Red Sonja
Textless cover of Red Sonja #16 (July 2015). Art by Ed Benes.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics (1973–1986) Dynamite Entertainment (2005–present)
First appearance	Conan the Barbarian #23 (February 1973)
Created by	Roy Thomas Barry Windsor-Smith
In-story information
Notable aliases	Mary Jane Watson[1][2]

Red Sonja is a sword-and-sorcery character created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics in 1973, partially inspired by Robert E. Howard's character Red Sonya of Rogatino.

Marvel Comics published stories featuring Red Sonja until 1986, and returned to the character for a one-shot story in 1995. In 2005, Dynamite Entertainment began publishing stories of the heroine, during which the original Sonja was killed and replaced by a "reincarnation". The series was rebooted by writer Gail Simone in 2013, telling an altered version of Red Sonja's early life story via flashbacks. Subsequent writers of Red Sonja have included Amy Chu, Mark Russell, Luke Lieberman, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Amanda Conner, among others.

Red Sonja has appeared in numerous titles, both as a solo protagonist and together with Conan, as well as in crossovers with characters from Marvel Comics and Dynamite Comics. A total of six Red Sonja novels were published from 1981 to 1983 by David C. Smith and Richard L. Tierney, and a feature film starring Brigitte Nielsen in the title role, Red Sonja, was released in 1985.

Sonja's signature clothing is her bikini armor, consisting typically of scale mail. In 2011, Red Sonja was ranked first in Comics Buyer's Guide's "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list.^[3]

Red Sonja was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics in 1973, partially based on Red Sonya, a female swashbuckler from "The Shadow of the Vulture".^[4]

Red Sonja debuted in Marvel's Conan the Barbarian #23 (1973).^[5] Thomas created a new origin story and transposed the timeline from the 16th century of Howard's original Red Sonya to the Hyborian Age, another Howard creation, to have Sonja interact with Conan the Barbarian. In 1975, Marvel Comics published the first issue of Red Sonja after the character headlined Marvel Feature for seven issues that same year.^[6][7]

Red Sonja's origin story was told in the story "The Day of the Sword" in the Marvel magazine Kull and the Barbarians #3 (1975), written by Roy Thomas and Doug Moench and illustrated by Howard Chaykin. The same story was later redrawn by Dick Giordano and Terry Austin and published in the magazine The Savage Sword of Conan #78 (July 1982). In this version, Red Sonja lives with her family in the Western Hyrkanian steppes. When she is 21, a group of mercenaries kills her family and burns down their house. Sonja attempts to defend herself, but cannot lift her brother's sword. She is raped by the leader of the group. Answering her cry for revenge, the red goddess Scáthach appears to her and gives her incredible fighting skills, on the condition that she never lie with a man unless he defeats her in fair combat.

In 1983, Marvel Comics published a second Red Sonja series, a two-issue story written by Christie Marx and Roy Thomas, with art by Tony DeZuniga and Ernie Colón. The story also featured an appearance by the Robert E. Howard heroine Valeria.

That same year, Marvel launched a third series, running thirteen issues. Writers included Tom DeFalco, Bill Mantlo, and Louise Simonson, with art by Mary Wilshire, Pat Broderick, and Rudy Nebres, among others.

Marvel's last published story featuring Red Sonja was the one-shot issue Red Sonja: Scavenger Hunt #1 (December 1995), written by Glenn Herdling and illustrated by Ken Lashley.^[8]

In 2005, Dynamite Comics began publishing Red Sonja. The series debuted with an issue zero written by Michael Avon Oeming and Mike Carey and drawn by Mel Rubi.^[9] It depicted the original Sonja's death in issue #34. A new character of the same name, described as a reincarnation, takes her place from issue #35 onward.^[10]

At the 2013 Emerald City Comic Con, Dynamite announced that Gail Simone would be writing a new ongoing Red Sonja series with art from Walter Geovani.^[11] Simone noted in interviews that her version was slightly "rebooted", showing the character's beginnings.^[12] Issue #1 of Simone's run was released in July 2013 to positive reviews.^[13] The series lasted 18 issues.^[14] After Simone's run, Dynamite launched a new Red Sonja series in January 2016. The book featured Marguerite Bennett as writer, and a redesign of the character by artist Nicola Scott.^[15] That series lasted six issues.^[16]

In December 2017, a new Red Sonja comic series debuted with a zero issue priced at 25 cents by writer Amy Chu with art by Carlos Gomez.^[17] The series ran for 25 issues, ending in 2019.^[18]

In November 2019, a new series by writer Mark Russell and art by Mirko Colak debuted to positive critical reception,^[19][20] leading into a spinoff series called Killing Red Sonja.^[21] Russell left the series after issue 24 and was replaced with writer Luke Lieberman, with art by Drew Moss.^[22] The series ran 28 issues.

