| Kull of Atlantis | |
|---|---|
 Illustration for Robert E. Howard's "The Shadow Kingdom" in Weird Tales (August 1929), Kull's first appearance | |
| First appearance | "The Shadow Kingdom" inWeird Tales (August, 1929) |
| Created by | Robert E. Howard |
| Portrayed by | Kevin Sorbo |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Current: King Former: Soldier Gladiator Outlaw Pirate Slave |
| Affiliation | Allies: Brule Tu Ka-Nu Enemies: Thulsa Doom |
| Weapon | Sword Axe |
| Origin | Atlantis |
| Nationality | Atlantean |
Kull of Atlantis orKull the Conqueror is a fictional character created by writerRobert E. Howard. The character was more introspective than Howard's subsequent creation,Conan the Barbarian, whose first appearance was in a re-write of a rejected Kull story.[1][2]
His first published appearance was "The Shadow Kingdom" inWeird Tales (August, 1929). Kull was portrayed in the 1997 filmKull the Conqueror by "actor"Kevin Sorbo. The character has also been featured in comics series published byMarvel Comics,Dark Horse Comics, andTitan Comics.
Kull is similar to Conan in many ways. He is a fierce warrior, ruthless and courageous on the battlefield, but not tyrannical or cruel. He has a strong sense of chivalry and virtue. Unlike Conan, Kull is philosophical and brooding. He agonizes over decisions that affect the lives of those around him, always looking for the most noble action to take. He is uncomfortable with kingship and prefers the life of a general. Also unlike Conan, Kull is asexual and aromantic; while capable of recognizing beautiful women as attractive, he has "never been a lover," at least in the original Howard stories. Despite this, Kull is always shown to be in favor of allowing lovers to marry regardless of social status or traditional convention.
Kull was born in pre-cataclysmicAtlantisc. 100,000 BC, depicted as inhabited at the time by barbarian tribes. East of Atlantis lay the ancient continent of Thuria, of which the northwest portion is divided among severalcivilized kingdoms. The most powerful among these was Valusia; others included Commoria, Grondar, Kamelia, Thule, and Verulia. Note that the word "Thuria" never appears in any of the Kull stories. Howard coined the term while tying Kull's world to Conan's in the 1936 essay "The Hyborian Age".[3]
Kull was born into a tribe settled in the Tiger Valley of Atlantis. Both the valley and tribe were destroyed by a flood while Kull was still a toddler, leaving the young Kull to live as aferal child for many years. Kull was captured by the Sea-Mountain tribe and eventually adopted by them. In "Exile of Atlantis", an adolescent Kull grants a woman a quick death so that she will not be burned to death by a mob. For this selfless act, Kull is exiled from Atlantis.
Kull attempted to reach Thuria, but was instead captured by Lemurian Pirates. He spent a couple of years as agalley slave before regaining his freedom during amutiny.
He tried the life of apirate between his late adolescence and his early twenties. His fighting skills and courage allowed him to becomecaptain of his own ship. Soon, Kull gained a fearsome reputation for himself in the seas surrounding Atlantis and Thuria. Kull lost his ship and crew in anaval battle off the coast of Valusia, but once again survived.
He settled in Valusia as an outlaw. However, his criminal career proved to be short-lived as he was soon captured by the Valusians and imprisoned in a dungeon. His captors offered him a choice: execution or service as agladiator. He chose the latter. After proving to be an effective combatant and gaining fame in the arenas of the capital, a number of admirers helped him to regain his freedom.
Kull never left Valusia or returned to the life of an outlaw. Instead, he joined the Royalarmy as amercenary, pursuing elevation through theranks. In "The Curse of the Golden Skull" Kull, approaching his thirties, is recruited by King Borna of Valusia in a mission against the ambitioussorcerer Rotath of Lemuria. Kull proves to be an effectiveassassin.
Borna promoted Kull into the general command of his mercenary forces. Borna himself, however, had gained a reputation for hiscruelty anddespotism. There was discontent with Borna's rule among thenobility, leading eventually to acivil war. The mercenaries proved more loyal to Kull than any other leader, allowing him to become the leader of their revolt.
Kull killed Borna and took the throne while he was still in his early thirties. In "The Shadow Kingdom", Kull has spent six months upon the Valusian throne and faces the firstconspiracy against him.
The series continued with Kull finding that gaining the crown was easier than securing it. He faces several internal and external challenges throughout the series. The conspiring of hiscourtiers leaves Kull almost constantly threatened with loss of life and throne. The aging King is ever more aware of theSword of Damocles that he inherited along with the crown.
"The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune" finds Kull becoming progressively more introspective. The former barbarian is left lost in contemplations ofphilosophy.
Brule the spear slayer, a pre-cataclysmicPict, and friend to Kull. Despite the animosity between Picts and Atlanteans, Brule is a fast friend and advisor to Kull.
