- "Not -- in Vanaheim -- but in -- Valhalla -- will you tell your brothers -- that you met Conan of Cimmeria!"
- ―Conan
| "The Frost Giant's Daughter" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Savage Tales | |
| Title: | "The Frost Giant's Daughter" |
| Volume: | 1 |
| Number: | 1 |
| Cover price: | .50 |
| Cover date: | May, 1971 |
| Publisher: | Marvel Comics |
| Credits | |
| Chief: | Stan Lee |
| Writers: | Roy Thomas; Stan Lee; Gerry Conway; Sergius O'Shaughnessy |
| Pencilers: | Barry Windsor-Smith; John Romita, Sr.; Gray Morrow; Gene Colan; John Buscema |
| Inkers: | Barry Windsor-Smith; John Romita, Sr.; Gray Morrow; Tom Palmer, Sr.; John Buscema |
| Cover artists: | John Buscema |
| Cover inker: | John Buscema |
| Cover colorist: | John Buscema |
| Letterers: | Sam Rosen; Gray Morrow |
| Assistants: | Roy Thomas |
| Editors: | Stan Lee |
| Navigation | |
| Previous: | — |
| Next: | Savage Tales #2 |
"The Frost Giant's Daughter" is the title to the first story presented in the premiere issue of Savage Tales, which is a black and white illustrated comic magazine published by Marvel Comics. The story is a Conan feature written by Roy Thomas with artwork by Barry Smith. The second story is a ten-page tale featuring the Sisterhood, and is written by Stan Lee with artwork by John Romita. The third vignette, introduces the character of the Man-Thing, and is written by Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway with artwork, inks and lettering by Gray Morrow. The following tale is called "Joshua's Burden", and is written by Sergius O'Shaughnessy with art by Gene Colan and inks by Tom Palmer. The final story features Ka-Zar and is written by Stan Lee. Artwork is provided by John Buscema. Buscema also rendered the cover art illustration for this issue. This issue shipped with a May, 1971 cover date and carries a cover price of .50 cents per copy.
"The Frost Giant's Daughter"[]
- Writer - Roy Thomas
- Penciler - Barry Smith
- Inker - Barry Smith
- Editor - Stan Lee
- Associate editor - Roy Thomas
Conan, now a member of an Aesir war party, is just finishing off a band of Vanir in the snowy plains, but soon stumbles and falls due to his injuries. A beautiful, scantily clad maiden appears to him, and when she tempts him a little too much, he chases her lustily towards the mountains, knowing she might be luring him to an ambush. When her frost giant brothers appear, he swiftly deals with them and continues his chase, finally catching her. She prays to her father, the god Ymir, to save her, and she vanishes in a flash of blue light. Conan collapses, and is rescued by his Aesir companions, who, while they don't entirely believe his story, are disquieted with the remnants of a dress Conan holds in his hand.'
Characters
Locations
- Cimmeria
Items
"The Fury of the Femizons"[]
- Writer - Stan Lee
- Penciler - John Romita, Sr.
- Inker - John Romita, Sr.
- Letterer - Sam Rosen
- Editor - Stan Lee
- Associate editor - Roy Thomas
Characters
- Lyra
- Vega
- Syrani
- Mogon
Locations
- Femizonia
- Temple of Genetics
Items
"The Origin of the Man-Thing"[]
- Writer - Roy Thomas
- Writer - Gerry Conway
- Penciler - Gray Morrow
- Inker - Gray Morrow
- Letterer - Gray Morrow
- Editor - Stan Lee
- Associate editor - Roy Thomas
Doctor Theodore "Ted" Sallis is a scientist working on a variation of the lost super-soldier serum on behalf of a government contractor. He sets up shop in the Florida Everglades with his assistant (and lover), Ellen Brandt. What he doesn't realize though, is that Brandt is actually a spy working for a criminal organization. As soon as Sallis confirms the success of his super-soldier serum, Brandt contacts her people.
The thugs raid Sallis' lab and try to steal the formula from him. The only existing sample is contained within a needle. Ted grabs the sample and races out towards his car. The thugs begin following him. Driving away, Sallis realizes that the only way that he might survive (and preserve the formula) is to inject himself with it. If nothing else, he succeeds in keeping it out of criminal hands.
After injecting himself with the formula, Ted's car goes off a bridge and into the swamp. The super-soldier serum coursing through his bloodstream interfaces with the surrounding vegetation and transforms Sallis into a mindless, shambling muck-monster that men will come to call the Man-Thing!
The Man-Thing rises from the swamp and attacks the criminals. He grabs one and shatters his spine against his knee. Ellen Brandt is present and begins screaming. The Man-Thing discovers that he has an empathic connection to all humans, and fear produces a swelling of rage within him. He grabs Ellen by the face and secretes a corrosive substance from his pores, burning Ellen badly. Whatever knows fear... burns at the touch of the Man-Thing!
Featured characters
Villains
Organizations
Races
Locations
Items
Vehicles
Powers
"Joshua's Burden"[]
- Writer - Sergius O'Shaughnessy
- Penciler - Gene Colan
- Inker - Tom Palmer, Sr.
- Editor - Stan Lee
- Associate editor - Roy Thomas
Characters
Locations
Items
"The Night of the Looter!"[]
- Writer - Stan Lee
- Penciler - John Buscema
- Inker - John Buscema
- Editor - Stan Lee
- Associate editor - Roy Thomas
A couple Carla and Ralph come to the Savage Land with a Swamp Tank to steal Ka-Zar's vibranium, but when they force him to open the door to where it is stored the vibranium destroys the tank. Carla is carried off and killed by the Swamp Men when Ralph is not able to save her because the gun he was using only had blanks due to Carla replacing the bullets with blanks in an effort to get Ralph killed.
Characters
Locations
Items
Notes & Trivia[]
- Artist Barry Windsor-Smith is credited as Barry Smith in this issue.
- Writer Denny O'Neil is credited as Sergius O'Shaughnessy in this issue.
- "The Origin of the Man-Thing" is reprinted in Monsters Unleashed #3 magazine in November, 1973. It is also reprinted in standard comic book format in Book of the Dead #1 in December, 1993. It is reprinted in trade format in Essential Man-Thing, Volume 1 in 2006 and in hardcover edition in the Man-Thing Omnibus in October, 2012. It was reprinted in standard comic format again in Infernal Man-Thing #3, which was also released in October, 2012.
- This is the first appearance of Ted Sallis, who becomes the Man-Thing beginning with this issue. Chronologically, he appears next in the "Behold the Man-Thing" story-arc in Marvel Comics Presents #164-167. His next actual appearance is in the Ka-Zar story from Astonishing Tales #12.
- Later stories will establish that the U.S. government program that Ted Sallis is part of is called Project Sulfur, which is an adjunct of the Weapon Plus program.