KORAK, SON OF TARZAN
DC Issue #49, December 1972

Cover: Joe Kubert

1. Korak: The Search
Writer: Joe Kubert
Artist: Frank Thorne
Pages: 16
Characters: Korak, Akut, Meriem, Po-den

Synopsis: Tied up on the altar of a strange god far beneath the surface of the earth, Korak flashes back to when he took Akut from a cruel master in London and ran away to Africa on an ocean liner. Taking Akut deep into the jungle, young Jack Clayton turned into Korak the Killer over the next several months of jungle life. One day, observing an Arab mistreating a young girl, Korak rescued her and took her into the jungle with him. The next morning while Korak was getting them breakfast, two fierce Arabs stolel the girl away. Korak trailed them through swamp and jungle until finally re-entering the lost land of Pal-ul-don. Korak went to the cliff dwelling Waz-don, where his friend Po-den greeted him. An aged seer instructed Korak that Meriem was taken into the volcano of the Lizard Men. Korak then boldly descended into a live volcano which had a system of caves along the inner rim. Soon the Lizard Men fell upon him and bound him to their hideous altar. One informed him that the two Arabs had been slain by them but that the girl was sent on down to the underworld below. The Lizard Men left him to be eaten by giant lizard carnivores, but Korak kicks a stalagtite loose, which impales the one in the lead. The others fall upon the wounded one while Korak cuts his ropes with a sharp piece of rock and descends into still deeper caverns to find Meriem.

Remarks: This story, advertised as "The Origin" on the cover, very loosely condenses chapters 2-11 of The Son of Tarzan by Burroughs on pages 2-10. According to the internal continuity, therefore, the first three DC issues had taken place prior to Korak first finding and rescuing Meriem, meaning that this adaptation has been updated to the late 1930's (placing Korak's running away from England sometime around 1935). Kubert is creating a real continuity tangle here. Not only that, but from Meriem's abduction on, the story bears no similarity whatever to the novel.

2. Carson of Venus: Gathering Tarel
Writer: Len Wein
Artist: M. W. Kaluta
Pages: 7
Characters: Carson, Duare, The Jong, Duran, Kamlot

Synopsis: Carson boldly leaps onto Duare's veranda and confronts her with his feelings for her. Leaving before she decides to call the guard, he is soon thereafter taken before the Jong again to be freed. Duran offers to teach him a trade so that he may remain among them, and he goes off hunting tarel with Kamlot. Tarel turns out to be the high-strength webbing of the giant targo spider, and soon they are attacked by one while tampering with its web. Carson manages to slay the creature, but Kamlot is apparently killed, leaving the earthman completely lost.

Remarks: The episode is adapted from chapter six of Pirates of Venus by Burroughs. It follows ERB's storyline fairly closely, even to having Carson's beard permanently removed by Venusian science.

3. The Ape Vine (letters page with Krenkel logo art)