I'd buy his figure over Knull's.

I see him every once in a while in the Contest of Champions game, but I haven't read a ton of books with symbiote god Knull: I do know he's coming back in the next Venom anniversary issue, which feels like a misstep, since Knull is nowhere near as loathed as Paul. Good lord...I know there's a Marvel Legends Knull, but I may have shrieked in terror at the notion of getting roped into getting a Paul figure. (Shudder!) Anyway, today we've got Venom vs. another eldritch terror, not those two: from 1995, Rune vs. Venom #1, "Rune-Venom" Written by Chris Ulm, pencils by Greg Luzniak, Mark Pacella, and Gabriel (Gecko) Hardman; inks by Bruce McCorkindale and Art Thibert.

In New York City, as three thugs assault a young woman, she thinks she's saved when a familiar toothy monster appears, but it isn't Venom: it's Rune, in a symbiote! As he sucks the juices out of the woman (in a relatively PG fashion, his teeth and jaw could have decapitated her) Rune announces himself as "the Dark God," with wings and an extra set of arms. With "Venom" left scrawled in blood at assorted crime scenes; the press, public opinion, and S.H.I.E.L.D. turn on the original Venom pretty quickly, believing him to have gone bad again--or worse--after the "Planet of the Symbiotes" event. A squad of Mandroids attack Eddie in the sewer, which is the first he--they!--hear of the accusations against them. (Venom does still kill at least some of the Mandroid pilots, though!) Meanwhile, Ann is worried about her ex, but also having nightmares about him. She gets kidnapped by Rune, but it scarcely looks like he needed to, as Rune later jumps Venom and puts the bite on him--maybe? The storytelling is a little murky here: either the biter reveals herself as a symbiote-covered Ann controlled by Rune, or Venom is tripping balls from the poison in the bite. Maybe it's the latter, since we see Ann as a more traditional damsel in distress later. (I do kinda like the "KRUNCH!" as Rune spikes Venom like a volleyball; Venom should maybe always have old-school SFX! It reminds me of his "Owtch!" from his Darkhawk guest-spot.)

Rune tells Ann, he had been pulled through a stargate (not that one, this looks like a Temu copy) by a symbiote prior to their invasion, which did free him from the prison Annihilus had put him in. Grateful, Rune kills the symbiote's xenomorph-looking host, and becomes the new host: this saved the symbiote from dying with the rest of his race at "Venom's betrayal," and they wanted revenge. With S.H.I.E.L.D. after him, Venom tracks Rune through the DNA in the poison, and the ensuing fight shows there were two of them. A S.H.I.E.L.D. sonic blast removes the symbiote from Rune, and the vampire turns on it, feeding on it and taking a new, bald form. (He seems to feel like it's an improvement, but...?) The fight with Venom goes on, since now Rune "has a taste for your skin," just like KFC! But it's a short one, as Ann tries to help, and distracts Rune just enough for Venom to throw him back through the Temugate, then break it.

With Dum Dum Dugan there to call Rune the real killer, S.H.I.E.L.D. stands down: Dum Dum is, as usual, sort of the friendlier face of the agency. G.W. Bridge or Maria Hill would've been yay, we get to kill two monsters today; Nick Fury could go either way. Ann wonders about Eddie, who assures her he would always be there to protect her from "monsters." And Rune is returned, seemingly in Egypt through another stargate, to the Ultraverse. The toys back in their boxes, although that Rune-Venom might have made a good one. Read more!

No more bets, we have a winner!

At some point in the Hyborian Age, I figure some gambler had to figure out, betting on Conan was like money in the bank. Wait, they didn't have banks: that guy was probably robbed by Conan later. Huh. Anyway, from 1995, Conan #4, featuring "Barbarian at the Gate" and "Wicked Conjurings" Both written by Larry Hama, pencils by Barry Crain, inks by Carlos Garzon.

The cover ties into the latter story, but doesn't happen in this issue; it's a lead-in to Barry Windsor-Smith's Conan vs. Rune. The "vampire sorceror" is not particularly impressed with that time, but casts a spell to foresee if any could oppose him: one smelly barbarian, that's it? That shouldn't be a problem at all, then. It's a short one to hype up the one-shot and Conan the Savage #4, the latter being the short-lived replacement for Savage Sword of Conan that I'm not sure I ever read.

In the lead story, three riders return to the "citadel of Harach-Gnar," although two of them are corpses tied to their saddles: Conan has returned for vengeance against the wizard, gladiator-procurer Sligo, and warrior-woman Kara. The latter hadn't betrayed him, and was Sligo's prisoner, but Conan doesn't know that; he's just tearing up the town. At the arena, Conan fights his way through the cheap seats to face Harach-Gnar, as the betting commences: the barbarian is distainful of his "legerdemain and fire powder," but the wizard may have some real powers like...stretchy fingers? Launching his brain out of his skull to attack with eyeball stalks? Not sure what he hoped would happen there, but somebody had to make a killing on that one, at a thousand-to-one, as Conan halves him, then rides out of town; either not realizing or not caring Kara was still captured; I'm not sure if she would appear again. Feel like she deserved better than being hauled off by Sligo, but who doesn't? Read more!

"The End" Week: Rune #7!

It's weird that we've already seen the conclusion to this story, but this is the last issue. Confused? We'll clear up some of it. From 1996, Rune #7, "Fire with Fire" Written by Len Kaminski, pencils by Gabriel Gecko, inks by Stephen Baskerville.

