The Savage Sword of Conan #157

This February 1989 issue of Marvel's long-running black-and-white magazine delivers a visceral cover by Dorian Vallejo, showing a bare-chested, muscle-straining Conan locked in raw, desperate combat with a massive roaring ape-like beast amid a murky, moss-draped swamp. The sheer physicality of the struggle — Conan's hand pressed against the creature's snarling face as they grapple in the mire — captures exactly the kind of primal, sword-and-sorcery intensity that made this series a staple. Inside, writer Don Kraar and artist Dale Eaglesham bring "The Wrath of Crom" to life, promising the brutal adventure the title demands.