ZUKALAZUKALA
Real Name: Zukala
Identity/Class: God (pre-Cataclysmic and Hyborian Eras)
Occupation: God, sorcerer
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Jaggta-Noga, Arkyn Lord of Law, Conan the Barbarian, King Sumuabi of Akkharia
Enemies: Arioch (Duke of Chaos), Conan, Karanthes, Kulan Gath, Razal Gulath, Red Sonja, Terhali, the Queen Xiombarg
Known Relatives: Zephra (daughter), El-Ron (son)
Aliases: Zukala the God
Base of Operations: Ghaza (Koth)
formerly his house in Koth,
formerly Zukala Castle (Zamora);
formerly Akkharia, Shem;
formerly Zingara;
Pre-Cataclysmic and Hyborian Eras
First Appearance: Conan the Barbarian I#5 (May, 1971)
{Edizione Italiana: Gli Albi dei Super-Eroi#17 Editoriale Corno}
Powers/Abilities: Originally Zukala was probably very
powerful, having the power of a God.
In his human form he was immortal, and could grant immortality to his
daughter, too. But his powers were reduced over time, so he used a magical mask to focus his
powers. He could blast flashes and green flames, teleport, and his magical
powers grant him a certain degree of invulnerability. He also can summon demons from
other dimensions.
Without his mask he was not immortal anymore, and Zephra's power were almost
nullified. Zukala could still summon enchanted White Eagles, observe events appearing
very far and in other dimensions, enchant weapons, request other god's help
(Serusha) and speak to an extradimensional god (Arkyn). He also could project
his own image at a certain distance (at least two days of horse riding) and
could raise a cadaver giving it his original shape but without giving it life.
In his spirit form he could posses a human body, probably the body of whoever
summons him, and use his host to speak and cast spells.
History:
(Conan the Barbarian I#243 (fb) - BTS) - Zukala was a
God. Before Acheron and before Atlantis.
(Conan the Barbarian I#5 (fb) - BTS) - Zukala the God took human form and became Zukala the Sorcerer. His powers decreased in his human form, but he still seemed immortal. He generated a daughter: Zephra. Zukala and Zephra lived for eons till the Hyborian Era.
(Conan the Barbarian I#5 (fb) - BTS) - Once in Zamora, Zukala took possession of a Castle. He started to ask annual payments from the people living in the land around his Castle. It is uncertain when he started to use a magical mask to increase his magical powers.
(Conan the Barbarian I#242 (fb) - BTS) - Zukala and Zephra lived for a while in Zingara. While there, Zukala generated a son: El-Ron.
(Conan the Barbarian I#242 (fb) - BTS) - Zukala abandoned El-Ron's mother before his son was born. Zukala took Zephra with him.
(Conan the Barbarian I#115 (fb)) - For an unspecified period of time Zukala lived in Koth. Zukala became the wizard of King Sumuabi, the State-Town of Akkharia's lord.
(Conan the Barbarian I#115 (fb)) - When Karanthes, priest of Ibis, arrived in Akkharia, he ousted Zukala from his power and King Sumuabi banished Zukala from the town.
(Conan the Barbarian I#5 (fb) - BTS) - For a long time nobody challenged the sorcerer, and Zukala became the lord of a large territory around Zukala castle.
(Conan the Barbarian I#5) - For tens of years the people paid
Zukala's tax till to one year they delayed the payment. Zukala sent his daughter
Zephra to a village to punish them. Just that day, Conan passed in the village, and
protected the people from Zephra in her Tigress form. Conan also accepted to
kill Zukala in change of a reward. Meanwhile Zephra went back without money
and fainted in Zukala's arms.
Zukala evoked the demon Jaggta-Noga from his Lost Land and
sent him to the village to take the tax. After few minutes, thanks to his magic
powers he discovered that Conan the Barbarian and his daughter Zephra were
together. Enraged, he materialized near them and tried to kill Conan with a
sizzling flash. But Conan dodged the charge and struck Zukala on his mask.
Half of the mask was crushed, and Zukala fled from the battle with helped from Zephra who
held on to Conan. But Conan pursued Zukala, so Zukala transformed Conan's sword into a
venomous snake. Conan grabbed an axe from the wall and knocked Zukala down (the
axe was enchanted) crushing his mask. Zukala ordered Zephra to
transform into her feline form and so she did, but she didn't attack Conan
because she had fallen in love with him. Jaggta-Noga arrived in the room, and Zukala sent him against Conan. Zephra
attacked Jaggta-Noga who overpowered her, so Conan slammed Zukala to convince him
to stop the demon. Only when Jaggta.Noga wounded Zephra did Zukala banish him to
the Lost Land. Then, he picked Zephra up and teleported away.