First Councillor Tu is a trusted administrator, but also a constant reminder of the tradition bound laws and customs of Valusia.
Ka-Nu (sometimes named Kananu), the PictishAmbassador to Valusia and wise man, is responsible for the friendship between Kull and Brule despite the ancient enmity between Atlanteans and Picts.[4]
The last king of Valusia, a cruel and tyrannical despot who was overthrown by Kull and his soldiers.
Kull's mortal enemy is the sorcererThulsa Doom. Thulsa Doom is described by Howard in "The Cat and the Skull" as having a face "like a bare white skull, in whose eye sockets flamed livid fire". He is seemingly invulnerable, boasting after being trampled by one of Kull's comrades that he feels "only a slight coldness" when being injured and will only "pass to some other sphere when [his] time comes".
| Title | Date | Publication | Form | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Shadow Kingdom" | 1929, August | Weird Tales | Story | Published in Howard's lifetime. |
| "The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune" | 1929, September | Weird Tales | Story | Published in Howard's lifetime. |
| "Kings of the Night" | 1930, November | Weird Tales | Story | Published in Howard's lifetime. |
| "The King and the Oak" | 1939, February | Weird Tales | Poem | |
| "The Altar and the Scorpion" | 1967 | King Kull | Story | |
| "By This Axe I Rule!" | 1967 | King Kull | Story | Re-written by Howard into the Conan story "The Phoenix on the Sword". |
| "Delcardes' Cat" | 1967 | King Kull | Story | Also known as "The Cat and the Skull". |
| "Exile of Atlantis" | 1967 | King Kull | Story | Originally an untitled story, title created byLin Carter. |
| "The Skull of Silence" | 1967 | King Kull | Story | Also known as "The Screaming Skull of Silence". |
| "The Striking of the Gong" | 1967 | Second Book of Robert E. Howard | Story | A version edited by Lin Carter was first published inKing Kull in 1967. |
| "Swords of the Purple Kingdom" | 1967 | King Kull | Story | |
| "The Curse of the Golden Skull" | 1967, Spring | The Howard Collector, no. 9 | Story | |
| "The Black City" | 1978 | Kull | Story | A version edited by Lin Carter was titled "The Black Abyss" and published inKing Kull in 1967. |
| "Riders Beyond the Sunrise" | 1978 | Kull | Story | Originally an untitled draft, title created byLin Carter. A version edited by Carter was first published inKing Kull in 1967. |
| "Wizard and Warrior" | 1978 | Kull | Story | Originally an untitled fragment, title created byLin Carter. A version edited by Carter was first published inKing Kull in 1967. |
Kull isConan the Barbarian's direct literary forerunner. Conan's first story (both as a written piece and a published one), "The Phoenix on the Sword", is a rewriting of an earlier Kull story "By This Axe, I Rule". The Conan version has a completely new backstory, less philosophy, more action, and various supernatural elements. Many passages of both stories still match word for word.[1][2]
One notable difference between Kull and Conan is their respective attitudes towards women. While Conan is a notablewomanizer, finding a new love interest in nearly each of his stories, Kull is repeatedly mentioned as uninterested in having any such attachment. While highly chivalrous and on several occasions helping pairs of star-crossed lovers reach a happy consummation, he is never mentioned as having himself any relationship with a woman. Nor does Kull show any interest in marrying and founding a dynasty, as Conan does inThe Hour of the Dragon, and none of Kull's wise advisors ever mentions this issue.
Patrice Louinet writes in "Atlantis Genesis"[5] that Howard may have been influenced by the work of Paul L. Anderson and his novellas published inArgosy in the 1920s. Louinet notes Howard's stories echo Anderson's subject (how theCro-Magnons supplanted theNeanderthals). Also, Louinet found Howard had borrowed some names from Anderson (En-Ro of the Ta-an and Land of the Dying Sun resemble Am-ra of the Ta-an and Land of the Morning Sun). The Cro-Magnon/Atlantis connection seems to have originated withLewis Spence, a British folklorist, in his "The Problem of Atlantis" (1924) and "Atlantis in America" (1925), works that could have influenced Howard.
There is a possibility that Kull's name comes fromOld King Cole, who was mentioned in "The Search" byEdgar Lee Masters, published inCosmopolitan, a poem Howard had "been trying to re-discover". It contains lines "The Tiger banner and Dragon banner/Flutter around the world", which compare to "The Hour of the Dragon", where the lion is Conan's emblem and the dragon that of his enemy,Nemedia, whereas the tiger is Kull'stotem.[1]
Kull has been adapted to comics byMarvel Comics with three series between 1971 and 1985.[6] The first was drawn byMarie Severin and her brotherJohn Severin. He also appeared several times inThe Savage Sword of Conan series and other anthology books. Another graphic novel,Kull: The Vale of Shadow, was published in 1989.[7]
In 2006,Dark Horse Comics bought the rights to use Kull. The first series, titledKull, was based on "The Shadow Kingdom".[8] As of 2012[update], three mini-series were published,Kull,Kull: The Hate Witch, andKull: The Cat and the Skull.[6] Dark Horse also re-published the Marvel stories into two different Kull collections. The Marvel color comics were collected into five volumes titledThe Chronicles of Kull, and the Marvel magazine format, black and white stories were collected into two volumes titledThe Savage Sword of Kull.[9] Additional reprints were published inRobert E. Howard's Savage Sword.
