bulk causes him to sink into the carcass and Sonja pounces, following him down and killing him. Suumaro asks Sonja to join his army. She agrees on the condition that she be awarded Jimodo's rank and position. Suumaro agrees. Red Sonja decides it is time to bathe.

RED SONJA #9 (May 1978)
by Roy Thomas/Clair Noto

APPEARANCES:
Red Sonja, Suumaro, Apah Alah, Amparo

SYNOPSIS:
At a party celebrating her appointment as general, Red Sonja craves solace instead and retreats to the nearby forest. Suumaro follows and, captivated by her beauty, attempts to force himself on her. Sonja draws her sword and warns Suumaro never to touch her against her will. The threat to Suumaro summons an angry Apah Alah. Against Suumaro's will, his mother ensorcels Sonja and takes her into a nearby tree. Descending through the tree, Sonja and Apah Alah reach a crater circling the shores of a flaming lake. The sorceress summons Amparo, a multi-limbed plant creature, to battle Sonja. He defeats Sonja but Apah Alah wanted a fair contest. She sets up a chariot race around the circular lake of fire. Amparo tries to force Sonja's chariot into the lake but Sonja jumps onto Amparo's chariot. She slices the plant creature to pieces like felling an oak. The chariot races out of control onto the fire lake but Suumaro comes to the rescue. Possessing some sorcery as the birthright from his mother, he sends a golden cloak to spare the chariot and then whisk Sonja to his side.

RED SONJA #10 (July 1978)
by Roy Thomas/Clair Noto and Frank Thorne

APPEARANCES:
Red Sonja, Suumaro, Apah Alah-BTS, Marmo, Vasso

SYNOPSIS:

While on a river near Skranos on a spy mission, Red Sonja and Suumaro are attacked by winged creatures sent by Apah Alah. During the battle, the river draws them to the castle built by Apah Alah for her and Suumaro's father, a cursed, supposedly abandoned, place. They encounter a Zamoran named Marmo, after battling his "pet" winged creature Vasso, who claims his dear companion is trapped in the castle. Upon entering the castle, they find jeweled eggs. Sonja puts one in her pouch. In a chamber further inside they see a centaur creating the eggs like blowing glass. In a rage, Marmo attacks the centaur, blinding it and nearly killing it, and begins smashing the eggs. Sonja feels the egg in her pouch begin to hatch and out comes a tiny beautiful peacock type fowl. Marmo believed the eggs to hold gold, but finds none. The centaur arises, barely alive, seeking its attacker. Marmo hides behind Sonja, and the centaur's fingers touch Sonja's eyes, causing her to go blind. The centaur then dies and Marmo sneaks off. While Sonja and Suumaro try to find their way out of the castle, the fowl rapidly grows. The now monstrous creature grabs Sonja in its talon and Suumaro in its beak and breaks through the roof of the castle, flying off with them.

RED SONJA #11 (September 1978)
by Roy Thomas/Clair Noto and Frank Thorne

APPEARANCES:
Red Sonja, Suumaro, Marmo, Vasso, Narca, Kthonn

SYNOPSIS:
The winged creature flies Red Sonja and Suumaro to a top tower of Apah Alah's castle. A woman named Narca appears in the courtyard below, bearing a crossbow, and kills the giant bird. Commanding a band of pale-skinned apes, Narca tosses the corpse into a vast pool of blood. Another bird appears and the process is repeated. Vasso carries Sonja and Suumaro from the tower to meet with Marmo. Sonja kills Vasso as the winged creature threatens Suumaro. Two other winged creatures grab Sonja and take her to Narca, who traps Sonja in a crimson bubble that slowly lowers into the pool of blood. Suumaro tries to force Narca to free Sonja, but she lacks the power. Kthonn frees Sonja from the pool and the bubble. Narca shoots another giant bird out of the sky and the blood raining from the sky cures Sonja's blindness. Narca attacks Sonja and Suumaro. Sonja kills Narca. Kthonn appears with an offer to free Red Sonja and Suumaro from Apah Alah.

RED SONJA #12 (November 1978)
by Roy Thomas/Clair Noto and John Buscema

APPEARANCES:
Red Sonja, Suumaro, Marmo, Kthonn, Apah Alah

SYNOPSIS:
Kthonn tells Red Sonja and Suumaro that a mystical emblem will free them from Apah Alah. Using his sorcery, Suumaro detects the emblem in a nearby tower room. Finding the talisman, Suumaro wishes to be transported to where they can find answers to the evil of the place. Sonja and Suumaro wind up in a garden fighting blood sucking plants. Apah Alah appears to protect her son. She then summons Kthonn to destroy Sonja. Sonja maneuvers Kthonn into a feeding bucket of blood, which attracts the plants who destroy Kthonn. To keep the emblem away from Apah Alah, Suumaro transports himself somewhere only he can return from, providing Sonja can reclaim his birthright as ruler of Skaranos. Apah Alah is consumed by a holocaust of demonic rage for failing to retrieve the emblem. Sonja sets off for Skranos.