(Conan the Barbarian I#14 (fb) - BTS) - Having lost part of their power, Zukala and Zephra started aging, and Zukala soon became old and weak. He also lost his left eye, probably from being hit by Conan's axe. Zukala and his daughter became disciples of Arkyn, the Lord of Law, and enemies of Queen Xiombarg, disciple of Arioch, Lord of Chaos. Xiombarg forced Kulan Gath to find the sunken citadel of Yagala to revive the Green Empress Terhali, and Zukala set a plan up to stop Kulan Gath and Xiombarg.
(Conan the Barbarian
I#14) - Zukala sent Zephra to find Conan to use him against Kulan Gath. She
found Conan, and Zukala sent some enchanted White Eagles to save her daughter
from the Hooded Ones, servants of Chaos. Conan and Zephra safely reached Zukala's
house.
Zukala welcomed Conan and, with a little enchantment on a pool
fountain showed Conan an image of Kulan Gath and the story of Terhali. Conan
agreed to
help him. Zukala enchanted Conan's sword.
When Conan and Zephra left for Yagala, Zukala talked to Arkyn,
then used his magic, blood, and the pool to spy on Xiombarg and Gaynor the
Damned, but the evil Queen sensed him and he had to break the spell.
That night Zephra invoked his name for help in obtaining
Serusha's help. Although she was far from Koth, a strong rain fell on the
enemies that were attacking Zephra and she, Conan, and Elric of Melniboné
defeated the Pack of Chaos.
(Conan the Barbarian I#15) - When the three arrived near
Yagala, Zephra admitted that his father's powers could not reach her anymore.
But Zukala was observing them, in the waters of the fountain, asking himself if
he had sent his daughter to die. He saw Gaynor and his forces distracting Conan
and Elric, Kulan Gath awakening Terhali ,and Terhali slaying Kulan Gath
and defeating Conan and Elric. When he saw and heard Arkyn offer Zephra to
become the instrument of the Lords of Law, Zukala immediately understood that
the power offered to Zephra would have killed her, and he shouted to Arkyn and
fainted. Zephra accepted, and after a savage fight she destroyed Terhali and died.
Conan brought Zephra's body back to Zukala. Zukala offered to
him his friendship, but Conan refused, leaving Zukala to think about the
sacrifice he had her daughter undergo.
(Savage Sword of Conan#189) - Conan awakened in a slave ship.
He recalled being with a woman in a Kothian bar before magic overcame him. He
escapes the slave ship. In town, Conan bought a sword, and saw an oddly familiar
looking helmet, similar to one he used to wear, at the blacksmith's shop. He
bought the helmet--an act which Zukala observed in a scrying pool. Later Conan
encountered two thugs sent by Zukala. Zukala later appeared in a vision to
Conan, explaining that Elric's cloak (which Conan wrapped Zephra's corpse in)
had kept him alive due to its magical power. Zukala stated that the dimensional
balance was weakening. A jewel owned by Kulan Gath's apprentice (Razal Gulath)
was draining Zukala's power. Conan rode to Razal Gulath's castle, patrolled by
Hooded Riders. Conan killed a rider and took his cloak. He entered Razal
Gulath's castle. However, Razal Gulath detected Conan's thoughts and caused him
to sink to a pit where Prince Gaynor awaited. Conan defeated Gaynor and an
octopoid creature. He then killed a winged monster. Conan found Razal-Gulath's
treasure room. Gulath blasted Conan, but via a vision, Zukala revealed that he
enchanted Conan's helmet (Zukala engineered the events that caused Conan to end
up on the slaveship, and put the helmet in the blacksmith's shop knowing Conan
would have the overpowering urge to get it).
Razal-Gulath exclaimed "All I need do is call upon the
Dark Lords.....and you will be defeated, Zukala, helpless to stop me as chaos
spreads over the face of the Earth. Even now I feel their spirits enter my body!"
But Razal Gulath had called upon power too great to contain and pain inflamed
his body. Conan pointed the jewel at Razal Gulath, banishing him from this
reality. Zukala now controlled all the power Razal-Gulath represented. Combined
with Zukala's own power, and that of Elric's cloak, it became the energy holding
together the fabric of reality, realigning the balance of chaos and order.
