SHOLO

Real Name: Sholo

Identity/Class: Terrestrial fauna (lion);
    Hyborian era

Occupation: Warrior

Group Membership: The pride of the Lair of the Lions

Affiliations: Amra, Conan, other unidentified lions;
    Amra, at least, worshipped the "god of the maned ones" (possibly Sehkmet, the Lion-God);

Enemies: Belit, Dwellers in Darkness, Makeda, Riders of the River-Dragons;
    anyone who crossed Amra

Known Relatives: Unidentified lioness (grandmother, presumably deceased);
    Sholo the elder (father), unidentified uncle (deceased), Amra (adoptive uncle);
    numerous lions from his pride/society, some of whom were likely direct relatives (Sholo almost certainly fathered numerous offspring, resulting in further descendants, but this was not shown in-story)

Aliases: Shulo (see comments); "the black lion"
    "Black" (translation of name in the "river dialect")

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
    formerly the Lair of Lions, south of Kush in the Dark Continent

First Appearance: Conan the Barbarian I#61 (April, 1976);
    (identified) Conan the Barbarian I#62 (May, 1976)

Powers/Abilities: Sholo is a powerful male lion, notable for his rare black coat and mane. 

    Sholo is larger, stronger, and faster than most lions. He possesses sharp teeth and powerful jaws, as well as sharp claws, able to easily rend flesh.

    His olfactory (smell) and auditory (hearing) senses were superior to human senses.

    His nocturnal (night) vision was enhanced due to increased numbers and function of rods in the retinae, while his color vision wass likely diminished.

    Highly sensitive vibrissa (whiskers) set deep within the facial skin also enhanced his nocturnal perception.

    While most lions are nocturnal, Sholo has been commonly seen as active in both day and evening.

    While subserviant to Amra, Sholo was otherwise a leader in a large pride that included multiple males.

Height (at shoulder): Unrevealed (approximately 3'10" at the shoulder)
Length: Unrevealed (approximately 10', including 2' long tail)
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 600 lbs.)
Eyes: Green
Hair: Black

History:
(Conan the Barbarian I#62 (fb) - BTS) - Sholo was a rare black lion, the son of a another such lion, born to an unusual pride of jungle-dwelling (as opposed to veldt-dwelling) lions. Sholo's father had been named Sholo by an Aquilonian youth adopted by Sholo the Elder's mother after another male cub was slain by tribesmen who had slain abducted the youth after slaying the young boy's father.

    Amra made the Lair of Lions home to himself and his pride.

    The Riders of the River-Dragons (a tribe who rode crocodiles) and others regularly sent women to become Amra's brides as tributes so that he did not send Sholo and the pride against them.

(Conan the Barbarian I#61 (fb) - BTS) - Sholo and other lions serving Amra occasionally attacked and slew members of the Riders of the River-Dragons.

(Conan the Barbarian I#61 (fb) - BTS) - Sentries of the Dragon-Riders were often choked to death or stabbed in the gullet by a man or shredded by the claws of silent lions.

(Conan the Barbarian I#60 - BTS) - The Dragon-Riders feared Amra and brought him slaves and tribute.

(Conan the Barbarian I#61 - BTS) - Some of the Dragon-Riders believed that Amra could turn into the black lion they sometimes saw.

(Conan the Barbarian I#60 - BTS) - Belit and her crew, the Black Corsairs, including her mate Conan, visited the Watambi tribe, south of Kush. The Riders of the River-Dragons captured some of the Watambi and also abducted Belit, who had passed out from wine consumption.

(Conan the Barbarian I#62 (fb) - BTS) - Amra and Sholo watched the Dragon-Riders as they brought Belit toward Amra.

(Conan the Barbarian I#61 - BTS) - Belit escaped the Riders of the River Dragons.

(Conan the Barbarian I#61) - That evening, Amra slew a giant moth that threatened to eat Belit. With Sholo by his side, Amra introduced himself.

(Conan the Barbarian I#62) - Belit told Amra how the Dragon-Riders had sworn that he turned into the black lion, but Amra dismissed this idea. When Amra told Belit that she was to be his mate, Belit angrily challenged him, leading Sholo to charge her, but Amra forced Sholo back. When Belit resisted Amra's efforts, Amra punched her out and he carried her to a cave.

