Occupation: Traveler, mercenary

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Friar Jerome, Jonel, Tyresias

Enemies: Ariane, Darters, Septegundus, Valena, Yob-Haggoth

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile;

First Appearance: Chamber of Chills#2 (January, 1973);
    reprinted in Savage Tales#5 (July, 1974);
    {for Italian readers: Thor#78/4 Editoriale Corno (9 aprile 1974)}

Powers/Abilities: Brak was a strong and courageous man, able to use a broadsword and to ride a horse. He did not have superhuman or supernatural abilities, but his natural physical skill and his training put him over the average of the warriors of his era. He was used to living in cold lands and could bear low temperatures even only wearing an animal skin around his waist.

Weaknesses: His sense of honor and charity put him in situations of disadvantage against tricky, sinister and evil encounters. However, his instinct let him perceive hidden danger and counteract them.

History: (Savage Tales I#7/2 (fb) - BTS) - Brak lived in the north. He was strong, blonde, stout and correct as many of his people, but unlike them, he didn't worship the gods of war. Brak didn't worship any god.
    One day, a wandering shaman passing from Brak's village told him about the rest of the world, and in particular, about the golden city of Khurdisan under a golden sun. Brak was dazzled from visions of rich kingdoms and cities, and in him the desire for the golden city grew strong. So, when Brak's people banished him for his blasphemy, Brak knew where to go, and started his long trek to south, dreaming about Khurdisan.

(Savage Tales I#7/2) - When Brak reached the Ice Marches he saw, for the very first time in his life, a city, Kamda Kai, capital city. The clash with the civilization was nauseating and fetid and became even worse when he met the worshippers of an abominable god, Yob-Haggoth.
    During the night, tricked by a sinister beggar who proclaimed the death of the nameless god, Brak found himself surrounded by a group of dreadful, apparently blind children, acolytes of Yob-Haggoth, who called themselves Darters. Brak's status as an unbeliever of any god made him interesting for the group of silver-eyed boys, so when he firmly refused their offer to bow to their god, he found out that the hellish youths had chosen him as sacrificial victim for Yob-Haggoth. Brak unsheathed his broadsword only to be crippled by the sparkling power of the children, who launched silver streams of light to Brak. His skin was so stung by myriads of lances of fire that he almost became blind for the pain. Still fighting against the burning light, Brak was pushed in a vast courtyard and managed to slam the door, cutting the demonic boys out. A woman of fascinating beauty welcomed, smiling, an admiring Brak, but the real surprise was the hellboy after the woman thanking and calling her Ariane. The darter boy's fingers flashed again and this time the painful light brought darkness to Brak.
    Brak was transported through the snowy land outside the city, then, after few hours, awakened in a prison, his body frozen, his mind still astonished, but somehow aware that an awful creature, with two red, huge, multi-faceted eyes, was observing him from his lair in the thick webs stuck to the ceiling. The creature became a glowing sphere, floating down, approaching Brak's immobilized body. When the pulsating light faded, Ariane appeared, her eyes full of lust and desire for the barbarian. While sliding into unconsciousness, two voices commented his soul's atrocious fate. 