(Conan the Barbarian I#115) - About 8 years later, Zukala
lived near Ghaza, and he meditated revenge against Karanthes. He discovered that
Karanthed had cast spells that protected him from Zukala's enchantments. Zukala
then used his powers and found Conan riding to Akkharia. He showed Conan an illusion of his face half-covered by his old
magical mask, and offered to Conan gold and women in exchange of his help. Conan
refused.
Two days later, Zukala contacted Conan again. This time he
offered Conan the resurrection of Bêlit in exchange for the capture of Karanthes. Zukala knew that he could rise Bêlit's body but that she would never
be alive, though hr hid this fact from Conan. Conan accepted and went back to Akkharia,
to the Temple of Ibis where Karanthes was located.
Karanthes, who knew about Zukala and believed him to be a minor
wizard, voluntarily let Conan capture him, and he also stunned Red Sonja with a
sleeping powder. After two days of riding, Conan, Karanthes, and a still
sleeping Red Sonja reached Zukala's lair near Ghaza. Once there Zukala
ordered Conan to leave Red Sonja there. Zukala said that he needed to sacrifice
another woman to resurrect Bêlit, but he secretly felt love for the Hyrkanian She-Devil. Conan refused so Zukala
summoned Jaggta-Noga to threaten him.
Then Conan left Sonja and stood watching the rite. When Sonja began to awaken
Conan changed his mind, and Karanthes used his Staff of Ibis against Jaggta-Noga and
banished the demon back in his abyss. Zukala was forced to confront
Conan. First he used a green fire, but the Barbarian continued to advance. Then
the sorcerer showed to Conan an illusion of his happy future with Bêlit, but
Conan could not barter his felicity with Sonja's life, so he slashed his sword
and beheaded Zukala. Zukala didn't die, but only lost his human body and waited
in his spirit form.
Karanthes cast a spell that destroyed the Zukala's lair that
crumbled over his body.
(Conan the Barbarian
I#242 (fb) - BTS) - El-Ron, Zukala's son, contacted his father's spirit and
they set up a plan to take a vengeance against Karanthes, to force Red Sonja to
marry El-Ron, and to generate a son who was to become the new human host for Zukala the God.
(Conan the Barbarian I#241-242 (fb)) - El-Ron convinced Red Sonja to go to Castle Zukala and to marry him. He probably also knew that Red Sonja would bring Karanthes with her to officiate the ceremony. Both El-Ron and Zukala knew that Karanthes and Red Sonja wanted to sabotage Zukala's return, so they prepared their countermeasures.
(Conan the Barbarian
I#242) - About two years after his "death", the night before the
wedding, Zukala was evoked by his son, appearing with his face hidden by his
magical mask. On El-Ron's request he revealed his true aspect: Zukala the God.
Conan and Karanthes were surprised. Zukala assisted how Jaggta-Noga captured
Conan and brought the Cimmerian away in the Lost Land.
(Conan the Barbarian I#243) - The morning after, Karanthes started to celebrate the wedding and Zukala was present in his evoked form. But Conan fled from Jaggta-Noga's Land and interrupted the rite. Also Red Sonja rebelled and the two warriors fought against the guards and El-Ron. Conan killed El-Ron, so Zukala used his dead body to evoke his servant demons. Zukala-El-Ron confessed his love to Red Sonja (while trying to kill her). After a brief struggle, Conan succeeded in beheaded El-Ron, breaking Zukala's control. Zukala left the world.
Comments: Created by Roy Thomas, Barry Smith and Frank Giacoia.
Clarifications:
Zukala has no known connections to
Images:
Conan the Barbarian I#5, p9, pan5 (Zukala wearing his
mask)
Conan the Barbarian I#14, p5, pan7 (Zukala, head shot)
Conan the Barbarian I#14, p5, pan5 (Zukala in Koth)
Conan the Barbarian I#242, p22, pan1 (Zukala the God)
Conan the Barbarian I#243, p17, pan2 (Zukala drives El-Ron)
Other appearances
Conan the Barbarian I#14 (March, 1972) - Roy Thomas (writer), Barry Windsor-Smith (pencils), Sal Buscema (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Conan the Barbarian I#15 (May, 1972) - Michael Moorcock, James Cawthorn & Roy Thomas (writers), Barry Smith (pencils), Sal Buscema & Barry Smith (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Conan the Barbarian I#115 (October, 1980) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), John Buscema (pencils), Ernie Chan (inks)
Conan the Barbarian I#242-243 (March-April, 1991) - Roy Thomas (writer), Gary Hartle (pencils), Mike DeCarlo (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Savage Sword of Conan#189 (September, 1991) - Michael Higgins (writer), Mike Docherty (pencils), Ricardo Villagran (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Last updated: 09/17/05
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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