Queen Sonja Respect Thread
Before we begin
This blog will focus on material found in the Queen Sonja series, as well as the miniseries Doom of the Gods, Wrath of the Gods, and Revenge of the Gods, given their events are referenced visually (Thulsa Doom’s death in Doom matching his corpse in Queen Sonja) or in passing (Sonja referencing her time in Wodinaz in issue 28).
Background
Red Sonja
Aliases: The She-Devil, Red Queen, Empress Sonja, The Red Empress, The Mother of Vengeance
Nicknames: Fire Hair, Red
Occupation: Warrior, mercenary, Queen of Sogaria, Empress of Emora (formerly)
First appearance: Queen Sonja #1 (September 29, 2010) (officially), Sword of Red Sonja: Doom of the Gods #1 (October 10, 2007) (retroactively)
Likes: Horses, ale, Scathach, her subjects, Ariok
Dislikes: Child abusers, losing, Antonius, Koliostri, Sha’Shana, Sartor
Aliases: The She-Devil, Red Queen, Empress Sonja, The Red Empress, The Mother of Vengeance
Nicknames: Fire Hair, Red
Occupation: Warrior, mercenary, Queen of Sogaria, Empress of Emora (formerly)
First appearance: Queen Sonja #1 (September 29, 2010) (officially), Sword of Red Sonja: Doom of the Gods #1 (October 10, 2007) (retroactively)
Likes: Horses, ale, Scathach, her subjects, Ariok
Dislikes: Child abusers, losing, Antonius, Koliostri, Sha’Shana, Sartor
Backstory
“And there arose a woman of scarlet and fire… a she-devil from a distant land. Some knew her as a savior… others, as a conqueror. Born not of royalty nor privilege… but a queen in every way. A warrior queen.”
Deep within the ancient, far off lands of Sogaria rules a queen with hair as red as blood and a temper like fire. Fierce to those foolish enough to become her enemies, yet favored by her subjects, this matriarch is known by many names. The She-Devil, the Red Empress, the Mother of Vengeance, but if you were to ask her, she would answer Red Sonja.
But before she rose to the throne, Sonja was born in the slums of the verdant farmland of Hyrkania. While the full details of her time in Hyrkania are never explicitly stated, dialogue and narration throughout the series reveals her family was murdered, that she was raped by the men responsible, and afterward she swore a vow of celibacy to her patron goddess Scathach, who declared she could only lie with a man who bested her in combat. Following her family’s death, Sonja met and was raised by the outlaw Ozzyus and his band of thieves, though her stubborn and defiant attitude eventually caused them to part ways. Though she was without a human family, Scathach watched over Sonja and led her to the kingdom of Pah-Disha, where Sonja’s life of adventure would truly begin.
In those streets, Sonja grew into a free-spirited thief who regularly stole from others, often without getting caught. Her ill-gotten gains would be used to fund her budding love of alcohol (despite being underage) and she’d frequently get into bar fights. And through the training of the expert thief Jubal, she’d hone her skills while starting a relationship with fellow student Kane. Sadly, this love life would soon end when Jubal betrayed their trust and revealed himself as a follower of the sorcerer Kulan Gath. In his quest to obtain his master’s power, Jubal and his men killed Kane.
Enraged by this loss, Sonja murdered Jubal’s men and beat her former mentor to death with a rock. With Gath’s revival prevented, Sonja began her career as a warrior, journeying the land to strike fear into the hearts of evil. Her exploits made a living legend among the Hyborian people, and her reputation only grew after what was originally a simple errand.
During a quest to obtain the Sword of Aurora- the final keepsake of Lady Rosenda’s late husband- Sonja would become entangled in a war against the nation of Emora and their emperor, Cornelius II. Now allied with Rosenda’s thieves Melea and Suvara, Sonja was able to free the Emoran slave camps and amass a growing army numbering tens of thousands, with each victory unknowingly empowering Scathach. In the midst of these battles, she’d begin a major turning point by killing Emora’s governor Skalia, with her victory leading the people to crown her the new queen of Sogaria.
Sonja adapted to her new status rather quickly, becoming a fair and just ruler. Under her reign, Sogaria’s men and women would triumph over Emora, forcing them to retreat after mutilating their mole (and Sonja’s commander) Antonius. In the aftermath of this war, Sonja was celebrated as a beacon of hope to the public, viewed as a savior, a conqueror, and a warrior queen.
Unfortunately, her reign was eventually met with backlash from neighboring kingdoms, who began employing assassins in an attempt to vacate Sogaria’s throne. Chief among them was Ariok, a noble prince who wished to reclaim the honor of his dying bloodline. When she learned of this, as well as her soldiers’ intentions with his sister, Sonja made peace with Ariok. The two formed a partnership that quickly turned romantic and was planned to consummate with their marriage.
Angered by this news, one of Sonja’s former suitors tried to assassinate Ariok in his chamber, only to lose his life instead. Believing Sonja had betrayed him, Ariok fled the castle, and when she tracked him down, she managed to slay the monster that had been haunting Ariok all these years… only to learn too late that the monster was actually Ariok’s sister. As he mourned the loss of his sister, Ariok abandoned Sonja, leaving her to continue her rule unmarried.
