UNOS
Real Name: Unos
Identity/Class: Demon (class 2; Phalkarian) magic user (Hyborian Era)
Occupation: Regent of Phalkar
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Elviriom and Thalkalides, Samandra, unnamed devil-things
Enemies: Conan, Jarkan Val, Stefanya, Themas Herklar, Zoqquanor
Known Relatives: Belthamquar (father), Thelonia (mother)
Aliases: Man-Witch
Base of Operations: Alkarion, capital of Phalkar, westernmost province of the Border Kingdoms
First Appearance: Conan the Barbarian I#50 (May, 1975)
{prima apparizione italiana: Conan e Ka-Zar#24 Editoriale Corno (4
febbraio 1976)}
Powers/Abilities: Unos had several magic powers. He could shot crimson beams from his eyes, which dissolved skin, flesh and bones, leaving behind only dust. Using magic he could find a person in a town. He could increase strength, stamina and speed of creatures, like horses. He could cast simple illusions of himself, appearing in a place near where he actually was. With simple hand gestures he could lift little objects like stones or swords and launch them. He could break the ground, creating a crevasse, and could entangle his adversaries by animating plants and roots. He could also detect if enchantements were at work on persons near him.
History: (Conan the Barbarian I#50 (fb) - BTS/(Conan the Barbarian I#51 (fb) - BTS ) - In Alkarion, two wizards of the court, sought to take control of the land. In a plan to depose the regent, Themas Herklar, they created Unos. Unos was a creature of wizardry. Son of two demons, Belthamquar and Thelonia, his flesh was made by the two wizards using forbidden elixirs. He was given sorcerous powers. Then, the wizards Elviriom and Thalkalides, declared that Herklar was a traitor and placed Unos in his position. Unos became ruler of Phalkar and the two wizards manipulated Unos.
(Conan the Barbarian I#50) - Elviriom and Thalkalides ordered to invade the near province of Kaddonia. The general of the army, Jarkan Val, did not execute the order, because it did not come from his ruler Herklar.
Once in the king's court, Unos, revealed to Val as the new ruler, showed to Val his demonic power. Absolutely expressing no feelings, Unos shot deadly burning beams from his crimson eyes. The beams hit a condemned man and his body was nearly disintegrated, from flesh to bones.
That night, the two sorcerers and Unos sent some yellow, devil-things servants down to the prison where Themas Herklar was kept. There the devils found the ex-regent and Conan. The latter succeeded in escaping while the former was taken and killed.
(Conan the Barbarian I#51 (fb) - BTS) - Despite his power, Unos was afraid of Elviriom and Thalkalides, who had powers greater than his and could also summon demons like Azthamur of the hundred hells.
(Conan
the Barbarian I#51) - Some days
later, while receiving the people at the Temple of Judgment, Unos met Conan and a golden,
three-eyed pol. The bird was actually Samandra, and before the court
it exposed
the murder of King Thormond caused by Elviriom and
Unos' true nature as a creature wizardry, who was merely a puppet of Elviriom and Thalkalides, and finally it
revealed that the true heir to the throne, Stefanya, was still alive. Unos let Conan and the
bird live, against the will of his two wizards.
Shortly after, Unos used his powers to find Conan in
Alkarion. He wanted to talk again with the pol, instead he found Samandra.
Understanding that she was the pol, he accepted her help for defeating Elviriom
and Thalkalides. He watched while Samandra summoned two demons from the cosmic
cold. Belthamquar and Thelonia arrived, and recognized their son Unos, who asked for their
help and they accepted, but just for this one time. In that moment Elviriom and
Thalkalides arrived and the two demons attacked. Smiling coldly, Unos watched
while Elviriom was killed and Thalkalides was transfomred into a humanoid
toad. Thelonia took Thalkalides to her hell, then Unos' parents left. In return Unos stabbed Samandra in the back. With the death of Elviriom and
Thalkalides, Unos inherited many of their powers, now the only threat to the
throne of Phalkar was Stefanya.
