Random Happenstance

Huh, this is the same artist on the previous issue and the next issue, but Claw looks different this month? Like with his hair tied up, he looks less Conan than usual. I say 'tied up,' but I'm not positive how he does it. It's not just a scrunchie or something...I don't think. From 1978, Claw the Unconquered #11, "Death at Darkmorn" Written by David Michelinie, pencils by Keith Giffen, inks by John Celardo.

Claw finally catches up to bad King Occulas this issue, and is tearing through his best men, so the king throws some verbal abuse at his wizard Miftung to have him stop him. He doesn't seem like the best king, but Miftung doesn't seem like the best wizard, either: while he does send the castle rising into the sky and away from Claw, Claw still had time to climb on before it got away. (The castle seems remarkably understaffed, like Miftung was the only employee left; but I absolutely could see Occulas forcing him to cook, clean, empty the chamberpots, rub his feet, whatever.)

A fight with a muck-monster stalls Claw long enough for Occulas to force Miftung to mystically juice him up into an ogre/oni kind of monster. Occulas is over-confident, which gives Claw the opportunity to stab him in the chest, which kills Miftung, since it was his life-force powering the monster form. Claw feels bad about that one, but Miftung is okay with it, knowing Occulas had been abusing his loyalty for too long. Dying, Miftung teleports Claw away, since his spells will end with his death, like the one keeping the castle in the air...Which is probably why the castle is so empty; so Claw isn't responsible for a bunch of squashed scullery maids and kitchen staff and what all.

Claw seems to find his victory a bit empty: possibly because he didn't get to see the light fade from Occulas's eyes, or maybe because dying in a massive castle explosion was cooler than he deserved. Hmm, probably the former.