(Conan the Barbarian I#62 (fb) - BTS) - Sholo accompanied Amra as he carried Belit to a cave where he bound her wrists and lit a fire.

(Conan the Barbarian I#62) - Sholo lied beside Amra as he told Belit of his origins.

    Sholo subsequently accompanied Amra as he brought Belit to the Lair of the Lions. When Makeda, one of Amra's mates, jealously attacked Belit, Amra instructed her to leave quickly and never return or he would release her from his protection, and she would become a meal for his lion pride.

(Conan the Barbarian I#62 (fb) - BTS) - The vengeful Makeda rushed to the tomb-wall and performed a spell to awaken and release the monstrous beings imprisoned below the city for allegedly a million years.

(Conan the Barbarian I#63) - Sholo and other lions followed as Amra led Belit to the top of the lion altar for the wedding ceremony, while -- from the ground outside the Lair city, Conan -- who had followed Belit's trail to the Lair of the Lions -- urged Makeda to show them the fastest path to the altar.

    Sholo and the other lions stood as witnesses as Amra stood below the giant lion statue, imploring the lion-god to look down with favor as he took a new bride.

    After she furiously denounced Amra, Belit's struggles to free herself from her wrist-bonds unleashed a trickle of blood that caused a younger lion to leap at her. Sholo and the other lions stood back and roared as Amra slew that lion.

(Conan the Barbarian I#63) - As Amra and Sholo heard the voice of Conan and recognized him as an intruder in the Lair of Lions, they were surprised when the stone below Belit fell away and she dropped into the hands of a monstrous horde.

    The six-limbed spidery gnomes poured out of the hole and fearlessly assaulted Amra, Sholo, and the other lions, all of whom fought back fiercely and tore apart their attackers.

    Amra then jumped down through the portal and urged Sholo and the others to follow him to recover his chosen mate.

(Conan the Barbarian I#63 (fb) - BTS) - The lions apparently could not (or refused to) fit through the passageway to follow their master.

(Conan the Barbarian I#63) - After the "Dwellers in Darkness" had been driven off by the combined efforts of Amra, Conan, Belit, and the Watambi, Amra challenged Conan to fight to death. After a fierce struggle, Amra was slain.

(Conan the Barbarian I#63 - BTS) - As the Lair of the Lions began to collapse around them, Conan, Belit, and the Watambi fled.

(Conan the Barbarian I#63 - BTS) - Sholo and the other lions fled the lair separately.

(Conan the Barbarian I#63) - In the jungles, Sholo approached Conan and the two surviving Watambi, padding silently toward them. Conan urged Belit back and stood in Sholo's path, prepared to fight him with only a knife (as his sword had been lost in the collapsed lair) and vowing though he might die, he would at least mingle the lions' blood with his master's before he died.

    Sholo -- whether sensing Amra's blood on the knife and knowing his fate or otherwise -- ultimately lowered his head as if to acknowledge Conan as the new lord of lions before departing into the jungle.

    The Watambis told Conan that it was said that there must always be an Amra, first among lions, and that Conan had now claimed that title.

Comments: Created by Roy Thomas, John Buscema, and Steve Gan.

    It is at least implied that the demon-dwarf creatures (Dwellers in Darkness/Earthspawn/unbound ones/six-limbed spidery gnomes/demon-dwarves/dark-dwellers) were the spawn of the Earth mother. Despite having six limbs, they were called "spidery," so perhaps they were spawn of Omm or an offshoot of the spider-people.

    Amra's main lion was called Shulo initially in Conan the Barbarian I#62, then Sholo consistently thereafter in that issue and others. I personally prefer Shulo as a name.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Sholo should be distinguished from:

• Other "Sho" characters or lions, black or otherwise.
  

