XIOMBARGXIOMBARG
Real Name: Queen Xiombarg
Identity/Class: Human magic user (Demon, perhaps), Melniboné (Extradimensional)
Occupation: Queen of Chaos
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Gaynor the Damned, Hell-Hordes of Chaos, Hooded Ones, Kulan Gath, Terhali, possibly another Demon of Chaos (patron) different from Arioch
Enemies: Arioch Duke of Chaos, Arkyn Lord of Order, Conan the Cimmerian, Elric of Melniboné, Zephra, Zukala
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Melniboné (Extradimensional)
First Appearance: The Queen of the Swords
(1971);
Conan the Barbarian I#14 (February,
1972) {Edizione Italiana: Gli Albi dei Super-Eroi#30 Editoriale Corno}
Powers/Abilities: Xiombarg is a sorceress. She was so powerful that she played a game of dominion over two dimensions on the same chess-board where Arkyn and Arioch were. She was a disciple of Chaos and lead the so-called Sword of Chaos. She lead with an iron fist the Hooded Ones, the Hell-Horde of Chaos, and also Gaynor the Damned. She was able to open interdimensional passages between Melniboné and Hyboria, sense magic-spying from other sorcerers in the surrounding area and block these kind of intrusions once she had discovered them. She could send her words or thoughts between the worlds and thus condition other persons, though perhaps only if they are powerful sorcerers such as Kulan Gath. She probably knew the way to bring death to Gaynor, who could not otherwise die. She also used an enchanted crimson sphere to see, speak, and hear other beings at long distances.
History:
(Conan the Barbarian I#14 (fb) - BTS) - In the
Extradimensional realm of Melniboné, Xiombarg was the Queen of the Swords
of Chaos. For eons she battled against her enemies, Arkyn (Lord of Order) and Arioch
(Duke of Chaos) for the dominion of Melniboné. One of her deadliest servants was Gaynor the Damned who served her
because she was the only one who could give him death.
Xiombarg set a plan up to conquer both the Melnibonean and the Hyborian worlds. She wanted to resurrect an ancient Melnibonean empress, Terhali the Green Empress, and use her great power to subdue both the worlds under her will. This plan was not liked by Arkyn, nor by his enemy Arioch. The two gods sent their emissaries to foil Xiombarg's plan.
(Conan the Barbarian I#15 (fb)- BTS) - Xiombarg conditioned Kulan Gath, a powerful Stygian sorcerer, instructing him to make his way to the Sighing Lake and the sunken city of Yagala. Once there he was led to believe that if he returned Terhali the Green Empress back to life she would serve him and help him to conquer both the Hyborian and Melnibonean worlds.
(Conan the Barbarian I#14) - Xiombarg sent the Hooded Ones to kill Zephra and Zukala, Arkyn's pawns. Zephra and Conan were helped by Zukala and by Arkyn so Xiombarg's disciples had to flee.
(Conan the Barbarian I#14) - Xiombarg was angered by the Hooded One's failing, so she ordered Gaynor the Damned to lead the Hell-Horde of Chaos to stop Conan and Zephra from interrupting Kulan Gath's task. While they were in Xiombarg's Castle, the Queen sensed they were being spied on through magical means, and she drove Gaynor's arm to the right point to strike. Gaynor sunk his enchanted sword and broke the spell, but Zukala, the spy, survived.
(Conan the Barbarian I#14) - After few hours, Gaynor and the Horde of Chaos
passed through a dimensional door and arrived in the Hyborian world, where they
fought Conan, Elric of Melniboné (sorcerer-King, enemy of Xiombarg and disciple
of Arioch) and Zephra.
The Horde of Chaos was defeated but Gaynor succeeded in
slowing his enemies. Gaynor, with few demons
fled back to Melniboné in a flash of light.
(Conan the Barbarian I#15) - Xiombarg, through an enchanted sphere, spoke to
Gaynor who was in the interdimensional passage between the two worlds: Conan, Elric and Zephra
were still alive and were arriving in Yagala. So Xiombarg unleashed Gaynor and the Pack of Chaos
again and they arrived just in time to stop the warriors and let Kulan Gath
complete the spell to resurrect Terhali.
