Conan the Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus #1
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeThis massive omnibus collects the earliest Marvel Conan stories, beginning with the character's debut in Conan the Barbarian #1 (1970) and running through the first several years of the series. Written primarily by Roy Thomas with art by Barry Windsor-Smith and others, it adapts Robert E. Howard's classic sword-and-sorcery tales into the Marvel Universe, establishing Conan's iconic Bronze Age run. The volume also includes material from Savage Tales and other early appearances, offering a comprehensive look at the Cimmerian's original Marvel era.
Conan the Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus #1 kicks off with "The Sword and the Sorcerers!"—a pulse-pounding tale written by Roy Thomas and Robert E. Howard, illustrated by Barry Smith with inks by Sal Buscema and Dan Adkins, and colored by Mimi Gold. When Conan rescues Lady Aztrias of Numalia from wolves, she hires him to steal a mysterious bowl from the wealthy merchant Kallian—only for Conan to find the bowl empty and Kallian dead, with the city guard closing in and Aztrias accusing him of murder. The real threat lies within the bowl itself: a serpent-man with a human head, and a vision of the ancient sorcerer Thoth-Amon looms ahead. The cover, by John Cassaday, captures the moment with striking intensity.
In "The Twilight of the Grim Grey God!", Conan encounters the enigmatic Grey God Borri, whose presence stirs ancient dread and prophecy. Drawn into the bloody fray of the Brythunian war, Conan fights alongside their army, confronting betrayal and death before witnessing the Choosers of the Slain rise to claim the souls of the fallen.
In the shadowed streets of Shadizar, Conan crosses paths with the enigmatic waitress Jenna, whose sudden kidnapping plunges him into a deadly cult's ritual to a night god few have dared name. When the god is revealed as a monstrous bat-like entity, Conan must fight through fanaticism and treachery to rescue her—only to find that her own cunning may be as dangerous as the beast itself.
In "The Keepers of the Crypt," Conan ventures into the ruins of the forgotten city of Lanjau, where he battles a monstrous lizard and reunites with the unexpectedly alive Captain Burgun. Together, they race to claim the city’s lost treasure, facing undead guardians who fall to sunlight—only to be buried when an earthquake seals their fate. After escaping the ruins, Conan finds himself once again drawn to Jenna in a nearby village, and when soldiers close in, the two flee on horseback into the unknown.
In "The Garden of Fear," Conan and Jo find themselves in the midst of a mountain tribe’s hospitality when Jo is snatched by a winged creature—last of a forgotten race—dragged to a tower ringed by deadly, blooming flora. With no time to waste, Conan rallies a herd of woolly mammoths to breach the tower’s defenses, charging headlong into a trap of thorns and terror to reclaim his companion.
In "Beware the Wrath of Anu!", Conan joins forces with Burgun in a daring act of theft, only to witness his companion's brutal betrayal and execution. Driven by vengeance, Conan hunts down the men responsible—Aron and a corrupt priest—unleashing his fury in a storm of steel and sorcery. As the sky ignites with celestial omens, the Red Bull is freed, and the stars themselves seem to shift in response.
In the kingdom of Aqilonia, where shadowed forests hide ancient horrors, Kalligor rides forth to claim the hand of the Baron's daughter—not through courtly charm, but by slaying the fearsome Hydragon. With blade in hand and fate in his eyes, he ventures into the wilds where legend and blood are one.
In "Web of the Spider God," a feverish Conan stumbles through the desert, saved from certain death by the mysterious Thanix. As he recovers, he must confront the monstrous Omm, a giant spider terrorizing the land, before a final clash with the sorcerer Tork—whose fate and the path to Shadizar await with Lea at his side.
In "The Green Empress of Melniboné," Conan and Elric navigate a fragile alliance as they journey to the drowned ruins of Yagala, where ancient horrors stir beneath the waves. Facing a deadly coalition of Xiombarg, the cursed Prince Gaynor the Damned, Kulan-Gath, and Terhali, their strength is tested—until an unexpected ally emerges to turn the tide.
In "The Frost Giant's Daughter," Conan pursues the elusive Atali across a frozen battlefield, cutting down her two monstrous frost giant brothers before capturing her. But when her father, the towering Ymir, emerges from the storm, the prize slips from Conan’s grasp.
In the wilds of the Vilayet Sea, Conan and the Vanir warrior Fafnir find themselves stranded on the forgotten island of Bal-Sagoth, where ancient ruins and buried gods stir beneath the jungle canopy. Forced to set aside their differences, they team up with a mysterious girl named Kyrie, uncovering a forgotten cult and the dark legacy of the high priest Gothan, whose power threatens to consume the island’s sacred balance.
