YASUNGA
Real Name: Yasunga
Identity/Class: Human
Hyborian era
Occupation: Pirate, warrior;
Group Membership: Barachan pirates, Black Corsairs;
former member of the crews of the Red Lion, the Falcon of Zingara, the Tigress, and the Winged Dragon
Affiliations: Ajonga, Bêlit, Conan, Laranga, M'Gora, Milo, N'Yaga, Sigurd of Vanaheim, Goram Singh, Stygians in Asgalun, Yakov, Zula;
possibly the Watambi tribe (N'ymai, Ombassa);
formery Captain Alvaro, Awogmu, Chama, Imbalayo and his Kushite mercenaries, Kawaku;
former servant of Vacharn
Enemies: Antillians/Ptahuacans (green feather-cloaked priest, Hierarch, priests of Xotli), Awogmu, black kraken, Chama, Esrit, Kawaku, Uldulla, Vacharn, Wokal, Xotli;
possibly the Riders of the River Dragons, Tezcatlipoca
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Yasanga, Yaranga, Yarunga (see comments)
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
formerly served on the Isle of Na'at;
formerly mobile across various oceans
First Appearance: Conan the Barbarian I#60 (March, 1976) - see comments
Powers/Abilities: Yasunga has no superhuman powers, but was a strong and powerful man, even into his fifties. He was an experienced seaman and navigator, and he had some knowledge of wrestling and leverage taught by Conan.
Yasunga often carried a spear, but he also sometimes wielded a sword. He also had some degree of skill as an equestrian.
Height: Unrevealed (approximately 6')
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 200 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black (formerly dyed yellow, or wore yellow plumage somehow affixed to his head)
History:
(Conan the Barbarian I#59) <possible appearance; 3 years before the main story> - Based on the guidance of N'Yaga, M'Gora led his tribesmen to accept Bêlit as their chief and goddess, and she then vowed to lead them as pirates(Marvel Graphic Novel: Conan of the Isles (fb) - BTS) - Yasunga served as navigator to Barachan pirate Captain Alvaro aboard the Falcon of Zingara.
(Marvel Graphic Novel: Conan of the Isles) - In Tortage, stronghold of the Barachan pirates, Conan recruited his crew for his new ship, the Red Lion. Amongst the crowd was Yasunga, whom Conan recognized from the crew sailing under Bêlit decades before. Yasunga cheered to Amra, agreeing to follow him on a journey to the world's end. Yasunga was interrupted by Alvaro, who chastised Yasunga and the others for listening to this "crazy old fool." At Conan's urging, Alvaro tried to force Conan's departure, and Conan's swordsmanship siftly convinced Yasunga this was the Amra of old. Yasunga led the crowd in cheering Amra, and Conan soon slew Alvaro, earning him respect and a substantial crew, including Yasunga.
(Marvel Graphic Novel: Conan of the Isles - BTS) - Three dawns at sea later, the Red Lion and its crew were assaulted by a black kraken (either under control of the priests of Ptahuacan or just preying on those who traveled in that direction). At least three crewmen perished before Conan blinded the creature, enabling the Red Lion to escape it.
(Marvel Graphic Novel: Conan of the Isles) - After a long time heading west, they were attacked by a Ptahuacan priest and his ship; after the crew boarded the ship, Yasunga was surprised when the priest duplicated himself into a number of warriors. Nonetheless, Yasunga and the others battled the duplicates until Conan slew the wizard, after which his ship sank.
(Marvel Graphic Novel: Conan of the Isles - BTS) - After endless days travel, they finally sighted land, only to be confronted by a dragon-like ship, which they sank with destroyed via catapulting fiery-pitch; but a second such ship assaulted them before they could turn their catapult. Wearing air helmets, the Ptahuacans assaulted the Red Lion's crew with gas that knocked out most of the men, including Sigurd; ultimately, Conan stole an air helmet and dove overboard to escape, hoping to later rescue his crew.
(Marvel Graphic Novel: Conan of the Isles - BTS) - The Ptahuacans brought the unconscious crewmen into their ship, bound them in an unbreakable glass-like chains and imprisoned below the deck, and they towed the Red Lion back to Ptahuacan.
(Marvel Graphic Novel: Conan of the Isles - BTS) - Awakening, the captured crew was disappointed to not find Conan by their side. Sigurd encouraged his men that they still lived, which gave them the chance to fight their way to freedom. After arriving at Ptahuacan, however, the crew found their "glass" chain bonds to be unbreakable. Two of the crewmen perished from untreated wounds.
Eventually the guards herded the prisoners to join a line stretching up the steps of a Zikkurat where those at the front were sacrificed by the priests.
(Marvel Graphic Novel: Conan of the Isles) - Eventually, Conan released the dragon-creatures from within/under the Zikkurat into the city, and Yasunga, Milo, and the other crewmen took advantage of the guards' shock, battering them.
(Marvel Graphic Novel: Conan of the Isles - BTS) - Using a "glass" sword he had taken from a guard, Conan cut the chains holding his former crewmen.