To make matters worse for Sonja, her old enemy Thulsa Doom was resurrected by his ancient god Set and sought revenge for his previous defeat. With the combined power of Set’s sons and his own arcane sorcery, Thulsa butchered Sonja’s subjects and razed Sogaria, forcing Sonja to flee. But Doom wasn’t dissuaded so easily and began employing Cimmerian bounty hunters and her former guards to track her down.
Fortunately, there was a silver lining in this situation. After witnessing another hunter brutally murder a child hostage, their leader Ryakin abandoned his mission and defected to Sonja’s side, accompanied by the former subjects of Ariok. With this newly established army, Sonja stormed toward the capital of Sogaria and took back her throne, forcing Thulsa to flee. Sadly, her victory was short-lived, as Set’s brief revival had allowed him to impregnate the numerous women Doom had kidnapped. Even knowing the danger their spawn presented, Sonja couldn’t bring herself to order the execution of innocent women, and at their request, a mass exodus ensued.
The remaining Sogarians rebelled against their Queen and began trying to burn the kingdom’s storehouse in protest of the nationwide famine. Hoping to quell their madness, Sonja employed her closest associates to oversee the kingdom while she worked to restore this problem. She’d quickly regain their trust after allying herself with the nobleman Zartur in exchange for food and supplies. This alliance would soon lead to the staging of a massive holy war between the Tirket, Kell, and Emora, with Sonja cutting a path through Emora to seize its throne and correct the injustices of Emperor Antonius.
After goading her former commander into returning to Emora, he and Sonja faced off in a final duel, which ended with Sonja stabbing him through the head. With Antonius now slain, Sonja was officially crowned the new empress.
However, not everyone was happy with their new queen. The other nobles and religious leaders were particularly incensed, with the former employing assassins and the latter devolving into a cult of deluded, sex-crazed suicide bombers. Led by the wizard Koliostri, the kingdom’s religious order began torturing Sonja’s closest associates and killing more of her subjects by the day, eventually leaving Sonja no choice but to abandon Emora’s throne to prevent further bloodshed…
Or so it seemed. In truth, Sonja and her companions split off into two, with both planning to dismantle the order in their own way. After setting fire to their congregation in Qom, she supplied the second party the list of worshippers found inside. While they tracked and killed the order’s suicide bombers, Sonja’s party took the fight to Emora’s throne.
Though Koliostri escaped, Sonja had reclaimed her position as empress, and as her first order of business, she set out to gain the necessary resources and ensure her nation’s stability. By means of a tournament under the guise of a marriage proposal, Sonja persuaded the neighboring nations to visit Emora. Sadly, one of these contestants would act as a saboteur, killing and maiming competitors, resulting in riots from the neighboring spectators.
After getting the crowds to come to their senses, Sonja began working to track down the assassin, eventually discovering her identity as the Hyrkanian Princess Sha’Shana. Shana was subsequently beaten down and arrested, with her testimony clearing Emora of any potential accusations. However, thanks to her own ingenuity and her father’s assassins, Shana managed to escape and killed one of Sonja’s most trusted guards.
With the death of her closest friend weighing on her and the Khitai/Hyrkania alliance closing in on Emora, Sonja left her throne to Zartur to pursue vengeance, which became more emboldened when she discovered the slaughter of an entire village. Upon returning to her homeland in Hyrkania, she enlisted her people’s help in overthrowing their current king Sartor. Aided by a blessing from Scathach. Sonja destroyed the opposing army, and as Zartur slew the king, Sonja beheaded Sha’Shana.
With the battle won, Zartur and his men praised the former empress, ready to unite under a single banner helmed by Empress Sonja. However, Sonja declined the offer, having grown tired of ruling thrones and the politics involved. Leaving Zartur to succeed her, Sonja carried on, leaving Hyrkania to begin her own journeys.
Deep within the ancient, far off lands of Sogaria rules a queen with hair as red as blood and a temper like fire. Fierce to those foolish enough to become her enemies, yet favored by her subjects, this matriarch is known by many names. The She-Devil, the Red Empress, the Mother of Vengeance, but if you were to ask her, she would answer Red Sonja.
But before she rose to the throne, Sonja was born in the slums of the verdant farmland of Hyrkania. While the full details of her time in Hyrkania are never explicitly stated, dialogue and narration throughout the series reveals her family was murdered, that she was raped by the men responsible, and afterward she swore a vow of celibacy to her patron goddess Scathach, who declared she could only lie with a man who bested her in combat. Following her family’s death, Sonja met and was raised by the outlaw Ozzyus and his band of thieves, though her stubborn and defiant attitude eventually caused them to part ways. Though she was without a human family, Scathach watched over Sonja and led her to the kingdom of Pah-Disha, where Sonja’s life of adventure would truly begin.
In those streets, Sonja grew into a free-spirited thief who regularly stole from others, often without getting caught. Her ill-gotten gains would be used to fund her budding love of alcohol (despite being underage) and she’d frequently get into bar fights. And through the training of the expert thief Jubal, she’d hone her skills while starting a relationship with fellow student Kane. Sadly, this love life would soon end when Jubal betrayed their trust and revealed himself as a follower of the sorcerer Kulan Gath. In his quest to obtain his master’s power, Jubal and his men killed Kane.
