Savage Sword of Conan #11

[Col_Fury]

SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #11 (April 1976)
By Roy Thomas & John Buscema

APPEARANCES:
Conan (also as “Shirkuh”), Khorshemish residents (inc Mellani (bar wench, also in fb), Darami (Mellani’s brother), Kabul Nulla (in fb) & his men (in fb), others in fb), Nikolav Yvonn (“Abdel Khafir,” also in fb) & his Dark Tigers (also in fb, inc Hammad (also in fb), Agham, Borak, Makkar, Bellisar Khan, Ali Shah), three strangers, King Yezdigerd (bts in fb, sent Nikolav Yvonn to infiltrate the Dark Tigers)

FLASHBACK:
Mellani searches for information about the Dark Tigers, eventually hiring Kabul Nulla’s men to escort her to them. They’re attacked by the Drak Tigers and killed, while Mellani is taken captive (during main story). As “Abdel Khafir,” Nikolav Yvonn infiltrates the Dark Tigers, eventually taking control (before main story).
SYNOPSIS:
Mellani is closing up shop when someone bangs on her door. She opens it to find her brother dying, who tells her the Dark Tigers killed him. She swears vengeance. Weeks later she’s a captive of the Dark Tigers. They encounter “Shirkuh,” who joins their group. Shirkuh asks around and plots to free Mellani. As they near the Abode of the Damned they come across three strangers. Hammad orders them killed, but the attackers are hypnotized into killing each other instead. Hammad agrees to take the strangers. They arrive at the Abode and Conan has to kill someone to prove himself. Bellisar Khan vouches for Conan and the strangers and they enter and they get settled in. Abdel Khafir visits Mellani, learns Darami was her brother, and reveals he plans to buy her in the auction then kill her, so she can’t reveal who he really is. Meanwhile, Conan reveals his identity to Bellisar Khan and they plot to overthrow Abdel Khafir. At the slave auction “Shirkuh” outbids Abdel Khafir, embarrassing him; he tries to shut down the auction and the crowd revolts. Abdul is knocked out, Bellisar is the new Emir, but Ali Shah challenges him and Conan is revealed. Conan and Mellani escape the crowd and run into the three strangers; they warn of a gem-egg in Abdul’s treasury that could destroy the world. They leave the city and Conan takes the unconscious Abdel with. The strangers tell them to close their eyes as the egg destroys the city, but Abdel doesn’t and is driven insane. The strangers take Abdel and Conan wanders off with Mellani.

NOTE:
Freely adapted from “The Country of the Knife” by REH.

It’s strongly implied that the three strangers are aliens.

During this story is “El Borak and the Barbarians,” an article about REH creation Francis X. Gordon being collected into book form by Red Blosser.

Also during this story is “The Scribes of Hyboria,” a look at REH fanzines by Fred Blosser.

Followed by “Conan and the Tower of Vinyl,” a record review by Ed Summer.

Chronologies!

ALI SHAH
SAVSCO 11

BELLISAR KHAN
SAVSCO 11

CONAN
……
[SAVSCO 35]
*SAVSCO 11 (remove brackets)
SAVSCO 12
……

MELLANI
SAVSCO 11 (1 - 4)
SAVSCO 11-FB
SAVSCO 11 (5 - 50)

NIKOLAV YVONN/”ABDEL KHAFIR”
SAVSCO 11-FB
SAVSCO 11

PRINCE YEZDIGERD
……
COB 26
COB 36-FB
COB 36-BTS
SAVSCO 234/2-FB
COB 275
SAVSCO 218
SAVSCO 232-BTS
SAVSCO 234/2-BTS
SAVSCO 235/2-BTS
*SAVSCO 11-FB-BTS
KCO 5-FB-BTS
KCO 6-FB-BTS
KCO 7-FB