(Marvel Graphic Novel: Conan of the Isles - BTS) - The Ptahuacan's god-demon Xotli assaulted Conan, who used Epimetreus' amulet to summon Mitra, who destroyed and/or consumed Xotli.
As the Ptahuacan's revolted, Conan and his crew stole a golden Ptahuacan dragon ship, "The Winged Dragon," and departed for new adventures.
(Conan the Savage#10 (fb) - BTS) - After many days of sailing farther west, many of the crew despaired. Yakov, and Milo the Messantian fed the fears and discontents of "the scurvier crewmen." Like Conan, Yasunga and Goram Singh realized the Ptahuacan ship was not built to reach the Hyborian lands.
(Conan the Savage#10) - As Conan struck down Yakov after he had a narrowly missing arrow at Conan for refusing to turn the ship around, Milo drew his sword, but Yasunga jabbed Milo in the neck with his spear, forcing him to stand down. Conan appreciating they were already short-handed, gave them a second chance -- rather than walking the plank -- if they swore renewed loyalty, which they did.
Almost immediately thereafter, they were struck by a powerful storm, during which Yasunga was thrown overboard while saving a young seaman from that same fate. When Conan started to tie a rope about his waist to try to rescue Yasunga and allow the others to pull them back, Sigurd considered Yasunga already gone and argued that the rest of the crew needed him alive. Acknowledging this, Conan rallied his crew.
(Conan the Savage#10 - BTS) - Eventually, the Winged Dragon was pulled along by a stream of dark waters until crashing a few days later again the the rocky cliffs of the Isle of Na'at. Only Conan and Sigurd survived.
(Conan the Savage#10) - Most others, including Yasunga, were revived as zombies by Vacharn as his servants.
(Conan the Savage#10) - That evening, Yasunga was among the undead crewmen present at Vacharn's dinner, when Sigurd was brought in and bled dry by the demon-familiar Esrit as Conan sought mystically immobilized. After Conan broke free and attacked Vacharn, the necromancer forced the undead servants to batter Conan unconscious and throw him in a cell. Sigurd joined the undead servants.
(Conan the Savage#10 - BTS) - In the evening, the servants rested in stone coffins, brought forth in daily resurrection to do the tasks ordained by their master, perhaps tending his gardens, tending his livestock, or diving for pearls.
(Conan the Savage#10 - BTS) - Nearly a month later, after Conan had slain Vacharn, his sons, and Esrit, Conan found the now-masterless undead army followed his orders.
Conan had the undead servants build a funeral pyre to ensure the destruction of Vacharn and his sons. Needing a small crew to help guide a boat to the mainland, Conan nonetheless preferred they not be those he brought to this accursed island.
(Conan the Savage#10) - He therefore ordered the undead Sigurd and Yasunga, and the rest of his former crew into the fire as well.Comments: Created by Roy Thomas, John Buscema, and Steve Gan.
Bêlit was a regular in Giant-Size Conan#1, Conan the
Barbarian#58-100, Savage Sword of Conan#107, and Conan the Savage#2-4;
many issues also included her crew (who first appeared in Conan the
Barbarian#58), but Conan and Bêlit were separate from the Tigress and
the Black Corsairs from #74-90 (and possibly 66-68); I believe Conan
the Barbarian I#92 is a tale of Conan's northern youth; and, I THINK
Conan the Savage#2-4 takes place between Conan the Barbarian I#99-100.
I am not sure where Savage Sword of Conan#107 fits chronologically. If
any of the crew is in it, Yasunga is
at least behind-the-scenes.
Yasunga had to have departed the Tigress before
Conan the Barbarian I#100, because everyone there perished at the hands
of the "winged horror," after which Conan turned the Tigress into
Bêlit's funeral pyre.
Yasunga had the same loincloth wrap and mostly shaved head, with a
yellow plume at the top, as many of the other black corsairs, and he is
neither shown clearly enough in his initial appearance nor are the
other pirates drawn differently enough, to be able to clearly identify
Yasunga in the crew unless he is named. He was typically shirtless and
lacking a shoulder strap from his loincloth. He sometimes has grass
"bracelets" on his forearms and calves. He seems indistinguishable
visually from Ajonga, Laranga, and others.
From
Wolfram Bane: According to Sir Muddy's list, Yasunga also appears in
Conan the Barbarian#60-63, 72, 73, 91, 93-95. So, I checked those issues.
Yasunga
is definitely in #60. After they travel to meet the Watambi, Bêlit sent
half of her men back to the Tigress. Yasunga is not recognizable as being in or not being in the
group that stayed as far as I can tell, but there's a 50/50 shot he
was. However, in #61, Conan sent the Black Corsairs
back to the Tigress
while he accompanied a group of Watambi to recover Bêlit. None of the
Black Corsairs are seen in #62-63, but they could be considered
behind-the-scenes back on the Tigress. By that same note, he's probably
behind the scenes in Conan#58-59, 65, and 69-71. #64 is a reprint.
