A Bêlit Cover Gallery I:
Conan the Barbarian (Marvel, 1970)

This is the first installment in our Bêlit themed cover galleries. Below, we present selected covers, which depict Bêlit, from the Conan the Barbarian series, published by Marvel from October, 1970 through December, 1993.

1

  • title: Conan the Barbarian (1970)
  • publisher: Marvel
  • cover artist: John Buscema
  • writer: Roy Thomas
  • artist: John Buscema
  • issue: #058 of 275
  • release date: January, 1976
  • cover: A cover
  • episode: "Queen of the Black Coast!"
  • commentary: Marvel introduced Bêlit in issue #58 of Conan the Barbarian and told of her adventures with Conan through issue #100. Bêlit appears in many but not all of the issues in this stretch. Furthermore, Bêlit does not appear on the cover of all the issues in which she does make an appearance in the interior. This page showcases only those covers in which Bêlit is present.

2

  • title: Conan the Barbarian (1970)
  • publisher: Marvel
  • cover artist: John Buscema
  • writer: Roy Thomas
  • artist: John Buscema
  • issue: #059 of 275
  • release date: February, 1976
  • cover: A cover
  • episode: "The Ballad of Bêlit"
  • commentary: Roy Thomas is credited as writer on all of these issues. John Buscema is the interior penciller. He is also credited with many of the covers including Bêlit.

3

  • title: Conan the Barbarian (1970)
  • publisher: Marvel
  • cover artist: Gil Kane
  • writer: Roy Thomas
  • artist: John Buscema
  • issue: #061 of 275
  • release date: April, 1976
  • cover: A cover
  • episode: "On the Track of the She-Pirate"
  • commentary: Gil Kane is the other artist who drew covers for Conan the Barbarian (1970) with Bêlit.

4

  • title: Conan the Barbarian (1970)
  • publisher: Marvel
  • cover artist: Gil Kane
  • writer: Roy Thomas
  • artist: John Buscema
  • issue: #063 of 275
  • release date: June, 1976
  • cover: A cover
  • episode: "Death Among the Ruins!"
  • commentary: In several of these covers, Bêlit makes only a cameo appearance. She is not ordinarily portrayed as a damsel in distress.

5

  • title: Conan the Barbarian (1970)
  • publisher: Marvel
  • cover artist: John Buscema
  • writer: Roy Thomas
  • artist: John Buscema
  • issue: #064 of 275
  • release date: July, 1976
  • cover: A cover
  • episode: "The Secret of Skull River!"
  • commentary: On most of these covers, Bêlit is shown as a formidable fighter, though not of the same caliber as the titular hero.

6

  • title: Conan the Barbarian (1970)
  • publisher: Marvel
  • cover artist: Gil Kane
  • writer: Roy Thomas
  • artist: John Buscema
  • issue: #065 of 275
  • release date: August, 1976
  • cover: A cover
  • episode: "Fiends of the Feathered Serpent!"
  • commentary: Bêlit did not hesitate to take hold of a sword and follow her partner headlong in battle.

7

  • title: Conan the Barbarian (1970)
  • publisher: Marvel
  • cover artist: Gil Kane
  • writer: Roy Thomas
  • artist: John Buscema
  • issue: #070 of 275
  • release date: January, 1977
  • cover: A cover
  • episode: "The City in the Storm!"
  • commentary: The dialog on this cover captures Conan's inherent fatalism. He risked his life on a regular basis and had no regret that he might lose it, so long as he maintained his courage.

8

  • title: Conan the Barbarian (1970)
  • publisher: Marvel
  • cover artist: Gil Kane
  • writer: Roy Thomas
  • artist: John Buscema
  • issue: #072 of 275
  • release date: March, 1977
  • cover: A cover
  • episode: "Vengeance in Asgalun"
  • commentary: Conan and Bêlit had opportunities to test their strength against supernatural foes, both arcane and divine.

9

  • title: Conan the Barbarian (1970)
  • publisher: Marvel
  • cover artist: Gil Kane
  • writer: Roy Thomas
  • artist: John Buscema
  • issue: #073 of 275
  • release date: April, 1977
  • cover: A cover
  • episode: "He Who Waits in the Well of Skelos!"
  • commentary: The bond between Conan and Bêlit was strengthened by shared trials and adversity.

