Conan the Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Epic Collection #4
In "Curse of the Undead-Man," Conan and his companions journey toward Messantia, only to stumble upon a city that defies reason—a place born of magic, shaped by a twisted architect, and hungry for new souls. When a bat-like creature abducts a captive beauty, Conan must fight not just the monster, but the living city itself, which awakens with deadly intent. Written by Roy Thomas and brought to life with dynamic art by John Buscema, inks by Pablo Marcos, and colors by Phil Rachelson, this tale from the original Marvel years blends myth and menace in a story where even the ground beneath you can turn to dust. The cover, a striking collaboration by John Buscema and John Romita, captures the eerie grandeur of the doomed city.
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Conan and his friends are on their way to the city of Messantia. They come to a strange city where they try to rescue a beautiful girl who has been snatched by a bat-thing and taken to a high tower. As Conan bests the bat-thing, the city suddenly turns to dust. Tara and Yusuf tell Conan of their encounter with the founder of the city, the deformed Mad Jakk. The city was a magical construct that took on a life of its own and ensnared adventurers in order to create a population. When the city could not defeat Conan, it self-destructed and Mad Jakk chose to follow his city into oblivion.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).