Great Moments In Comic Book History #48: Kulan Gath Transforms Manhattan

Kulan Gath, an evil sorcerer from the Hyborian Age who fought both Conan and Red Sonja, emerges from a magic amulet in Manhattan and casts a spell that turns the city into an ancient city, complete with warriors, wizards, and other mythical monsters. Because he was defeated by Spider-Man the last time he showed up in modern times, Gath is obsessed with capturing and sacrificing the web-slinger. He recruits and transforms members of the X-Men, Avengers, New Mutants, and the Morlocks and uses them to hunt down Spider-Man. Those whom Gath has not succeeded in capturing try to return Manhattan to normal.

Today, we know that any time a comic book takes a trip to an alternate reality or timeline, almost everyone is going to end up dead. It almost feels like it’s a way for comic book artists and writers to get out their frustration over not being able to permanently change any of the characters. We’re used to the big slaughters that take place, and it’s no longer a big deal to read that an alternate version of our favorite character was killed in battle.

I don’t know if people were used to it in 1985, when X-Men #190 and #191 told the story of Kulan Gath conquering Manhattan and featured one of the biggest bloodbaths in Marvel history. Over the course of two issues, nearly every prominent Marvel hero was either transformed into a grotesque creature or horribly killed. Rogue gets stabbed in the back. Colossus explodes. Selene loses her mouth, Even Spider-Man eventually ended up dying. Things got so extreme that Dr. Strange and Magik had to team up to change history to keep Kulan Gath from even emerging from that amulet in the first place. By the end of it, there were only six heroes left alive. When Storm, one of the survivors, said that humanity would never know that they had been saved by mutants, Captain America made a point to thank her. He says he knows it’s probably not enough. You’re right, Cap. It’s not. Did you see what they did to Spider-Man?

Written by Chris Claremont with art by John Romita, Jr. and Dan Green, the saga of Kulan Gath is a classic X-Men story. X-Men #191 was entitled “Raiders of the Lost Temple.” It could have just as easily been called “No One Lives.” I’m glad Dr. Strange was there to set everything right.