Enraged by this loss, Sonja murdered Jubal’s men and beat her former mentor to death with a rock. With Gath’s revival prevented, Sonja began her career as a warrior, journeying the land to strike fear into the hearts of evil. Her exploits made a living legend among the Hyborian people, and her reputation only grew after what was originally a simple errand.
During a quest to obtain the Sword of Aurora- the final keepsake of Lady Rosenda’s late husband- Sonja would become entangled in a war against the nation of Emora and their emperor, Cornelius II. Now allied with Rosenda’s thieves Melea and Suvara, Sonja was able to free the Emoran slave camps and amass a growing army numbering tens of thousands, with each victory unknowingly empowering Scathach. In the midst of these battles, she’d begin a major turning point by killing Emora’s governor Skalia, with her victory leading the people to crown her the new queen of Sogaria.
Sonja adapted to her new status rather quickly, becoming a fair and just ruler. Under her reign, Sogaria’s men and women would triumph over Emora, forcing them to retreat after mutilating their mole (and Sonja’s commander) Antonius. In the aftermath of this war, Sonja was celebrated as a beacon of hope to the public, viewed as a savior, a conqueror, and a warrior queen.
Unfortunately, her reign was eventually met with backlash from neighboring kingdoms, who began employing assassins in an attempt to vacate Sogaria’s throne. Chief among them was Ariok, a noble prince who wished to reclaim the honor of his dying bloodline. When she learned of this, as well as her soldiers’ intentions with his sister, Sonja made peace with Ariok. The two formed a partnership that quickly turned romantic and was planned to consummate with their marriage.
Angered by this news, one of Sonja’s former suitors tried to assassinate Ariok in his chamber, only to lose his life instead. Believing Sonja had betrayed him, Ariok fled the castle, and when she tracked him down, she managed to slay the monster that had been haunting Ariok all these years… only to learn too late that the monster was actually Ariok’s sister. As he mourned the loss of his sister, Ariok abandoned Sonja, leaving her to continue her rule unmarried.
To make matters worse for Sonja, her old enemy Thulsa Doom was resurrected by his ancient god Set and sought revenge for his previous defeat. With the combined power of Set’s sons and his own arcane sorcery, Thulsa butchered Sonja’s subjects and razed Sogaria, forcing Sonja to flee. But Doom wasn’t dissuaded so easily and began employing Cimmerian bounty hunters and her former guards to track her down.
Fortunately, there was a silver lining in this situation. After witnessing another hunter brutally murder a child hostage, their leader Ryakin abandoned his mission and defected to Sonja’s side, accompanied by the former subjects of Ariok. With this newly established army, Sonja stormed toward the capital of Sogaria and took back her throne, forcing Thulsa to flee. Sadly, her victory was short-lived, as Set’s brief revival had allowed him to impregnate the numerous women Doom had kidnapped. Even knowing the danger their spawn presented, Sonja couldn’t bring herself to order the execution of innocent women, and at their request, a mass exodus ensued.
The remaining Sogarians rebelled against their Queen and began trying to burn the kingdom’s storehouse in protest of the nationwide famine. Hoping to quell their madness, Sonja employed her closest associates to oversee the kingdom while she worked to restore this problem. She’d quickly regain their trust after allying herself with the nobleman Zartur in exchange for food and supplies. This alliance would soon lead to the staging of a massive holy war between the Tirket, Kell, and Emora, with Sonja cutting a path through Emora to seize its throne and correct the injustices of Emperor Antonius.
After goading her former commander into returning to Emora, he and Sonja faced off in a final duel, which ended with Sonja stabbing him through the head. With Antonius now slain, Sonja was officially crowned the new empress.
However, not everyone was happy with their new queen. The other nobles and religious leaders were particularly incensed, with the former employing assassins and the latter devolving into a cult of deluded, sex-crazed suicide bombers. Led by the wizard Koliostri, the kingdom’s religious order began torturing Sonja’s closest associates and killing more of her subjects by the day, eventually leaving Sonja no choice but to abandon Emora’s throne to prevent further bloodshed…
Or so it seemed. In truth, Sonja and her companions split off into two, with both planning to dismantle the order in their own way. After setting fire to their congregation in Qom, she supplied the second party the list of worshippers found inside. While they tracked and killed the order’s suicide bombers, Sonja’s party took the fight to Emora’s throne.
Though Koliostri escaped, Sonja had reclaimed her position as empress, and as her first order of business, she set out to gain the necessary resources and ensure her nation’s stability. By means of a tournament under the guise of a marriage proposal, Sonja persuaded the neighboring nations to visit Emora. Sadly, one of these contestants would act as a saboteur, killing and maiming competitors, resulting in riots from the neighboring spectators.
After getting the crowds to come to their senses, Sonja began working to track down the assassin, eventually discovering her identity as the Hyrkanian Princess Sha’Shana. Shana was subsequently beaten down and arrested, with her testimony clearing Emora of any potential accusations. However, thanks to her own ingenuity and her father’s assassins, Shana managed to escape and killed one of Sonja’s most trusted guards.
With the death of her closest friend weighing on her and the Khitai/Hyrkania alliance closing in on Emora, Sonja left her throne to Zartur to pursue vengeance, which became more emboldened when she discovered the slaughter of an entire village. Upon returning to her homeland in Hyrkania, she enlisted her people’s help in overthrowing their current king Sartor. Aided by a blessing from Scathach. Sonja destroyed the opposing army, and as Zartur slew the king, Sonja beheaded Sha’Shana.