Terhali suddenly killed Kulan Gath and overpowered both Elric
and Conan. But Arkyn offered to Zephra the divine power of the
Lords of Order to fight the Green immortal Empress. Xiombarg, in her dimension,
heard the words of the god and screamed against him. Zephra was transformed by
Arkyn, and--after a short dramatic battle of tremendous power--she eventually
destroyed Terhali and foiled Xiombarg's plan. Zephra died, and Elric went back to
Melniboné.
Comments: Created by Michael Moorcock/James Cawthorn/Roy Thomas, Barry Smith and Sal Buscema.
When Elric traveled from Melniboné to Hyboria,
he prepared the spell for many nights. Xiombarg sent Gaynor and the Hell-Horde of
Chaos some hours after the Hooded Ones failed their mission. She was better than
Elric in the interdimensional-transporting spells, or probably once the
"passage" was opened it was easier to use it again.
It is also possible that she interfered with Elric's spell, because Elric confirmed
that he wanted to arrive near the Sighing Lake and not where Conan and Zephra
were, because they were near Gaynor and the Horde of Chaos. This
hypothesis doesn't find a confirmation in Gaynor's words; in fact he was surprised to
find Elric there, and I think that Xiombarg would have informed him if she
had diverted Elric on Gaynor's way. So, I think that one of the two gods pushed Elric
in the "right" direction letting him help Zephra survive and
eventually destroy Terhali, instead to let the Green Empress sleep as it would
have happened if Elric killed Kulan Gath before he resurrected her.
I didn't read all Moorcock's books, and I'm not sure that Xiombarg was a "she". It is more probable that "he" is one of the Dukes of Chaos, and so he could assume any form he want.
Prince Gaynor the Damned, the Chaos
pack, and Xiombarg the Queen of Chaos first appeared in the 1971 novel "The
Queen of the Swords", which was the second book in the Corum series (Corum being
another incarnation of the Eternal Champion).
--Sean Curtin
Clarifications:
Xiombarg has no known connections to
The Hooded Ones have no known connections to
The Hooded Ones come from the Melnibonean dimension. They serve Xiombarg.
They have a humanoid form, their skin is red, their faces have no nose nor mouth, their eyes have no pupils, and their blood is black. When they are wounded they don't scream, and when they are killed they dissolve in dust. They wield a sabre which touch can stun or paralyze a man. They mount scarlet creatures with the body of a horse and the beak of a bird of prey, with eyes without pupils.
(Conan the Barbarian I#14 - BTS) - The Hooded Ones were sent in the Hyborian world by Xiombarg to kill Zephra and Zukala and prevent them to find help for stopping Kulan Gath.
(Conan the Barbarian I#14) - Four Hooded Ones found Zephra and pursued her in the prairies of Koth. Just during the dawn They were reaching her but were attacked by Conan the Barbarian who wanted to defend the girl. Two of the Hooded Ones were wounded by Conan's sword but one of them skimmed the Cimmerian with his blade and Conan felt on the ground. They were killing Conan when from the rising sun they were attacked by some white enchanted eagles sent bu Zukala helped by Arkyn. The eagles' beaks killed one of the Xiombarg's emissaries and the other understood they could do nothing against them so turned the mounts back and rided disappeaaring in the shadows.
(Conan the Barbarian I#14) - Few hours later the Hooded Ones were again in the Melnibonean realm, present when Xiombarg ordered to Gaynor the Damned to lead the attack against Conan and Zephra.
--"The Queen of the Swords", Conan the Barbarian I#14 (15
Images:
Conan the Barbarian I#14, page 9, panel 4 (Xiombarg,
full body)
Conan the Barbarian I#14, page 10, panel 2 (Xiombarg,
head shot)
Conan the Barbarian I#14, page 1, panel 1 (the Hooded
Oned)
Other appearances:
Conan the Barbarian I#15 (March, 1972) {Edizione Italiana: Gli Albi dei
Super-Eroi#30 Editoriale Corno}
Last updated: 09/24/05
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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