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| Publisher |
Marvel |
| Artist |
Barry Windsor-Smith |
| Writer |
Roy Thomas |
| Published | January 1973 |
A reprint of Conan #1 with an original cover. A twenty-year old barbarian from Cimmeria named Conan joins with an Aesir raiding party and their invasion of Vanaheim. Conan kills a soldier named Gondur then saves the life of an Aesir named Olav. From a high vantage point, the Vanir leader Volff the Wily watches the battle. He realizes that his men will fail to safeguard the gorge, so he instead decides to flee with his lieutenant Hothar. They tell the other Vanir that they go to call upon the favor of the Gods. They travel north across the mountains until they find a cave for shelter. The inside of the cave appears as if it is a massive temple. Inside is an aged shaman named Sharkosh, and his young maiden Tara. Sharkosh tells them that he safeguards the power of Star-Stone - a device that can project images of the past and the future. Sharkosh requires the sacrifice of a powerful fighter. Volff tells him of the dark maned barbarian he had seen assisting the Aesir. While the villains conspire with one another, Conan and Olaf fight off a trio of winged demon fighters. The winged monsters attack both the Vanir and the Aesir. One of them kills Olav then attacks Conan. It flies Conan high into the air then drops him to the ground where he falls unconscious. When he awakens, he is inside Sharkosh's cavern temple. He sees fantastic images projected by the Star-Stone, including a vision of himself being crowned as a king. Conan knows that the Star-Stone is responsible for spawning the winged monsters that killed Olav. He breaks free of his cage and runs for the stone. Picking it up, he heaves it against a wall until it shatters. An explosion of supernatural energy kills Sharkosh, Volff and Hothar, but Conan manages to grab Tara and dive for safety. Tara explains that she is actually from the same dimension as the winged monsters, but in order for her to remain in this world, another must take her place in her own reality. Sharkosh intended on creating a spell of transference on Conan so that he would unwillingly take Tara's place. With the Star-Stone destroyed, Tara fades away and returns to her home dimension.