Arak / Son of Thunder #38
In "Of Beasts and Baghdad," Arak finds himself imprisoned in the dungeon of Harun Al-Rashid’s Baghdad, where Malagigi and Valda intervene to secure his release. Written by Roy Thomas and Dann Thomas and illustrated with striking detail by Tony DeZuniga—both in story and on the cover—this 1984 issue unfolds as Arak recounts how he and his companions were captured by the Caliph’s wazir, Barmak, and scattered to different fates. With the art and storytelling grounded in historical texture and suspense, the tale builds quietly toward the moment when Alsind, trapped in the alchemist’s lab, begins to plot his escape.
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Malagigi and Valda pay a diplomatic visit to the Caliph of Baghdad, Harun Al-Rashid, and find Arak being tortured in the dungeon. By invoking Carolus Magnus' name, Malagigi secures Arak's release and Valda sees to his recovery. Arak eventually tells of how he and his companions were waylaid in the desert by the Caliph's wazir, Barmak, and captured. Alsind was put to work as an alchemist, Sharizad as eye-candy, and Satyricus was placed in the royal bestiary. However, Alsind manages to cobble together an explosive to free himself from his lab, and he begins searching for his comrades.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).