My dearest esteemed reader, it is my utmost privilege to present for your consideration the reading guide for the Land Where Time Stands Still and the inhabitants thereof. I am sharing it below in the hope that you might read onward and in doing so, these epic tales of love, survival, and vengeance may sate your savage sensations. That is to say, welcome to the Savage Land comics reading guide!
Savage Land comics recommendations:
- X-Men (1963) #10
- Daredevil (1964) #12-14
- Marvel Masterworks: Ka-Zar Vol. 1-2
- Marvel Super-Heroes (1967) #19
- Astonishing Tales (1970) #1-20
- Savage Tales (1971) #1
- Ka-Zar (1974) #1-5
- Shanna the She-Devil (1972) #1-5
- Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #57-58
- Ka-Zar the Savage (1981) #1-5
- What If? (1989) #112
- Uncanny X-Men (1963) #249-250, 269, 274-275
- Ka-Zar of the Savage Land (1997) #1
- Ka-Zar (1997) #1-5
- Savage Wolverine (2013) #1-5
- Wolverine and the X-Men (2011) #25-28
- Savage Avengers (2019) #1-6
- Ka-Zar: Lord of the Savage Land (2021) #1-5
After persistent rumors dating back to 2010, the Savage Land (Marvel’s “Dinosaur Island”) was finally brought to the big screen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness! To prepare for that split-second cameo, we previously included a few reading suggestions in our Multiverse of Madness Reading Guide.
But when researching for that guide, we realized there were few resources on the internet for Savage Land reading recommendations. So to honor the hidden world’s long-lasting legacy in Marvel Comics, we’ve eagerly gathered as many stories as possible featuring the Savage Land, its iconic protectors Ka-Zar, Shanna, and Zabu, and even other beloved residents like Sauron and Devil Dinosaur. So grab your spear, adjust your loincloth, hop on your sabretooth tiger, and let’s get savage!
“The time is come for them to face… the wrath of Ka-Zar! For none may break the jungle law!”
Savage Land: Early Appearances (1970s)
At first glance, it’s easy to say that Ka-Zar is Marvel’s “Tarzan,” but he’s so much more! Ka-Zar, Shanna, and their sabertooth friend Zabu live in the Savage Lands, a tropical paradise somewhere on Antarctica.
Their only superpowers are survival skills and teamwork. These early stories were crafted by comic legends Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, John Buscema, Neal Adams, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Bill Everett, and each page is infused with the magic of their creative energies. Plus, don’t miss Shanna the She-Devil’s first miniseries, which came even before Ka-Zar’s own title!
- Marvel Mystery Comics (1939) #22
- X-Men (1963) #10
- Daredevil (1964) #12-14, 24
- Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #57-58
- Ka-Zar and Zabu come to New York!
- Incredible Hulk (1962) #109-111
- Marvel Masterworks: Ka-Zar Vol. 1-2
- Vol. 1: Marvel Super-Heroes (1967) #19, Astonishing Tales (1970) #1-16, Savage Tales #1
- Vol. 2: Astonishing Tales (1970) #17-20, Ka-Zar (1974) #1-5, Shanna the She-Devil (1972) #1-5, Daredevil (1964) #109-112, Marvel Two-in-One (1974) #3
- X-Men (1963) #59-63
- First appearance of Sauron (#59-61)
- First appearance of the Savage Land mutates (#62-63)
- Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #103-104, 111
- Spider-Man visits the Savage Land!
- Features Kraven the Hunter
- Ka-Zar (1974) #1-20
- aka “Ka-Zar, Lord of the Hidden Jungle”
- Marvel Team-Up (1972) #19-20, 104
- Savage Tales (1971) #1, 6-11
- Marvel Two-in-One (1974) #3, 16-17, Annual #6
- Uncanny X-Men (1963) #114-116
- Sauron returns!
