History:
BEOWULF
Real Name: Beowulf
Identity/Class: Human (Hyborian
Era)
Occupation: Barbarian
Group Membership: Leader of his own army of Vandals
Affiliations: Ulwin
Enemies: Beast-God, the King of Vanaria, Princess Ulana
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Vanaria, on the coast of the Northern Islands
First Appearance: Tower of Shadows I#6/2 (July, 1970)
Powers/Abilities: Beowulf was an excellent hand-to-hand fighter with a thousand campaigns' worth of combat experience. He usually wielded a sword and shield.
Height: Unrevealed
(approximately 6')
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 180 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
History:
(Tower of Shadows I#6/2 (fb) - BTS) - Beowulf was a Vandal leader who had been in a thousand campaigns of battle over the years.
(Tower of Shadows I#6/2) - Beowulf led his band of barbarians to the kingdom of Vanaria on the coast of the Northern Islands. Beowulf sent out his scouts to explore the area but one of the scouts, Ulwin, came running back, behaving as though he were insane. To defend himself, Beowulf drew his sword and slew Ulwin. Heading into the woods Ulwin had exited from, Beowulf found a woman tied to a tree. Beowulf started to rescue her but she warned him not to because she was a sacrifice to the Beast-God. Beowulf asked whether this Beast-God were a spirit or a physical thing; hearing it was solid, Beowulf believed he could slay it. The woman warned him not to look into the Beast-God's eyes because they could cause insanity.
Just asthe woman continued to describe the Beast-God, the creature suddenly appeared and attacked Beowulf. Beowulf fended it off with his shield, avoiding looking into its eyes. Finally, Beowulf stabbed the Beast-God to death. Beowulf and his men entered Vanaria's castle, cheered by the people as liberators for slaying the Beast-God. Beowulf went to meet the king of Vanaria, who introduced his daughter, Princess Ulana. Beowulf declared he'd make Ulana his handmaiden, while his men began ravaging and looting the castle. When the king objected to Beowulf's behavior, Beowulf declared it wasn't his kingdom anymore. The king drew his sword and attacked Beowulf, but Beowulf quickly and easily slew the king. Beowulf saw the king had an unusual ring on his finger that glowed; he asked Ulana if were magical; she denied this but when he saw how eager she was he wanted the ring. Grabbing the ring from her father's hand, Ulana jumped off a battlement and into the catle moat. Beowulf's men found no trace of her.
Beowulf established himself as the lord of the castle and appointed the woman he'd saved from the Beast-God as his new handmaiden. But before long, Beowulf received word that the Beast-God had returned and was driving the Vandals insane. Beowulf attacked the Beast-God but his sword had no effect because it was now a ghost, travelling to and from the Land of Shadows. Over the days that followed, the Beast-God continued to appear and disappear, driving the Vandals insane, until soon Beowulf had only a handful of his army left. The Vandals turned against Beowulf and decided to sacrifice him to the Beast-God, tying him to a tree as they'd seen done before in the hopes it would appease the creature.
Tied to a tree, Beowulf was greeted by Princess ulana, who claimed she wanted him to rid the kingdom of the Ghost-Beast. She gave him her father's ring, claiming it was magic like he'd thought. Beowulf donned the ring, but Ulana had poisoned it so that Beowulf died the moment he donned it. Beowulf became a ghost but was unaware of having died. As the Ghost-Beast reappeared, Princess Ulana told him to fight the Beast-God and hold it in his grip. Beowulf grappled with the Ghost-Beast until it finally vanished, apparently for good. Turning to Ulana, Beowulf tried to take her hostage but then discovered he was only a ghost; Ulana showed him his dead body and thanked him because he'd saved her people in the end.
Beowulf's ghost is said to still be wandering the ruins of Vanaria.
Comments: Created by Wally Wood.
This Beowulf's adventure is set "In the dark centuries between the Final Cataclysm and the beginning of recorded history."
This was one of several stories published in Tower of Shadows and Crypt of Darkness that featured sword and sorcery adventures; their success eventually convinced Marvel to obtain the license to Conan the Barbarian.
This profile was completed on 03/04/2026 but its publication was delayed, as it was intended for the Appendix's 25th anniversary celebratory event.
Profile by Prime Eternal.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Beowulf should not be confused with:
The Beast-God was a demonic creature, one of the Old Ones who had dwelled on Earth long before humanity. It had a dark, animal-like body, with clawed hands and a tail. The gaze of the Beast-God could drive people insane; Ulwin was one of those the Beast-God drove insane. After the Beast-God was slain by Beowulf it returned as a ghost-like creature that could emerge from the Land of Shadows; although immaterial, it could still drive people insane with its gaze. Beowulf unwittingly killed himself to fight and destroy the Beast-God, driving it back into the Land of Shadows, seemingly for good.
--Tower of Shadows I#6/2
The King of Vanaria was the father of Princess Ulana. The king was pleased that Beowulf had saved Vanaria from the Ghost-Beast, but saw Beowulf and his Vandals intended to conquer his kingdom for themselves. The king drew his sword and attacked Beowulf but Beowulf easily slew him. Seeing a glowing ring on the king's hand, Beowulf thought it might be magical; it wasn't, but Princess Ulana kept it from him, later using it to poison Beowulf to death.
--Tower of Shadows I#6/2
Princess Ulana was the daughter of Vanaria's king. When Beowulf first slew the Ghost-Beast, he wanted to make Princess Ulana his handmaiden. Beowulf slew Ulana's father and was interested in a glowing ring that was on his hand, thinking it was magical. Ulana took the ring from Beowulf and jumped from the castle battlements into the moat, then escaped into the woods. When the Ghost-Beast's ghost returned to torment Vanaria, the Vandals turned against Beowulf and tied him to a tree. Ulana found Beowulf and showed him the ring, claiming it was magical like he'd believed. Beowulf donned the ring, but Ulana had placed poison on it that killed him instantly. Ulana directed Beowulf's ghost to battle the Ghost-Beast and drive it back into the Land of Shadows. Once the creature was beaten, Ulana showed Beowulf his own body and thanked him because he'd ended up saving Vanaria after all.
--Tower of Shadows I#6/2
Ulwin was a Vandal in Beowulf's army. When Beowulf came to Vanaria he sent out Ulwin to scout the area ahead. In the woods, Ulwin encountered the Ghost-Beast, who gaze drove Ulwin insane. Ulwin attacked Beowulf and he was forced to kill Ulwin.
--Tower of Shadows I#6/2
images: (without ads)
Tower of Shadows I#6/2, page 2, panel 1 (main)
Tower of Shadows I#6/2, page 2, panel 5 (face)
Tower of Shadows I#6/2, page 2, panel 7 (Beast-God)
Tower of Shadows I#6/2, page 3, panel 4 (king)
Tower of Shadows I#6/2, page 4, panel 4 (Ulana)
Tower of Shadows I#6/2, page 1, panel 3 (Ulwin)
Appearances:
Tower of Shadows I#6/2 (July, 1970) - Wally Wood (writer, artist), Stan
Lee (editor)
First posted: 09/26/2026
Last updated:
03/04/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099 Marvel
Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you
should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com
Special Thanks to http://www.g-mart.com/ for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!