Conan The Barbarian 1970

It could be contended that this first film in the Merry Marvel movie list isn't a Marvel movie at all. To be certain, Robert E. Howard's "Conan" books came out years before the Marvel Comics similitude, and the film is most probably based on those books more than the genuine comics, but Conan was a Marvel Comics property beginning in 1970, and that character was not changed drastically from the archetypes, making this film eligible.

Thisclassic swords-and-sandal epic begins with Conan's (Arnold Schwarzenegger in the role that made him a star) original story, where his village is looted by the evil wizard Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones, sporting a wicked long wig with the bangs cut off). His parents are killed, including his mother in front of the young Conan.

The young Conan is  imprisoned, his years of ceaseless labor making him physically strong, and he promptly becomes a champion in death matches and is trained as a warrior. He is set free, and soon comes across the path of a seductive harpy with whom Conan couples. She reveals herself mid-coitus to be a demon, and Conan throws her into a fire and goes on with his life.

Later he crosses paths with the thief and archer Rexor (Ben Davidson), and the fair Valeria , , and they accompany Conan on his request.

Later they meet King Osric (Max Von Sydow), whom has also had inauspicious dealings with Doom-he claimed Osric's daughter as his wife, Strict charges Conan and his friends with rescuing his daughter, promising them riches enough to be kings in their own right, leading to the final encounter between Conan and Doom.

The effects are scarcely great by today's standards, but neither are they distractingly bad. The swordplay is unruffled enough, though there is astonishingly little of it. This is as broody a film as one of its type can be.

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