In mid-2021, Dynamite released the anthology Red Sonja: Black, White, Red. Each issue presents stories by different teams of artists and writers, including Kurt Busiek, Benjamin Dewey, Amanda Deibert, Cat Staggs, Mark Russell, and Bob Q.^[23] Also announced was a crossover with Project superpower. A sequel to it will be released in November 2022 called Vampirella VS Red Sonja.^[24]

In February 2021, Dynamite released a series titled Sonjaversal, depicting Red Sonja meeting her multiversal counterparts.^[25] That same month, Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti co-wrote the series Invincible Red Sonja with artist Moritat.^[26]

In June 2021, the character appeared in Die!namite and Die!namite Lives.^[27] That same month, Dynamite Entertainment announced that a new series written by Mirka Andolfo and drawn by Giuseppe Cafaro would debut in September 2021.^[28] The first issue sold out its initial run of 32,000 copies, prompting a second printing.^[29][30]

In December 2021, it was announced that Red Sonja would appear in the sequel to Die!namite and Die!namite Lives called Die!namite Never Dies.^[31]

Hell Sonja, a spinoff from Sonjaversal, was released in January 2022.^[32] That same month, the Immortal Red Sonja series by writer Dan Abnett and artist Alessandro Miracolo was announced for April, which would depict Sonja in King Arthur's Camelot.^[33] In February 2022, Dynamite announced that it would debut Red Sitha in May, set ten years after Andolfo's storyline, following Red Sonja's adopted daughter, Sitha.^[34]

In March 2022, Dynamite announced another spinoff titled from Sonjaversal, Samurai Sonja, written by Jordan Clark with art by Pasquale Qualano.^[35] In August, a one-shot fairy tale reimagining Red Sonja as Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk was released.^[36] Unbreakable Red Sonja was released in October 2022,^[37] and the crossover series Hell Sonja/Red Sonja was released in December the same year.^[38]

In April 2023, Dynamite announced that it would debut the next ongoing Red Sonja series by writer Torunn Grønbekk and artist Walter Geovani in celebration of the character's 50th anniversary.^[39] The first issue, released in July, featured dozens of variant covers by artists including Jim Cheung, Bryan Hitch, Mike Mignola, Joseph Michael Linsner, Jenny Frison, Frank Cho, and Kevin Eastman.^[40]

Savage Red Sonja by Dan Panosian and Alessio Petillo was released in November 2023,^[41] followed by Red Sonja: Empire of the Damned by Steve Niles and Alessandro Amoruso in April 2024.^[42] The sequel to Red Sonja: Birth of the She-devil called Red Sonja: Death and the Devil was released in September 2024.^[43]

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Most artists depict Red Sonja wearing a very brief "chainmail bikini" costume of scale armor, usually with boots and gauntlets. As originally drawn by Barry Windsor-Smith for "The Shadow of the Vulture" and "The Song of Red Sonja" in Conan the Barbarian issues 23 and 24 (1972), she wore a long-sleeved mail shirt and short pants of red silk.^[44]

As told by Roy Thomas in the introduction of Red Sonja Adventures Volume 1 (Dynamite Entertainment), Spanish artist Esteban Maroto submitted an uncommissioned illustration to him while Thomas was editing the magazine Savage Sword of Conan. The illustration featured a redesigned silver "metal bikini", which resembled fantasy costumes that other Maroto heroines sported in the 1970s. This illustration was printed for the first time in Jim Steranko's magazine Comixscene #5 in black and white. It was reprinted in Savage Sword of Conan #1, then in Marvel Treasury Edition #15 in color, and later restored and colored by José Villarrubia as an alternative cover for the Dynamite Entertainment edition of Red Sonja #2. Maroto drew her in this costume for a double page spread illustration in Savage Tales #3 and then for her first solo adventure in Savage Sword of Conan #1. John Buscema drew her in this costume in the same magazine and in issues 43, 44, and 48 of Conan the Barbarian (1974). Dick Giordano portrayed Sonja in the bikini for the first issue of Marvel Feature vol. 2 (Nov. 1975) before Frank Thorne took over from issue #2 (Jan. 1976).

In 2016, author Gail Simone indicated that Sonja was bisexual during her run.^[45] In 2020, the series Red Sonja: The Price of Blood by writer Luke Lieberman and artist Walter Geovani corroborated this, depicting Sonja as having slept with a woman.^[46] In 2024, Simone's novel Red Sonja: Consumed portrays the character as having both male and female lovers.^[47]

• With Spider-Man in Marvel Team-Up #79 (Marvel Comics) writer: Chris Claremont; artist: John Byrne
• With Spider-Man in Spider-Man/Red Sonja mini-series co-published by Dynamite Entertainment. The Spider-Man/Red Sonja TPB (ISBN 978-0-78-512744-4) collects Spider-Man/Red Sonja (2007) #1–5 (Oct. 2007 – Feb. 2008) and Marvel Team-Up (1972–1985 first series) #79 (March 1979).
• Wolverine in What if? Vol. 2, #16 (Marvel Comics) (Sonja is defeated by Wolverine and becomes his mate).
• Official Handbook of the Conan Universe #1 (Marvel Comics) (1986).
• Marvel Feature #4 was reprinted in the book The Superhero Women edited by Stan Lee. Red Sonja was featured among many of Marvel's female characters on the cover painted by John Romita, Sr.

