Conan the Barbarian #137

Conan joins Grendl's Traveling Fighters in "Titan's Gambit."

Cimmeria. Bolo, a giant simpleton stands paying 'cat's cradle' in the throne room of King Arvenger of Voldhom. He is introduced to the king by Twillo, an accompanying dwarf, as a reigning fight-champion. The local champion ,a grizzly bear is released for the fight against Bolo. As the dwarf, Twillo, plays a haunting tune from a wooden flute, Bolo is transformed into a berserk rage - breaking the bear's back. The flute's tune is the same that Bolo heard as a child when soldiers murdered his parents. Upon hearing it, Bolo changes from a child-like halfwit into a hulking, beserk brute...

Meanwhile, Conan sits enjoying some wenches and grog in a tavern two-hundred miles away. A brawl soon ensues with the taverns other patrons, who prove no match for Conan who promptly lays them all out.

This catches the interest of Grendl, a traveller who hires 'champions' for entertaining fighting bouts in the local towns. The ultimate prize is a beautiful golden statue of a lady, known as The Monika. Owned by the despotic, King Arvenger who challenges the local townships with promises of wealth if they can defeat his champion - the unconquered Bolo.

Conan joins Grendl as a competitor for The Monika...

Travelling south, Conan overcomes several wrestlers in the towns on-route to Castle Arvenger and is soon the next challenger of the fearsome Bolo.

Entering the castle, Arvenger takes the 10,000 gold pieces fee for the challenge and Conan faces Bolo. Once more, Bolo turns into a murderous colossus at the sound of Twillo's flute and clashes with Conan. In the fight, the door to the treasure-room is shattered when Bolo hurls the marble throne at Conan. The contents of the treasure-room are plainly visable, and Bolo stops to stare at The Monika - for it is none other than a statue of his mother, carved by his gifted father. Both murdered by Arvenger's soldiers, as the king looked on and his dwarf played the tune that haunts Bolo. The memories, obscured by Bolo's trauma, come flooding back - he kills Twillo then, chasing the fleeing Arvenger, kills the king...

He rejoins Conan and Grendl to hold off Arvenger's guards. The locals have their gold returned and Bolo is given The Monika by Conan, who then takes his leave and heads into the wilderness...