Conan the Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Epic Collection #4

In the cursed lands of Shadizar the Wicked, Conan joins forces with the enigmatic Laza-Lanti to slay the monstrous Lord of the Dark Valley. As their bond deepens in the shadow of death and betrayal, a haunting connection between Laza-Lanti and the mysterious Timara begins to unfold—leading to a choice that will echo beyond the grave.

In the scorched wastelands near Castle Ravengard, Conan and the fierce warrior Lupalina launch a daring assault on the fortress, driven by a mission to free the captive Stefanya. As shadows stretch across the crumbling halls and steel meets steel, Conan faces the monstrous Torkal Moh in a clash that could decide their fate.

In the scorched plains of Shamu, Conan battles a monstrous bull and a fearsome giant scorpion, testing his strength and cunning against the deadly forces of Belverus. Amid the chaos, he claims a cloak and mail-shirt, and encounters the enigmatic Tara of Hanumar for the first time.

In "The Strange High Tower in the Mist!", Conan and his companions—Tara and Yusuf—stumble upon a phantom city shrouded in mist, drawn in by the cry of a captured woman. When a monstrous bat-thing guards her in a towering fortress, Conan must fight his way through shadow and sorcery, only to learn the city itself was a living trap, born from the twisted will of its deformed creator, Mad Jakk.

In "Incident in Argos! (Part 1)," Conan finds himself entangled in a web of betrayal and danger upon arriving in Messantia, where a clash with the Royal Guard quickly spirals into a deadly game of survival. As Conan evades capture and seeks refuge with the enigmatic fortune teller Momratha, whose visions hint at a darker path ahead, his companions Yusuf and Tara are forced to flee after Yusuf takes a life in defense of Tara. With the city’s corrupt justice system closing in, Conan must choose between loyalty and escape—leading to a violent reckoning and a harrowing departure that leaves his fate—and that of his friends—uncertain.

In "Queen of the Black Coast!" from *Conan the Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Epic Collection #4*, Conan narrowly escapes justice in Messantia by fleeing aboard a southern-bound ship. Off the coast of Kush, he’s captured by the fearsome pirate queen Bêlit and her Black Corsairs, who force him to fight the warrior Odongo for his life. Impressed by his strength and skill, Bêlit takes him as her second-in-command—and soon, his sworn companion.

In "The Ballad of Belit!", Conan listens as N’yaga recounts the legendary tale of Bêlit, the warrior-princess wronged by her uncle Nim-Karrak, who seized the throne of Asaglun and murdered her father. Raised in secret by N’yaga and believed by her people to be the daughter of the goddess Derketa, Bêlit rose as the tribe’s greatest warrior—only to be betrayed by her jealous chief, Uzumi, who sent her on a doomed quest. Forced to turn to the sea, she now sails as a pirate, seeking the means to reclaim what was stolen.