Samandra, main image

SAMANDRA

Real Name: Samandra

Identity/Class: Human magic user (Hyborian Era)

Occupation: Priestess, sorceress, witch

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Conan, Stefanya, Themas Herklar, Ursla (sister of wild things)

Enemies: Elviriom and Thalkalides, Thormond and Chrysala, Torkal Moh, Unos

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Lupalina the Wolf-Mistress, Wise-Woman, Wolf-Woman

Base of Operations: mountains near Ravengard, Border Kingdoms;
    formerly Alkharia, Phalkar, Border Kingdoms;

First Appearance: Conan the Barbarian I#49 (April, 1975)
    {prima apparizione italiana: Conan e Ka-Zar#23 Editoriale Corno (21 gennaio 1976)}

Powers/Abilities: As a sorceress Samandra knew how to break protective enchantments of other sorcerers. With simple spells she could control wolves and probably other animals. Her enchantements enabled her to shapeshift and she also knew how to summon demons using pentagrams painted with human blood. She knew how to use a crystal globe to watch and hear events happening miles away. She knew protective spells to hide her existence, her presence and the presence of other people around her.
    She had a spear and used a sling with great proficiency.

head shot

History: (Conan the Barbarian I#50 (fb)) - Samandra lived in Phalkar, under the reign of Thormond. She was a wise woman and a sorceress too.
   Themas Herklar, a general, Elviriom and Thalkalides, two sorcerers, schemed a betrayal against King Thormond and his lady, Chrysala, and asked Samandra for help. The sorceress succeeded in breaking Merdoramon's protective spells around Thormond, but soon after the two regents were killed in an accident, magically induced by Elviriom and Thalkalides.
    Samandra didn't want to kill the royal family, so, when Elviriom brought her Thormond's daughter, Stefanya, to dispose of her, Samandra fled from Alkarion. She brought the babe Stefanya to Sfanol, to a conjurer named Zoqquanor. He accepted to protect the babe with his life, in exchange for a great sum of gold. Samandra disappeared and let her two colleagues believe she was dead.

    For many years Themas Herklar ruled rightfully and wisely, and Samandra believed that her bad actions had possibly brought some good. But Herklar became more neglectable than Thormond. The responsibility of governing the province were then taken over by Elviriom and Thalkalides.

    So, one day, Samandra went back to warn Herklar. He learnt then, that his leadership had been taken by murder. Samandra also warned him that his power was in peril, because the actual leaders were the two sorcerers. But Herklar sent away Samandra with curses.
    Afraid of Elviriom and Thalkalides, Samandra fled, avoiding towns and went into hiding in the woods near Ravengard. Using some simple enchantments she became a friend of wolves and took the name of Lupalina. She kept on watching Phalkar from the distance and learnt about Merdoramon and the amulet he made for Themas Herklar.

(Conan the Barbarian I#49 (fb) - BTS) - When Conan and Stefanya were captured by Torkal Moh, in Ravengard, Lupalina was informed and offered her help to Conan and learnt that Stefanya was probably the babe she had given to Zoqquanor.

(Conan the Barbarian I#49) - That night, Conan dreamed of Ursla, the bear-woman, who sent her greetings to Lupalina.
    Lupalina and her wolves helped Conan in freeing the people of a village, who had rebelled against Torkal Moh. Shortly after, Lupalina, Conan and the villagers sneaked into Ravengard and conquered the castle, killing Torkal Moh.

(Conan the Barbarian I#50) - Lupalina saw the star-shaped birthmark on Stefanya's hip and became sure that the girl was the baby she had saved years before. Lupalina told to Stefanya about the betrayal and about Herklar, then offered her help to Stefanya in conquering the throne of Phalkar.
    That night, using a crystal globe, Lupalina foresaw the face of the enemy of Stefanya and was surprised to not see Elviriom and Thalkalides, but instead Unos. Using the amulet of Merdoramon, Lupalina sent Conan to Alkarion, inside the prison where Themas Herklar was. Herklar was killed by some yellow devil-things, but Conan, telepathically connected to Lupalina through the amulet, returned to her home after using her advice to reverse the transportation to the city by screaming.

golden pol(Conan the Barbarian I#51) - Lupalina took the form of a golden, three-eyed pol and Conan brough her to the court of Unos. The bird exposed the betrayal of Elviriom and Thalkalides from years before and also the true nature of Unos, son of demons. She reached her goal because Unos learnt that the two sorcerers wanted to use him as a pawn.
    Later Lupalina suggested to Conan and Stefanya to leave the town while she received Unos at home. She summoned Unos' parents, Belthamquar and Thelonia, and the demons helped their son, eliminating the two sorcerers.
    Samandra was finally satisfied to have punished the killers of Thormond and Chrysala, but her joy did not last long when she was stabbed in the back by Unos. However, Stefanya was safed because Unos was killed by Conan shortly after.

Comments: Created by Roy Thomas (writer/editor), John Buscema (pencils), Dick Giordano (inks), Glynis Wein (colors).

    Samandra, her hut, her fire and her wolves inspired a scene in "Conan the Barbarian" the movie, in which she was a were-woman.

    Samandra was neither good nor evil. She knew and invoked gods and demons including Raama, Belthamquar, Thelonia, Karnol the death-god among others.

Profile by Spidermay.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Samandra has no known connections to

images: (without ads)
Conan the Barbarian I#49, p8, pan1 (main image)
Conan the Barbarian I#50, p6, pan9 (head shot)
Conan the Barbarian I#51, p3, pan5 (head shot)

Appearances:
Conan the Barbarian I#49 (April, 1975) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), John Buscema (pencils), Dick Giordano (inks), Glynis Wein (colors)
Conan the Barbarian I#50 (May, 1975) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), John Buscema (pencils), Dick Giordano (inks), Janice Cohen (colors)
Conan the Barbarian I#51 (June, 1975) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), John Buscema (pencils), Dick Giordano (inks), Glynis Wein (colors)

Last updated: 12/25/10

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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