Celebrating Artist Jerry Bingham

Celebrating the birthday of artist Jerry Bingham (June 25, 1953) as a legend, with his covers to the two Legends crossover issues of Warlord (#114 and #115, February and March of 1987) as Travis Morgan and Tara faced Desaad and the forces of Apokolips in Skartaris!

Sword Of The Warlord

The Warlord (USAF pilot Travis Morgan, stuck in the savage land of Skartaris) had to use a sword to defend himself against monster and magician, here in two issues of Warlord (#29 and #34, January and June, 1980) with covers by Mike Grell.

A Little On Mike Grell's Warlord

 

Just wanted to give a little coverage to Mike Grell's Warlord, and the best way to do that is to cover DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #10 (June, 1981), that has this spectacular wraparound cover by Grell!

Though the digest doesn't include these issues, readers are introduced to USAF pilot Travis Morgan, who crashes in the lost world of Skartaris (a world inside a world), where he meets the lovely queen Tara and evil sorceror Deimos, with more info here.  This starts a battle between Travis and Deimos that spans many issues of Warlord, which the major parts are reprinted in the digest (and coverage of issues #3, #4 and #5 have been done, with more to come!).  

The issues that have parts reprinted are:

Warlord #3 and #4 (October-November, 1976 and December-January 1976/1977)

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Warlord #5 and #6 (February-March, 1977 and April-May, 1977)

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Warlord #7 and #10 (June-July, 1977 and December-January, 1977/1978)

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Warlord #15 and #19 (October-November, 1978 and March 1979)

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Warlord #20 and #21 (April, 1979 and May, 1979)

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A truly entertaining read of a modern man in a wonderous fantasy world, and presented to celebrate the birthday of Mike Grell, creator of the Warlord, who was born September, 13, 1947, but DC needs to collect more of the Warlord saga!

Warlord Two By Two: The Third

Air Force Pilot, Travis Morgan, known as the Warlord, was on a quest to find Tara, the first woman he met in the eternal sun of Skartaris, to save her from the evil sorceror,  Deimos.

Here....the results of his long quest finally come to fruition. 

Duel Of The Titans

Mike Grell gives a great summary cover for Warlord #4 (December-January, 1976/1977), as it shows what awaits you inside the issue he wrote and drew, as the continuing adventures of modern man Morgan in the ancient land of Skartaris are unfolding.

Deimos has plans for the captive Tara, just as the Warlord and his army arrive.  Using his advanced knowledge, Travis Morgan has equipped his army with weapons to allow them to breach the walls of Deimos' castle, but, unbeknownst to Travis, Deimos has weapons of his own he can bring to the conflict.  Deimos uses one of his Scrolls of Blood to appear to summon a demon.  Travis takes out the altar of the device that brought up the demon, then uses a satchel of high explosives to take down a door of the castle, allowing his army in.  

As Deimos prepares to flee out a secret exit with Tara, Travis finds them.  Morgan's savage side comes out, as he defeats and kills Deimos.  Happy to reunite with Tara, he doesn't look at the book Deimos had had, as the Scrolls of Blood were an operating manual for a solid light hologram projector.

Thus, the mystery of Skartaris deepens....

The Secret Of Skartaris

Warlord #5 (February-March, 1977) by Mike Grell, sees Machiste part ways with Travis and Tara, as he heads back to his home of Kiro, while they head to hers, Shamballah.  

Of course, in Skartaris, one should always expect the unexpected....

Unfortunately, Travis' party encounters a feasting dinosaur, with Travis and Tara uncovering an ancient doorway as they dispatch the dinosaur.  Inside that doorway, they find an ancient computer, that Travis activates, finding out that Skartaris had been found by ancient Atlantians who came here after their island sank.  The Atlanteans set up a great computer core in Skartaris, but factions fought each other, unleashing radiation, which left their cities in ruins, with some men devolving backwards into lizard men and ape men.  

The computer even showed a recent activation, with Deimos using it to conjure a solid holographic demon.  Travis thinks Deimos could have used technology to rule Skartaris, while Tara reminds him sorcery is real.  The pair are about to check out another door, as they are set upon by hungry hyenas.  In the act of dispatching them, Travis goes through the door he was interested in, finding a monorail car.  Tara is apprehensive as Travis wants to check it out.  Turns out she was right, as Travis accidentally seals himself in it, separating himself from Tara, knocking himself out, and launching the car.  When Travis awakes, the car has stopped at its destination...in a jungle on the topside of Earth!

