Yag-kosha

The creature, named Yag-kosha, is a blind, tortured prisoner of the sorcerer Yara.Yag Kosha and a few others led a revelation against the kings of Yag and lost,similar to Lucifers Fall from Heaven.

Real Name: Yogah of Yag

Identity/Class: Alien (Yag), magic user (Distant Past through Hyborian Era)

Occupation: Former prisoner, god, space voyager, rebel.

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Conan the Barbarian; formerly Yara, worshippers in Khitai

Enemies: Yara;formerly the Kings of Yag

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: The Tower of the Elephant in Arenjun, Zamora; formerly Khitai, formerly the pre-Cataclysmic Era; Earth in the distant past; formerly Yag (planet at the edge of the Universe).

First Appearance: "The Tower of the Elephant". Originally published: Weird Tales, March 1933; (adapted by Marvel) Conan the Barbarian I#4 (April, 1971) {Edizione Italiana: Albi dei Super-Eroi#17 Editoriale Corno}

Powers/Abilities: It is unknown if Yag-Kosha's powers derived from his alien physiology or from magic learned in some way. He had a long life measurable in eons. His race could survive in outer space. They could fly, more quickly in outer space than within an atmosphere. His powers let him build the Tower of the Elephant in just one night. He could understand what people-race Conan belonged to only touching him with his trunk. His psychic powers included telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and postcognition. He knew how to use the Heart of the Elephant, and he was able to revive into it after being killed. Yag-Kosha, the pacifist alien exile from the distant constellation of Yag. Biographical sketch

Yag-Kosha describes his life in The Tower of the Elephant. Long before the dawn of man, and before even the Hyborian age began on Earth, a conflict raged on the far-distant world of Yag. The noble and peaceful people retreated into exile across the stars, coming at last to Earth. Here they hid in the deep jungles, living simple lives of hunter-gatherers, and not interfering with the evolution and history of mankind. However, as time went by, more and more of the people died, and at last only Yag-Kosha remained. Deep in the jungles of Khitai, he adopted a tribe of humans, teaching them the ways of civilization and being worshipped as a god. Then one day Yag-Kosha met Yara. Yara was a student of lore and sorcery, and had come to Yag-Kosha to learn from the wise and knowledgeable alien. Yag-Kosha made an effort to teach Yara humility and morality, but Yara was interested in only power. He betrayed his mentor, confining him and torturing him until he could draw more secrets of sorcery from the peaceful exile. Back in the west, he tortured Yag-Kosha and made him a magical slave, forcing him to construct the Elephant Tower and perform other deeds. In this time, over hundreds of years, he withered from torture and confinement, and knew only suffering. By the time of the events of "the Tower of the Elephant," the poor creature was blind and nearly helpless. He convinced Conan to slay him as part of a final spell which gave him revenge over the evil Yara, and in doing so, was reincarnated as Yogah of Yag. He destroyed the Elephant Tower, and flew away to parts unknown. Physical appearance

Yag-Kosha is of the alien species known as Yag. He is vaguely humanoid in form, having eyes, hands, legs, and a mouth capable of speech. His skin is leathery grey, like an elephant, and his head bears many features similar to elephants, such as tusks, large ears, and a trunk. Many of the Yag appear to have wings that allow interstellar flight, but in landing on Earth these wings were burned off in our thick atmoshere. By the time of "The Tower of the Elephant," his confinement has left him withered and atrophied, with stick-thin limbs he cannot move. His body is marked with scars and burns from his many years of torture and torment. Traits and skills

Yag-Kosha is a scholar, with knowledge of an unbelievable amount of lore. His sorcerous powers are incredible, being able to create the wonderous Elephant Tower in a single night. Though he is far too moral a being to use them himself, Yag-Kosha has acquired a number of dark secrets and spells in his life, which Yara forced him to divulge after betraying him.Yag-Kosha was able to fly through space using his vast wings, but they were burned off in Earth's atmosphere. Stories featuring

The Tower of the Elephant See also

History: (Conan the Barbarian I#4 (fb)) - Yag-Kosha's once was Yogah and lived on the green Yag, a planet at the edge of the Universe. He and other of his race fought a was against the Kings of Yag but were defeated. So they had to leave their home planet and voyaged in the cosmos thanks to their wings. They arrived to the Earth when still the dinosaurs were and man was still not. Unfortunately, on the Earth they lost their wings.

(Conan the Barbarian I#4 (fb)) - They first lived in the jungles of the East and had to defend themselves from the wild animals that populated that lands. Then they retired aside and observed man rising from the caverns and his cities' growth, such as Valusia and Commoria and other realms. They also saw the oceans swallowing Atlantis and the survivors building new cities. During these long years the rest of his race died off, until only one of them remained: Yag-Kosha.

(Conan the Barbarian I#4 (fb)) - Yag-Kosha was venerated as a god in the jungles of Khitai. Then Yara arrived, knowing the dark magic arts. First he sat at Yag-Kosha's feet, learning his wisdom and knowledge, but one day, the sorcerer revealed his evil intentions and enslaved Yag-Kosha with his sorcery.

(Conan the Barbarian I#4 (fb) - BTS) - Yara brought Yag-Kosha in Arenjun and obliged Yag-Kosha to create a tower for him. Using his powers Yag-Kosha raised the Tower of the Elephant in just one night, and Yag-Kosha used it as his house.