Extra Watching:
- Spider-Man (1967) S2 E13
Extra reading:
- Shanna/Daredevil team-ups:
- Daredevil (1964) #109-113, 117
- Marvel Two-in-One (1974) #3
- Between Daredevil (1964) #109 & #110
- Tales to Astonish (1959) #95-98
- Fantastic Four (1961) #102
- Avengers (1963) #105, 111, 118
- First appearance of the Savage Land Mutates
- Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #165-166
- Stegron vs Spider-Man! (not in Savage Land)
- Rampaging Hulk (1977) #9 [B Story]
- Shanna vs Hulk! (not in Savage Land)
- Devil Dinosaur (1978) #1-9
- Devil Dinosaur & Moon Boy first appearances!
- Godzilla (1977) #21-22
- Devil Dinosaur & Moon Boy continued
Ka-Zar the Savage (1981)
Following the classic original series, Ka-Zar and friends got a follow-up in the early 80s which ran for an impressive 34 issues. Bruce Jone’s Ka-Zar the Savage is full of lovable self-aware satire and intelligent literature references.
The quality suffered after Jones left with #28, but with the first appearance of demon sorcerer Belasco, revelations about the origin of the Savage Land, and the marriage of Ka-Zar and Shanna, this run is worth seeking out!
- Ka-Zar the Savage (1981) #1-34
- #1-34 collected in Kazar the Savage Omnibus
- #1-5 collected in Ka-Zar: Savage Dawn
- Marvel Fanfare (1982) #1-4
- Avengers (1963) #256-258
- Savage Land destroyed
- Fantastic Four (1961) #315-317
- Origins of the Savage Land
- Uncanny X-Men (1963) #249-250, 269, 274-275, Annual #12
- Savage Land revived in Annual #12
- Wolverine: The Jungle Adventure (1990) #1
- by Walt Simonson & Mike Mignola!
- Classic X-Men (1986) #21-22 [B stories]
Extra Watching:
- Spider-Man (1981) S1 E14
- Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981) S1 E2, E6
Extra reading:
- What If? (1977) #34, 37
- X-Men (1979) Annual #7
- Transformers (1984) #4, 8
- Set on the Savage Land in the Transformers universe
- Iron Man (1968) #202
- Ka-Zar, Shanna, Zabu, but not in Savage Land
- Devil Dinosaur & Moon Boy:
- Marvel Age (1985) Annual #1
- Fallen Angels (1987) #4-8
- Alpha Flight (1986) Annual #2
- West Coast Avengers (1986) Annual #3 [B Story]
- Uncanny X-Men (1970) Annual #13
- Marvel Comics Presents (1988) #13, 16 [D Stories]
- Quasar (1989) #7
Ka-Zar (1997) & X-Men: The Hidden Years (1999)
The Ka-Zar crew came into the 90s with a couple of one-shots and a character-defining run by Mark Waid & Andy Kubert. To this day, the Waid & Kubert run remains as some of the most influential Savage Land comics outside of the original work in the 70s, and the constant cameos only add to the fun!
Additionally, the Savage Land had a major role in season two of the critically-acclaimed X-Men: The Animated Series. With the X-Men ’97 revival coming next summer and Xavier’s appearance in Multiverse of Madness (in theaters now!), there’s never been a better time to catch up on the classic 1992 X-Men show and its savage surprises.
- Ka-Zar: The Guns of the Savage Land (1990) #1
- aka Marvel Graphic Novel (1981) #62
- Wolverine (1988) #69-71
- X-Men Unlimited (1993) #6
- Ka-Zar of the Savage Land (1997) #1
- Ka-Zar (1997) #1-20, -1, Annual #1
- collected in Ka-Zar by Mark Waid and Andy Kubert Vol. 1-2
- Annual #1 also known as “Ka-Zar ’97 Annual #1997”
- Ka-Zar #-1 also known as “Ka-Zar: Sibling Rivalry (1997) #-1”
- Uncanny X-Men (1963) #351-354
- What If? (1989) #112
- What if the Savage Land took over New York?
