Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Warlord Wednesday: The Back-Ups Are Back

For the majority of issues 29-88, Warlord featured a back-up story. Let's take a look at another couple of the series featured there in:


CLAW THE UNCONQUERED
First Appearance: Claw the Unconquered #1 (1975)
Last Pre-Warlord Appearance: Claw the Unconquered #10 (1978)
Featured as Back-up: Warlord #48-49
Next SeenWonder Woman #21 (2008)
His Story: Claw is a barbaric warrior from the world of Pytharia who has the right hand of a demon thanks to a curse.  Claw recently got a revival at Wildstorm and a crossover with Red Sonja.
How He's Like the Warlord: he's a sword-wielding tough-guy in a fantasy world.


THE BARREN EARTH
First Appearance: Warlord #63 (1982)
Featured as Back-up: Warlord #63-88
Next SeenConqueror of the Barren Earth #1 (1985)
Its Story: The Barren Earth is really just plain old Earth--only in the far future after the Sun has become a red giant.  Jinal Ne'Comarr (our heroine) is a human from intergalatic space on a mision to reclaim mankind's homeworld in her civilization's war with the alien Qlov.  The Barren Earth graduated from back-up status to a limited series...and then it was gone.
How She's Like the Warlord: Jinal swings a sword (well, an energy blade) and carries a gun.  She's from a more advanced culture hanging out in a primitive one amid the remnants of advanced technology.

5 comments:

Jim Shelley said...

Claw Next Seen: Wonder Woman #21 (2008)


Actually, I *think* the character showed up in a modified format during the nineties in some DC anthology. I want to say Action Comics Weekly, but I don't think that's right. I remember seeing panels with the character dressed in a suit running through an airport, so either he became a time lost hero or it was just a completely different version.

- Jim

Jim Shelley said...

Nevermind - it appears I'm thinking of a completely different character - from Wikipedia

Another version of Claw is a superhero character created by Steven Seagle and Ken Hooper. He first appeared in Primal Force #1 (October, 1994). An Asian youth from Hong Kong, this Claw has no direct ties to the original Claw, although he bears an identical misshapen hand. Claw's real name was John Chan (possibly in homage to Ernie Chan). Chan became the Claw after buying an ancient suit of armour and sword. The Claw of Pytharia, which had been dormant in one of the gauntlets, cut off his hand with the sword and grafted itself in place. The demonic spirit of the claw increased his fighting skills, but made it difficult for him to control his anger. John Chan was a member of Primal Force throughout that series' 15 issue run.

Trey said...

That'll teach you to doubt my research, Jim! ;)

I would never, never mistake Primal forces Claw for the real deal.

Matthew Slepin said...

I had totally forgotten the Barren Earth and I recall liking it at the time. It now dawns on me that the situation in Under the Dying Sun must have been rotted in my forgotten memory of this. Damn.

Trey said...

I wouldn't worry about it, Matthew. It's not like the Barren Earth was influenced by other stuff, and you've brought your own spin to it. I certainly didn't read your Dying Sun stuff and think of the Barren Earth.