The surprise announcement on Friday that Conan the Barbarian will return to Marvel Comics in 2019 after a nearly two-decade absence has plenty of fans excited. Considering the publisher’s recent Legacy initiative, it's a perfect time to begin a new era for an iconic character who enjoyed a 30-year history at Marvel. During that time, more than 650 issues of assorted Conan titles were released.
While Conan’s world is rich, populated by many memorable supporting character, it's unclear what is included in this new deal. For instance, a Red Sonja series is now published by Dynamite Entertainment, and feature the villainous Kulan Gath, both of whom were introduced in the early 1970s in Marvel's original Conan the Barbarian.
In celebration of the return of Robert E. Howard's pulp hero to Marvel, we've put together a list of our favorite occasions when the Cimmerian interacted with the Marvel Universe. It's important to note that Conan and his supporting cast are considered part of Marvel’s 616 universe. They're from the Hyborian Age, which followed the sinking of Atlantis and Lemuria, before recorded history. Although Conan has tended only to make brief cameos in Marvel's titles, when he has shown up, it's a fun surprise.
6. Conan Was Part of Marvel's 'Atlantis Attacks' Crossover
Part of Marvel's 1989 "Atlantis Attacks" crossover, Punisher Annual #2 included the tie-in "The Saga of the Serpent Crown Chapter Five: Heirs Apparent." The six-page narrative continued to relay the history of the serpentine god Set and his Serpent Crown.
In the back-up story, written by Peter Sanderson and illustrated by Mark Bagley, Uatu the Watcher recounted how Set lost the Serpent Crown when Lemuria sank, and created the Cobra Crown in its place. When dark mage Thoth-Amon obtained this object of power, he planned to use it for -- you guessed it! -- world conquest. That is, until he was thwarted by his arch-nemesis, Conan of Cimmeria, and “the greatest warriors of his age.” Although Amon managed to escape, the (fictional) historical account tells of how Conan continued to stop the sorcerer’s “every scheme” well into the future.
5. Conan Fought Vampires
In 1980's Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #11, the back-up story "The Book of Vishanti: The Curse of the Darkhold Part III," by Roy Thomas, R.J.M. Lofficier, David Way and Dan Way, tells of one of the most powerful artifacts in the Marvel Universe. However, instead of The Watcher, this time it's Doctor Strange reading from a mystical tome about the history of the Darkhold.
As the storyline covers how the power of the Darkhold created vampires, it's disclosed that while many vampires sank with Atlantis, a contingent survived into post-cataclysmic times. Apparently, a few of those bloodsuckers, such as Morophla and Uathacht, were eliminated by Conan and Red Sonja. It’s worth noting that this historical record also includes an appearance from another Robert E. Howard creation, Kull the Conqueror.
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4. Conan Has Been to the 616 Universe's Present
Fantastic Four #405, written by Tom DeFalco and illustrated by Paul Ryan, is a rare instance when Conan actually visited the present-day 616 universe. At the time of this 1995 issue, Reed Richards and Doctor Doom are presumed dead, Johnny Storm has left the team, and Sue Richards and Ben Grimm have partnered with Ant-Man (Scott Lang), Lyja the Lazerfist and Namor, with Cassie Lang and Doom’s adopted son Kristoff in tow.
This issue reveals that Kristoff’s servant Boris is actually the classic Thor foe Zarkko the Tomorrow Man. When his ruse is exposed, this somewhat-obscure villain uses his time-displacement dial to pull characters from across time to fight the Fantastic Four. The very first warrior to appear is Conan, followed closely by Iron Man 2020. In a thought balloon, Conan ponders whether Iron Man 2020 is “a man encased in metal — or some brutish creature of sorcery” before both are yanked back to their own eras.
3. Conan Traveled to the Present in Another Reality
In 1975's Savage Sword of Conan #7, the Cimmerian falls for belly dancer, and is drugged and kidnapped. When he awakes, Conan is at the mercy of a sorcerer named Shamash Shum-Ukin, who claims to be able to travel through time. Shamash explains he escaped his era by entering a portal called The Well at the Center of Time, and now uses it to attain valuable items from throughout history. He sacrifices men into the well to get these treasures, and intends Conan to be next. The barbarian escapes that fate, of course, but in 1979's What If Conan The Barbarian Walked the Earth Today? #13, writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema pondered what might have occurred if he hadn't.
In this story, The Watcher tells about a reality in which Conan fell through time and ended up in 1977 New York City. Before long he hooks up with a streetwise female cabbie named Danette, who helps him get back to his time -- but not before he's seen by Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson!
2. Conan's Enemy Kulan Gath Fought the Avengers and X-Men
This entry is a bit of a “cheat,” because it doesn’t feature Conan himself. But because he has such an iconic rogues gallery and supporting cast, this two-issue arc definitely deserves to be included. Along with his arch-nemesis Thoth-Amon and comrade in arms Red Sonja, the next most popular character from the Conan universe is evil sorcerer Kulan Gath. While Conan has only encountered characters of the Marvel Universe a handful of times, Kulan has been a thorn in the sides many Marvel heroes.
Out of those numerous appearances, his role in Uncanny X-Men #188-191 (1985) is easily the most fun. Kulan cast a spell over Manhattan that transformed the entire area into something akin to that of Kulan’s time and lands. Once New York's heroes stepped through an energy curtain surrounding the island, they too were changed into a Hyborian version of themselves with no memory of their former lives. The Avengers, X-Men and New Mutants were all caught up in the spell. The Hyborian version of Captain America had long hair, a tunic and a sword, looking similar to a certain barbarian. The heroes, with the help of Doctor Strange, eventually bested Gath and put things back to normal.
1. That Time Conan Battled Thor
In 1983's What If #39, writer Alan Zelenetz and artist Ron Wilson posed the question: What if the Mighty Thor battled Conan the Barbarian? As is tradition, Uatu the Watcher tells a yarn about an alternate reality created by a hero or villain making a different choice. In this parallel world, Thor chooses to go down a different tunnel than he did in 616 continuity, and the enchanted cave take him to ancient Hyboria instead of Troy.
Zelenetz prefaces the battle between barbarian and thunder god by stating that Thor had been “sapped of memory and bereft of full measure of godly strength” when he came through the time anomaly. That's good thinking, because while fans of the time may have been clamoring for this showdown, Conan’s savagery and immense physique are no match for an immortal armed with one of the Marvel Universe's most powerful weapons. Even at reduced strength and without the ability to call down lightning, Thor still manages to make Conan concede. But props to Conan for dolling out some cocky smack talk about how he's going to carve up Odinson’s bowels and cut off his head.