With the battle won, Zartur and his men praised the former empress, ready to unite under a single banner helmed by Empress Sonja. However, Sonja declined the offer, having grown tired of ruling thrones and the politics involved. Leaving Zartur to succeed her, Sonja carried on, leaving Hyrkania to begin her own journeys.
Personality
Like the Oeming run that was running at the same time, Joshua Ortega’s Sonja is a brutal war machine who is unafraid of anything, be it ghosts or goblins. But whereas Oeming’s Sonja could have moments of levity and playfulness, Ortega’s Sonja is far more serious and stoic in comparison even before becoming queen. She also has a vengeful streak, having once ordered the deaths of an entire royal family, though she abandoned this upon coming to her senses.
In general, Sonja is an honorable warrior willing to ensure the safety of her men, uphold her end of any bargain, and face an opponent as equals. She’ll even forego eating until her own people are able to do the same. She’s also mature enough to act as a peacemaker for her subjects and will negotiate with enemies or rivals to parlay for peace. Though she isn’t afraid to threaten others if need be.
While she generally enjoys acting as queen and seeks to use this power to bring peace and justice, there have been moments where she’s regretted taking the crown. Despite the stresses of the crown and displeasure others felt toward her rule, she was still resolute and publicly displayed a zero tolerance policy for traitors.
Following the death of Melea, Sonja became a lot more hardened and focused on vengeance, even abandoning her throne to pursue what she believed was her true destiny. She even proclaimed herself the “mother of vengeance.”
Aside from her dedication to the crown, Sonja is devoutly religious in her worship of Scathach, often praying to the goddess for strength and guidance in times of uncertainty, for blessings in battle, and having temples built to worship her. That said, she isn’t afraid to tell Scathach off if she refuses to help. She’s also sworn by the gods on occasion, and has invoked Mitra when angered or shocked.
Her religiousness extends to her vow of celibacy, though it has caused her frustration at times. She’s regularly annoyed by others trying to seduce her, gets irritated when she can overhear others having sex, and becomes legitimately angry when others pry into her romantic life, and can become infuriated when she overhears others having sex. In spite of this, Sonja has developed relationships of her own, with the only stipulation being they have to meet the requirements of her oath. Most prominent among them was Kane, which started as a competitive rivalry but grew into a full relationship after she got used to him beating her in sparring matches. At their peak it culminated in them having sex before their final mission together.
Because of her past, Sonja despises rapists and is still distressed by her own abuse, even suffering slight PTSD. She has a particular hatred toward pedophiles and abusers/murderers of women and children.
While all of this might give the idea that she’s a completely serious, darker interpretation of Red Sonja, Queen Sonja has some moments of levity. It’s shown that as a child, she was a free spirit who made her life in Pah-Disha through thievery, regularly stealing from others without remorse.
And while it’s not as explicit, even as an adult she’s shown some lighthearted traits. She loves horses, enjoys mouthing off to captors, and has a fondness for ale, which has existed since adolescence. She also barely has any table manners and is a lot more relaxed during feasts.
As a warrior queen, Sonja is a natural at combat and strategy. During her time in the wild, she became a skilled hunter capable of devising strategies to strike down her prey, and upon reaching Pah-Disha, she became an expert thief capable of regularly stealing from others without being caught. Once she received proper training, she could steal from royalty three times and escape without a hitch.
As a teenager she casually took down a group of thugs, and as an adult she could slay experienced assassins, military commanders, and legendary beings like Kulan Gath and Thulsa Doom. She’s battled gods like Thor and Odin, the giant Surtur, and could fight even while driven mad by a virus.
Sword of Red Sonja: Doom of the Gods #1:
Stabs a black bear while flipping over it.
Sword of Red Sonja: Doom of the Gods #2:
Bifurcates two men and kicks another.
Decapitates a gorilla while backflipping.
In general, Sonja is an honorable warrior willing to ensure the safety of her men, uphold her end of any bargain, and face an opponent as equals. She’ll even forego eating until her own people are able to do the same. She’s also mature enough to act as a peacemaker for her subjects and will negotiate with enemies or rivals to parlay for peace. Though she isn’t afraid to threaten others if need be.
While she generally enjoys acting as queen and seeks to use this power to bring peace and justice, there have been moments where she’s regretted taking the crown. Despite the stresses of the crown and displeasure others felt toward her rule, she was still resolute and publicly displayed a zero tolerance policy for traitors.
Following the death of Melea, Sonja became a lot more hardened and focused on vengeance, even abandoning her throne to pursue what she believed was her true destiny. She even proclaimed herself the “mother of vengeance.”
Aside from her dedication to the crown, Sonja is devoutly religious in her worship of Scathach, often praying to the goddess for strength and guidance in times of uncertainty, for blessings in battle, and having temples built to worship her. That said, she isn’t afraid to tell Scathach off if she refuses to help. She’s also sworn by the gods on occasion, and has invoked Mitra when angered or shocked.
