Conan the Barbarian #33

Conan the Barbarian #33 (December 1973) presents the Cimmerian at his most defiant — crouched in an arena pit, muscles tensed and sword in hand, surrounded by robed and armored figures who dare him to survive "The Gauntlet of the Seven Deaths!" A priestess figure can be glimpsed in the background as the stakes are laid bare on the cover: win her freedom, or die trying — and Conan's reply is characteristically unblinking. Cover art by Herb Trimpe and John Romita makes the most of that gladiatorial tension, while the interior tale "Death and 7 Wizards!" by Roy Thomas and John Buscema promises the kind of sword-and-sorcery adventure this series delivered with such confidence throughout its early Bronze Age run.