Savage Avengers #2: Review

Jun 2019

Gerry Duggan, Mike Deodato Jr.

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Story Name:

Chapter 2: Death proof

Review & Comments

Rating:

Savage Avengers #2 Review by Rob Johnson (June 15, 2019)

Kulan Gath 1st appeared in Conan The Barbarian #14-15 (the Elric Of Melnibone issues). He had 2 more documented run-ins with Conan. But at some point he was killed by Red Sonja and returned to life in the 20th Century (Marvel Team-Up #79). He menaced the world several times after that.
But his visit in this issue to the modern world seems to be unconnected to the above as he's been in the Savage Land since WWII.

The Crimson Bands are presumably 1 of Dr Strange's favourite weapon spells the Crimson Bands Of Cyttorak.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Savage Avengers #2 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

The issue opens with a WWII aerial dogfight over the Savage Land. Luftwaffe pilot Johan Richter is shot down (but 1 of his enemies runs into a pterodactyl and the other plane disappears through a space warp). He fights his way to an ancient city and meets its ruler Kulan Gath who accepts him as a student in the dark arts. That pilot is now the Priest Of Sickles.

Last issue the Priest was killing selected folk to create a pool of blood to summon the Marrow God Jhoatun Lau. His latest victim was Doctor Voodoo, who Wolverine was too late to save. Now Logan strives for vengeance. The Priest tries to hold him back with the Crimson Bands, fails and teleports away. Wolvie slices open Jericho Drumm's chest, drips his own regenerative blood onto his heart and massages it back to life, at the same time fending off attacks from a few Hand ninjas. As Voodoo starts to breath Logan turns to killing the Hand.

Conan of Cimmeria is also in the city searching for a rumoured mystic amulet to steal and sell. He finds it, the 3rd Eye Of Agamotto, resting on the body of Kulan Gath. But the wizard awakes and remembers Conan from previous encounters. During the ensuing duel Conan smashes open a jar which contains a Klyntar symbiote with which Gath intended to lure the related symbiote called Venom. But this symbiote attacks Gath, and the sorcerer's retaliation causes it to scream (which *will* be detected by Venom). And Conan gets away with his prize.

Kulan Gath and the Sickle Priest meet to compare complications. The Eye is necessary for summoning the Marrow God, and Wolverine is too much for the Hand to handle.

We see Logan still fighting despite being a pincushion of arrows and swords. Dr Voodoo helps with a spider-web spell. They are both weak when Kulan Gath arrives with more ninjas.

Last issue ended with Punisher finding his family's bodies had been stolen from their graves. He touched a bag lying there ...

... which transports him here. Groggy from the teleportation he's easily knocked face down by some Hand. But he was expecting some such reception. He has a claymore mine strapped to his back. He triggers it and the directed blast kills the ninjas.

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