The Savage Sword of Conan #36
In "Hawks over Shem," Conan rides into the decadent city of Asgalun, where the mad King Akhirom rules through three ruthless mercenary armies. With the help of a mysterious ally who may not be who he seems, Conan pursues vengeance against the treacherous Othbaal—while a slave girl’s desperate act of deception sparks a rebellion that could tear the city apart. Written by Roy Thomas and illustrated with bold precision by John Buscema, with inks by Alfredo Alcala, this issue’s cover by Earl Norem captures the chaos of war and intrigue.
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Asgalun is ruled by the mad king Akhirom with the aid of three mercenary armies: the Anakian troop under Othbaal; the Kushite troop under Imbalayo and the Hyrkanian troop under Mazdak. Conan seeks revenge upon Othbaal with the help of Farouz, who is actually Mazdak in disguise, out to get rid of the competition. Othbaals slave girl Rufia flees, and in order to survive she makes king Akhirom believe that he is a god, which ultimately provokes a revolution. Conan frees Rufia from the king's jealous mistress Zeriti, and they escape the city as the different factions destroy each other.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).