Kull the Conqueror #9

Barry Windsor-Smith's cover for this April 1985 Marvel issue commands immediate attention — Kull fills the frame with cold, piercing eyes beneath a golden crown bearing a glowing red gem, his broad sword leveled forward with quiet menace against a swirling violet background. It's a remarkably intimate portrait of Robert E. Howard's barbarian king, all coiled tension and hard-won authority. Inside, Alan Zelenetz and John Buscema bring the sword-and-sorcery of "The Sword of Gonra!" to life for fans of pre-Atlantean adventure at its finest.