Red Sonja

For the 1985 film, see Red Sonja (film).
Red Sonja

Cover to Red Sonja #1 (June 2005).
Pencils by John Cassaday.
Colors by José Villarrubia.
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
Dynamite Entertainment
First appearance Conan the Barbarian #23
(February 1973)
Created by Robert E. Howard (name)
Roy Thomas
Barry Windsor-Smith
In-story information
Notable aliases Red Sonya of Rogatino
Abilities A sword-master in peak human physical condition, martial arts expert, as well as knowledge and experience of fighting the supernatural.

Red Sonja, the She-Devil with a Sword, is a fictional character, a high fantasy sword and sorcery heroine created by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith, and loosely based on Red Sonya of Rogatino in Robert E. Howard's 1934 short story "The Shadow of the Vulture". She first appeared in the Marvel Comics book Conan the Barbarian #23 (February 1973).

Red Sonja has become the archetypical example of the fantasy figure of a fierce and stunningly beautiful female barbarian who typically wears armor resembling a bikini or lingerie.

Contents

Origin

The origin story for Red Sonja, "The Day of the Sword", first appeared in Kull and the Barbarians #3 by Roy Thomas, Doug Moench, and Howard Chaykin, and was later redrawn by Dick Giordano and Terry Austin for The Savage Sword of Conan, issue 78.

In this story, Red Sonja lived with her family in a humble house in the Western Hyrkanian steppes (this seems to be in modern Ukraine/Russia though historical Hyrcania was on the borders of modern Iran/Turkmenistan). When she had just turned 17 years old, a group of mercenaries killed her family and burned down their house. Sonja survived but was brutally raped by the leader of the group, leaving her in shame. Answering her cry for revenge, the red goddess Scáthach appeared to her, and instilled in her incredible skill in the handling of swords and other weapons on the condition that she would never lie with a man unless he defeated her in fair combat.

In the current Dynamite comic book series, Sonja's origins are portrayed in "flashbacks" within each issue beginning with issue #8. The goddess makes her first appearance in the new series in issue #12, which also marks the return of the deadly sorcerer Kulan Gath.

Later during the series, the original character is killed off in issue #34. Instead, a new character of the same name, described as a reincarnation of the original Sonja, takes her place from issue #35 onward.

Revamped Sonja

In this new continuity, Sonja is described as a distant relative of the original Red Sonja, taking her name as a good omen, since Sonja had come to be known as the most beautiful and fearless woman in Hyrkania. A noblewoman, this incarnation lives a fairly sheltered existence, along with her sister Verona and her little niece, longing for a child of her own and waiting for the return of her distant husband, Lord Daniel.

Eventually she is reunited with her husband, but then a pirate crew (unbeknownst to them called upon by Verona's husband, Lord Lucan, in a bid for more power) slays him and leaves Sonja on the brink of death. Sonja is then nursed to health by Osin, in Sonja's previous life a bard companion and now a gruff swordsman, who accepted the curse of Claw the Unconquered for himself in exchange for the ability to locate, and train the new incarnation of Red Sonja.

Osin begins her training, finding that, even if Sonja has occasional flashes of her former reflexes, she no longer has access to the full might of the skills bestowed upon her by Scathach (now an almost forgotten goddess with waning powers) in her previous life, nor the fit body she once possessed, due to her sheltered life. Despite these handicaps Sonja is able to learn faster than presumed, but decides to act stealthily, joining Lucan's pirate crew to be closer to Daniel's assassins.

Prototypes: Red Sonja vs. Red Sonya

The character was loosely based on Red Sonya of Rogatino in Robert E. Howard's short story "The Shadow of the Vulture" (The Magic Carpet, January 1934), which Roy Thomas rewrote as a Conan story for Marvel Comics Conan the Barbarian #23 (1973). Thomas also somewhat based Red Sonja on another Howard character, Dark Agnes de Chastillon, a sword woman in 16th-century France.[1]

Red Sonja is somewhat different from Robert E. Howard's original Red Sonya. Besides tweaking the spelling of her name, Thomas transformed her from a sword- and pistol-wielding supporting character of the late Renaissance into a sword-wielding heroine of Conan's prehistoric Hyborian Age.