These issues show a reoccurring them of the Warlord....as much as Travis does love and search for Tara, his questioning nature, natural curiosity and savage tendencies can keep them separate as well!  It was this way when they first met, and drives him when he searches for her (though the leaves her when he finds her!).  

Warlord Two By Two: The Second

Time works strangely in the savage world of Skartaris, with its eternal sunshine, but that does not hide the dangers that are there.

Travis Morgan, the Warlord, is beginning his travels in this land, and is finding danger aplenty, but, along with the peril, he is also gaining skills and finding allies!

Arena Of Death

Warlord #2 (March-April, 1976) by Mike Grell begins where the first issue left off, with Travis waiting to die...

...and now, about to be dinner for two sabretooth tigers, eager for what they think is easy prey.

But, this modern man proves to not be such easy prey, killing one of the big cats, and being rescued by a wandering party from its mate.  Drogar the Terrible, leader of this army, offers Morgan passage to the city of Shamballah in his ship, which Morgan accepts.  At the ship, Morgan finds himself struck into unconsciousness, waking up in the hold of the ship, chained to the oars which power it with many others.  There, Morgan meets Machiste, another slave, with whom he starts an unsuccessful revolt.  As Drogar prepares to put the pair to death, a pirate ship interrupts his plans, where the duo help defend the ship.  Dorgar then decides to sell them as gladiators to Shebel, who trains gladiators.

There, after much training, Prince Eris and his consorts bid the two to battle to the death, which they must do....with Travis about to kill Machiste....until Travis sees that the Prince is wearing a watch....the watch he gave to Tara!  Emboldened and enraged, Morgan instead frees the other gladiators.  The gladiators war on their captors, with Travis cornering the prince, finding out Tara was captured and sold to Deimos, who is now king of Thera.  Morgan then enlists the now freed slaves, asking them to become his army, promising to aid them by building advanced weapons, allowing to take the treasures of the conquerors they face, and the chance to die as free men!

Thus ends the saga of the Warlord....wait, what??

War Gods Of Skartaris

After a considerable wait (as sales proved to be better than expected, resurrecting the title from what seemed to be a cancellation), Warlord #3 (October-November, 1976) by Mike Grell comes to the comic racks, continuing the saga of modern man Travis Morgan, as he hunts for Tara, the woman he loves, in the savage land of Skartaris.

Travis and his army defeat a group of Theran soldiers, promising they come as liberators, not conquerors, still enlist more people into his army, the army of the Warlord (as he is beginning to be known as).  Travis confesses to Machiste that he enjoys the battles. Heading out on a scouting mission, Travis is excited to see a unicorn, and follows it, only to be set upon by lizard men.  They take him back and bind him as a sacrifice to their new god, which Travis recognizes....as his SR-71 Blackbird! 

His plane crashed over the temple to their old god, yet, just as they are about to do him in, their old god, a giant snake, returns, making a meal of the lizard men.  Travis just avoids being eaten as Machiste arrives, with Travis finding his .44 Magnum in his plane, then using the plane's ejector seat as a weapon to kill the creature.  Afterward, Travis and Machiste ponder the advanced ruins around the lizardmen's temple, knowing the lizards couldn't have created this.  Morgan doesn't see the advanced technology inside, but does promise to return after they finish off Deimos.

Over the lengthy time highlighted in these two issues, Morgan and Machiste had become friends united by their training and warring together, and these bonds will be tested over the years in the harsh climates of the unending sun of Skartaris!

Hail To The Warlord

Travis Morgan...President?  

An unlikely scenario, yes, but it happened in Warlord #84 (August, 1984) by Cary Burkett, Dan Jurgens and Dan Adkins (with cover by Dan Jurgens and Dick Giordano). 

The USAF pilot who had made Skartaris his home ended up in the near future, in a world ravaged by nuclear war, and helped fight using UFOs he got from New Atlantis.  Then, after the current President was gone, Travis ended up being elected President by Congress.