(Savage Tales I#8/2) - At his sudden awakening, Brak met the other two prisoners: Friar Jerome, a believer of the unnamed god, and Tyresias, he who once believed. Brak was the third of the triad, the unbeliever. Brak learnt that their common fate was to be slain at dawn, in a rite intended to transfer Yob-Haggoth's power to his emissary: Septegundus, a wizard and Ariane's father. Brak learnt that Tyresias, too, had been chosen by Ariane, in the past, and that she had stolen his soul and his eyes. But the talking among the prisoners didn't last long, a glowing sphere appeared and engulfed Brak, transporting him outside the temple-idol, till Brak awakened again in the skies, on a chariot led by Ariane and hauled through the clouds by a couple of hell horses.
    During the ride, Ariane offered to spare Brak's life, in change of his soul. She tempted Brak with the vision of Khurdisan the Golden, and Brak was almost bonded to the girl's beauty. But, even if the barbarian didn't understand what was his soul, even if he didn't realize he even had a soul, he knew that the price was too high; he took heed of the taste of evil and rot coming from his instinct, rejecting the offer. Ariane, trusting in the human weaknesses, donated a necklace to Brak. With it, he could summon her simply by whispering her name, and she was sure that he would do it in the moment of his sacrifice.
    Brak awakened from darkness, again in company of Tyresias and Friar Jerome. This time, laying on the sacrificial altar, watching a revolting sorcerer approaching and exulting: Septegundus! A barbarian's rage coursed through his veins, and Brak shook of the weakness which crippled his body and jumped on the sorcerer, hitting him then reaching his broadsword. He could then wreak his revulsion upon the Darters surrounding him, spreading death, panic and chaos. Septegundus, however, continued his summoning chant, and a rain of toads, lizards, rats and spiders fell from the scarlet skies: the stone idol of Yab-Haggoth then came to life! Kicking and slashing, Brak made his way to the stone statue, and while the chest of the idol was glowing of a scarlet light, Brak sunk the blade in it. The living flesh turned stone, as the idol of Yob-Haggoth had been slain. Septegundus grabbed the sacrificial dagger, pointing at Brak's chest, ready to launch it. Brak, instead, grabbed Ariane's necklace and shouted her name. The beautiful Daughter of Hell appeared instantaneously before Brak, ready to kiss him, but the kiss she received was a cold, metallic one, from the enchanted dagger thrown by her father. She fell, Septegundus shouted his rage, and a thunder from the sky shattered the idol into pieces and powder. Still stunned, Brak saw Septegundus walking away carrying his slain daughter, and he heard a voice in his mind, a promise, that at the end of his road in Khurdisan, he would have been there.
    Refusing Friar Jerome's stone-cross, Brak left alone.
 

(Chamber of Chills#2 (fb) - BTS) - More to south, in more temperate regions, Brak was hired by the people of a village to kill the dragon which sometime raided the village. Warned that the dragon was cursed and that steel wasn't enough to kill it, the villagers suggested to Brak to seek Valena, an old woman who hated them, but who was also a witch.

(Chamber of Chills#2) - Valena accepted Brak's coins and taught him the way to bypass the spell of the dragon, and kill it forever. Waiting for the midday of the day after, Brak spent the rest of the day with Jonel, the village chief's daughter. He also had her warn her people that nobody was to be present when he had killed the dragon, or the spell of the dragon would have renewed.
    Near midday, under a stifling, torrid sun, riding his white horse through the valley of the dragon, Brak sensed the monster's presence: the ground thundered under the beast's steps and air was pregnant of its awful breath stench. Meanwhile, in her temple, Valena the witch started to spell her enchantment. The horrible cursed creature appeared before Brak, taller than three men. Roaring, it approached Brak, who, with a single, desperate shove, hit the creature's chest, killing it.
   Brak didn't rejoiced, he was told by the witch that her enchantment would have forced him to kill any person who had been seen by his eyes, in the hour after the kill, so stood still before the dragon, firmly staring at it. Suddenly, Jonel's voice had him turn back and look at her.
    Less than an hour later, Brak was again in Valena's temple, a bandage on his eyes. Valena recognized the band, it was the waist-band used by Jonel. Brak took it off and Valena understood that her enchantment was still effective and that Brak was there to kill her. She tried to invoke Yob-Haggoth but Brak's blade was faster than her words of sorcery.
    Outside the house, Jonel waited for Brak, thanking the fate, because the sun, before, had blinded Brak when he had looked at her. Brak left the village with a doubt: was the witch's enchantment which helped him to kill the dragon, or was it only his arm?   

Comments: Brak was created John Jakes.
   Adapted to comics by John Jakes (plot), Dan Adkins (script), Val Mayerik (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks).

Brak wore a lion skin with a tail, a little uneasy during a fight.

The story in Chambers of Chills is very similar to the legend of the Worm of Lambton. Here are some elements:

• a monster, a giant reptyle, raided the country around a village;
• a warrior decided to fight the monster;
• the warrior asked for help to an old sorceress;
• the sorceress gave him a suggestion about the weapon to use;
  
• the sorceress put a curse over him; he could dispel the curse only killing the first living being the warrior had seen after having killed the monster;
• the living being planned to be killed was not the first living being seen by the warrior.

Brak the Barbarian first appeared in the magazine Fantastic by Ziff-Davis with some novels:

• Devils in the Walls (1963);
• When the Idols Walked (1964).

Some books dedicated to him are

• Brak the Barbarian (Avon, 1968);
• Brak the Barbarian vs. the Sorceress (Paperback Library, 1969);
• Brak the Barbarian vs. the Mark of Demons (Paperback Library, 1969)
• The Fortunes of Brak (1980).

