To Sit the Topaz Throne!

KULL THE DESTROYER — Issue no. 29

Book: Kull the Destroyer

Issue No.: 29

Published: July 4, 1978

Title: “To Sit the Topaz Throne!”

Cover Price: 35¢

Format: Original paper copy

Once again, a comic book’s fan-mail page provides valuable historical context! The comic book in question is Kull the Destroyer no. 29, which is the final issue of the series. And I know that thanks to an editor’s note on the fan-mail page (called “The Thurian Chronicles”).

I got to read the fan-mail page (and look at all the book’s ads and other non-story stuff) because I happened to find an original copy of Kull no. 29. As I recall, I picked it up at More Fun Comics, a most excellent comic book store in New Orleans. There was no price marked, so I asked the clerk if he could look it up. He flipped through a price guide for a few seconds and said, “Like… three bucks?” Sold!

Aside from notice that there won’t be a Kull the Destroyer no. 30, the fan-mail page includes an ad for Thor Annual no. 7. The ad says that book is “on sale soon!” This bit of evidence lends more credence to my theory that the Fandom.com Marvel wiki got the publication date wrong on that Thor annual.

It’s funny. It bums me out when I read the final issue of one of these 1978 Marvel books. Even though they’ve been canceled for more than 40 years at this point! But at least Kull gets a fairly tidy wrap-up. Unlike Man From Atlantis, which went out with a weird, never-to-be-resolved cliffhanger.

I generally like Kull, even though I never totally got caught up on all of the plot threads that were already in play when I started reading the book. So this finale confused me a bit. But in fairness, it confused Kull, too. At the story’s end, Kull explains what just happened to his sidekick/pal. But he admits that his explanation is a guess.

I’ll simplify the plot even more than Kull did. Basically, Kull (who is a warrior in pre-Conan swords-and-sorcery times) has been captured by his arch-enemy, the evil, skull-headed wizard Thulsa Doom. Thulsa’s plan is to sacrifice Kull to free the city of Torranna from a curse. All of the citizens of Torranna are basically zombies, and Thulsa wants to bring them back to life so they can be his slaves. But Kull manages to turn the tables, and Thulsa ends up getting sacrificed. Oh, and Thulsa getting sacrificed just makes the curse worse. I guess the poor people of Torranna were doomed either way.

Having taken care of Thulsa Doom, Kull heads back to Valusia and reinstates himself as king (which has apparently been a long-time goal of Kull’s). So, like I said, a fairly tidy wrap-up for Kull the comic book and Kull the character.

Next time — I’ll be back Tuesday with a very important (to me, at least) Star Wars book!