Conan the Barbarian #157 – “The Wizard” – Michael Fleisher/John Buscema/Ernie Chan
This one starts with Conan arriving in the Brythunian city-state of Berthalia just in time to see a funeral procession wending through the streets. He learns the dead man was killed trying to rescue the queen from a wizard on a mountain … and that there’s a substantial reward for whoever does rescue her. Undaunted by the fact that over a dozen men have died trying, Conan goes to the palace to let the king know he’s willing to rescue the queen. Another would-be hero (Lord Karno) is there to volunteer as well and Conan quickly defeats him to impress the king (who actually seems pretty squeamish for a sovereign). Conan sets out for the mountain, bypassing the
trail to the top (since he’d be too vulnerable using it) to climb up the sheer rock face instead. Someone throws boulders, boiling oil, and a burning stone down at him, but Conan gets past them all, even as he wonders at such crude methods being used by a wizard. Conan reaches the top and finds the wizard inside, threatening to kill the queen (Gwynella) unless Conan leaves. Gwynella implores him to obey, but Conan jumps the wizard and knocks him out. Gwynella isn’t exactly grateful and Conan quickly realizes she wasn’t really kidnapped after all. The “wizard” turns out to be a young man (Symon) wearing a mask and he tells Conan his history with Gwynella. Gwynella was a princess of Corinthia who fell in love with Symon, but since he was just a stable-
hand, they both knew nothing could come of it. She was wedded to the king (to cement an alliance for her father), but Symon missed her so much he ended up coming to Berthalia and sneaking into the palace to see her. He decided to disguise himself as a wizard and abduct her, taking her to the mountain where the approaches could be easily defended. He hoped people would stop trying after so many died, but the reward kept bringing them. Conan is the first to win through and the young lovers figure their time together is over, but Conan decides to help them out. He goes back to the king to tell him the “wizard” has threatened to curse him if he doesn’t stop sending people up the mountain. The king freaks out and decides to find a new queen who’ll be less trouble. He does reward Conan for his efforts and Conan is happy knowing that
Symon and Gwynella can slip away and start a new life now that the pressure’s off. This is a pretty good issue that shows both Conan’s prowess as a warrior and the streak of romanticism he usually keeps buried. Some might say his decision was out of character, but I think Conan always roots for the underdog and he certainly wouldn’t have had any respect for the craven king, so what he did makes sense.
Conan the Barbarian #158 – “Night of the Wolf” – Michael Fleisher/John Buscema/Rudy Nebres
This one starts with Conan riding through the desert and running into two guys dragging a box inside which a woman (Kahlima) is trapped. She begs for help and Conan kills the two men, freeing the girl. Her father (Ali Maksoud) shows up and thanks Conan for saving his daughter, inviting him back to their camp. Maksoud tells Conan that his rival (Abdul Zu Fadh) has wanted Kahlima to marry him for over a year and has been trying to kidnap her because she refuses. Later that night, what looks like werewolf tears into Conan’s tent and almost kills him before Maksoud
and his men drive it away. Conan is ready to pursue it, but Maksoud stops him from such a reckless endeavour. The next morning, Kahlima is gone and there are hoofprints leading away, so Maksoud assumes Fadh has kidnapped her again. Conan offers to help retrieve her and they follow the trail through the desert to a rocky outcropping. Conan spots Kahlima tied up and Maksoud is ready to free her, but Fadh and his men are waiting in ambush. Fahd claims that Kahlima is the werewolf that almost killed Conan and that she did kill Fahd’s only son. Maksoud freaks out and attacks when one of Fahd’s men threatens Kahlima, starting a bloody fight. Kahlima calls on the moon goddess for strength and transforms into a werewolf, breaking free and slaughtering Fahd’s men and her own tribe indiscriminately. Fahd has a special arrow tipped with lotus poison to kill Kahlima, but Maksoud kills 
Fahd and takes the arrow, insisting that only his hand should be responsible for his daughter’s death. Maksoud tells them he accidentally banged a demon years ago who gave birth to Kahlima. He kept her condition secret because she was still his daughter. This is a pretty good issue, although the big reveal isn’t really all that shocking. It does have a Robert E. Howard feel to it, with the demon-spawned girl, the tragic ending, and the impossibility of overcoming natural forces. I’m not sure which desert this is meant to take place in, but Conan is said to be riding a Khorajan horse, so it could be the Kothian Desert.