Let us head back to 1982 to check out the feature film debut of the character Conan. Whereas most comic book adaptations were box office failures in the 1980s, this live-action fantasy adventure film successfully led to a sequel in 1984 and earned Arnold Schwarzenegger worldwide recognition. Directed and co-written by John Milius, Conan the Barbarian is based on stories by Robert E. Howard, a pulp-fiction writer of the 1930s, set in a fictional world of dark magic and savagery. The character of Conan reemerged in the 1970s on comic book pages, including a publication by Marvel Comics called Conan the Barbarian. The film tells the story of a young barbarian (Arnold Schwarzenegger), who seeks vengeance for the death of his parents at the hands of Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones), the leader of a snake cult.