As far as I know, there is not an official chronology of Brak's stories or a map of his world. An attempt to put an order in his wanderings can be found at this site.
I only read a little part of his stories, such as "The Sorceress" and "Ghoul's Garden" (Flashing Swords#1 or #2, 1979), which can be chronologically placed after "Devils in the Walls". Here is a little summary.

(The Barge of Souls) - Brak saved a young woman from the waters of the river Phrixos. The black haired woman, Rhea, was the heir to the throne of Phrixos and Brak also defended her from the usurpers. He worked for half year in the caves of granite of the Great City, and when gathered enough money, had the Shield of the Horned Lady rebuilt. It was a gift for Rhea, the woman he had loved. But the two separated, Rhea joined to her people and Brak resumed his journey to Khurdisan.

(The Sorceress) - Brak was forced by an unnatural landslide to passing through the lands of Strann, the Mountains of the Four Winds. There, he saved a girld from the Manworm and was hired by lord Strann to fight against Nordica, the wicked daughter of a disappeared alchemist, and her demon-dog. Brak saved Pemma, Strann's son, and was captured by the sorceress, Nordica. After killing the Manworm and founding the mad alchemist, Brak, with the help of another follower of the nameless god, managed to defeat the sorceress who was revealed to be only a body possessed by Ariane, back from hell, thanks to her father's powers.

(Devils in the Walls (fb)) - Brak passed through the City of Gems in Quran, in the desert of Logol. Wounded, managed to flee from the city in flames.
    The old Hadrios and his daughter cured him for a month, in Samerind. Even weakened, Brak dedided to leave. In his weakened status Brak was attacked by slavers led by Zaldeb. He managed to kill three of them but he was finally captured.

(Devils in the Walls) - Mirande, daughter of Hamur, dead Prince of the Thousand Fangs, bought Brak and convinced him to search Hamur's treasure. The treasure, lying in the broken manor had been cursed by a wizard killed by Hamur, and was defended by Hamur's leopards and demons. The citizens knew of the treasure, but who tried to steal anything from the castle never returned. Brak accepted, in exchange of his freedom.
    Friar Benedic, a Nestorian, tried to convince him not to enter, but Miranda forced Brak to do it. In the castle, Brak had to fight against the tentacular fogs. He gashed the Nestorian cross on the walls and forced back the curse to possess the six leopards. Brak killed them all defeating the curse. The castle crumbled. In the debris, Brak picked up seven pieces of the treasure and presented the Nestorian with them. Miranda was killed by Zaldeb. Yorah the Bull and the villagers run to search teh rest of the treasure and Brak left the village with Yorah's horse.

(Ghoul's Garden) - Three moons after, Brak met a couple of travelers, Friar Hektor of the order of Nestoriamus and Shana, a girl who had a dangerous admirer. The admirer was the son of a powerful wizard, and Brak would save her from the "Ghoul's" lusting desire entering in his "garden in the magic carpet".

(Storm in a Bottle) - Not far from the Eastern Mountains which passes led to south, believed to be one of the Sons of the Smoke, Brak was captured in the land of Magnus. A kingdom where Magnus, the Crusher of the World, battled the Sons of the Smoke, a kingdom which a curse denied rain and water. To have his life spared, Brak had to accept a pact with the king: to break the curse, to open the skies and to bring the rain. Almost finding a friend in Captain Xeraph, Brak's investigations let him guess the real identity of Ool, the court shaman, and his schemes. Almost betraying Xearph's trust, Brak fled and sneaked into Ool's mansion, where he had to kill some of his lackeys and also had to fight the eunuch shaman and his illusions. Brak succeeded in freeing the "storm in the bottle" and in killing Ool. But he did not gain freedom.

Profile by Spidermay.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Brak the Barbarian has no known connections to:

• Major Brackett, World War II, US Army, killed by Col. Walker Price when he took command of Camp Cathart, @ Truth: Red, White, & Black#2
• or any other "barbarian" character.

Jonel has no known connections to 

• Jor-el, Kryptonian, father of Kal-el of the DC Universe
• or any other character with a similar name.

