Savage Tales 1971 #4 - 9.0 - $30.00

Conan travels home to Cimmeria only to discover that his childhood sweetheart, Mala, has been abducted by a band of Vanir raiders. He pursues them by boat and comes across a ship with dead Vanir and Picts next to a dark idol. Conan takes the idol and heads for the Isle of Swords, where Thorfel the Fair is about to marry Mala. But rather than giving herself to Thorfel, Mala kills herself. Conan kills Thorfel and receives unexpected help from a band of Picts who have come to the island looking for their dark idol.

Upon learning that he is actually Frankish nobility, the Saracen warrior known as El Alemein joins the Crusaders. Saladin appears and challenges King Richard the Lion-Hearted to a duel, but El Alemein offers to fight in the king's place and defeats Saladin. King Richard knights El Alemein and names him Lord O'Dare.

Conan becomes Captain of the royal guard in the small city-state of Zahmahn as well as the lover of Queen Fatima. When the Queen catches Conan with the servant girl Yaila in a delicate situation, she leaves them in the dungeon to be devoured by the Dweller in the Dark. They manage to escape, however, and Conan throws the Queen to the monster. According to tradition, Zahmahn can only be ruled by a female sovereign, so Conan nominates Yaila as the new queen.

On-sale date from Comic Reader (Street Enterprises, 1973 series) #105, April 1974.

• - Conan illustration on inside front and inside back covers.
• - Introductory page to "Night of the Dark God".
• Night of the Dark God - Adapted from Robert E. Howard's story "The Dark God" (a non-Conan story). Diverse Hands identification by Roy Thomas in the letters page of Savage Sword of Conan #2.
• Star-Crossed Swords - Thomas discuss the return of Savage Tales to the publication schedule.
• Jason and His Electric Argonauts - Article includes movie stills from Jason and the Argonauts.
• - Introduction page to the Crusader.
• Origin of the Crusader, Part 2 - Stan Lee writer credit removed based on information from the Timely/Atlas discussion list.
• - Introduction to "The Dweller in the Dark".
• The Dweller in the Dark - Barry Smith confirmed as inker in letters page of Conan the Barbarian #16. Pages 3, 4, 5, and 14 appear here in their original uncensored form (they were partially redrawn due to Comics Code objections when first published in Conan the Barbarian #12).
• - Subscription ad for Marvel magazines includes a barbarian illo by Buscema and Chan.