Sonja has been featured in several novels by David C. Smith and Richard L. Tierney with covers by Boris Vallejo:

• #1 The Ring of Ikribu (Ace 1981) (Adapted to comics by Roy Thomas and Esteban Maroto in The Savage Sword of Conan issues 230–3). Smith has written an unproduced screenplay based on this novel.
• #2 Demon Night (Ace 1982)
• #3 When Hell Laughs (Ace 1982)
• #4 Endithor's Daughter (Ace 1982)
• #5 Against the Prince of Hell (Ace 1983)
• #6 Star of Doom (Ace 1983)

In April 2023, Red Sonja, LLC, announced that an original Red Sonja novel written by Gail Simone would be published by Orbit Books in mid-2024 titled Red Sonja: Consumed.^[109][110]

Red Sonja appears in a self-titled episode of Conan the Adventurer, portrayed by Angelica Bridges. Additionally, pro wrestler Sable had announced plans to portray the character in a solo series which was never produced.^[111]

Red Sonja appears in the animated comic book adaptation Red Sonja: Queen of Plagues, voiced by Misty Lee.

• Red Sonja appears in a self-titled film, portrayed by Brigitte Nielsen.
• Rose McGowan was intended to portray Sonja in a 2010 film, but these plans were abandoned after McGowan suffered injuries that permanently damaged her right arm.^[112] In a February 2011 interview, film producer Avi Lerner stated that Simon West was hired to direct the film and also mentioned Amber Heard as McGowan's replacement.^[113] On February 26, 2015, Christopher Cosmos was hired to write the film's script.^[114] Filmmaker Mike Lè Han has made a video for his pitch of him directing Red Sonja.^[115]
• In 2017, Millennium Films announced a new Red Sonja film, with Avi Lerner and Joe Gatta producing along with Cinelou Films' Mark Canton and Courtney Solomon and writing by Ashley Miller.^[116][117] In October 2018, Bryan Singer was confirmed to direct the film.^[118] In February 2019, following allegations against Singer of sexual assault, Millennium stated Red Sonja was no longer on their slate of films,^[119] and Singer was fired from the production the next month.^[120] On June 21, 2019, three months after Singer was removed as director, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Joey Soloway had been hired to write and direct the film.^[121] On February 26, 2021, the same publication announced that Tasha Huo was selected to write the film.^[122] On May 5, 2021, the same publication announced that Hannah John-Kamen was cast as the titular character.^[123] On June 3, 2021, The Illuminerdi reported that Sacha Baron Cohen was cast as Kulan Gath, a character from the Conan the Barbarian Marvel comics and in the Red Sonja Dynamite comics.^[124][125] The film was scheduled to begin filming in 2022,^[126] but in March of that year it was reported that John-Kamen and Soloway had exited the project and M. J. Bassett was hired as director.^[127] On August 23, 2022, Millennium Media confirmed that the film had begun production in Bulgaria, with Italian actress Matilda Lutz playing the title role.^[128][129]

Red Sonja is featured in the Dungeons & Dragons module Red Sonja Unconquered.^{[citation needed]}

In 2018, Dynamite Entertainment released the Red Sonja: Hyrkania's Legacy board game,^[130] followed by an expansion module in 2020.^[131] The games allowed players to play as Red Sonja and various supporting characters in adventures set in Hyrkania.

1973 Academy of Comic Book Arts Awards: Best Individual Story (Dramatic). The Song of Red Sonja. Written by Roy Thomas and pencilled, inked and colored by Barry Smith. The story first appeared in Conan the Barbarian issue 24 (March 1972), in which two panels were censored by John Romita, Sr.^{[citation needed]} The uncensored story was reprinted in Marvel Treasury Edition, Volume 1, No. 15, 1977, where it was recolored by Glynis Wein and the artwork was slightly cropped to fit the page format.

On June 6, 2006, the comic news site Newsarama reported that Red Sonja, LLC (which holds rights to the Roy Thomas version of the character, created in 1973)^[132] filed a lawsuit on four counts against Paradox Entertainment (which claims rights to Red Sonya as part of the Howard library) in US Federal Court in April 2006. The four counts were claims of copyright infringement, trademark infringement, trademark dilution, and unfair competition.^[133] The lawsuit was settled in January 2008, on the second day of the hearing, for a sum of $1 each. Red Sonja LLC paid $1 to Paradox for the rights to Howard's Red Sonya and permission for the Red Sonja stories to continue being set in Conan's Hyborian Age. Paradox simultaneously paid $1 to Red Sonja LLC for the exclusive print-publication rights for "The Shadow of the Vulture" now that one of the characters belongs to Red Sonja LLC.^[134]

• Official website
• A bibliography of Marvel Feature Presents and all the solo Red Sonja series published by Marvel Comics
• Red Sonja at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on January 9, 2017.
• Red Sonja on Marvel Database, a Marvel Comics wiki