The Savage Sword of Conan #81

Issue #81 of Marvel's long-running black-and-white magazine finds Conan locked in a desperate underwater struggle against a massive tentacled creature, its sucker-lined limb coiling around the Barbarian's muscular frame as he strains to break free — all while a woman nearby seems caught in the chaos of the same monstrous encounter. Joe Chiodo's painted cover renders the scene in moody, deep-sea greens and shadow, giving the whole composition an eerie, almost suffocating atmosphere that pulls you right into the peril. With Michael Fleisher scripting, John Buscema on interior art, and a story titled "The Palace of Pleasure!", this October 1982 issue promises the kind of sword-and-sorcery adventure the series delivered month after month.