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Conan the Barbarian #44
Ctb 044
Date: November, 1974
Cover: John Buscema
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciller: John Buscema
Inker: "The Crusty Bunkers"
Colorist: Glynis Wein
Letterer: John Costanza
Editor: Roy Thomas
Title: "Of Flame and the Fiend!"

Major Characters[]

Minor Characters[]

  • Uathacht and Morophia (Previous appearance in CB-43; no further appearances to date; both die in this issue).
  • Afterlings (Some may appear next in CB-244).

Location[]

  • The mountains a day's ride from Areunjun.

Time Frame[]

  • Four days.

Synopsis[]

Sonja and Conan plot their escape from the vampiric siblings Uathacht and Morophia, but Morophia intervenes and takes Conan to the breeding pits, where he is forced to mate with the generations-inbred, pitiful, deformed females who provide sustenance for the vampires. Uathacht, fearing that too much of such things would break Conan's mind, and wanting the barbarian for herself, appears to Conan and Sonja and agrees to cast a spell to weaken her brother in order to free Conan, so he may willingly fulfill her hedonistic fantasies. Conan agrees, but only if Sonja is set free as well, and while at first Uathacht agrees, she reneges and Sonja is forced to kill her. Conan and Sonja attempt to flee the Tower of Blood, but first encounter a group of the bat-like Afterlings, who reveal that in Morophia's weakened state, they are free of his control and they show the two humans the way out. They intend to burn the tower down, but soon, they encounter the vampire himself, who transforms into the form of several of Conan's past enemies, but Conan and Sonja manage to start a fire to burn the vampire to a final death. Unfortunately, they are trapped in flames at the top of the tower, and as they make their way down the walls, they slip and fall, only to be rescued by the Afterlings, who carry them to the cavern floor. Sonja, believing she is acting in Conan's best interest and wanting to spare him from the bounty hunters who are chasing her, knocks him cold with a rock and rides away.

Notes[]

  • Freely adapted from a story by David A. English from the magazine Witchcraft and Sorcery (v1 #5, Jan-Feb '71).
  • The inkers of this story, calling themselves "The Crusty Bunkers," are Neal Adams, Dick Giordano, Larry Hama, and Ralph Reese.

Reprinted[]


Conan Chronology
Previous Appearance:
Conan the Barbarian #43
Conan the Barbarian #44 Next Appearance:
Savage Tales #5


Red Sonja Chronology
Previous Appearance:
Conan the Barbarian #43
Conan the Barbarian #44 Next Appearance:
Conan the Barbarian #48


Conan the Barbarian
Previous Issue:
Conan the Barbarian #43
Conan the Barbarian #44 Next Issue:
Conan the Barbarian #45
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