Astonishing Tales #3
Astonishing Tales #3 (December 1970) is the debut issue of three characters who would go on to matter enormously in the Savage Land corner of the Marvel Universe: Zaladane, the fanatical Queen-Priestess of the Sun-Empire; her warrior ally Tongah of the Fall People; and the Sun People themselves as a defined faction. Together they launched a multi-part storyline — continued through issues #4 and #5 — that gave Ka-Zar his first genuinely serialized epic and established the Savage Land as a place with its own internal politics and mythology rather than a mere backdrop. Zaladane in particular proved durable enough to become a recurring antagonist for the X-Men across the Chris Claremont era, making her introduction here a foundational moment for the X-Men's relationship with the Savage Land. The issue also marks the first Ka-Zar chapter drawn by Barry Windsor-Smith, whose ornate, detail-rich linework represented a dramatic artistic leap for the feature.
In "Back to the Savage Land," Ka-Zar and the Petrified Man return to the jungle realm they once called home, only to find it torn by violence—Zaladane, Queen Priestess of Garokk, has razed Tongah's village and now leads her people in a brutal assault on the lizard-men's kingdom. Written by Gerry Conway and brought to life with dynamic art by Barry Smith and inks by Sam Grainger, this 1970 Marvel adventure unfolds with urgent stakes and the timeless clash of civilization and savagery. The cover, a striking collaboration by Marie Severin, John Romita, and Mike Esposito, captures the perilous journey ahead.
Ka-Zar and the Petrified Man return to the Savage Land, arriving just as Zaladane, Queen Priestess of Garokk, the Sun-God, lays waste to Tongah's village and kills his family. They witness her leading her people in a sudden assault on the kingdom of the lizard-men, setting the stage for a clash of ancient powers.
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Issue #3 arrived at a moment of rapid creative turnover on both of the book's co-features. On the Ka-Zar side, Jack Kirby had departed Marvel for DC, and Stan Lee and Roy Thomas had already handed off the scripting; writer Gerry Conway and penciler Barry Windsor-Smith stepped in together beginning with this issue and ran the feature through issue #6. On the Doctor Doom side, Roy Thomas had likewise been replaced as scripter by Larry Lieber starting with this issue, while Wally Wood continued as artist. Stan Lee edited both features. The cover was penciled by Marie Severin with inking contributions from Mike Esposito and John Romita, who retouched the Doctor Doom figure.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Zaladane (Queen-Priestess of Garokk the Sun-God), who would later become a major X-Men antagonist in the Claremont era.
- First appearance of Tongah, warrior of the Fall People, who becomes a recurring supporting character in Ka-Zar stories.
- First appearance of the Sun People as an organized faction within the Savage Land.
- Issue #3 is the first Ka-Zar chapter drawn by Barry Windsor-Smith (credited as Barry Smith), who penciled the feature through issue #6, with Sam Grainger on inks.
- The Ka-Zar story, 'Back to the Savage Land,' is written by Gerry Conway and provides the origin flashback for Garokk the Petrified Man — a 500-year-old English sailor transformed by drinking from a sacred cup in the Savage Land.
- The Doctor Doom story, 'Doom Must Die!,' is scripted by Larry Lieber (his first issue on the feature) with art by Wally Wood; it continues the Latverian civil-war arc in which the Doomsman and Prince Rudolfo's resistance challenge Doom's rule.
- The Ka-Zar story from this issue was reprinted in Savage Tales Annual #1 (1975), and the Doom story was collected in Essential Super-Villain Team-Up (2004).
- The letters page, 'Astonishing Mails,' in this issue includes a letter from Michael W. Barr, later a professional comics writer and editor.
Cast · 17 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in I Fantastici Quattro #42 (1972), Planet of the Apes #4 (1974), Etranges Aventures #47 (1975), L'Inattendu #1 (1975), Planet of the Apes #12 (1975), Savage Tales #7 (1975), Savage Tales Featuring Ka-zar #12 (1975), Climax Adventure Comic #15 (1976), Ka-Zar #1 (1979), Ka-Zar #1 (1979), The Marvel Comics Art of Wally Wood #[nn] (1982), Sorcelleries #[nn] (1982), Essential Super-Villain Team-Up #1 (2004), Marvel Masterworks: Ka-Zar #1 (2013), Marvel Masterworks: Marvel Rarities #1 (2014), Marvel Limited Edition. Ka-Zar #[nn] (2015), Doctor Doom: The Book of Doom Omnibus #[nn] (2022), Marvel Creator Collection #1 (2025), Doctor Doom Epic Collection #2 (2026), Conan #2/1974
Key issues in Astonishing Tales
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