- X-Men: The Hidden Years (1999) #1-13
- Captain America (1998) #26-31
- Parallel to X-Men: The Hidden Years (1999) #5
- Ultimate X-Men (2001) #1-6, 21-26, 29, 62, 65, 97, 100
- Ultimate universe
- X-Treme X-Men: Savage Land (2001) #1-4
Video Games:
- X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996)
- Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997)
- X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001)
Extra watching:
- X-Men: The Animated Series (1992) S2 E3-6, E10-13; S3 E8-9
- Sauron: S2 E11-13, S3 E8-9
Extra reading:
- Devil Dinosaur:
- Ghost Rider (1990) #81-82
- Devil Dinosaur Spring Fling (1997) #1
- Marvel: 1990 the Year in Review (1991) #1
- Marvel Comics Presents (1988) #68-77 [B Stories]
- Marvel Illustrated: The Swimsuit Issue (1991) #1
- The Impossible Man Summer Vacation Spectacular (1990) #2
- Marvel Fanfare (1982) #56-59
- Starring Shanna
- Excalibur (1988) #51
- Namor the Sub-Mariner (1990) #14-19, 21
- Captain America (1968) #414-417
- Super Soldiers (1993) #7
- Pro Action Magazine (1994) #2
- Codename: Genetix (1993) #2-4
- X-Men Adventures (1994) #3-6,10-13
- Doom 2099 (1993) #19-22
- X-Men 2099 (1993) #10
- X-Men Unlimited (1993) #1, 6, 48
- Wolverine: Global Jeopardy (1994) #1
- X-Calibre (1995) #1-4
- X-Men Adventures (1995) #8-9
- Badrock/Wolverine (1996) #1
- Fantastic Four 2099 (1996) #8
- 2099: World of Tomorrow (1996) #1-8
- Savage Land 2099
- Professor Xavier and the X-Men (1995) #11
- Tales of the Marvel Universe (1997) #1
- Fantastic Four: Redemption of the Silver Surfer (1997) (novel)
- Sensational Spider-Man (1996) #13-15
- Incredible Hulk (1962) #454
- 2099: Manifest Destiny (1998) #1
- Quicksilver (1997) #8-9
- X-Men and Doctor Doom (1998) Annual #1
- also known as “X-Men and Doctor Doom Annual #1998”
- X-Men: Liberators (1998) #2
- Gambit (1999) #½
- X-Men: Phoenix (1999) #1, 3
- Spectacular Spider-Man (UK) (1995) #58
- Marvel Universe: The End (2003) #6
- Avengers (1998) #38
- Universe X (2000) #0, 3, X
- Universe X: Beasts (2001) #1
- Universe X: Iron Men (2001) #1
- Cyclops (2001) #2-3
- X-Men: Millennial Visions (2000) #2
- JLA/Avengers (2003) #2
Shanna, the She-Devil (2005) & Skaar: King of the Savage Land (2011)
In the 2000s, the Savage Land adventures began to stretch beyond just Ka-Zar-centric. Skaar, the son of Hulk, had a miniseries set in the Savage Land and Shanna got two of her own as well. However, Shanna’s stories were set in an “alternate universe” so they don’t fit into the traditional 616 canon.
The Savage Land also played a big part in Secret Invasion, so it could be a great resource to check out before the Marvel TV series next year.
