History[]
Ivor was a former mercenary who had abandoned his previous life to become a peaceful farmer. Although he coached his sons in swordplay, his wife took care that their daughter, Sonja's education centered around domestic work. One afternoon, when Sonja was a teenager, a troop of fighting-men ride up to the farmhouse, led by Ivor's former second-in-command from his old mercenary company. With seemingly no provocation, the intruder orders his men to kill Ivor when he learns that his wooden leg will no longer allow him to soldier. That murder triggers a storm of carnage, as the mercenaries run amok. Alone of her family, Sonja is spared the sword. Raped by the brutal commander, she is left to her fate in the wake of the attack, as the marauders burn the house and ride off.[1]
The Vol 1 early series seems similar to the Marvel account after Conan the Barbarian #23. The goddess Scathach has questionable origins in Marvel, but is more consistent in the early Dynamite series. The age of the virginal loss was 13 in Dynamite and 17 in Marvel (Kull and the Barbarians #3, 1975). Both have the divine gift of swordsmanship from the goddess and the vow of chastity; along with a vengeance driven sense of justice.
Sonja passes through the River Styx after her death.[2] She is given a glimpse of an alternate reality by Charon, if the aforementioned events did not occur. She becomes unhappy with the Dark Sonja she sees and wishes to see no more. She does see that her family dies in a different location and time, and somewhat because of her own tyranny. Ivor was seen still giving her the tutelage in her youth, almost word for word the same. He and Sonja vanquished their assailants, but the outcome for her life would have been a much more futile and miserable existence to Sonja.
At the end of the river Styx, Kulan Gath tries to do her in disguised as Charon. But she sees through the rouse and in the ends finds solace from departed friends and in particular her family and father. She decides to return to the living in another incarnation of Red Sonja to stop Kulan Gath. Her childhood is much different in this incarnation.
The later 2013 Dynamite series of Gail Simone is more a rugged individualism and questionable divine gift versus allowing natural abilities. The chastity vow is missing later and the question of possibility alternate incarnation arises! Dynamite’s Ivor presents Sonja’ father as one leading her in human resilience, and a generational passage of knowledge and training.
Powers and Abilities
Abilities
Hunting - Ivor was a skilled hunter who taught his daughter how to hunt.
Swordsmanship - Although his mercenary days were behind him, Ivor was still a formidable swordsman.
Weaknesses
Wooden leg - Ivor had a wooden leg which limited his mobility. It was the result of an old war injury.
Paraphernalia
Equipment
Bow
Notes
The sequence above tries to follow the Dynamite chronology in numerical order. But there are multiple incarnations of Red Sonja and some stories may be viewed as different incarnations. In Sonja’s meeting with Scathach she tells Sonja this was not the first time of an incarnation.[3]
Links[]
- 3 Appearances of Ivor (Earth-818793)
- Media Ivor (Earth-818793) was Mentioned in
- Images featuring Ivor (Earth-818793)
- Quotations by or about Ivor (Earth-818793)
- Character Gallery: Ivor (Earth-818793)