The Savage Sword of Conan #79
In "Black Cloaks of Ophir," Conan returns to the decadent realm of Ophir, where a violent coup has upended the court—Queen Varia has been overthrown by Balthis, commander of the feared Black Cloaks, who now rules alongside Shahela, leader of the Iron Maidens. With both power-hungry factions vying for control, Conan must choose a side, ultimately disguising himself as the legendary founder Thanus to rally the people against tyranny. Written by Roy Thomas and illustrated with bold, dynamic detail by Ernie Chan, with lettering by Joe Rosen, this issue features a striking cover by Joe Jusko, capturing the clash of empires in a 75p comic from 1984.
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Conan returns to the wealthy land of Ophir; there a coup d'état has just taken place. Balthis, the commander of the elite guard known as the Black Cloaks, has protected his position by deposing Queen Varia. Shahela, the commander of the queen's elite guard the Iron Maidens, now rules side-by-side with Balthis. However, both plot to reign alone. Conan is torn between the camps until he decides to side with the noble queen. Conan poses as Thanus, Ophir's founder, and leads the people in a rebellion.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).