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Conan has crossed over with many surprising characters in his time, but now he's meeting a real-life historical icon: Pocahontas.
Sort of.
In a preview for February 16's King Conan #3, the savage Cimmerian finds a woman marooned on an island of the undead - the same island he himself is now marooned on - that calls herself Princess Matoaka.
Historians note that 'Princess Matoaka' is a common variation of the name 'Matoax,' which some believe was the actual birthname of Pocahontas. That would make 'Matoaka' a somewhat anglicized version of the name transcribed by contemporary chroniclers.
Now, King Conan's Jason Aaron is no stranger to Native American culture - he wrote the critically-acclaimed Native American crime drama Scalped. It's possible this is the real-life Pocahontas written to be stranded in Conan's fantasy world, but it could be more of Aaron drawing inspiration from the Native American woman's alias to create a new, fictional character here in King Conan #3.
In history, Pocahontas was given the name 'Princess Matoaka' by a company which brought her to England on tour due to her popularity. Not content with her real-life story, the company created a fictionalized version that framed her as the princess of the 'Powhatan Empire of Virginia.'
Asrar and Wilson have drawn the main cover to King Conan #3, with variants by Jan Bazaldua/David Curiel and Jay Anacleto/Romula Farjardo Jr. Check out those variants here:
King Conan #3 (of 5) goes on sale on February 16.
Look for this and all of Marvel's Conan comics in your local comic shop.