Bikini

Most artists depict Red Sonja wearing a very brief bikini-like costume of scale mail, usually with boots and gauntlets. As originally drawn by Barry Smith for "The Shadow of the Vulture" and "The Song of Red Sonja" in Conan the Barbarian issues 23 and 24 (1973), she did not have as full a figure and dressed a little more conservatively, in a long-sleeved mail shirt and short pants of red silk, a style that did not last long.

As told by Roy Thomas in the introduction of Red Sonja Adventures Volume 1 (Dynamite Entertainment) Spanish artist Esteban Maroto submitted an uncommissioned illustration to him when he was editing the magazine Savage Sword of Conan where he redesigned the character and for the first time showed her wearing what would become her famous costume, the silver "metal bikini", which resembled other fantasy costumes that other Maroto heroines sported in the 1970s. This illustration had been printed for the first time in Jim Steranko's magazine Comixscene #5 in black and white. It was reprinted in Savage Sword of Conan #1, and in Marvel Treasury Edition #15 colored but poorly reproduced, and finally restored and colored by José Villarrubia as an alternative cover for the Dynamite Entertainment edition of Red Sonja #2. Maroto drew her in this costume for a double page spread illustration in Savage Tales #3 and then for her first solo adventure in Savage Sword of Conan #1, and John Buscema drew her in this costume in the same magazine. Buscema drew her again in this costume in issues 43, 44 and 48 of Conan the Barbarian (1974) and Dick Giordano in the first issue of Marvel Feature (1975) before Frank Thorne took over from issue 2 (1976). The "bikini" proved popular, becoming well known through the paintings of Boris Vallejo and others.

Comics

These are the comic books that have featured Red Sonja as a main character:

In addition she has been featured in solo stories in the following publications:

  1. Issue 23, "Swords in the Night", Roy Thomas (w), Barry Smith (a), John Buscema/Akins/Stone (i). (First appearance in a Conan comic publication).
  2. Issue 24, "Song of Red Sonja", Roy Thomas (w), Barry Smith (a).
  3. Issue 43, "Tower of Blood", Roy Thomas (w), John Buscema/Ernie Chua (i).
  4. Issue 44, "The Fiend and the Flame", Roy Thomas (w), John Buscema/The Crusty Bunkers (a).
  5. Issue 48, "Episode!", Roy Thomas (w), John Buscema (p), Dick Giordano (i). (First solo story in color).
  6. Issue 67, "Talons of the Man-Tiger", Roy Thomas (w), John Buscema (i).
  7. Issue 68, "of Once and Future Kings", Roy Thomas (w), John Buscema (i).
  8. Issue 78, "Curse of the Undead-Man", Roy Thomas (w), John Buscema (a), Pablo Marcos (i). (Reprint from Savage Sword of Conan Issue 1).
  9. Issue 115, "A War of Wizards", Roy Thomas (w), John Buscema/Ernie Chan (i).
  10. Issue 195, "Blood of Ages", James Owsley/Val Semeiks (w), Geof Isherwood (f).
  11. Issue 196, "The Beast", James Owsley/Val Semeiks (w), Geof Isherwood (f).
  12. Issue 197, "Stand", James Owsley/Val Semeiks (w), Geof Isherwood (f).
  13. Issue 198, "The River", James Owsley/Val Semeiks (w), Geof Isherwood (f).
  14. Issue 199, "Revelation in the Mists", James Owsley/Val Semeiks (w), Geof Isherwood (f).
  15. Issue 200, "The Fall of Acheron", James Owsley/Val Semeiks (w), Geof Isherwood(f).
  16. Issue 204, "Goblin", James Owsley/Val Semeiks (w), Vince Colletta (f).
  17. Issue 205, "Necropolis", James Owsley/Val Semeiks (w), Alfredo Alcala (f).
  18. Issue 241-3, "The Sorcerer and the She-Devil", Roy Thomas (w), Mike DeCarlo (i).
  19. Issue 244, "Fiends of the Flaming Mountain", Roy Thomas (w), Mike DeCarlo (i).
  20. Issue 245, "Empire of the Undead", Roy Thomas (w), Mike DeCarlo (i).
  21. Issue 246, "Chaos in Khoraja", Roy Thomas (w), Mike DeCarlo (i).
  22. Issue 247, "The Sword that Conquers All", Roy Thomas (w), Mike DeCarlo (i).
  23. Issue 248, "The Peril and the Prophecy", Roy Thomas (w), Talaoc/Ernie Chan (i).
  24. Issue 249, "Red Wind", Roy Thomas (w), Ernie Chan (i).
  25. Issue 250, "Chaos Beneath Kuthchemes", Roy Thomas (w), Ernie Chan (i).
  1. Issue 12, "Legion of the Dead", James Owsley/Val Semeiks (w), Ernie Chan (a).
  1. Issue 1, "Red Sonja" Roy Thomas (w), Esteban Maroto (p), Ernie Chan/Neal Adams (i). (First solo story in black and white. Also featured in the cover painted by Boris Vallejo).
  2. Issue 1, "Curse of the Undead-Man", Roy Thomas (w), John Buscema (a), Pablo Marcos (i).
  1. Issue 23, "Wizards of the Black Sun", Roy Thomas/Clair Noto (w), Frank Thorne (a). (Featured in the cover painted by Earl Norem)
  2. Issue 29, "The Wizard and Red Sonja Show", Frank Thorne (w/a).
  3. Issue 45, "Master of Shadows", Christie Marx (w), John Buscema (p), Tony DeZuniga (i).
  4. Issue 78, "The Day of the Sword", Roy Thomas/Doug Moench (w), Howard Chaykin (layouts) Dick Giordano/Terry Austin (a). (Origin re-drawn). (Reprint from Kull and the Barbarians Issue 3)
  5. Issue 82, "Song of Red Sonja", Roy Thomas (w), Barry Smith (a). (Reprint from Conan the Barbarina Issue 24).
  6. Issue 83, "Red Sonja", Roy Thomas (w), Esteban Maroto (p), Ernie Chan/Neal Adams (i). (Reprint from Savage Sword of Conan Issue 1).
  7. Issue 144, "The Waiting Doom", Charles Dixon (w), Ernie Chan (i).
  8. Issue 145, "Feast of the Stag", Charles Dixon (w), Geof Isherwood (f).
  9. Issue 153, "Phantasm", James Owsley (w), Luke McDonnell (p) Armando Gil (i).
  10. Issue 157, "Infant Terrible", Bruce Jones (w/a).
  11. Issue 169, "The Endless Stair", Peter B. Gillis (w), Steven Carr (p), Armando Gil (i).
  12. Issue 170, "Emerald Lust", Charles Dixon (w), Gary Kwapisz (i).
  13. Issue 172, "The Waif and the Warrior", Jim Valentino (w), Steven Carr (p), Josef Rubinstein (i).
  14. Issue 178, "Chains", Sue Flaxman (w), Gavin Curtis (p), Keith Williams (i).
  15. Issue 179, "Fury of the Iron Damsels", Charles Dixon (w), Gary Kwapisz (i).
  16. Issue 187, "Red Sonja Queels the Song of the Siren", Marie Javins/Steve Buccellato (w), Alfredo Alcala (a).
  17. Issue 192, "On the Road of Kings", Roy Thomas/Dann Thomas (w), Tony DeZuniga (a).
  18. Issue 194, "The Road to Zamboula", Roy Thomas (w), Tony DeZuniga (a).
  19. Issue 195, "Swordless in Zamboula", Roy Thomas (w), Tony DeZuniga (a).
  20. Issues 207-10, "The Road to Zanadu", Roy Thomas/Dann Thomas (w), Del Barras/Reggie Jones/ Kirk Etienne (a).
  21. Issue 224, "Dragons of a World's Dawn", Roy Thomas (w), E.R. Cruz (i).
  22. Issue 226, "Of Kings and Cataclysms", Roy Thomas (w), E.R. Cruz (i); "Days of the World Ending", Roy Thomas (w), E.R. Cruz (i); "Back from the Time Abyss", Roy Thomas (w), E.R. Cruz (i).
  23. Issue 229, "A Lady for the Burning", Roy Thomas (w), Howard Simpson (p), Rober Quijano (i).
  24. Issue 230, "Shall Python Fall?", Roy Thomas (w), E.R. Cruz (i).
  25. Issue 231, "A Remembrance of Fires Past", Roy Thomas (w), E.R. Cruz (i).
  26. Issue 232, "Reflections of Eveil", Roy Thomas (w), E.R. Cruz (i).
  27. Issue 233, "Here Be Monsters", Roy Thomas (w), Geof Isherwood (i).
  28. Issue 230-3, "The Ring of Ikribu" Roy Thomas (w), Esteban Maroto (a).
  1. Issue 2, "She-devil with a Sword" Roy Thomas (w), Howard Chaykin (a).
  2. Issue 3, "The Day of the Sword" Roy Thomas/Doug Moench (w), Howard Chaykin (a). (Origin story, first appearance of the Red Goddess. Also featured in the cover painted by Michael Whelan)
  1. Issue 9, "Day of the Red Judgement", Roy Thomas/ Christy Marx (w), Howard Chaykin (a). (Second appearance of the Red Goddess from origin story. Also featured in the cover painted by John Buscema)
  1. Issue 28, "Call of the Wild."
  1. Issue 9, "City Under Siege", Chuck Dixon (w).