(Conan the Barbarian I#62 (fb) - BTS) - Sholo was a rare black lion in a litter containing at least one other lion, an orange/normal colored male, born to an unusual pride of jungle-dwelling (as opposed to veldt-dwelling) lions.      While Sholo was a young cub, his litter-mate was slain by a group of tribesmen who believed slaying any lion would grant them a lion's courage/power.      The rest of the pride then slaughtered the tribesmen and prepared to also slay an Aquilonian youth whom the tribesmen had captured after slaying his father.      However, before the lions could harm the youth, the mother of the slain cub leapt to his defense, apparently wanting the manling to replace her lost cub.    The youth shared the mother with her surviving cub, a black-furred lion the youth named Sholo (which meant "black" in the river dialect).     The youth eventually grew to manhood, still running with the lion pride, now joined by Sholo's son, also named Sholo. --Conan the Barbarian I#62 Note: The fate of Sholo the elder is unrevealed.     In the wild, in modern times, lions live 10-14 years.     The youth who would become Amra looked like he was maybe 2-3 years old (although his memories of his origins might suggest that he was a couple years older) when he was adopted by the lioness*      That would suggest that, barring something atypical, Sholo the elder would have likely died when Amra was 12-18 years old.      Obviously, Sholo the younger would have been born sometime before his death, or possibly a little afterward.      Gestation time for a lion is about 110 days, so it's possible that Sholo could have impregnated a lioness the day before or the day that he died, and Sholo the younger could have been 110 days after that.      Sholo the younger almost certainly fathered numerous offspring, resulting in further descendants, but this was not shown in-story

