Introduction
Mistress of Death featuring Agnes de Chastillon.
Howard only wrote two drafts of “Mistress of Death”, both incomplete. The second of the two drafts was later completed by Gerald W. Page and it was this version that was first published in Witchcraft & Sorcery Volume 1 Number 5 (January–February 1971). Gerald W. Page also provided the title. This is the only Dark Agnes story to include a fantasy element, in the form of a sorcerer. It is not written to the same standard of the two stories Howard completed, and features some departures from the established character, making her more stereotypically feminine.
It was later adapted into a Conan tale, “Curse of the Undead-Man”, appearing in The Savage Sword of Conan no. 1, 1974, where the Cimmerian encounters Red Sonja (in place of Dark Agnes).
The second unfinished draft was completed by Gerald W. Page and is indicated below.
Published in:
- WITCHCRAFT AND SORCERY V1N5, Fantasy Publishing Company, January-February 1971 (completed by Gerald W. Page)
- THE SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN VOLUME 1 NUMBER 1, Marvel Comics, August 1974 (graphic adaptation featuring Conan)
- SWORD WOMAN, Zebra, May 1977 (completed by Gerald W. Page)
- TERRA FANTASY 37: HORDE AUS DEM MORGENLAND, Erich Pabel Verlag KG, August 1977 (German)
- SWORD WOMAN, Berkley, 1979 (completed by Gerald W. Page)
- TERRA FANTASY 37: HORDE AUS DEM MORGENLAND, Erich Pabel Verlag KG, April 1980 (German, 2nd printing)
- AGNÈS DE CHASTILLON, NeO, June 1983 (French, completed by Gerald W. Page)
- AGNÈS DE CHASTILLON, NeO, September 1985 (French, 2nd printing, completed by Gerald W. Page)
- SWORD WOMAN, Ace, October 1986 (completed by Gerald W. Page)
- AGNÈS DE CHASTILLON, Fleuve Noir, July 1993 (French, completed by Gerald W. Page)
- BUCANERO 3, Bucanero, 1996 (Spanish, completed by Gerald W. Page)
- GATES OF EMPIRE, North-West, 1998 (Russian, completed by Gerald W. Page)
- SWORD WOMAN AND OTHER HISTORICAL ADVENTURES, Del Rey, January 2011
- DARK AGNES, DONNA DI SPADA, Elara, May 2011 (Italian, completed by Gerald W. Page)
- THE DARK AGNES SERIES: MISTRESS OF DEATH, Paradox Entertainment, Inc., June 2012
- AGNÈS LA NOIRE, Bragelonne, June 2014 (French)