Valena has no known connections to:

• Valiana, of the Hyborian era, slain by Conan in the form of a lion, @ Savage Sword of Conan#69
• Velanna of Weirdworld, elf, partner of Tyndall, @ Marvel Premiere #38
• Velanna Bride of Dracula, @ 
• Velena-Than, Galadorian, High Command, Commander-in-Chief of Vanguard, @ Spaceknights#4
• Venom, Edward "Eddie" Charles Brock, Spider-Man's foe, @ Web of Spider-Man#18
• Venomm, Horatio Walters, former ally of Killmonger, later allied with Black Panther after reformed by Taku, @ Jungle Action#7
• or any other "barbarian" character.

Jonel

    Jonel was a normal girl, daugter of the village chief. She met Brak when he passed through the village in his trek to Knurdisan and was attracted by him.
She cared Brak, and waited for him when he visited Valena, knowing that the witch was evil, and dangerous. Brak warned her that Valena's enchantement would have empowered his blade, but would also have forced him to kill anyone seen by him in the hour after the death of the dragon, so Jonel informed her father and all the other villagers.

    The day after, while Brak was riding in the valley of the dragon, Valena went to Jonel's house and, lying, told her that the barbarian was seriously wounded and needed her help. Jonel run to the valley regardless of the monster and the curse. She shouted at Brak, who, surprised, looked at her but, fortunately, was blinded by the sun, and the spell didn't trigger the homicide effect. Swiftly, the barbarian grabbed Jonel's waist-band and covered his eyes, then let Jonel lead him to the witch's lair.
    There, Jonel saw Brak enter in the house and heard the old woman scream: the enchantement worked.

Brak continued his trek to for Knurdisan, and Jonel remained to her village.

--Chamber of Chills#2

Valena

    Valena was an old woman, well-known to be a witch. She worshipped the Unnameable God, Yob-Haggoth. Her powers were mostly unknown, but surely could she perform some enchantements and sorceries, invoking Yob-Haggoth's name, involving evil actions, blood and homicide.

Valena lived in a temple-house of stone, a little far from a little village. She hated the young beautiful women, and sometime performed evil actions against them. She wore a medallion depicting a four-eyed, four-tentacled head, which image was also on the circular glass window of her temple.

    One day, a barbarian named Brak, led to her house by Jonel, the village chief's beautiful daughter, asked Valena's help to kill a dragon. Valena knew about the spell of the dragon, and accepted half of the barbarian's hire, to help him killing the cursed monster. She revealed to Brak that steel wasn't enough to kill the dragon, and that even if the monster had been slain, it could rose again, if his killer would have seen another person in an hour after the kill. So, the sword and the sorcery had to act together. They agreed to act at midday of the day after. Brak left, but Valena plotted something more... somehow, she knew about the friendship relation among Jonel and Brak.

    The day after, before midday, Valena went to Jonel's father's house telling to the girl that Brak had been wounded and needed her help, luring Jonel to run to the valley of the dragon. To fulfil the second part of her plan, Valena went back to her temple and invoked Yob-Haggoth, casting her spell, which had to give Brak's sword the power to slay the dragon (perhaps) and also had to force Brak to kill everybody his eye posed their sigth upon, till an hour after the monster's death. Thus, Valena had tricked Brak, who was supposed to kill the girl when she would have showed up on the scene of the fight.
    Less than an hour later, Valena saw Brak on the sill of her house. The barbarian had a red bandage on his eyes, and while she recognized that it was the girl's waist-band, she also realized that Brak was tooking it off, and that the girl wasn't dead and that the first person to be seen by the enchanted Brak's eyes was herself! Sudden fear and rage filled Valena, who invoked Yob-Haggoth to destroy that man. A whirl, a presence started concretizing... but the barbarian's sword was faster than her (or was it the spell?). Valena's death scream reached Jonel's ears outside the temple, and the summoned presence vanished.

--Chamber of Chills#2

images: (without ads)
Savage Tales I#7/2, p1, pan1 (Logo)
Chamber of Chills#2, p2, pan4 (main image)
Chamber of Chills#2, p8, pan1 (head shot)
Savage Tales I#7/2, p4, pan3 (Brak, back view)
Chamber of Chills#2, p5, pan3 (Dragon)
Fan fiction drawing (Brak vs. the Manworm)
Chamber of Chills#2, p8, pan6 (Jonel)
Chamber of Chills#2, p1, pan1 (Valena)

Appearances:
Savage Tales I#7 (November, 1974) - John Jakes (plot), Doug Moench (script), Steve Gan (pencils and inks)
Savage Tales I#8 (January, 1975) - John Jakes (plot), Doug Moench (script), Steve Gan (pencils and inks)

Last updated: 03/27/08

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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