(EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to The Classic Conan Countdown, a series of reviews focusing on the original 275 issues of Marvel Comics’ Conan the Barbarian, which were published from 1970 to 1993. This is a review of Conan the Barbarian Vol. 1, #59.)

By DEAN PLAKAS – Paint Monk’s Library Writer

After a successful raid on a Stygian vessel, a nameless priest curses Belit and Conan. As the Stygian ship sinks to the bottom of the ocean with its dead passengers, Belit kisses the Cimmerian and tells him she will wash up and wait for him in her cabin.

Conan seizes the moment to ask N’Yaga, the shaman, about Belit’s intense hatred of the Stygians. N’Yaga explains her origin to Conan.

The Shemite hellcat is the child of King Atrahasis of Asgalun, a city-state of Shem. Although she was the rightful heir to the throne, her jealous uncle Nim-Karrak coveted the kingship and wanted it by any means necessary. He arranged for his own brother’s assassination and that of his heir.

Being her royal tutor and loyal to the king, N’Yaga smuggled her to safety with some loyal guards when Nim-Karrak overthrew the government. He took Belit to his homeland, where they were immediately attacked by the Bird-Raiders, archers who rode on large, flightless birds. 

These bird-raiders killed the royal guardsmen – and N’Yaga, in an effort to save Belit, put on a display of fire with some powder. He convinced the raiders that she was the daughter of Derketa, the goddess of death. The pair was released, and N’Yaga returned to his tribe, continuing to look after the Shemite woman.

Although Belit joined N’Yaga’s tribe, she was never fully accepted. As she grew into maidenhood, her accomplishments caused dissension and jealousy among the tribesmen. She killed a blood-crazed baboon; she killed a man-eating leopard. Despite these feats, the tribe refused to acknowledge her as a warrior. 

When she insisted that she be initiated, Chief Uzumi of the Silver Isles plotted her death. The jealous chief sent Belit on a suicide mission to reclaim the Silver Eye of Dagon, a long-missing jewel that was stolen by the frightening Mound-Dwellers.

Instead of being killed in what he thought was an impossible task, Belit was able to steal the gem away from its monstrous keepers, who chased her back to the village. She warned her tribesmen that the Mound Dwellers were following her – and she soon discovered Uzumi’s treachery.

With the help of N’Yaga, Belit force-fed liquid steel to the chieftan! The Mound Dwellers, sensing the silver in Uzumi, took the screaming chief instead of the gem.

With the chief gone and her ferocity witnessed by fellow tribesmen, Belit was now fully accepted as a warrior, tribe member, leader and goddess. 

Concluding his story, N’Yaga bids Conan good night. The barbarian approaches Belit’s cabin and sees her store some treasure in a chest.

He spies the great Silver Eye of Dagon from N’Yaga’s tale. Instead of entering the cabin, Conan remains on deck, staring at the full moon and pondering his future with this formidable woman.

CAPSULE REVIEW: The Hyborian Page in this issue gives insight as to how Thomas and Buscema adapted Belit’s origin. Using the little information Robert E. Howard had given about the Shemite hellion in his original tale “Queen of the Black Coast,” Thomas and Buscema built a solid backstory about Conan’s femme fatale mostly in an effort to explain how a white woman ended up leading a crew of dark-skinned warriors.

Although they tried to stick to the original version of Howard’s character, they did alter her look drastically. Where Red Sonja’s look was altered after her original appearance in Conan, the Mistress of the Tigress had her look changed from the beginning.

Belit, as written by Howard, is supposed to be adorned in jewels, wearing only a red silk girdle and sandals – but her wardrobe was changed to match Conan’s look. In the comics, she wears a fur bikini top and loincloth.

Steve Gan does a competent job here inking John Buscema’s pencils, but at times the texture is a bit flat and he keeps shadows to a minimum. It’s easily overlooked, as the pacing of the action-packed story makes up for it.

On a scale of 1-10, I give the “Ballad of Belit” an 8.5. On eBay, copies of this issue averaged around $5 buy-it-now, which is a shame for an issue thatis a very, very good origin story.

– “And this story shall also be told.”      – The Wizard in Conan the Barbarian

– Dean Plakas