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<blockquote data-quote="ArmoredSaint" data-source="post: 4151566" data-attributes="member: 54539"><p>I have all the Dark Horse Conan comics, as well as the complete collection of Howard's original stories. While the Dark Horse adaptations might very well be faithful to the original in terms of plot, they're a lot more lax when it comes to Conan's equipment.</p><p></p><p>Just for fun, let's have a look at Conan's personal defensive gear in each of the original Howard tales:</p><p></p><p>1) "The Phoenix on the Sword" features Conan hurriedly arming himself in an "elaborate" suit of Aquilonian plate before the assassins rush in.</p><p></p><p>2) In "The Frost Giant's Daughter," we are told repeatedly that Conan is wearing mail.</p><p></p><p>3) Conan wears no armour in "The God in the Bowl" since he's breaking and entering.</p><p></p><p>4) Again, he wears no armour in "The Tower of the Elephant."</p><p></p><p>5) The Scarlet Citadel, another King Conan story, describes Conan in "black, gilt-worked" full armour.</p><p></p><p>6) In "Queen of the Black Coast," Conan is "invulnerable" in his "horned helmet...(scale)hauberk and greaves...and ringmail...sheathed his arms and legs."</p><p></p><p>7) In "Black Colossus," Conan exchanges his mail hauberk/coif and bascinet for a suit of full plate that includes "gorget, sollerets, cuirass, pauldrons, jambes, cuisses, and sallet."</p><p></p><p>8) Conan wears only a loincloth in "Iron Shadows in the Moon" because he has been on the run following a defeat.</p><p></p><p>9) Likewise, in "Xuthal of the Dusk."</p><p></p><p>10) Conan once again has no armour in "The Pool of the Black One" because he has been swimming.</p><p></p><p>11) In "Rogues in the House" Conan has no armour because he has just escaped from prison.</p><p></p><p>12) No armour again in "The Vale of Lost Women." Here, Conan is living amongst a primitive culture that does not use armour.</p><p></p><p>13) I can find no reference to Conan wearing armour in "The Devil in Iron." Conan has once again been on the water.</p><p></p><p>14) Conan is climbing up a sheer cliff at the beginning of "The Servants of Bit-Yakin." No armour here, either.</p><p></p><p>15) In "The Black Stranger," circumstance once again finds Conan on the run having escaped capture, and therefore armourless once again.</p><p></p><p>16) Nothing again in "The Man-Eaters of Zamboula."</p><p></p><p>17) Nor in "Red Nails."</p><p></p><p>18) Conan wears a (chain)mail hauberk and a helmet throughout "Beyond the Black River."</p><p></p><p>19) Conan is described as wearing Turanian mail under his shirt in "the People of the Black Circle."</p><p></p><p>20) Conan is in mail again in "A Witch Shall Be Born."</p><p></p><p>21) Conan goes through several suits of armour, both mail and plate, in "The Hour of the Dragon."</p><p></p><p>So, out of 21 stories, Conan wears armour in nine of them. Of those in which he does not wear armour, several feature him having just escaped either from prison or from dire circumstances and we may presume he lost any armour he might have had. <em>In general</em>, it may be said that Conan chooses to go without armour only when the situation calls for going without it, as in any enterprise that might involve climbing a building or a cliff, or when the environment prohibits it, as in piracy.</p><p></p><p>Conan himself preaches the benefits of wearing armour--even for sneaking around in the woods--in a monologue in "Beyond the Black River." </p><p></p><p>Clearly, he's not the stereotypical stupid, loincloth-clad barbarian that popular culture would lead you to believe he is--at least not by choice. He sensibly wore armour when his circumstances called for it, and when it was available to him. By choice, he only goes without armour if he has to climb something or swim. I don't think it can be said that Conan intentionally "goes adventuring" without armour.</p><p></p><p>It's fine for you to be smitten with the pop-culture image of the naked barbarian, but Conan isn't a good exemplar of the cliched archetype.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="ArmoredSaint, post: 4151566, member: 54539"] I have all the Dark Horse Conan comics, as well as the complete collection of Howard's original stories. While the Dark Horse adaptations might very well be faithful to the original in terms of plot, they're a lot more lax when it comes to Conan's equipment. Just for fun, let's have a look at Conan's personal defensive gear in each of the original Howard tales: 1) "The Phoenix on the Sword" features Conan hurriedly arming himself in an "elaborate" suit of Aquilonian plate before the assassins rush in. 2) In "The Frost Giant's Daughter," we are told repeatedly that Conan is wearing mail. 3) Conan wears no armour in "The God in the Bowl" since he's breaking and entering. 4) Again, he wears no armour in "The Tower of the Elephant." 5) The Scarlet Citadel, another King Conan story, describes Conan in "black, gilt-worked" full armour. 6) In "Queen of the Black Coast," Conan is "invulnerable" in his "horned helmet...(scale)hauberk and greaves...and ringmail...sheathed his arms and legs." 7) In "Black Colossus," Conan exchanges his mail hauberk/coif and bascinet for a suit of full plate that includes "gorget, sollerets, cuirass, pauldrons, jambes, cuisses, and sallet." 8) Conan wears only a loincloth in "Iron Shadows in the Moon" because he has been on the run following a defeat. 9) Likewise, in "Xuthal of the Dusk." 10) Conan once again has no armour in "The Pool of the Black One" because he has been swimming. 11) In "Rogues in the House" Conan has no armour because he has just escaped from prison. 12) No armour again in "The Vale of Lost Women." Here, Conan is living amongst a primitive culture that does not use armour. 13) I can find no reference to Conan wearing armour in "The Devil in Iron." Conan has once again been on the water. 14) Conan is climbing up a sheer cliff at the beginning of "The Servants of Bit-Yakin." No armour here, either. 15) In "The Black Stranger," circumstance once again finds Conan on the run having escaped capture, and therefore armourless once again. 16) Nothing again in "The Man-Eaters of Zamboula." 17) Nor in "Red Nails." 18) Conan wears a (chain)mail hauberk and a helmet throughout "Beyond the Black River." 19) Conan is described as wearing Turanian mail under his shirt in "the People of the Black Circle." 20) Conan is in mail again in "A Witch Shall Be Born." 21) Conan goes through several suits of armour, both mail and plate, in "The Hour of the Dragon." So, out of 21 stories, Conan wears armour in nine of them. Of those in which he does not wear armour, several feature him having just escaped either from prison or from dire circumstances and we may presume he lost any armour he might have had. [I]In general[/I], it may be said that Conan chooses to go without armour only when the situation calls for going without it, as in any enterprise that might involve climbing a building or a cliff, or when the environment prohibits it, as in piracy. Conan himself preaches the benefits of wearing armour--even for sneaking around in the woods--in a monologue in "Beyond the Black River." Clearly, he's not the stereotypical stupid, loincloth-clad barbarian that popular culture would lead you to believe he is--at least not by choice. He sensibly wore armour when his circumstances called for it, and when it was available to him. By choice, he only goes without armour if he has to climb something or swim. I don't think it can be said that Conan intentionally "goes adventuring" without armour. It's fine for you to be smitten with the pop-culture image of the naked barbarian, but Conan isn't a good exemplar of the cliched archetype. [/QUOTE]
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