RED SONJA #13 (January 1979)
by Roy Thomas/Clair Noto and John Buscema

APPEARANCES:
Red Sonja, Suumaro, Apah Alah, Quillos, Ramin

SYNOPSIS:
Red Sonja returns to Skranos and sneaks into the city through a back gate. Entering the Pleasure Dome, she steals the attire from one of the dancing girls to wear as a disguise. Locating Oryx, she tries to seduce him to bring her to his father Quillos, Annoyed, Oryx tosses Sonja to Ramin, the albino keeper of the behemoths, to do with as he pleases. Oryx finally recognizes Sonja as she struggles against Ramin's advances and attempts to kill her. Ramin intervenes and summons his behemoths to aid his fight against Oryx. Oryx is crushed by a behemoth. Ramin offers to aid Sonja and they proceed to the Palace Royal. Sonja gains an audience with Quillos. The aged, infirm, Quillos agrees to pass leaderhip to Suumaro, and hands Sonja the crown. Grasping it, Sonja unleashes a curse forged by Apah Alah, which swiftly begins to kill Sonja. To save Sonja, Quillos cries out to Apah Alah to spare her. Apah Alah appears and spares Sonja in return for Quillos, who she still loves, accompanying her. Suumaro reappears while Apah Alah and Quillos depart. Red Sonja tells Suumaro she cannot stay and be his queen and heads off on her own.

RED SONJA #14 (March 1979)
by Roy Thomas/Clair Noto and Sal Buscema

APPEARANCES:
Red Sonja, Gonzallo, Karon

SYNOPSIS:
In an Argossean city near the Aquilonian border, Red Sonja meets a strangely glowing nobleman named Gonzallo who wishes to hire Sonja as a bodyguard and pay in diamonds. The two board a boat piloted by Karon, travelling along the river that cuts through the city. The river suddenly changes to a sinister underground river filled with evil amphibious creatures. Gonzallo now reveals that he had died earlier that day but gained a reprieve long enough to find a replacement soul to take his place as the creatures' prize. Sonja is that replacement. She is captured by the creatures and thrown into a giant clam in order to complete her marriage to the death-god. Using the diamonds given to her by Gonzallo, Sonja cuts the clam until it releases her. Distracting the male creatures with the diamonds, Sonja regains her sword from the female creatures and runs back to the river. Knocking Karon off the boat, Sonja finds a way back to the city and tracks down Gonzallo to kill him. She then leaves, heading for Aquilonia.

RED SONJA #15 (May 1979)
by Roy Thomas/Claire Noto and John Buscema

APPEARANCES:
Red Sonja, Flurdelie, Sharlo, Nubis, Kaukasis, Mongollis

SYNOPSIS:
Now in Aquilonia, Red Sonja enters a town to rest for the night. After a night of gambling and fighting the locals, Sonja is abducted by a man named Sharlo who wears a poppy-faced mask. Returning to his castle, Sharlo leaves Sonja in a room with his father, Flurdelie, now transformed by his son into a blood-craving plant creature. Sharlo now takes Sonja to an ancient tomb to offer her as food to three vampires called Nubis, Kaukasis, and Mongollis. Killing Sharlo, Sonja flees from the vampires. They pursue. Arriving back at the castle, Sonja burns Flurdelie. The vampires, having just arrived, turn to dust, their existence linked to the lives of Flurdelie and Sharlo.

SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN 23/3 (October 1977)
by Roy Thomas/Clara Noto and Frank Thorne

APPEARANCES:Re
Red Sonja, Djali

SYNOPSIS:
Resting outside the walls of an Argossean city, Red Sonja is approached by a talking goat named Djali who warns her about entering the city. Entering the city anyways, Sonja is drugged at a tavern. Awakening, Sonja is challenged by a demon creature who wishes to possess her. She conquers all the tests of the demon using hints given to her by Djali and escapes the city. Sonja sees Djali again outside the city which has now disappeared. Djali wanders off, warning Red Sonja to never venture into places that do not exist.

CHRONOLOGIES:

ANDAR OF BEZFARDA
RS 1

APAH ALAH
RS 7
RS 8
RS 9
RS 10-BTS
RS 12
RS 13

CYPHAX
RS4

DJALI
SAVSCO 23/3

FLURDELIE
RS 15

GONZALLO
RS 14

GROSIUS TALA
RS 3

JIMODO
RS 8

KARON
RS 14

KAUKASIS
RS 15

KIR-EL
RS 5

KTHONN
RS 11
RS 12

MARMO
RS 10
RS 11
RS 12

MIKAL
RS 3
RS 4
RS 5
RS 6

MONGOLLIS
RS 15

NARCA
RS 11

NUBIS
RS 15

ORUBU
RS 5

ORYX
RS 7
RS 8
RS 13

QUILLOS
RS 13

RAMIN
RS 13

RED SONJA
---
COB 68
*RS 1
*RS 2
*RS 3
*RS 4
*RS 5
*RS 6
*SAVSCO 23/3
*RS 7
*RS 8
*RS 9
*RS 10
*RS 11
*RS 12
*RS 13
*RS 14
*RS 15
[SAVSCO 45/2]
---

SHARLO
RS 15

SORTILEJ
RS 3

SUUMARO
RS 7
RS 8
RS 9
RS 10
RS 11
RS 12
RS 13

THATIM
RS 4

TIJAL
RS 5

VASSO
RS 10
RS 11


I have followed Roy Thomas' chronology here. Everything works fine. Any questions, please ask. Thanks!