Conan the Barbarian issues 43 - 57

Issue 43	Tower of Blood	18 : 1/2
	Date October 1974 Writer Roy Thomas Artist John Buscema Inks Ernie Chua Cover Gil Kane, Ernie Chua Characters Red Sonja Location Zamora Summary On the run from bounty hunters Conan and Red Sonja discover a hidden valley full of a mysterious red mist. At its centre is a tower, here they are captured by the brother and sister, Morophla and Uathacht. They are imprisoned, destined to help breed more victims to provide the blood the pair need to live. Comments Adapted from The Tower of Blood by David A. English. Follows on from the originally planned Curse of the Undead Man, which was printed in issue #78. Rating

Issue 44	Of Flame and Fiend	18 : 2/2
	Date November 1974 Writer Roy Thomas Artist John Buscema Inks Crusty Bunkers (Neal Adams, Dick Giordano, Larry Hama and others) Cover John Buscema Characters Red Sonja Location Zamora Summary Conan is taken to the breeding pits and drugged into co-operation. Uathacht promises to free them if Conan will be hers. She incapacitates her brother and frees them, turning on Red Sonja and dying in the struggle. As Conan the Sonja try to escape they are attacked by magical creations of Morphla, they set fire to the tower, destroying the body of the sorcerer. They make good their escape. Comments Adapted from The Tower of Blood by David A. English. Rating

Issue 45	The Last Ballad of Laza-Lanti	18 : 1/1
	Date December 1974 Writer Roy Thomas Artist John Buscema Inks Crusty Bunkers Cover Gil Kane, Neal Adams Characters Laza-Lanti Location Shadizar, Zamora and Dark Valley, Koth Summary After a drunken brawl Conan is imprisoned with Laza-Lanti, who tells the story of his birth. They escape and Conan accompanies him to the Dark Wood in search of the truth. They follow a young woman who collects the sacrificial cattle left by the villagers, and kill the hideous creature they discover. The woman turns out to be Laza-Lanti’s mother, kept magically young, and the creature his father. The minstrel kills himself in despair. Comments Adapted from the REH poem The Dweller in the Dark Valley. Rating

Issue 46	The Curse of the Conjuror	18 : 1/6
	Date January 1975 Writer Roy Thomas Artist John Buscema Inks Joe Sinnott Cover John Buscema, Joe Sinnott Characters Merdoramon, Themas-Herklar, Stefanya, Zoqquanor Location Sfanol, Border Kingdoms Summary Travelling through the border kingdoms Conan meets a magician, who gives him an amulet to deliver to King of Phalkar in order to protect him from his two evil wizard advisors who threaten to control him. Arriving in Sfanol he rescues a woman from burning. She tells him of her master Zoqquanor and how their fates are linked. They travel to the wizard's home in search of him, here they defeat the monstrous Shakkoth who guards the body. Comments Adapted from Kothar and the Conjurer's Curse by Gardner F. Fox. Rating

Issue 47	Goblins in the Moonlight	9 : 2/6
	Date February 1975 Writer Roy Thomas Artist John Buscema Inks Dan Adkins Cover Gil Kane, Tom Palmer Characters Stefanya, Zoqquanor Location Sfand, Border Kingdoms Summary Stefanya persuades Conan to take Zoqquanor's body with them to Phalkar. On their way they are attacked by Hobgobs, drawn to the wizard's body. Comments Adapted from Kothar and the Conjurer's Curse by Gardner F. Fox. Due to lost pages issue includes the reprint Sancuary! by Wally Wood from Tower of Shadows #8. Rating

Issue 48	The Rats Dance at Ravengard	10 : 3/6
	Date March 1975 Writer Roy Thomas Artist John Buscema Inks Dick Giordano , Dan Adkins Cover Gil Kane, Dick Giordano Characters Stefanya, Zoqquanor, Ursla, Torkal Moh Location Ravengard, Border Kingdom Summary Conan tells Stefanya of his encounter with Ursla in the mountains of Cimmera. Stefanya tells Conan of her life, being brought up by Zoqquanor and not knowing her true origins. Continuing on their journey they are waylaid by Torkal Moh, Stefanya and the amulet are taken and Conan pegged-out to die. Comments Adapted from Kothar and the Conjurer's Curse by Gardner F. Fox, flashback takes place before #1. Also includes separate Red Sonja story Episode . Rating