Just when you thought elections couldn't get any weirder.... 

First Issue Plus One: Warlord

It's a simple enough story...man finds incredible land...a jungle paradise with an eternal sun...a beautiful woman...and more dinosaurs and other menaces to shake a sword at for a score of lifetimes....that is the saga of the Warlord!

But, that's the overall story....time to take a look back at the first couple of issues that featured Travis Morgan, and his time in Skartaris!

Land Of Fear

The saga of the Warlord begins in 1st Issue Special #8 (November, 1975; by Mike Grell), starting where most barbarian sagas start...., on June 16th, 1969, with Air Force pilot Lt. Colonel Travis Morgan, piloting his SR-71 over Russia, to take pictures of a secret installation, then being followed by the Russian Air Force, damaging his plane over the tundra, forcing him to make a desperate attempt escape over the North Pole as his fuel was leaking out...wait....what?

Yes, this starts a sword and sorcery book.  As Morgan goes over the North Pole, his compass becomes useless, and he follows the horizon....until he spots a cloudy land in the water, and figures that's where he can safely eject, but he had no idea that he'd end up in a tropical jungle. 

Even bigger surprise as he checked his supplies in his survival vest....that of a beautiful young barbarian woman fighting a dinosaur!  Morgan joined the fight, distracting the dinosaur enough for the woman to finish it.  Times didn't get any easier, as the pair were set upon by armed soldiers, whom Morgan used most of his ammunition against, but the two eventually were took to King Baldur of Thera and his high priest, Deimos, where Morgan used his last bullet against a sphere of Deimos' that was probing Morgan's mind. 

The two were kept together as prisoners, and Tara (the young barbarian woman) taught Morgan their language, and of Skartaris, the world of the eternal sun, while Morgan tried to explain to her his plane, and that this world likely was inside his, where he came through an opening over slowly sloping ground (crazy, right?).  After assassins tried to kill the pair, Tara and Morgan escaped, planning to go to Tara's land of Shamballah....and into the next issue!

This Savage World

Warlord #1 (January-February, 1976 by Mike Grell) continued the saga of the Warlord, as he and Tara continued the trek to Shamballah, with Tara teaching Morgan swordplay along the way as the pair grew closer (Tara was quickly becoming the love of Morgan's life).

Along the way, they had to avoid dinosaurs and slave traders, seeking refuge in a cave.  There, Tara showed Morgan a crude compass she had. 

As they rested for the night, Tara was hypnotically taken by a satyr.  Thankfully, Morgan was awoken by the music, followed her trail, and ended the menace.  But, when they returned to their cave, the slave traders had found it, and, after a fierce battle, captured the duo to take them to the slave markets.  Using his titanium dog tag chain, Morgan started to work on breaking Tara's bond, eventually being discovered, but still being able to free her.  Putting her on a horse, Morgan sent her off as he faced the slave traders.  Eventually, Morgan succumbed to the superior force.  In revenge for the lives he cost them (as well as Tara and what her sale would have made them)....they left Morgan to die.....and readers waiting for the next issue!

Yes, the next issue did resolve that cliffhanger, and started a trend of Morgan fighting for freedom, and his making friends, starting with the warrior king, Machiste, who helped him train in the slave pits, and the two found freedom.  More friends came, including Russian archeologist and spy Mariah (who was a saber champion), and even Shakira, a woman who could turn into a cat (or is that a cat who could turn into a woman?) with knowledge of ancient Atlantis (the source of the advanced technology found all around Skartaris).  Morgan even found his plane wreckage, and a gun with an incredible amount of ammunition!

Morgan reunited with Tara, and fought Deimos (many times), and even had his daughter from the surface, Jennifer Morgan, come look for him....and, after Morgan's last encounter with Deimos, Jennifer learned real magic from Ashiya (who used real magic for Deimos, as he mostly used Atlantean technology before his encounter with Morgan).

The Warlord saga would unfold over 133 issues and 6 annuals in its original run, the first 50 written and drawn by Mike Grell, (and well after Grell left, touching the Crisis on Infinite Earths and more of the DC Universe, though not meeting other 1st Issue Special alumni like Atlas, Lady Cop, Manhunter or the Dingbats; though Dr. Fate , Power Girl and even Orion and the New Gods might fit in). 

