Marvel Feature

Marvel Feature is the first set of Marvel Comics Red Sonja comic series. The first issue was originally published in 1975.

The storyline spans seven issues and is the second volume of the Marvel Feature title (previous and later volumes feature other Marvel heroes).

Issues[]

Plots[]

Issue #1[]

"In The Temple of Abomination" - Sonja avenges a priest of Mitra by slaying his torturers, a group of devilish Satyrs.

The events of this story follow soon after those in Kull and the Barbarians #3.

In the second story ("Red Sonja") Sonja succeeds in retrieving the serpent-tiara in Makkalet for King Ghannif, only to receive a reward that she did not in any way suspect.

The second story originally appeared in Savage Sword of Conan #1 in August 1974

Issue #2[]

"Blood of the Hunter" - After robbing the brigand Rejak, Sonja is tracked by Rejack who wants revenge and kills everyone in his way.

Issue #3[]

"Balek Lives" - Neja seeks to rob Sonja of a special key so that she may continue the doings of her ancestor, that of releasing the destructive forces of Balek upon the world.

Issue #4[]

"Eyes of the Gorgon" - When Sonja arrives at a village, she is nearly hung by the fear-stricken citizens. A deformed man named Unkas rescues her, and from him Sonja learns that the gorgon of legend, Medusa, is supposedly terrorizing the town. Unkas gives Sonja the chance to escape from the village, but she decides to investigate the menace of the Gorgon.

Issue #5[]

"The Bear God Walks!" - Sonja arrives in the village of Yorkin and learns of a prize for slaying the forest beast, as it is murdering town folk. At the town gathering, she volunteers to slay the beast. Tusan, a villager and quick admirer of Sonja, decides to assist her.

Issue #6[]

"Beware the Sacred Sons of Set!" - On her way to Argos, Sonja encounters deadly beasts resembling men. After defeating them in battle, she eventually runs into Karanthes, priest of the Invincible God-Bird Ibis. Karanthes bribes Sonja into searching for the remnant page of the iron-bound Book of Skelos, which will help turn the tides for Ibis in his fight against Set, the serpent-god.

Issues 6-7 were published were published concurrently with issues 66-68 of Conan the Barbarian, which also feature Red Sonja and involve the Book of Skelos.

Issue #7[]

"The Battle of the Barbarians!" - Red Sonja delivers a stolen page from the Book of Skelos to Karanthes, but Conan has tracked her there and wants the page for himself. Red Sonja and Conan are pitted in a duel to the death for the remnant page.

Locations[]

Hyboria
Makkalet
Argos
Messantia

Trivia[]

This was the first ongoing series, under the guise of "Marvel Feature", starring Red Sonja as the main character. The series was stopped with issue 7 and was replaced by Red Sonja's first own ongoing series, Red Sonja (Marvel Volume 1).
Marvel Feature #4 was reprinted in 1977 (along with issues from other Marvel titles) in the book The Superhero Women edited by Stan Lee. Red Sonja is featured on the cover alongside other Marvel heroines.
These seven issues are collected in the Adventures of Red Sonja, Vol. 1 trade paperback.