Issue 49	Wolf-Woman	18 : 4/6
	Date April 1975 Writer Roy Thomas Artist John Buscema Inks Dick Giordano Cover Gil Kane, Neal Adams Characters Lupalina, Torkal Moh, Stefanya Location Ravengard, Border Kingdoms Summary Conan manages to free himself and comes across Lupalina and her wolves. Conan tells her of the amulet and she agrees to help. Lupalina communes with Ursla and trusts Conan. They overpower a party of guards escorting prisoners to Ravengard and enter the castle in disguise. Conan seeks out and kills Torkal Moh, who reveals the amulet is in the castle's garden. Conan rescues Stefanya and, along with a servant girl, they enter the mysterious garden of carnivorous plants where they find the amulet, but are confronted by a monster. Comments Adapted from Kothar and the Conjurer's Curse by Gardner F. Fox. Rating

Issue 50	The Dweller in the Pool	18 : 5/6
	Date May 1975 Writer Roy Thomas Artist John Buscema Inks Dick Giordano Cover Gil Kane, Klaus Janson Characters Lupalina, Stefanya, Elviriom, Thalkalides, Unos Location Ravengard, Border Kingdoms Summary Conan defeats the monster in the garden. Lupalina reveals that Stefanya is the daughter of the previous king of Phalkar. Lupalina was instrumental in the overthrowing of her father and she placed the baby with Zoqquanor. They discover that Phalkar has a new king, Unos, a magical creation of the wizards. Conan is magically projected into the fortress and finds the dying Thema-Herklar, he is brought back after being attacked by gibbering demons. Comments Adapted from Kothar and the Conjurer's Curse by Gardner F. Fox. Rating

Issue 51	Man Born of Demon	18 : 6/6
	Date June 1975 Writer Roy Thomas Artist John Buscema Inks Dick Giordano Cover Gil Kane, John Romita Characters Lupalina, Stefanya, Elviriom, Thalkalides, Unos Location Alkarion, Phalakar Summary Conan enters the court of Unos with a talking bird as a gift which tells them that Stefanya lives. Conan tries to kill Unos who realises Conan is a pawn and dismisses him. Unos seeks him out again and Lupalina casts a spell to summon his demonic parents. Elviriom and Thalkalides arrive and the demons deal with them. Unos stabs Lupalina and Conan and Stefanya flee, they return to Zoqquanor's body. Unos follows and attacks and the amulet protects Conan. Unos attacks Zoqquanor's body to kill Stefanya. Conan grabs him and Unos is killed by the amulet. Stefanya stays to become Queen. Comments Adapted from Kothar and the Conjurer's Curse by Gardner F. Fox. Rating

Issue 52	The Altar and the Scorpion	18 : 1/4
	Date July 75 Writer Roy Thomas Artist John Buscema Inks Tom Palmer Cover John Buscema, Tom Palmer Characters Murilo, Tara Location Belverus, Nemidia and Ronnaco, Ophir Summary Conan arrives in Belverus looking for work. He runs into Tara and Murilo, now leader of the Red Company. He joins them for a mission in Ophir to retrieve something hidden in an ancient temple. Within the temple they discover the altar of the Scorpion God, they move it and the huge scorpion comes alive, killing a number of men before Conan kills it. Under the altar they retrieve the Ring of the Black Shadow. Later one of the guards puts on the ring and is transformed into the shadow monster. Comments Adapted from the REH story The Altar and the Scorpion. Rating