For this series, the vampiric god-monster Rune was only part of the equation. Twin brothers Noel Robinson and Erik Johnson, as part of a government conspiracy/experiment, were fused into a single, superpowered body. Noel had the godlike powers of the Shu-ji during the daylight, while Erik took control as Rune for the night. (During the other's shift, the brother not in control was just a disembodied and usually ignored caption box voice.) This month, Noel was having a hard time of it against cybernetic Rune clones sicced on them by the government's super-computer Genie. At sunset, Rune tags in, and takes the clones apart. Literally.

Meanwhile, visiting from the Marvel 616, Adam Warlock helps a young woman with Ultrapowers control her killer instinct, which gives her inner soul...a makeover. And a falcon. I...huh. The issue closes with Noel back in control the next day, and he's decided he's "taken all the crap (he's) going to from this miserable planet," and is going to start destroying cities until mankind shapes up! Even the more brutal Erik is like, too much, bro. Warlock arrives to confront Noel, which would be wrapped up in Ultraverse Unlimited #1, which we've seen already. The letters page promises a new Rune mini-series in the fall, but I'm not sure it ever appeared. (I thought they might've meant Curse of Rune, but that was before this one.)
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Warlock's Brando impression needs work:

We mentioned Adam Warlock's field trip to the Ultraverse a while back, so today we've got Ultraverse Unlimited #1, "Kindred" Written by Len Kaminski, pencils by Gabriel Gecko and Andrew Wildman, inks by Stephen Baskerville.

Warlock (who is rocking some crazy braids with skull barrettes) came to the Ultraverse after Rune, who stole the Infinity Gems. He may not have realized the Silver Surfer beat the Gems off of Rune; but he runs afoul of the Rune-influenced Gemini before having a flashback. Gemini was two brothers sharing a body: the Warlock-like Noel, and the Rune-like Erik.

Rune beat Warlock, who went into his traditional cocoon upon his "death." Although he briefly confuses Erik for Rune, Warlock "exorcises" Erik from Noel's body, seemingly taking away his power. After Warlock returns to the 616 Marvel Universe proper, Noel admits his power is still there, he just thought it made Adam feel better to think he was "cured." And Erik also returns in a new body, free to feed...although I'm pretty sure this was the last time we'll see them. I hadn't intended to use so many quotes the last paragraph, but this issue isn't what could be called "good."

Still, it gets the toys back where they belong. I'm not sure other Marvel ex-pats like Reaper or Sienna Blaze ever did make it back; although who'd know if they did? Oh, and the title reference? After the break!


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We saw Malibu Comics Rune giving Conan the hassle some time ago, and Barry Windsor-Smith made the titular vampire look great. Perhaps not surprising, since BWS created Rune. Today, we check out another great artist's take on the character, as Big John Buscema...

...draws Rune like Blastaar in a diaper. Rune had wings in the other half of the book...

From 1995's Rune/Silver Surfer #1, which I recall was hyped up the wazoo by Marvel, Wizard, people yelling on rooftops...Admittedly, some of the excitement is understandable: John Buscema returning to the Silver Surfer was always welcome, and a good hook to get people interested in the crossover between Malibu and Marvel. (Marvel had bought Malibu the year before.)

Hook notwithstanding, it's not very good: Rune's half of the book is very early work from artist Henry Flint, and it shows in parts; but the writing doesn't help either. Thor makes a brief (and off-model) appearance; as do Warlock, Thanos, and the Infinity Watch. The latter are completely jobbed out, as Rune makes off with the Infinity Gems. (Warlock's Soul Gem, always a bit evil, practically jumps at the chance to get with someone who will more readily use it.)

Meanwhile, in his half, the Silver Surfer unwillingly gets an assignment from the Living Tribunal: don't let any space vampire monsters use the Infinity Gems as a unit (the Infinity Gauntlet) and maybe don't let an agent of oblivion get them, either. The Surfer spends most of the story fighting Deathurge, but catches up with Rune in the end; blowing his hand off (or at least burning it) and scattering the Infinity Gems in the Ultraverse. The Surfer is a little worried, but the Tribunal just didn't want the Gauntlet used again, so mission accomplished.

Anyway, this was a $5.95 book, cover price, in 1995; I got it for a quarter. Same year. That should tell you what you need to know about it, actually.

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Easily mistakable for classic Conan:

It's Barry Windsor-Smith, artist of Marvel's first Conan the Barbarian comics (and a ton of other stuff) but this time on story and art, for 1995's Conan vs. Rune.

Possibly because I recently re-read Smith and Roy Thomas's adaptation of "Red Nails," the story and the art here reminded me of that one: travelling through the Turanian desert, Conan approaches a camp, only to find it deserted. Spying a jewel, the usually canny barbarian is lured into a trap, set by the alien vampire Rune, who has already eaten most of the local populace. (Rune's killed them all, he just hasn't eaten all of them yet...)


I don't know all of Rune's story, even though I think I have a couple issues of Curse of Rune since I like the Kyle Hotz art. Rune's power level varied wildly, though: along with this brawl with Conan, he also fought Venom, Adam Warlock, and the Silver Surfer. Not in any particular order, either...

No offense to the colorist, but man, I bet this'd look great in black-and-white. Story and art by Barry Windsor-Smith, with ink assist by Alex Bialy.
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