In Conan the Barbarian I#94, Yarunga (alongside Lasanga, Ajonga, and a couple others) decides to leave the Black Corsairs on the coast of Shem and
head north with Zula. I believe "Yarunga" is actually Yasunga, while
Lasanga is actually Laranga (they just accidentally switched the "s"
and "r" between the two names). MOST convincingly, Bêlit notes how
"Yarunga" had just been spying in Asgalun, and we know that Yasunga and
Laranga were amongst those who had infilatrated Imbalayo in Asgalun.
So, I'm going to disagree with Sir
Muddy on his inclusion in #95. Nonetheless, in case by assessment is
wrong,
I'll summarize the Black Corsairs actions up until #99, as Yasunga had
to have left before #99.
(Conan
the Barbarian I#94 - BTS) - Finding
the Matubi village long burnt to the ground, Bêlit and Conan took
N'Yaga and a group of Black Corsairs and continued on to the Watambis,
who they found to have been devastated by Ajaga who drew on the power
of Jhebbal Sag to control animals, and who had also stolen Nyami. Conan
then sent N'Yaga back to the Tigress while he and Bêlit led their group
of Black Corsairs to rescue N'Yami and slay Ajaga.
Upon
their arrival at Ajaga's fortress, however, Bêlit and several Black
Corairs were captured, Conan was rocked off the cliff by baboons, and
at least one of the Corsairs was slain.
(Conan
the Barbarian I#95 - BTS) - Bêlit and the captured Corsairs were taken
back to Ajaga's base in Abombi; Bêlit was placed with the other brides
of Ajaga, taken from various conquered tribes. Conan was joined in his
return to oppose Ajaga by Shulo, the black lion who formerly served the
previous Amra.
(Conan
the Barbarian I#96 - BTS) - While
Shulo freed Bêlit, Conan was captured by Ajaga, who prepared to
sacrifice him to the animals in the Feast of the Bloodmoon.
(Conan
the Barbarian I#97 - BTS) - Shulo and Bêlit freed Conan, and they
disrupted Ajaga's control over the animals, whoe turned on and slew
him. Shulo perished slaying Ajaga's warrior Krato. M'Gora and the Black
Corsairs escaped to help finish off Ajaga's other warriors, and they
returned to the Tigress and set sail again.
(Conan
the Barbarian I#98 - BTS) - Against Bêlit's advice, Conan and the Black
Corsairs took aboard a Sea Witch who entranced and slew B'Tumi and
Asambi before Conan overcame her wiles with Bêlit's help; and the Sea
Witch escaped when Conan tried to drag her back aboard.
(Conan
the Barbarian I#99 - BTS) - As the crew grumbled over being overworked,
Bêlit refused to return to the southern isles to recruit more men or to
at least give the others a rest, instead taking them to the dark cliffs
for which the Black Coast was named. There they freed an Argossean crew
and slew their man-crab captors and torturers, claiming the treasures
left behind by those captured by the man-crabs.
Yasunga is also called Yasanga in Conan the Barbarian I#91, (presumably
Yarunga in Conan the Barbarian I#94), and Yaranga in Conan the
Savage#10.
The latter sounds like a name by Lurch of the Addams family with a bad Italian accent.
There's a Lasunga in Conan the Barbarian I#59(?)...it's a bit closer to
Yasunga than Laranga, but the two are generally indistinguishable by
appearance in the comics.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Yasunga should be distinguished from:
images: (without ads)
Conan the Barbarian I#60, pg. 1 (wrestling Conan);
pg. 2, panel 5 (laying in defeat);
pg. 3, panel 1 (presumably Yasunga, standing by Conan and M'Gora);
#91, pg. 13, panel 1 (wearing Kushite headdress);
#93, pg. 10 (in Kushite headress, throwing spears alongside Laranga, under M'Gora's order);
#94, pg. 2, panel 3 (departure)
Conan the Savage#10, pg. 7, panel 4 (cast overboard);
pg. 17, panel 4 (rising undead from waters)
Appearances:
Conan the
Barbarian I#58-59 (January-February, 1976) - Roy Thomas
(writer/editor), John Buscema (penciler), Steve Gan (inker) - probable
appearances
Conan the Barbarian I#60-63 (March-June, 1976) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), John Buscema (penciler), Steve Gan (inker)
Conan the Barbarian I#66 (September, 1976) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), John Buscema (penciler), "The Tribe" (inkers)
Conan the Barbarian I#71-73 (March-April, 1977) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), John Buscema (penciler), Ernie Chan (inker)
Conan the Barbarian I#91 (October, 1978) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), John Buscema (penciler), Ernie Chan (inker)
Conan the Barbarian I#93 (December, 1978) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), John Buscema (penciler), Ernie Chan (inker)
Conan the Barbarian I#94 (January, 1979) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), John Buscema (penciler), Ernie Chan (inker)
Marvel Graphic Novel:
Conan of the Isles (1988) - Roy Thomas (writer), John Buscema
(pencils), Danny Bulanadi, Ricardo Villamonte & Armando Gil (inks),
Craig Anderson (editor)
Conan the Savage#10 (May, 1996) - Roy Thomas (writer), John Buscema (artist), Mike Lackey (editor)
First Posted: 04/14/2017
Last updated: 04/14/2017
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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