Issue 53	Brothers of the Blade	18 : 2/4
	Date August 1975 Writer Roy Thomas Artist John Buscema Inks Frank Springer Cover Gil Kane, John Romita Characters Murilo, Tara, Yusef, Vanni, Belzamo, Yvonna Location Ronnoco, Ohpir Summary Arriving in Ronocco the Red Company are attacked in error. The king then gives them a new mission: to kidnapp the daugther of the lord of Pergona, on her journey to marry a rival. Conan and Tara enter their camp in disguise and Conan defeats her three bodyguards and they capture her. Meanwhile a party arrives at the ruins to collect the ring, only to be killed by the shadow monster, one man escapes. Comments Adapted from the REH story The Altar and the Scorpion. Rating

Issue 54	The Oracle of Ophir	18 : 3/4
	Date September 75 Writer Roy Thomas Artist John Buscema Inks Tom Palmer Cover Gil Kane, Tom Palmer Characters Murilo, Tara, Yusef, Yvonna, Vanni, Belzamo Location Ophir Summary Yusef arrives in Ronnoco with the news of the shadow monster. The king decides to consult an oracle and Conan, Tara and Yusef set off. Arriving at the oracle's cave they are confronted by a huge warrior, who demands an arm as payment for seeing the oracle. Conan kills him and takes his sword. He enters the cave and receives the oracle's cryptic wisdom. On leaving he discovers a magical force keeps him there, he struggles and a doppelganger appears to fight him. He gives his stolen sword back and the huge guard kills his double, taking his place again as the oracle's eternal guard. Comments Adapted from the REH story The Altar and the Scorpion. Rating

Issue 55	Shadow on the Land	18 : 4/4
	Date October 1975 Writer Roy Thomas Artist John Buscema Inks Tom Palmer Cover Gil Kane, Tom Palmer Characters Murilo, Tara, Yusef, Belzamo, Yvonna, Vanni Location Ronnaco, Ophir Summary Conan and party return from the oracle. Conan says he has an idea and leaves. The shadow monster closes on Ronnoco. Conan arrives back in the ruins and reanimates the scorpion statue, which heads straight for Ronnoco. The shadow creature reaches the walls of the city and proves invulnerable. Vanni takes Yvonna and flees. Conan follows and kills Vanni. The two monsters meet at the foot of the city walls and the scorpion is triumphant. Conan returns with Yvonna as the armies of Ronnoco's rivals appear, she brokers a peace and departs. Conan leaves the Red Company, heading for Argos. Comments Adapted from the REH story The Altar and the Scorpion. Rating

Issue 56	The Strange High Tower in the Mist	19 : 1/1
	Date November 1975 Writer Roy Thomas Artist John Buscema Inks Pablo Marcos Cover John Buscema, Dan Adkins Characters Tara, Yusef Location Road from Ophir to Argos Summary Conan, Tara and Yusef encounter a strange city on the road to Argos populated by strangely passive warriors. A beautiful woman appears on the central tower and is attacked by a demonic winged creature. They rush to rescue her, taking separate staircases. Conan reaches her and kills the creature while the others meet Mad Jakk, who tells them the true story. The woman disappears and the city begins to crumble about them, they flee, just managing to escape as it is destroyed. Conan learns the city is a living magical creation that traps people. Rating

Issue 57	Incident in Argos	18 : 1/1
	Date Dec 75 Writer Roy Thomas Artist Mike Ploog Inks Mike Ploog Cover Gil Kane, Vince Colletta Characters Tara, Yusef, Momratha Location Messantia, Argos, Momratha Summary Conan, Tara and Yusef arrive in Argos and tangle with the City Guard. Later Conan is waylaid and sold to a slaver, he bites through his bonds, kills his captors and runs. He meets the witch Momratha, who shows him his future and a vision of Yusef killing a guardsman. He runs to the scene only to be arrested in his place. Brought before the judge he refuses to co-operate and is sentenced to prison. He breaks free, kills the judge and flees to the docks. Comments Adapted from part of the REH Conan story Queen of the Black Coast. The only Mike Ploog art on Conan. Rating