Her religiousness extends to her vow of celibacy, though it has caused her frustration at times. She’s regularly annoyed by others trying to seduce her, gets irritated when she can overhear others having sex, and becomes legitimately angry when others pry into her romantic life, and can become infuriated when she overhears others having sex. In spite of this, Sonja has developed relationships of her own, with the only stipulation being they have to meet the requirements of her oath. Most prominent among them was Kane, which started as a competitive rivalry but grew into a full relationship after she got used to him beating her in sparring matches. At their peak it culminated in them having sex before their final mission together.
Because of her past, Sonja despises rapists and is still distressed by her own abuse, even suffering slight PTSD. She has a particular hatred toward pedophiles and abusers/murderers of women and children.
While all of this might give the idea that she’s a completely serious, darker interpretation of Red Sonja, Queen Sonja has some moments of levity. It’s shown that as a child, she was a free spirit who made her life in Pah-Disha through thievery, regularly stealing from others without remorse.
And while it’s not as explicit, even as an adult she’s shown some lighthearted traits. She loves horses, enjoys mouthing off to captors, and has a fondness for ale, which has existed since adolescence. She also barely has any table manners and is a lot more relaxed during feasts.
Experience
As a warrior queen, Sonja is a natural at combat and strategy. During her time in the wild, she became a skilled hunter capable of devising strategies to strike down her prey, and upon reaching Pah-Disha, she became an expert thief capable of regularly stealing from others without being caught. Once she received proper training, she could steal from royalty three times and escape without a hitch.
As a teenager she casually took down a group of thugs, and as an adult she could slay experienced assassins, military commanders, and legendary beings like Kulan Gath and Thulsa Doom. She’s battled gods like Thor and Odin, the giant Surtur, and could fight even while driven mad by a virus.
Strength
Sword of Red Sonja: Doom of the Gods #1:
Stabs a black bear while flipping over it.
Sword of Red Sonja: Doom of the Gods #2:
Bifurcates two men and kicks another.
Decapitates a gorilla while backflipping.
Sword of Red Sonja: Doom of the Gods #3:
Kills a group of infected warriors.
Cuts Thulsa Doom in half.
Sword of Red Sonja: Doom of the Gods #4:
Throws her dagger into Thulsa Doom’s back and stabs him in the stomach.
Slices Thulsa Doom across the chest and kicks him.
Severs Thulsa Doom’s hand, slices across his chest, and decapitates him.
Red Sonja: Wrath of the Gods #1:
Slices a man’s throat.
Cuts a sword in half and knocks out its wielder in one punch.
Red Sonja: Wrath of the Gods #2:
Cuts, kicks, stabs, and decapitates several monsters.
Decapitates multiple leeches.
Red Sonja: Wrath of the Gods #3:
While mind controlled, she slices Thor across the back, legs, and throat.
Red Sonja: Wrath of the Gods #5:
Slices Odin across the chest, stomach, back and side.
Stabs Loki through the back.
Red Sonja: Revenge of the Gods #2:
Decapitates an enemy soldier.
Stabs a muscular commander through the chest.
Red Sonja: Revenge of the Gods #3:
Bites Loki’s ear off.
Red Sonja: Revenge of the Gods #4:
Uses her sword to rip Fenrir’s eye out of its socket.
Decapitates an ogre.
Stabs Loki from behind.
Red Sonja: Revenge of the Gods #5:
Cuts Loki’s arm off.
Cuts Surtur’s arm, stabs his eye out, cuts along his arm, then stabs him to death.
Queen Sonja #1:
Cuts a man’s face off through a door, then kicks the door down.
Throws an axe into a man’s skull.
It’s implied she tortures a pedophile until sundown.
Breaks a raider’s sword and punches another in the face.
Pulls two raiders off their horses.
Queen Sonja #2:
Throws a katana into a tree.
Stabs a bandit.
Kicks two men hard enough to knock them and their teeth out.
Queen Sonja #3:
Cuts ropes.
Slices a guard across the chest.
Queen Sonja #4:
Stabs Skalia from behind.
Holds back a wolf.
Queen Sonja #5:
Cuts a zombie in half.
Amputates Antonius.
Queen Sonja #6:
Has knocked out men’s teeth.
Shatters a decorative dagger.
Stabs an assassin in the throat.
Queen Sonja #7:
Slams a soldier against a tree.
Slices Ariok across the stomach.
Queen Sonja #8:
Matches Ariok’s strength and lands another cut to the stomach.
Queen Sonja #9:
Matches Ariok’s sword swings, and when her sword breaks, she disarms him with a kick.
Queen Sonja #10:
Kills Alethia with a single stab.
Queen Sonja #11:
In a flashback to her childhood, she does the following:
Stabs an elk from behind and snaps its neck by twisting its antlers.
Kicks Ithtar and gouges his eye out with a tree branch.
Kicks a man in the balls and slams him against a counter.
Queen Sonja #12:
Punches Kane and makes him spit blood.
Takes out a group of thugs.
Queen Sonja #13:
Knocks a man out by hitting him with a boulder.
Smacks a man with the flat of her blade.
Decapitates a fat guy off screen.
Queen Sonja #14:
Decapitates a snake.
Decapitates a fat guy, stabs another guy, and bashes a third with a mace.
Holds back a chain, then uses it to choke her attacker until his neck snaps.
Queen Sonja #15:
Stabs a man through the head, cuts several people’s legs, and kills them.
Hits Jubal with a rock, with her second hit breaking his skull, then continues bashing his head in.
