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!).
