Essential Conan #1

In "The Twilight of the Grim Grey God!", Conan encounters the enigmatic Grey God Borri, whose presence looms over the battlefield. Drawn into the brutal war of the Brythunian army, he fights through bloodshed and betrayal—only to confront a traitor named Malachi and witness the haunting arrival of the winged Choosers of the Slain, who claim the souls of the fallen.

In the city of Shadizar, Conan encounters the elusive waitress Jenna, whose sudden kidnapping by fanatical priests sets off a deadly chase into the heart of a forbidden cult. There, he confronts a monstrous night god—revealed as a colossal bat-like entity—only to find that the real danger lies not in the beast, but in the priestess Hajii’s treachery. With Jenna’s cunning and a stolen fortune, the tale unfolds in a storm of blade, shadow, and betrayal.

In "The Lurker Within!" from Essential Conan #1, Conan finds himself entangled in a web of deceit when Lady Aztrias turns on him, forcing him to flee after being framed for murder during a botched burglary. As he battles a serpent-man and rescues Demetrios from certain death, the shadowy presence of Thoth-Amon looms ever closer, deepening the mystery of the treachery and the danger that follows.

In "The Keepers of the Crypt," Conan stumbles upon the ruins of the forgotten city of Lanjau, where he battles a monstrous lizard before joining forces with a nameless mercenary to claim its lost treasure. As they face undead guardians sealed within the crypt—overcome only by sunlight—the ground splits beneath them, burying the city and their companion. After escaping the collapse, Conan finds himself back in a nearby village, reuniting with Jenna, only to flee once more when soldiers close in, riding together on horseback into the unknown.

In "The Garden of Fear," Conan and Jo find themselves in the shadow of a mountain tribe’s sacred grounds when Jo is taken by a winged being—last of a forgotten race—carried to a tower ringed by deadly, blooming flora. With no time to spare, Conan rallies a herd of woolly mammoths to breach the tower’s defenses and face the creature in a desperate bid to bring Jo home.

In "Beware the Wrath of Anu!", Conan joins forces with Burgun in a daring theft, only to see his companion betrayed and hanged. Driven by vengeance, Conan tracks down the traitor Aron and a corrupt priest, setting off a chain of events that reshapes the fate of those around him. As the stars align and a legendary beast is freed, a fragile bond between Conan and Jenna is tested—leaving both their paths uncertain.

In "The Dweller in the Dark," Conan—now Captain of the royal guard and lover to Queen Fatima of Zahmahn—finds himself betrayed when the queen discovers him with her servant, Yaila. Cast into the dungeon to face the legendary Dweller in the Dark, the two escape only to be forced into a deadly choice. With the city’s tradition binding rule to a female sovereign, Conan must decide Yaila’s fate—and the future of Zahmahn.

In the kingdom of Aqilonia, the fierce warrior Kalligor rides forth to claim the hand of the Baron's daughter—not through courtly favor, but by slaying the fearsome Hydragon. With blade in hand and destiny at stake, he ventures into the wilds where legend and danger are one.

In "Web of the Spider-God," Conan staggers through the scorching desert, near death, only to be rescued by the enigmatic Thanix. As he recovers, he must confront the monstrous Omm, a giant spider that guards ancient secrets, while Tork battles the sorcerer Yezud and departs with Lea for the distant city of Shadizar.

In "The Green Empress of Melniboné," Conan and Elric navigate a fragile alliance as they ride toward the drowned ruins of Yagala, where ancient horrors stir beneath the waves. Facing the cursed Prince Gaynor the Damned, the sorcerer Kulan-Gath, the monstrous Terhali, and the shadowy Xiombarg, their strength is tested—until an unexpected ally emerges to tip the balance.

In the frozen wastes of a shattered battlefield, Conan pursues the elusive Atali through drifting snow, his blade flashing as he cuts down her two monstrous frost giant brothers. Just as he captures her, the towering presence of Ymir, her father, emerges from the storm—his arrival shifting the balance of power in an instant.

In "The Sword and the Sorcerers!", novelist Len Carson attempts to end his beloved sword and sorcery series by killing off its star, Starr the Slayer—but when the story's hero steps out of the pages and into the real world, the line between creator and creation blurs in a deadly game of survival.

In "The Gods of Bal-Dagoth," Conan and the Vanir warrior Fafnir find themselves stranded on the forgotten island of Bal-Sagoth, their rivalry giving way to uneasy alliance as they battle the island’s deadly secrets. When they rescue a mysterious girl named Kyrie, they uncover a buried prophecy that ties her to a long-dead goddess—and a fanatical high priest named Gothan who will stop at nothing to claim her throne.

In "The Thing in the Temple!", Conan and Fafnir flee the collapsing city of Bal-Sagoth as a volcano erupts beneath them, having just slain demons within its ancient temple. Escaping the island’s fiery doom, they are rescued from the Vilayet Sea by the enigmatic Yezdigerd, whose own secrets may be as dangerous as the ruin they’ve just escaped.

In "Hawks from the Sea!", Conan, serving the Turanian army, leads a siege on the city of Makkalet, where whispers of the Living Tarim stir ancient dread. As flames rain from the sky and a wounded Fafnir fights for survival, Conan crosses paths with the dangerous Balthaz—setting the stage for a clash of wills and steel.

In "The Black Hound of Vengeance!" from Essential Conan #1, Conan ventures into the forbidden Temple of Tarim, where he confronts a fearsome black hound in a deadly trial. With Balthaz's betrayal still fresh and the ship of Yezdigerd his only escape, Conan must survive the temple’s horrors and the treacherous waters beyond.

In "The Monster of the Monoliths!" from Essential Conan #1, Conan finds himself captured in the cursed city of Makkalet after defecting from the Turanian army. Trapped among treacherous allies, he must survive a brutal ambush and face a monstrous toad-god rising from the ancient monoliths.

In "The Shadow of the Vulture!", Conan journeys through treacherous lands to deliver a critical message from Makkalet to Pah-Disha, navigating danger at every turn. When Red Sonja intervenes to save him twice, their paths become entwined in a deadly game of betrayal and vengeance. With the vulture Mikhal Oglu dead and his head sent to Yezdigerd, the stakes rise in a tale of blood, loyalty, and the price of power.