Movemie | Published: JAN. 2, 2018 9:50 PM
Red Sonja made her debut in 1973’s Conan the Barbarian #23 during the era when Marvel Comics explored Robert E. Howard’s fantasy mythology. In the character’s original origin, a marauding band of mercenaries devastated her family and razed her home. Attempting to defend herself, Red Sonja found herself unable to wield her brother’s sword and subsequently endured a traumatic assault by the band’s leader. Following this tragedy, the goddess Scathach visited Red Sonja, endowing her with extraordinary strength and combat skills to seek vengeance. Recent Dynamite Entertainment comics have reimagined the character’s story, presenting the new Red Sonja as a relative of the original who underwent her own ordeal, becoming a warrior through training rather than divine intervention.
The 1985 Red Sonja movie starred Brigitte Nielsen as the titular heroine and Arnold Schwarzenegger as Lord Kalimdor, with Schwarzenegger originally intended to reprise his role as Conan the Barbarian. A 2010 attempt to feature Rose McGowan in a new Red Sonja film remained stuck in development limbo. In addition to animated efforts like Red Sonja: Queen of Plagues in August 2016, a reported “R-rated” Red Sonja TV series helmed by Bryan Singer has been in the works. The fate of the TV project is now uncertain due to the announcement of the movie reboot.