Conan (Marvel Comics)
Conan is a fictional character based on Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian. He was introduced to the comic book world in 1970 with Conan the Barbarian, written by Roy Thomas, illustrated by Barry Smith and published by Marvel Comics.
The highly successful Conan the Barbarian series spawned the more adult, black-and-white Savage Sword of Conan in 1974. Written by Thomas with most art by John Buscema or Alfredo Alcala, Savage Sword of Conan soon became one of the most popular comic series of the 1970s and is now considered a cult classic.
The Marvel Conan stories were also adapted as a newspaper comic strip which appeared daily and Sunday from September 4, 1978, to April 12, 1981. Originally written by Thomas and illustrated by Buscema, the Conan Comic strip was continued by several different Marvel artists and writers.
Marvel ceased publishing all Conan titles in 2000. In 2003, Dark Horse Comics acquired the license to publish the character. In 2018, Marvel reacquired the rights and started new runs of both Conan the Barbarian and Savage Sword of Conan in January/February 2019.
Fictional character biography
Core appearances
Marvel Comics' Conan's core appearances include:| Title | Issues | Dates | Notes |
| Conan the Barbarian | #1–275 | 1970–1993 | |
| Conan the Barbarian | Annual #1–12 | 1973–1987 | |
| Savage Tales | #1–5 | 1971–1975 | Conan only appeared in the first five issues; the final six issues featured Ka-Zar |
| Giant-Size Conan | #1–5 | 1974–1975 | |
| Savage Sword of Conan | #1–235 | 1974–1995 | Black-and-white "mature readers" title originally published by the Marvel imprint Curtis Magazines |
| Savage Sword of Conan | Annual #1 | 1975 | |
| Conan newspaper strip | 16 stories | 1978–1981 | |
| The Official Handbook of the Conan Universe | #1 | 1986 | |
| King Conan/Conan the King | #1–55 | 1980–1989 | Title changed from King Conan to Conan the King after issue #19 |
| Conan the Adventurer | #1–14 | 1994–1995 | A "reboot" of Conan the Barbarian |
| Conan | #1–11 | 1995–1996 | |
| Conan the Savage | #1–10 | 1995–1996 | A "reboot" of Savage Sword of Conan |
Comic strip stories
- The Coming of Conan, Roy Thomas & John Buscema
' - The Wizard's Daughter, Roy Thomas & John Buscema
' - Red Sonja, Roy Thomas, John Buscema & Ernie Chan
' - The Slavers, Roy Thomas & Ernie Chan
' - The Stolen City, Roy Thomas & Ernie Chan
' - The People of the Cataclysm, Roy Thomas & Ernie Chan
' - The Castle of Vincenzo, Roy Thomas & Ernie Chan
' - The Rescue of King Sohram, Roy Thomas & Ernie Chan
' - Bride of the Black Book, Roy Thomas & Ernie Chan
' - Red Sonja and Thulsa Doom, Roy Thomas & Ernie Chan
' - The Jewel of the Ages, Roy Thomas & Ernie Chan
' - Treasure Ship, Roy Thomas & Ernie Chan
' - Island Warrior, Roy Thomas & Ernie Chan
' - The Plague Demon, Roy Thomas & Alfredo Alcala
' - The Tower of the Elephant, Roy Thomas, Rudy Nebres, Pablo Marcos. & Alan Kupperberg
' - Revenge of the Son of Yara the Wizard Priest, Roy Thomas, Doug Moench, Alan Kupperberg, Pablo Marcos, & Tom Yeates
'Marvel graphic novels
- The Witch Queen of Acheron
- Conan the Reaver
- Conan of the Isles
- The Skull of Set
- The Horn of Azoth
- Conan the Rogue
- The Ravagers Out of Time
Marvel Conan the Barbarian mini-series
- Stalker of the Woods 3 issues 1997
- The Usurper 3 issues 1997
- Lord of the Spiders 3 issues 1997
- River of Blood 3 issues 1998
- Return of Styrm 3 issues 1998
- Scarlet Sword 3 issues 1998-1999
- Death Covered in Gold 3 issues 1999
- Flame and the Fiend 3 issues 2000
Marvel Universe appearances in the modern day
- What If #13 Conan appears in the modern-day Marvel Comics universe and in short order adapts to it before returning to his own world.
- What If #39 What If Thor battled Conan The Barbarian?
- What If #43 In the sequel to What If? #13, Conan leads a gang of thieves and fights Captain America, who offers him a possible membership with the Avengers.
- What If #16 What If Wolverine Battled Conan The Barbarian? Conan fights Wolverine and, eventually warped to the moon at the time of the demise of Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix, throws a rock at Cyclops' head, thereby inadvertently dooming this alternative reality.
- Avengers Forever #12 This was Kurt Busiek's first writing of Conan. The Conan in this comic was the same Conan as the one in What If? #43.
- Excalibur #47 with Saturnyne
- Fantastic Four #405 fighting Ant-Man, Iron Man 2020, and Zarrko.
- Incomplete Death's Head #11 where he appears in one panel.
- Green Goblin #10 What appears to be a robot of Conan fights Green Goblin in Arcade's Murderworld.
- Earth X #0
- Paradise X: Heralds #1 What may be a reincarnated Conan by Kulan Gath appears and is apparently killed by Hyperion before issue 2 begins.
- Savage Avengers series where Conan will team-up with Wolverine, the Punisher, Venom, Elektra, and Brother Voodoo.
- Dr. Strange #11 versus Varnae
- Dr. Strange #26 A figure that bears a striking resemblance to Conan, but no reference within the text to confirm.
- Thor Corps #3 Conan appears with an astronaut.
- Marvel Feature Presents'' #1 and #6–7: Red Sonja crossover with Conan the Barbarian #66–68.
Miscellaneous appearances
- Conan the Barbarian Movie Special, 2 issues
- Conan the Destroyer Movie Special, 2 issues
- Marvel Age, issues 1, 2, 8 and 13
- What The issues 5 and 23
- Conan vs. Rune
Reprints
- Conan the Barbarian, six paperback-sized books published by Ace Books/Tempo Star. Reprints issues 1–3 ; 4–6 ; 7–9 ; 10–11 ; 12, 13 and 16 ; 12, 14–17 and 87 .
- Conan the Barbarian – Special Edition, Red Nails
- Conan Saga, 97 issues
- Conan Classic, 11 issues
- Marvel Treasury Edition, issues 4, 15, 19 and 23
- Marvel Super Special, issues 2, 9, 21 and 35
- Essential Conan, vol. 1
Collections later published by Dark Horse
- The Chronicles of Conan Vol. 1–34
- The Savage Sword of Conan Vol. 1–22
- The Chronicles of King Conan Vol. 1–11