(Conan the Barbarian I#4 (fb) - BTS) - 300 years passed while Yara continued to learn magic from Yag-Kosha, torturing him with the fire and the wheel. Yag-Kosha was chained in the Tower, blinded and his arms and legs broken.

(Conan the Barbarian I#4) - One night, Conan the Cimmerian climbed the Tower of the Elephant looking for the Heart of the Elephant, the most precious gem of all the Yara's treasure, and reached the room where Yag-Kosha's was imprisoned. There he was moved to pity by Yag-Kosha who told his history to the barbarian. Yag-Kosha felt the blood on Conan's body and knew of the two men he had killed, Taurus, on the top of the Tower, and the Kothian in the tavern. Yag-Kosha said that the third death would achieve the magic of his liberation. Then the ancient being asked to Conan to free him using his last spell: of the Blood and the Gem. He asked Conan to kill him and to take his heart and to squeeze its blood on the purple gem: the Heart of the Elephant. Reluctantly Conan did so. While he was leaving the room he felt that in Yag-Kosha's body something was happening, but he had to bring the gem to Yara. In his Ebony room Conan completed the spell pronouncing the last words.

Yara, stuporous from the yellow lotus effects, awakened from his sleep and grabbed the purple-red gem. Yara 's body started to shrink in size. The sorcerer tried to run away from the Heart, but an invisible magnetic force held him close. Yara turned back and climbed on the top of the Heart and soon started to sink into the Heart of the Elephant. In that wide purple sea, Yag-Kosha arrived flying above Yara, no more crippled, no more blind. The evil sorcerer tried to run away, but Yag-Kosha pursued him like a winged avenger. Then the Heart of the Elephant exploded in thousands of shimmering lights. Conan ran away from the Tower just in time to save himself from the Tower crumbling in the purple sunrise, shimmering in pieces as the Heart did before.

Comments: Created by Roy Thomans, Barry Smith and Sal Buscema. Re-told by Roy Thomas, John Buscema and Alfredo Alcala.

The story was re-told years later in Savage Sword of Conan#24. Roy Thomas decided so because this was his favorite Conan's story and because SSoC#24 had more pages and it could better describe the original Howard's novel. Some particulars were different but the history basically remains the same of CB#4.

Although I love B.W. Smith's art and CB#4 was colored, I still prefer the SSoC#24 B/W version by Buscema/Alcala: a masterpiece!

The Heart of the Elephant was a sphere in CB#4, but was instead was a big jewel in SSoC#24.

Profile by Spidermay

Clarifications: Yag-Kosha has no known connections to


 * Yagg the Slayer, attacked Thor and Loki during "Trial of the Gods", @ Journey Into Mystery I#116
 * Yagotha, turned key to the gate of the "Elder Gods", unleashed blizzard when his priest was slain, until forced to close gate by man wielding shield of Valka, @ [Kull the Conqueror III#4]
 * Yog of the Hyborian era, worshipped as king of demons by Zuagir, @ [Savage Sword of Conan#188]
 * Yog Sotath, demon, @ Savage Sword of Conan#152
 * Yog-Sokot, demon invoked by Grim Reaper and Lilith, @ [Morbius#1]
 * anyone else with a similar name.

The Heart of the Elephant has no known connections to


 * any other Heart or mystical gem with a similar name.

Conan takes the Heart of the ElephantThe Heart of the Elephant

The Heart o the Elephant was a big purple-red globe (or gem) with mystic powers. It is unknown if it was imbued with eldritch powers by Yag-Kosha, by Yara or by someone other.

It is rather sure that Yara used the Heart to transform a Prince into a small black spider. It is also possible that the giant black spider guardian in the room of the treasure at the top of the Tower of the Elephant was another man transformed by Yara using the Heart.

The Heart was considered by Conan and Taurus the most precious thing in the Tower, although the Tower walls were covered by jewels and there was a room full of gold and precious stones.

When Conan began performing the Spell of the Blood and the Gem, he squeezed the blood from Yag-Kosha's heart onto the Heart of the Elephant, and the Gem absorbed it like a sponge. Moments later, Conan watched while the Heart captured Yara's attention, reduced his size and finally absorbed him inside it. At the end of the spell, the Heart became like a purple sea were Yag-Kosha could easily fly to pursue his torturer until the gem exploded in a thousand of shimmering pieces.Comic adaptions differ as how deed is done.In the original Marvel adaption of the Tower of the Elephant in issue #4,Conan simply thrust his sword into Yag Kosha's chest,through his heart and huge,sperical gem transforms from green to blood red.The comic code would allow Conan to preform his deed as Howard desribed,making more fanciful as presented in a magical sword and sorcery world,than buchery as the original shart story presented it.In both the later adaption in the pages of Savage Sword of Conan#24 and later still with the Dark Horse Comic version,Conan cuts out Yag Kosha's heart and dripping the blood over it.

--Conan the Barbarian I#4 (Conan the Barbarian I#4, Savage Sword of Conan#24

Images: Conan the Barbarian I#4, p15, pan1 Conan the Barbarian I#4, p13, pan4/5/6 Conan the Barbarian I#4, p13, pan8 Conan the Barbarian I#4, p17, pan3

Other appearances: Savage Sword of Conan#24 (1977) {Edizione Italiana: Conan La Spada Selvaggia#13 Comic Art (novembre 1987)}