In the crumbling island city of Bal-Sagoth, Conan and Fafnir battle demonic horrors beneath ancient temples, only to flee as the land itself erupts in fire and ruin. Swept into the storm-lashed sea, they’re rescued by the enigmatic Yezdigerd, whose own secrets may be as deep as the ocean’s dark.
In "Hawks from the Sea!", Conan serves the Turanian army during a brutal siege of Makkalet, where ancient legends stir and deadly foes emerge. As the tale of the Living Tarim unfolds, Conan crosses paths with the ruthless Balthaz, and a flaming arrow strikes down Fafnir—leaving the battlefield tense with looming danger.
In "The Black Hound of Vengeance!", Conan and Fafnir sail under the shadow of Turan’s warships near Makkalet, caught in a web of betrayal and dark ritual. When Conan attempts to seize the living god Tarim from his temple, he’s forced to flee through the night, slaying a cursed black hound in the process—only to find himself hunted by a vengeful captain who casts his wounded comrade overboard.
In "The Monster of the Monoliths!", Conan finds himself trapped in the cursed city of Makkalet after defecting from the Turanian army, only to be betrayed by his new allies. Forced to confront a monstrous toad-god guarding ancient monoliths, he must survive the city's deadly secrets and the horrors it breeds.
In "The Shadow of the Vulture!", Conan journeys to deliver a critical message, navigating treachery and deadly traps with the help of Red Sonja, who saves him twice. When the Vulture, Mikhal Oglu, stands in his way, Conan faces him in a clash of steel and sorcery—before sending his head to Yezdigerd as a warning.
In "The Song of Red Sonja," Conan and Red Sonja clash in a tavern brawl, then find themselves drawn into a deadly quest through ancient ruins and treacherous temples. As they scale crumbling walls and steal a cursed snake-tiara, they must face a magical serpent that guards its secrets. The story ends with Sonja outwitting Conan and vanishing toward Pah-Dishah, leaving their alliance—and their rivalry—hanging in the air.
In the decadent city of Makkalet, as the Living Tarim breathes his last, Prince Yezdigerd marches with fury, setting the stage for chaos. Conan and Chumballa Bey race to protect Queen Melissandra as King Eannatum’s reign crumbles—power shifts, ancient threats stir, and the hour of the griffin looms.
In "The Dweller in the Dark," Conan, now Captain of the royal guard and lover to Queen Fatima of Zahmahn, finds himself trapped in the city's deepest dungeon after a scandalous encounter with the servant girl Yaila. With the Dweller in the Dark closing in, their survival hinges on desperate choices—and a decision that will reshape Zahmahn’s fate.
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Reprints
↩ Reprints Chamber of Darkness #4 (1970), Conan the Barbarian #1 (1970), Conan the Barbarian #2 (1970), Conan the Barbarian #3 (1971), Conan the Barbarian #4 (1971), Conan the Barbarian #5 (1971), Savage Tales #1 (1971), Conan the Barbarian #6 (1971), Conan the Barbarian #7 (1971), Conan the Barbarian #8 (1971), Conan the Barbarian #9 (1971), Conan the Barbarian #10 (1971), Conan the Barbarian #11 (1971), Conan the Barbarian #12 (1971), Conan the Barbarian #13 (1972), Conan the Barbarian #14 (1972), Conan the Barbarian #15 (1972), Conan the Barbarian #16 (1972), Conan the Barbarian #17 (1972), Conan the Barbarian #18 (1972), Conan the Barbarian #19 (1972), Conan the Barbarian #20 (1972), Conan the Barbarian #21 (1972), Conan the Barbarian #22 (1973), Conan the Barbarian #23 (1973), Conan the Barbarian #24 (1973), Conan the Barbarian #25 (1973), Conan the Barbarian #26 (1973), Savage Tales #4 (1974), Marvel Treasury Edition #4 (1975), Conan #4 (11695) (1978), Conan #5 (11696) (1978), Conan #1 (11692) (1978), Conan #2 (11693) (1978), Conan #3 (11694) (1978), Conan #6 (11697) (1979), Conan Saga #75 (1993), Conan Classic #1 (1994), Conan Classic #2 (1994), Conan Classic #3 (1994), Conan Classic #4 (1994), Conan Classic #5 (1994), Conan Classic #6 (1994), Conan Classic #7 (1994), Conan Classic #8 (1995), Conan Classic #9 (1995), Conan Classic #10 (1995), Conan Classic #11 (1995), Essential Conan #1 (2000), The Chronicles of Conan #1 (2003), The Chronicles of Conan #3 (2003), The Chronicles of Conan #2 (2003), The Chronicles of Conan #4 (2004)
Reprinted in Conan: The Hour of the Dragon #[nn] (2019), Conan le barbare : L'intégrale #1970-1971 (2019), Conan The Barbarian: The Original Comics Omnibus #1 (2024)
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