In 2017,IDW Publishing got the license and began publishingKull Eternal, using "The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune" as a story foundation of Kull in a modern setting.[6] The series was cancelled after the third issue.[10]
In 2024, Arrow Comics published an adaptation of "The Shadow Kingdom" written by Randy Zimmerman with art by Russ Leach.[11]
Titan Comics announced Kull will be featured prominently in the 2025 limited series "Scourge of the Serpent" and will receive a series in 2027.[12]
| Title | Material collected from | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Chronicles of Kull Volume 1:A King Comes Riding and Other Stories | Creatures on the Loose! #10 The Coming of King Kull! (The Skull of Silence!), Monsters on the Prowl #16 King Kull! (The Forbidden Swamp), Conan The Barbarian #10 Kull the Conqueror (The King and the Oak) | December 2, 2009 | 978-1-59582-413-4 |
| The Chronicles of Kull Volume 2:The Hell Beneath Atlantis and Other Stories | Kull the Conqueror (Vol. 1) #10 Kull the Destroyer #11–20 | April 7, 2010 | 978-1-59582-439-4 |
| The Chronicles of Kull Volume 3:Screams in the Dark and Other Stories | Kull the Destroyer #21–29 "The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune" fromConan the Barbarian #25 Conan the Barbarian #68 "The Beast from the Abyss" fromConan Annual #3 | May 22, 2010 | 978-1-59582-585-8 |
| The Chronicles of Kull Volume 4:The Blood of Kings and Other Stories | Kull the Conqueror (Vol. 2) #1 and #2 Kull the Conqueror (Vol. 3) #1 and #2 | March 2, 2011 | 978-1-59582-684-8 |
| The Chronicles of Kull Volume 5:Dead Men of the Deep and Other Stories | Kull the Conqueror (Vol. 3) #3–10 | February 22, 2012 | 978-1-59582-906-1 |
| The Savage Sword of Kull Volume 1 | Savage Tales #2, The Savage Sword of Conan #2, #3, #9, #23, #34, #42, #43, #55, and #119, Kull and the Barbarians #1–3, The Savage Sword of Conan Annual #1, Marvel Preview #19, Bizarre Adventures #26 | November 17, 2009 | 978-1-59582-593-3 |
| The Savage Sword of Kull Volume 2 | The Savage Sword of Conan #128–140, #145, #147–152, #158, #159, #161, #165, #169, #170, #172, #177, #182, #183, #186, #190–193, #196–199, #202, #213, #215, #229, and #230–233, Conan Saga #97 | October 5, 2011 | 978-1-59582-788-3 |
| Kull Volume 1:The Shadow Kingdom | Kull #1–6 | October 14, 2009 | 978-1-59582-385-4 |
| Kull Volume 2:The Hate Witch | Kull: The Hate Witch #1–4 | July 13, 2011 | 978-1-59582-730-2 |
| Kull Volume 3:The Cat and the Skull | Kull: The Cat and the Skull #1–4 | July 25, 2012 | 978-1-59582-899-6 |
The 1982Conan the Barbarian film starringArnold Schwarzenegger borrowed many elements from Howard's Kull stories. The main villainThulsa Doom was from the Kull series, as was the serpent cult.[13] Conan's early life as a slave and gladiator in the movie borrows heavily from Kull's origin story and only shares minor details with Conan's literary origins; Conan was never a slave or a gladiator in Howard's stories, and left Cimmeria of his own free will.
The 1997 filmKull the Conqueror starsKevin Sorbo in the title role. The film was originally intended to be a Conan film and some elements of this remain.[14][15] The story's basis and several names can be directly traced to the Conan story "The Hour of the Dragon".
Kull may have been the source of the name ofKing Kull, aFawcett Comicssupervillain and foe ofCaptain Marvel, later acquired byDC Comics.[citation needed] This King Kull combines barbarian elements with the bizarre science fiction elements common in Captain Marvel stories of theGolden Age of comic books.
In Robert E. Howard's story "Kings of the Night", a character living in the time of the Roman Empire states that a contemporary of Kull's "has been dead a hundred thousand years as we reckon time."
The name Kull was registered as a trademark by Kull Productions in 1985. The trademark is now owned by Robert E. Howard Properties.[16]
Written works published before 1930, including "The Shadow Kingdom" and "The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune", have entered the public domain in the United States in 2025. In the European Union, where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years, these stories entered the public domain in 2007.