Fortunately, Conan had fled with the heir to the throne: Stefanya, daughter of King Thormond and Lady Chrysala. Conan wanted to reach the body of Zoqquanor, the necromancer, who had protected Stefanya for many years, but Unos pursued to kill them. Conan and Stefanya had just retrieved Zoqquanor's body, when Unos reached them. Unos directed his gaze of scarlet hellfires upon Conan, but he failed, for the barbarian wore a protective amulet made by Merdoramon. He then used his telekinesis to disarm Conan. Unos untangled Conan with animated roots, then redirected his attention to Stefanya. The demons' son felt that he couldn't kill Stefanya with his blade, due to a protective curse casted by Zoqquanor, so he shot his burning crimson gaze upon the necromancer. The conjurer died and Stefanya screamed in agony. Enraged, Conan freed himself and embraced Unos in a mighty clinch, unwittingly using the amulet. Unos screamed only once, then died, with a mark of azure flame on his chest.
Comments:
Created by Roy Thomas (writer), John Buscema (pencils), Dick Giordano (inks),
Janice Cohen (colors).
Freely adapted from the novel Kothar and the Conjurer's Curse
by Gardner J. Fox.
The devil-things have some similarities with the Hobgobs that attacked Zoqquanor in Conan the Barbarian I#47. The Hobgobs were drawn differently, but they were as gibbering as the ones under the prison. I didn't read the original novel by Fox but a connection may exists between them. In the case they were the same race of demons, this could mean that Unos, or Elviriom and Thalkalides, were connected more directly to Zoqquanor, and also that the first time of their appearance was orchestrated by the wizards or Unos.
Profile by Spidermay.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Unos has
no known connections to
Belthamquar has no known connections to
Thelonia has no known connections to
Belthamquar, father of demons, was a
powerful demon coming from an unspecified netherworld. One of his sons was
Unos.
He knew other demons, Azthamur of the hundred hells was one of them,
who Belthamquar considered an upstart.
Outside his world, Belthamquar seemed without a solid shape, and was only seen as a cloud
of darkness with blazing eyes.
He could control his shape, moving tendrils like fingers and
his touch could be deadly, but the real extent of their powers remains
unrevealed, tough it was far greater than the power of the wizards, who summoned
him.
Thelonia and Belthamquar were summoned several times by Elviriom and Thalkalides. Belthamquar did not like to be summoned outside his world so the wizards often made sacrifices to him and Thelonia.
The last time Belthamquar was summoned by Samandra and saw his
son he was not so satisfied by Unos. He nonetheless agreed to help him and
grasped Elviriom with his black tentacles pulled away the sorcerer's flesh and soul into some outer blackness leaving behind only a puddle of water.
Belthamquar and Thelonia left, vowing to never aid their son again.
--Conan the Barbarian I#50
Thelonia, mother of demons, was a female
demon coming from an unspecified netherworld. One of her sons was Unos.
She could control the shape of other beings, but the
real extent of her powers remains unrevealed, tough it was far greater than
the power of the wizards who summoned her.
Thelonia and Belthamquar were summoned several times by Elviriom and Thalkalides, who also made sacrifices to them.
When she was summoned by Samandra she
greeted Unos and accepted to help him, but only once. She attacked
Thalkalides, touching him and transforming the wizard into a toad-like humanoid.
Then Thelonia left, taking Thalkalides with her for the
amusement of her court. While Belthamquar and Thelonia left, they vowed to never aid their son again.
--Conan the Barbarian I#50
images:
(without ads)
Conan the Barbarian I#51, p12, pan4 (Unos and the
hell-horse)
Conan the Barbarian I#51, p13, pan4 (Unos, head shot)
Conan the Barbarian I#51, p8, pan3 (Belthamquar)
Conan the Barbarian I#51, p11, pan2 (Thelonia and
Thalkelides as a human-toad)
Appearances:
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: 06/15/12
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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