With plenty of swords, sorcery and science all mixed together, and starting with the second issue, a two-page spread to start the issues, then later, along with a motto that should serve you well anywhere, anytime..."In the savage world of Skartaris, life is a constant struggle for survival.  Here, beneath an unblinking orb of eternal sunlight, one simple law prevails:  if you let your guard down for an instant you will soon be very dead.".

Watching The Monitor: Swamp Thing, Blue Devil, Amethyst, and Warlord

Taking a supernatural turn, the Monitor and Lyla continue their investigation of all things in the DC Universe, this time exploring the magic contained within the multiverse.....

....with a look far and wide, going from the Hollywood hijinks of the Blue Devil, to the swamps of Louisiana, to the far off realm of Gemworld, and even deep into the Earth and the hidden land of Skartaris.

Viva Nebiros

First up is Blue Devil #5 (October, 1984) by Gary Cohn, Dan Mishkin, Paris Cullins and Gary Martin.  Dan Cassidy, the stuntman who was bonded into his mechanical suit by magic, becoming the hero known as Blue Devil, was facing the forces of the demon, Nebiros, with help from the JLA's Zatanna, all as the Monitor and Lyla watched their progress.

This story was reprinted in digest form in the Best of DC #61 (June, 1985).

A Halo Of Flies

Next up, is Saga Of The Swamp Thing #30 (November, 1984) by Alan Moore, Steve Bissette and Alfredo Alcala, where Swamp Thing had ended a confrontation with old Atom foe, the Floronic Man/Jason Woodrue, as Jason was beginning to tap into the Green, the source of power for protector of the Bayou (with Monitor and the future Harbinger observing as even the Joker found these proceedings not worth a laugh).  The Monitor begins to show the depth of what he watches here....and the evil that was growing in Louisiana was getting worse, with Swamp Thing and Abby Arcane in the middle of it, with Matt Cable, or was he?

The Brimstone Ballet

Continuing with Swamp Thing, from Saga Of The Swamp Thing #31 (December, 1984) by Alan Moore, Rick Veitch and John Totleben, wherein the Monitor and Lyla watch the returned Anton Arcane (mystic foe of Swamp Thing and uncle of Abby Arcane, Swamp Thing's love), and all the horror that is unleashed at this time.

Both Swamp Thing stories has seen many reprints, most recently in both hardcover and softcover, in volume 2 of the Saga Of the Swamp Thing collections.

Sleepwalkers

Taking a slightly different look, Monitor and Lyla peer into the doings of Amethyst, young Amy Winston who was really a princess of the other world known as Gemworld in Amethyst #2 (February, 1985) by Dan Mishkin, Gary Cohn, Ric Estrada and Romeo Tanghal, under a cover by Paris Cullins and Ernie Colon.


This story has only been reprinted in black and white in the Showcase Presents: Amethyst, Princess Of Gemworld.

Demons Of Days Past

This time around, Monitor and Lyla looking into the lost world of Skartaris, in Warlord #90 (February, 1985) by Cary Burkett and Rich Buckler, with a cover by Rich Buckler and Dan Adkins.  They observe Travis Morgan, a USAF pilot who landed in this land in the center of the Earth, and a little of his battles with the primitive and sometimes supernatural forces that live there along with the woman he loves, native Tara.

This story establishes the Warlord as a part of the DC Universe, which Warlord creator Mike Grell would detest, even though later, Mike Grell did team Travis Morgan with Green Arrow in two issues of Green Arrow, after the Crisis On Infinite Earths.

Reminiscing

Last but not least this time around is Warlord #91 (March, 1985) by Cary Burkett, Dan Jurgens and Dan Adkins, with a cover by Rich Buckler.  The Monitor and Lyla look into the past of the Warlord and his daughter, Jennifer, as he prepares for a desperate battle.


Neither of the two Warlord tales have been reprinted.

Still many lands and times to be explored in the DC Universe, as Monitor and Lyla will continue to serve as our guides for now (as they had already taken a look at Wonder Woman's Paradise Island)....taking us to see the Justice Society of America, as well as Jonah Hex, Superman, Batman and the Outsiders and more, all as these heroes were being prepared for the Crisis On Infinite Earths!