Conan the Barbarian #89 (Marvel Comics, 1978)

In Conan the Barbarian #89 (August 1978), titled "The Sword and the Serpent!," Conan, Bêlit, and Zula flee through the lightless catacombs beneath the Stygian city of Luxur. While navigating the subterranean maze, Bêlit falls into a hypnotic trance and sleepwalks directly into the jaws of a man-serpent, a creature similar to one Conan battled years prior.

As the trio continues their trek, they are stalked by shape-shifting Serpent Men who use dark magic to impersonate Conan’s closest allies. Trust becomes a deadly liability when Bêlit and Zula suddenly turn on the Cimmerian, forcing him to use ancient lore learned from Red Sonja to unmask the monsters. Above ground, the stakes rise even higher as the arch-sorcerer Thoth-Amon arrives at the palace to offer his sinister services to the newly crowned King Ctesphon III.

An exciting ending awaits readers in this excellent issue of Conan the Barbarian, capably crafted by the winning team of Roy Thomas, John Buscema, and Ernie Chan.