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"The Curse of Castle Hrothgar": Grendel, a demonic beast in the service of Satan, rises from his swamp enraged by the sounds of human merrymaking at the nearby Castle Hrothgar and vows to kill the men inside.

Beowulf #1 is an issue of the series Beowulf (Volume 1) with a cover date of May, 1975.

Synopsis for "The Curse of Castle Hrothgar"

Grendel, a demonic beast in the service of Satan, rises from his swamp enraged by the sounds of human merrymaking at the nearby Castle Hrothgar and vows to kill the men inside.

Across the sea, Beowulf, the prince of the Geats, is in battle against his enemies with his friends and followers Wiglaf and Hondscio. After the Geats defeat their foes, a minstrel called the Shaper appears and tells Beowulf that his father's friend, King Hrothgar of Daneland, is in danger. Beowulf and his men board a ship and set sail for Hrothgar's kingdom.

At Castle Hrothgar, the Shaper has somehow arrived before Beowulf. King Hrothgar's servant Unferth threatens the Shaper for singing the praises of the Geats, but Hrothgar chides Unferth and reminds him that King Ecgtheow, Beowulf's father, is a good friend of his. As the Shaper informs the king that Beowulf is on his way to Daneland, Grendel bursts into the castle, kills several Danes, and then retreats back to the swamp.

On the sea, Beowulf's ship almost crashes when a beautiful woman's hypnotic song causes Hondscio to steer the ship towards some rocks. Beowulf swims to the woman and knocks her out. Suddenly, demons pour from a cave in the rocky island, which Beowulf realizes is a portal to Hell. The woman awakens and helps Beowulf fight off the demons.

Back on the ship, the woman tells Beowulf that her name is Nan-Zee, and that she was possessed by Satan's demons when her ship was caught in a whirlpool. Beowulf, impressed with her fighting skill, lets her join his band and swears he will make Satan pay for attacking them.

A messenger informs Hrothgar that a strange ship has arrived on the shore of Daneland, and both Shaper and Unferth advise him to let the ship land. It is Beowulf, who meets with Hrothgar's watchman Wulfgar. Beowulf and company begin walking to Castle Hrothgar, but are spied by Unferth. Unferth, afraid of Beowulf stealing King Hrothgar's favor, uses magic to disguise the road with illusions, leading the Geats into a swamp, where they are attacked by Satan's Swamp Men.

Appearing in "The Curse of Castle Hrothgar"

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Trivia

  • This comic is based on the Old English epic poem Beowulf.
  • Unferth's spell, "Artsuh taraz hcarps osla", is "Also Sprach Zarathustra" spelled backwards.


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