Decapitates an assassin.
Queen Sonja #16:
While never shown on screen, Sonja decapitated Thulsa Doom and severed his arm in a previous battle.
Queen Sonja #18:
While weakened from poison, she stabs an assassin through the chest and rips her sword out.
Queen Sonja #19:
Pushes her guards out of the way of an ambush.
Cuts a man’s stomach open, stabs another in the throat, and a third in the back before kicking him.
Stabs a man in the throat.
Queen Sonja #20:
Stabs one of the sons of Set and lifts him through the air.
Stabs a monster in the chest and cuts through another.
Destroys a monster’s head with one swing of a mace.
Queen Sonja #21:
Throws her sword into a knight’s chest.
Queen Sonja #22:
Decapitates a man and cuts another two across their stomachs.
Queen Sonja #23:
A backhand leaves a captain spitting blood.
Queen Sonja #24:
Stabs armored soldiers through the chest.
Decapitates two soldiers while flipping.
Kicks Antonius, disarms him, and cuts him.
Stabs Antonius in the head.
Queen Sonja #27:
Disarms an assassin with her grip and kicks him off a roof.
Holds the assassin back with one hand.
Queen Sonja #29:
Stabs two cultists in the back.
Slits a cultist’s throat and stabs another in the chest.
Queen Sonja #30:
Flips a grown man, then punches and kicks another.
Queen Sonja #32:
Cuts a whip in half and knocks its user on his ass.
Throws her sword into a horse.
Kicks Sha’Shana hard enough to make her spit blood, then beats her down and breaks her fingers.
Queen Sonja #33:
Throws a knife into a ninja’s chest and cuts another in half.
Cuts through several ninjas and severs one’s arm.
Queen Sonja #34:
Kicks a man and makes him spit blood.
Severs men’s arms and throws her dagger into one’s head while splitting another’s skull.
Cuts a crossbow bolt in half and knocks two men back.
Cuts a man’s arm and stabs him in the side.
Queen Sonja #35:
Decapitated Sha’Shana.
Speed
Queen Sonja #1:
Catches an axe thrown at her.
Queen Sonja #3:
Blocks several crossbow bolts.
Queen Sonja #5:
Blocks an attack from behind.
Queen Sonja #8:
Barely dodges Ariok’s sword swing.
Queen Sonja #10:
Dodges a claw swipe from Alethia.
Queen Sonja #11:
Dodges Ithtar’s attack as a child.
Queen Sonja #12:
Avoids a sword swing.
Queen Sonja #15:
Repeatedly dodges Jubal’s flame attacks.
Queen Sonja #18:
Dodges an assassin’s chakrams.
Queen Sonja #19:
Pushes her guards down before a legion of arrows can hit them, though she gets shot in the side.
Dodges a hammer swing.
Queen Sonja #24:
Blocks Antonius’ sword swing and ducks under another.
Queen Sonja #27:
Dodges an arrow that’s inches from her face.
Avoids slashes from an assassin’s knives even after he gets a few lucky shots.
Queen Sonja #28:
Catches a rock thrown at her.
Queen Sonja #32:
Dodges a whip and catches it mid-swing.
Cuts a blow dart in half from behind.
Rolls under a castle gate before it can close.
Dodges Sha’Shana’s sword swings and catches one with her hands.
Queen Sonja #33:
Catches a knife mid-flight.
Flips over a sword swing.
Queen Sonja #34:
While on horseback, she travels too fast for a clairvoyant’s inner eye to perceive.
Cuts a crossbow bolt in two at close range.
Durability
Sword of Red Sonja: Doom of the Gods #3:
Takes a punch from Thulsa Doom and survives being strangled by him.
Sword of Red Sonja: Doom of the Gods #4:
Tanks being crushed by a massive stalactite.
Has her leg broken by Thulsa Doom.
Red Sonja: Wrath of the Gods #2:
Cut on the shoulder when her dagger (enhanced by Loki’s magic) is thrown back at her.
Red Sonja: Wrath of the Gods #3:
Backhanded by a Vassir.
Red Sonja: Wrath of the Gods #4:
Withstands being blasted by Loki’s magical chains.
Red Sonja: Wrath of the Gods #5:
Knocked back by the shockwave from Odin landing.
Backhanded into a wall by Odin.
Smacked by a tentacle made from a tree.
Red Sonja: Revenge of the Gods #2:
Takes a knee strike and chop to the throat that leave her spitting blood.
Red Sonja: Revenge of the Gods #5:
Briefly survives being engulfed in Surtur’s molten blood, though it burns her skin down to the bone. She only survives thanks to the Ring of Odin.
Queen Sonja #4:
Shows no signs of pain when a wolf scratches her.
Queen Sonja #7:
Gets slashed across the arm by Ariok.
Queen Sonja #11:
Punched by Ithtar and a thug.
Queen Sonja #12:
Backhanded by Kane.
Queen Sonja #14:
Knocked across a room by a massive chain.
Gets punched in the stomach and choked, but quickly turns it around.
Queen Sonja #19:
Shot in the side and shoulder by arrows, only to keep fighting.
Queen Sonja #20:
Slashed by a monster’s claws.
Queen Sonja #24:
Backhanded by Antonius, which draws blood.
Queen Sonja #27:
Sliced across the leg and kicked by an assassin.