10

  • title: Conan the Barbarian (1970)
  • publisher: Marvel
  • cover artist: Gil Kane
  • writer: Roy Thomas
  • artist: John Buscema
  • issue: #074 of 275
  • release date: May, 1977
  • cover: A cover
  • episode: "The Battle at the Black Walls!"
  • commentary: Bêlit was known as the "Queen of the Black Coast", because she sailed southern seas where the lands were populated by characters with African attributes. The crew of Bêlit's ship, the Tigress, were from these lands. Bêlit herself hailed from Shem, a more Mediterranean-like land in the world of R.E. Howard.

11

  • title: Conan the Barbarian (1970)
  • publisher: Marvel
  • cover artist: John Buscema
  • writer: Roy Thomas
  • artist: John Buscema
  • issue: #088 of 275
  • release date: July, 1978
  • cover: A cover
  • episode: "The Queen and the Corsairs!"
  • commentary: Conan's companion, Zula, appears in many comics. In the original story of Howard, Zula did not cross paths with Bêlit.

12

  • title: Conan the Barbarian (1970)
  • publisher: Marvel
  • cover artist: John Buscema
  • writer: Roy Thomas
  • artist: John Buscema
  • issue: #090 of 275
  • release date: September, 1978
  • cover: A cover
  • episode: "The Diadem of the Giant-Kings!"
  • commentary: In many of these books, Bêlit is involved in encounters that are not related in the one R.E. Howard story in which she appeared.

13

  • title: Conan the Barbarian (1970)
  • publisher: Marvel
  • cover artist: John Buscema
  • writer: Roy Thomas
  • artist: John Buscema
  • issue: #091 of 275
  • release date: October, 1978
  • cover: A cover
  • episode: "Savage Doings in Shem!"
  • commentary: In many issues, Bêlit and Conan travel far from the Tigress.

14

  • title: Conan the Barbarian (1970)
  • publisher: Marvel
  • cover artist: John Buscema
  • writer: Roy Thomas
  • artist: John Buscema
  • issue: #093 of 275
  • release date: December, 1978
  • cover: A cover
  • episode: "Of Rage and Revenge!"
  • commentary: Bêlit is routinely referenced as a queen, though she has no formal claim to any such title.

15

  • title: Conan the Barbarian (1970)
  • publisher: Marvel
  • cover artist: John Buscema
  • writer: Roy Thomas
  • artist: John Buscema
  • issue: #094 of 275
  • release date: January, 1979
  • cover: A cover
  • episode: "The Beast-King of Abombi!"
  • commentary: In all of the appearances of Bêlit in Conan the Barbarian (1970), she is shown wearing the same brown, fur outfit, which matches the style of Conan's wardrobe. In the original story, she wore no such barbaric garb.

16

  • title: Conan the Barbarian (1970)
  • publisher: Marvel
  • cover artist: John Buscema
  • writer: Roy Thomas
  • artist: John Buscema
  • issue: #097 of 275
  • release date: January, 1979
  • cover: A cover
  • episode: "The Long Night of Fang and Talon (part 2)"
  • commentary: This is the only cover where Bêlit comes to Conan's rescue.

17

  • title: Conan the Barbarian (1970)
  • publisher: Marvel
  • cover artist: John Buscema
  • writer: Roy Thomas
  • artist: John Buscema
  • issue: #099 of 275
  • release date: June, 1979
  • cover: A cover
  • episode: "Devil-Crabs of the Dark Cliffs!"
  • commentary: Here in the penultimate issue with Bêlit, she is once again relegated to a background role.

18

  • title: Conan the Barbarian (1970)
  • publisher: Marvel
  • cover artist: John Buscema
  • writer: Roy Thomas
  • artist: John Buscema
  • issue: #100 of 275
  • release date: July, 1979
  • cover: A cover
  • episode: "Death on the Black Coast!"
  • commentary: Belit's story in Conan the Barbarian (1970) ends in a double-length issue #100 with her death, following a narrative with some similar elements to that portrayed by Howard in Queen of the Black Coast.

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