Sholo the younger's uncle (Sholo the Elder's brother) (Conan the Barbarian I#62 (fb) - BTS) - This lion cub was the son of a lioness and littermate of a black lion, born to an unusual pride of jungle-dwelling (as opposed to veldt-dwelling) lions.      While a young cub, he happened upon a group of tribesmen who believed slaying any lion would grant them a lion's courage/power.      One of the tribesmen hurled a spear that slew the sub.      The rest of the pride then slaughtered the tribesmen and prepared to also slay an Aquilonian youth who the tribesmen had captured after slaying his father.      However, before the lions could slay the youth, the mother of the slain cub leapt to his defense, apparently wanting the manling to replace her lost cub.    The youth shared the mother with her surviving cub, a black-furred lion the youth named Sholo (which meant "black" in the river dialect). --Conan the Barbarian I#62 jungle lions (Conan the Barbarian I#62 (fb) - BTS) - Under unrevealed circumstances, a large pride/society of lions, came to dwell in the jungle in the "black continent," south of Kush. (Conan the Barbarian I#62 (fb)) - When a cub from the tribe was slain by a group of tribesmen who believed that slaying any lion would grant them a lion's courage/power, the male lions of the pride then arrived and slaughtered the tribesmen.      The rest of the pride then slaughtered the tribesmen and prepared to also slay an Aquilonian youth whom the tribesmen had captured after slaying his father.      However, before the lions could harm the youth, the mother of the slain cub leapt to his defense, apparently wanting the manling to replace her lost cub.    The youth shared the mother with her surviving cub, a black-furred lion the youth named Sholo (which meant "black" in the river dialect).     The youth eventually grew to manhood, still running with the lion pride, now joined by Sholo's son, also named Sholo.     The man and the lions prowled the jungle, exploring farther inland than ever lions had gone, and they found a city built by the lion-worshippers in days they themselves had forgotten. There they brought tribesmen they could carry away alive to be his servants, or, if they refused, to be the pride's next meal. The tribesmen called the red-haired man "Amra," which among their people meant "First among lions."     Amra made the Lair of Lions home to himself and his pride. (Conan the Barbarian I#61 (fb) - BTS) - Sholo and other lions serving Amra occasionally attacked and slew members of the Riders of the River-Dragons. (Conan the Barbarian I#61 (fb) - BTS) - Sentries of the Dragon-Riders were often choked to death or stabbed in the gullet by a man or shredded by the claws of silent lions. (Conan the Barbarian I#60 - BTS) - The Dragon-Riders feared Amra and brought him slaves and tribute. (Conan the Barbarian I#61 - BTS) - Some of the Dragon-Riders believed that Amra could turn into the black lion they sometimes saw. (Conan the Barbarian I#62) - Sholo subsequently accompanied Amra as he brought Belit to the Lair of the Lions. When other lions growled at this new female, Amra forced them to back off by growling fiercely himself. (Conan the Barbarian I#62 (fb) - BTS) - The vengeful Makeda rushed to the tomb-wall and performed a spell to awaken and release the monstrous beings imprisoned below the city for allegedly a million years. (Conan the Barbarian I#63) - Sholo and other lions followed as Amra led Belit to the top of the lion altar for the wedding ceremony, after which they stood as witnesses as Amra stood below the giant lion statue, imploring the lion-god to look down with favor as he took a new bride.     After she furiously denounced Amra, Belit's struggles to free herself from her wrist-bonds unleashed a trickle of blood that caused a younger lion to leap at her. Sholo and the other lions stood back and roared as Amra slew that lion. (Conan the Barbarian I#63) - As Amra and the lions were surprised when the stone below Belit fell away and she dropped into the hands of a monstrous horde.     The six-limbed spidery gnomes poured out of the hole and fearlessly assaulted Amra, Sholo, and the other lions, all of whom fought back fiercely and tore apart their attackers.     Amra then jumped down through the portal and urged Sholo and the others to follow him to recover his chosen mate. (Conan the Barbarian I#63 (fb) - BTS) - The lions apparently could not (or refused to) fit through the passageway to follow their master. (Conan the Barbarian I#63) - After the "Dwellers in Darkness" had been driven off by the combined efforts of Amra, Conan, Belit, and the Watambi, Amra challenged Conan to fight to death. After a fierce struggle, Amra was slain. (Conan the Barbarian I#63 - BTS) - As the Lair of the Lions began to collapse around them, Conan, Belit, and the Watambi fled. (Conan the Barbarian I#63) - Sholo and the other lions fled the lair separately. (Conan the Barbarian I#63 - BTS) - Sholo approached the departing Conan, apparently acknowleding him as his superior before departing into the jungle --Conan the Barbarian I#62 (62 (fb), 62-63 Note: The fate of the lions after the destruction of the Lair of Lions is unrevealed.      The pride of jungle lions quite likely originated from the location later known as the Lair of Lions, as the lion-worshipping tribe are said to have created that city, but this is unconfirmed. lioness (Conan the Barbarian I#62 (fb) - BTS) - The lioness was part of a large, atypical pride/society of jungle-dwelling (as opposed to veldt-dwelling) lions.      Amongst her recent litter was at least one orange/normal colored male and a rare black lion.      When a cub from the tribe was slain by a group of tribesmen who believed that slaying any lion would grant them a lion's courage/power, the male lions of the society/provide then arrived and slaughtered the tribesmen.      The rest of the pride then slaughtered the tribesmen and prepared to also slay an Aquilonian youth whom the tribesmen had captured after slaying his father.      However, before the lions could harm the youth, the mother of the slain cub leapt to his defense, apparently wanting the manling to replace her lost cub.      The youth shared the mother with her surviving cub, a black-furred lion the youth named Sholo (which meant "black" in the river dialect).      Sholo had a son, also black and also named Sholo, who ran with the Aquilonian youth as he matured and became known as "Amra." --Conan the Barbarian I#62 (62 (fb) Note: The fate of the lioness is unrevealed, but she is presumed to have died at some point.      Sholo the younger almost certainly fathered numerous offspring, resulting in further descendants, but this was not shown in-story      The lioness is also pictured in the Sholo the Elder sub-profile images: (without ads) Conan the Barbarian I#61, last page (full body, with Amra, standing over Belit);     #62, pg. 7, panel 3 (Amra roaring at Sholo);           panel 5-6 (Sholo the elder's brother; approach & death);           panel 7 (jungle lions);           panel 8 (Sholo the elder's mother);        pg. 11, panel 1 (Sholo the elder with mother and pre-Amra youth);           panel 2 (pre-Amra adult with Sholo and other lions);        pg. 12, panel 1 (Amra & Sholo with Amra's female slaves/brides);           panel 4 (Amra face);     #63, pg. 7, panel 5 (vs. Dwellers in Darkness);         pg. 17, panel 4 (full);         pg. 18, panel 2-3 (kneel and roar) Appearances: Conan the Barbarian I#61-63 (April-June, 1976) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), John Buscema (penciler), Steve Gan (inker) First posted: 12/16/2020 Last updated: 12/16/2020 Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know. 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