Scaling
Ariok
While she was ultimately defeated by him, Sonja pushed him to his limits when they fought, all while matching his strength and speed.
- Ariok can cut crossbow bolts out of the air and attack others at FTE speeds
Suvara
As one of her officers, Sonja would naturally be above Suvara in power. Plus, while they never directly fought, Suvara was noted to be inferior to Sonja combat-wise while impersonating her.
- Suvara can slice men in half and cut their heads in two.
Thulsa Doom
Sonja’s killed him before, so she should scale to the feats he’s shown.
Kulan Gath
Like with Thulsa, Sonja’s battle with Gath is never shown on screen and only mentioned in passing. However, the fact that she killed him means she should scale to his stats. And given that Gath is relatively the same across all incarnations when we see him, this should let her scale to the following:
- Kulan Gath’s magic transformed all of New York and would eventually spread to the entire planet.
- His magic threatened to cause the Mayan prophecy, which would cause time to devour itself, tear Earth apart, and give him the power to remake the world.
- There are multiple statements and references suggesting Dynamite’s Gath is the same as Marvel’s, meaning he should also get the following feats
- Knocking Conan out with one blast of magic. The same Conan who survived being exposed to city destroying aerokinesis.
- Torturing Spider-Man and later killing him.
- Transforming cities and all of Manhattan, plus more statements about it affecting the planet.
- Is so powerful Doctor Strange needed the combined power of the X-Men and Avengers to defeat him.
Intelligence
Red Sonja: Wrath of the Gods #2 & 3:
Retains her abilities as a warrior even after Loki’s magic makes her forget her home and who she was.
Queen Sonja #1:
Identifies the type of horses a band of raiders are riding based on their hoofprints.
Queen Sonja #2:
Can tell the raiders from the last issue aren’t natives.
Lets herself get captured so she can be led to a slave camp.
Queen Sonja #6:
Leads a successful raid against Ariok.
Queen Sonja #14:
Gets choked by a guy, then turns it around to kill him.
Queen Sonja #24:
Distracts Antonius with a thrust, then steals his dagger and kills him while he’s distracted.
Queen Sonja #27:
Identifies an assassin’s training based on his first move.
Queen Sonja #32:
Uses an enemy’s whip to drag herself closer.
Abilities
Stamina
Sonja has tortured a pedophile for several hours and once went an entire week without food and seemingly suffered no ill effects.
Agility
While not shown as often as her other iterations, Sonja is capable of flipping over attacks, leaping higher than a man on horseback, rolling under a falling castle gate, and can accurately perform attacks like decapitation while flipping.
Swordsmanship
Sonja’s years of training have made her an expert with a sword, enough that her enemies could identify an impersonator based on her swordplay. She’s skilled enough to defeat her opponent the first time she used one and can dual wield if she feels like it.
Marksmanship
Sonja has shown numerous times that she can accurately hit targets from afar, even landing a headshot without looking.
Leadership
As expected from a Queen, Sonja is a capable leader able to inspire civilians to join her cause, rally troops, and command armies during battle. She’s successfully ambushed enemy armies by splitting into groups, and just being in her presence inspired those in homeland to join her.
Battle Instincts
Sonja retained her ability to fight even after her memories were erased.
Stealth
Sonja is well-versed in the art of stealth, able to outmaneuver an assassin and trail him without being noticed, or remain undetected while killing a palace of guards. She can even disguise herself and her army to infiltrate areas and get others to lower their guard.
Thievery
While growing up in Pah-Disha, Sonja became an expert thief despite being self-trained, and regularly stole from others without being caught. After receiving training, she became one of the best and was able to steal from royalty three times before escaping without a hitch.
Powers
Enhanced Senses
Sonja can track others by scent, even if they’re some distance away, and smell burning flesh in the wind.
Praying
By praying to Scathach, the goddess will provide her with blessings, such as summoning a forest fire from the mountains to incinerate an army.
Arsenal
Bikini Armor
A keepsake from her late boyfriend Kane. Sonja typically wears this during solo missions, though she can switch to it in battle if she wishes.
Royal Armor
A set of armor Sonja began wearing after becoming Queen of Sogaria. While it’s usually depicted as gold, issue 21 had it colored silver.
Battle Armor
A full set of armor Sonja wears during times of war.
Broadsword
Sonja’s trademark weapon, a double-edged broadsword. While it may seem like your basic sword, it can absorb lightning to enhance its strength.
Dagger
Sonja has wielded several daggers throughout the years, whether she’s stealing them from enemies or using the one strapped to her thigh.
War Scythe
Usually wielded while on horseback, Sonja can use this to impale a target and hoist them through the air for a slow, painful death.
Mace
A bludgeoning weapon Sonja can use to completely destroy the heads of giant monsters.
Horse
Sonja is often depicted on horseback when traveling to other locations, with the horse usually appearing brown or white. Being a horse, it should be able to reach a speed of 44 mph and kick with 2000 lbs of force.
Upon becoming queen, her servants crafted a set of armor for the horse to wear into battle.
Chariot
During the war with Emora, Sonja’s servants gifted her a metal chariot for her to ride into the battlefield. It comes equipped with spiked wheels that can rip enemy soldiers to shreds.
