The Thongor Comics: Creatures on the Loose #27

If you missed the last one…

Creatures on the Loose #27 (January 1974) saw the arrival of Vicente Alcazar. He would ink this issue and  draw and ink the last two issues. (From page 17  onward of this issue all look like Alcazar’s pencils. Val Mayerik left after this issue, perhaps before it was over. Being an Alcazar fan since “Not Long Before the End” makes it easier to see Val Mayerik go.) Gardner F. Fox wrote this one to be replaced by Steve Gerber in the next. The revolving door had begun last issue and it continued this. The comic suffers a little from this but Lin Carter’s novel holds it altogether.

In this episode Thongor’s swordsmanship and Sharajsha’s powers get a severe test. The mission this time is to take the stolen star metal to the Crypts of Yamath in Patanga to temper it in the eldritch flames. Also joining the cast are Karm Karvus, who Thongor met last time, and a young woman who  is called “girl” and “wench” but never by her name. She is, of course, left behind when the boys go off to play.

The issue picks up where the last left off, in the fighting arena of the Sark. With the king dead, all hell breaks loose. Thongor and Karm Karvus battle their way to the captive girl.

A darkness falls over the arena. It is one of Sharajsha’s illusions. A rope falls down for the trio to escape.

The two newcomers become part of the team bent on stopping the Dragon Kings. Sharajsha comes up with the next part of the plan. The stolen star metal has to be forged into a new sword.

Thongor, Sharajsha and Karm karvus fly off to Paranga to sneak into the crypts of Yamath. Once inside, Sharajsha gets busy on the sword, while Thongor fights the guards who show up.

It is a desperate fight for Thongor can’t give ground. He must give the wizard enough time to forge the sword.

Thongor’s luck doesn’t hold up. The priests of Yamath capture him.

But a monster shows up to scare off the locals. It is one of Sharjasha’s illusions. It takes Thongor a few minutes to figure this out.

Sharajsha has succeeded in forging the sword.Unfortunately someone else has pumped a knock-gas into the chamber. Both men are captured.

The Edgar Rice Burroughs/Robert E. Howard mix is front-and-center as the heroes escape the arena and go on a new mission. The stand-off between Thongor and the guards is more a Robert E. Howard moment. Lin Carter’s plot is under way as the second star sword has now been forged. I have to congratulate Carter for not bringing in a prophecy that predicts and instructs the hero to an obvious end. The closest he gets is making Thungarth and Thongor related.

Next time…Suvia Chond and the Dragon Kings.