The Savage Sword of Conan #97

Against a backdrop of massive stone idol faces frozen in silent screams, a battered, helmeted Conan clutches a blonde warrior woman close, his bloodied sword raised and his expression locked in fierce determination. The pairing of the two figures — both bearing wounds, both refusing to yield — perfectly sets the mood for "The Leopard Men of Darfar," a story that promises danger deep in savage territory. This 1984 Marvel magazine entry features a cover painted by Gaetano Liberatore, whose gritty, visceral linework gives the scene a raw intensity that fits Conan's world like a gauntlet.