King Conan #6

Walt Simonson's cover for this 1981 Marvel issue captures Conan in full regal battle mode — caped and sword drawn, he stands atop a heap of fallen foes while clutching a blonde woman whose presence the tagline cheerfully warns is "Trouble." The image delivers exactly the sword-and-sorcery promise of the series' premise: the mightiest monarch of a time-lost land, never far from chaos even with a crown to his name. Roy Thomas, John Buscema, and Ernie Chan bring the interior adventure "Vengeance from the Desert!" to life, making this a satisfying entry in Marvel's early-'80s Hyborian saga.