Ring of Odin
An ancient ring forged by the All-Father Odin using the World Tree. Though it was originally crafted to seal away Surtur and his demons, the ring has far more benefits. It’s said to make its user invincible and immune to earthly harm, letting them shrug off impalement without issue and regenerate slashed throats, missing eyes, skin, and muscles within seconds. And as an added bonus, the red gemstone can illuminate dark areas.
There is only one downside. Should someone manage to separate the ring from its wearer (either through stealing it or amputation), the wearer will lose all of these powers.
Sonja briefly wielded the ring during her fight with Surtur, but gave it up immediately after because she had no interest in a life without risk.
Feats
- Killed Thulsa Doom
- Nearly killed Thor while mind controlled
- Stopped Ragnarok by killing Surtur
- Freed the Emoran slave camps and amassed an army
- Killed Governor Skalia and became Queen of Sogaria
- Led a successful raid against the nation of Ariok
- Reclaimed her throne after it was taken by Thulsa Doom
- Seized Emora’s throne and killed its previous Emperor Antonius
- Earned Emora’s crown after defeating a would-be assassin at her coronation
- Killed Baron Tylus and all of his guards
- Organized and oversaw a tournament to obtain commerce from other kingdoms
- Killed Sha’Shana
Weaknesses
Sonja may be one of the greatest warriors of her time, but that doesn’t mean she’s invincible. She’s admitted to letting her temper cloud her judgment at times, lacks defenses against mind control, and has been defeated before by warriors like Kane and Ariok. And though her pain tolerance is notable, it doesn’t make her harder to put down than any other man or woman. Poisons are particularly effective, as one left her heavily weakened and temporarily killed her.
Her sword also isn’t indestructible and has broken before against stronger blades and enemies.
Conclusion
After the particularly long research period of volume 1, it was a breath of fresh air covering a version of Sonja that stuck to one series. Seeing Joshua Ortega and Mel Rubi return to Red Sonja was great, especially with how I enjoyed their previous work.
The first arc was really good, though the ending was a bit disappointing. Ariok deciding that Sonja betrayed his trust didn’t make any sense considering the person attacking him was someone who had already tried killing him out of jealousy earlier that day just because he was with Sonja. And the reveal that Ariok’s sister was a monster and him abandoning Sonja felt more like cheap plot twists that came out of nowhere.
Luke Lieberman’s flashbacks to her past were alright, but I felt it was overall forgettable and ended abruptly. Arvid Nelson’s Thulsa Doom arc was pretty cool. I’m a huge fan of Thulsa, and having read Red Sonja: Vulture’s Circle before this series, I was interested in seeing how Set would compare to Sutekh. While I was disappointed by how little he actually did and felt the ending was kind of weak, the art and action were still really good. Edgar Salazar made for a good replacement for Mel Rubi, even if I’m not entirely sure why he was unavailable.
The arc right after with Sonja fighting Antonius was some great stuff, with brutal action and memorable dialogue. Same with the tournament arc and the fight with Sha’Shana. That one got me really interested since the series hadn’t explored Hyrkania beforehand, and Shana’s brutality really surprised me. Especially with how she killed Melea.
And that final battle was awesome. Scathach summoning a massive forest fire in response to Sonja’s prayers was excellent, and it made for a great set piece for the showdown between Sonja and Sha’Shana.
There’s just one small problem I had with the series: there is no consistency in how some of these characters’ names are spelled. Kane switches to “Kain” in the same arc that introduced him. Antonius at several points is called Antonious until issue 26, where it goes back to Antonius at the cost of new typos like Zartur becoming Zarthur, Sonja being the Queen of “Sogoria,” and taxing the “nobels.” Issue 28 goes back to calling him Antonious, Zarthur comes back in #30, and Sogaria stays as “Sogoria” for the rest of the series.
But aside from that complaint, this series was really good. Not on the same level as volume of Dynamite or the greater parts of Marvel’s Sonja.
Up next is Gail Simone’s version of Red Sonja, which I’ve heard a lot of conflicting opinions on. My only experience as of writing is learning this panel came from it:
And in case you were wondering, yes, I was considering replacing the opening narration at the start with one of these quotes from Sonja:
“These soldiers thought they ruled my city. They thought fear and thuggery gave them the right. I hate such men. They are like dogs, drooling for the chance to bark and bite when their masters command. I am twice a child of their violence. Now they will know my name. They thought they ruled my city… but I would teach them a fearful bloody lesson.”
“Dogs! Look upon your doom! I am the harbinger of vengeance! I am Red Sonja!”
“Hello, Princess. You are Hyrkanian, so you must have heard some tales of me. But there is one you have not heard. See, I learned long ago, when I was a girl even younger than you, that the gods favor vengeance. And vengeance will be done!”
“These soldiers thought they ruled my city. They thought fear and thuggery gave them the right. I hate such men. They are like dogs, drooling for the chance to bark and bite when their masters command. I am twice a child of their violence. Now they will know my name. They thought they ruled my city… but I would teach them a fearful bloody lesson.”
“Dogs! Look upon your doom! I am the harbinger of vengeance! I am Red Sonja!”
“Hello, Princess. You are Hyrkanian, so you must have heard some tales of me. But there is one you have not heard. See, I learned long ago, when I was a girl even younger than you, that the gods favor vengeance. And vengeance will be done!”
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