And with

Marvel Feature #4 was reprinted in the book The Superhero Women edited by Stan Lee. Red Sonja was featured arching among many of Marvel Comics's female characters on the cover painted by John Romita, Sr..

Novels

Sonja has been featured in several novels by David C. Smith and Richard L. Tierney with covers by Boris Vallejo:

In other media

Film

The character was played by Brigitte Nielsen in the 1985 film Red Sonja, which also starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as High Lord Kalidor (originally intended to be Conan). The film was directed by Richard Fleischer.

Actress Rose McGowan was originally intended to portray Sonja in 2010s Red Sonja film, but these plans were squelched by injuries that permanently damaged the mobility and strength of her right arm.[2]

In a February 2011 interview, film producer Avi Lerner stated that Simon West is was hired to direct the film and also mentioned Amber Heard as the frontrunner to star in the lead role.[3]

Television

Angelica Bridges portrayed the character in the "Red Sonja" episode of the 1997 - 1998 TV series Conan.

Music

Red Sonja is mentioned in the Eminem song 'Bagpipes from Baghdad'.

Awards

Legal

On June 6, 2006, comic news site Newsarama reported that Red Sonja, LLC (which holds rights to the Roy Thomas version of the character) filed a lawsuit on four counts against Paradox Entertainment (which claims rights to Red Sonya as part of the Howard library, though no renewal record for The Shadow of the Vulture exists) in US Federal Court in April 2006. The four counts are claims of copyright infringement, trademark infringement, trademark dilution, and unfair competition.[4] The lawsuit was settled in January 2008, on the second day of the hearing, for a sum of $1 each. Red Sonja LLC paid $1 to Paradox for the rights to Howard's Red Sonya and permission for the Red Sonja stories to continue being set in Conan's Hyborian Age. Paradox simultaneously paid $1 to Red Sonja LLC for the exclusive print-publication rights for The Shadow of the Vulture now that one of the characters belongs to Red Sonja LLC.[5]

References

  1. ^ Afterword by Roy Thomas, in The Chronicles of Conan Volume 4: The Song of Red Sonja and Other Stories (Dark Horse, 2004)
  2. ^ "Rose McGowan demanded $5M to shave eyebrows in 'Conan'". CTV News. August 19, 2011. http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Entertainment/20110819/shaved-eyebrows-conan-rose-mcgowan-110819/. 
  3. ^ Williams, Owen. "Amber Heard For Red Sonja? With Simon West directing?". Empire. February 10, 2011
  4. ^ "Sonja vs. Conan - Red Sonja, LLC Sues Paradox". Newsarama. http://www.newsarama.com/dynamitenew/redsonja/12/SonjaConan.html. 
  5. ^ "Red Sonja/Red Sonya dispute settled for $1 swap". Newsarama. http://blog.newsarama.com/2008/01/29/red-sonjared-sonya-dispute-settled-for-1-swap/. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 

External links