- Shanna, the She-Devil (2005) #1-7
- Shanna the She Devil: Survival of the Fittest (2007) #1-4
- Skaar: King of the Savage Land (2011) #1-5
- Ka-Zar (2011) #1-5
- collected as Ka-Zar: The Burning Season
- Avenging Spider-Man (2011) #14-15
- Uncanny X-Men (1963) #456-459
- Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers (2009) #1-2,4
- Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth (2009) #1-4
- Spectacular Spider-Man (UK) (1995) #217-218
- Incredible Hulks (2010) #622-625
Video Games:
- X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse (2004)
- Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011)
Extra watching:
- Wolverine and the X-Men (2009) S1 E10
- The Super Hero Squad Show (2009) S1 E17; S2 E18, E21
- Marvel Super Heroes: What The–?! (2011) Specials E14
Extra reading:
- Devil Dinosaur:
- Marvel Monsters: Devil Dinosaur (2005) #1
- Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. (2006) #12
- Marvel Comics Presents (2007) #5-7
- Also features Ka-Zar and friends
- Avengers Academy (2010) #27-28
- Hercules (2005) #3, 5
- New Avengers (2005) #4-6
- Alias (2001) #24
- Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four (2005) #5, 32
- Alternate reality
- 4 (2004) #29
- Black Panther (2005) #7
- House of M alternate reality
- Claws (2006) #3
- Heroes for Hire (2006) #9-10
- Spider-Man Family (2007) #6-7
- What If? X-Men Age of Apocalypse (2007) #1
- Alternate reality
- Marvel Zombies/Army of Darkness (2007) #4
- Alternate reality
- Franklin Richards: Franklin’s Birthday! (2008) #1
- Cable & Deadpool (2004) #49
- Uncanny X-Men (1963) #495
- Marvel Adventures The Avengers (2006) #20
- Punisher War Journal (2006) #15
- Ultimate universe:
- Ultimates 3 (2008) #3-5
- Ultimate Spider-Man (2000) #120
- Ultimate Origins (2008) #3, 5
- Ultimatum (2009) #3
- Secret Invasion (2008) #1-8
- Secret Invasion tie-ins:
- New Avengers (2005) #41, 43
- Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust? (2008) #1 [C story]
- Mighty Avengers (2007) #14
- New Exiles (2008) #8
- Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2005) #33
- aka War Machine: Weapon of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Secret Invasion: The Amazing Spider-Man (2008) #2
- What If? Secret Invasion (2010) #1
- X-Babies (2009) #1
- Avengers: The Initiative Featuring Reptil (2009) #1
- Marvel Divas (2009) #3
- Marvel Zombies Return (2009) #5
- Marvel Heroes (UK) (2008) #17
- Tails of the Pet Avengers (2010) #1
- Breaking Into Comics the Marvel Way! (2010) #2 [D Story]
- Hulked-Out Heroes (2010) #1
- Marvel Adventures Super Heroes (2010) #1
- Marvel Super Hero Squad (2010) #6
- Tie-in for Super Hero Squad (2009) TV show
- Amazing Spider-Man (1999) #637
- Heroic Age: One Month to Live (2010) #4
- Women of Marvel (2010) #2
- aka Women of Marvel Digital (2010) #5
- Klaws of the Panther (2010) #1-2
- S.H.I.E.L.D. (2010) #4
- Hawkeye & Mockingbird (2010) #6
- Marvel Adventures Spider-Man (2010) #13
- Venom (2011) #2-3
- Black Panther: The Man Without Fear (2010) #520
- Wolverine & Black Cat: Claws 2 (2011) #1, 3
- New Avengers (2010) #18, 23
- X-Men: Season One (2012) #1
- Thor: The Deviants Saga (2012) #4
- Avengers vs. X-Men (2012) #4
- AVX: Vs (2012) #2
- Wolverine and the X-Men (2011) #11
- Avengers Academy (2010) #34
- Defenders (2012) #12
- Avengers (2013) #2, 4, 9, 11-14
Savage Avengers (2019) & Ka-Zar: Lord of the Savage Land (2021)
In the last 10 years, the Savage Land expansion has continued even more! With hit series like Savage Wolverine, Spider-Man and the X-Men, Savage Avengers, and even the animated Ultimate Spider-Man, the Savage Land has stayed ever-present and ever-relevant in the wider Marvel Universe.
But crossovers aside, Zac Thompson’s new Ka-Zar: Lord of the Savage Land series is being hailed as some of the best Ka-Zar content in decades. With all these fantastic modern stories, right now is the perfect time to jump into Savage Land comics and see what’s going on in the Land Where Time Stands Still!
- Savage Wolverine (2013) #1-5
- collected as Savage Wolverine: Kill Island
- Wolverine and the X-Men (2011) #25-28
- Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (2015) #1-47
- Spider-Man and the X-Men (2015) #1-2
- See the “Sauron” section below
- Savage Avengers (2019) #1-6, 20, 26-27
- Ka-Zar: Lord of the Savage Land (2021) #1-5
Video Games:
- Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth (2012)
- Marvel: Avengers Alliance (2012)
- Marvel: Avengers Alliance Tactics (2012)
- Marvel Puzzle Quest (2013)
- Marvel Heroes (2013)
- Uncanny X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
- Disney INFINITY: 2.0 Edition (2014)
- Marvel Contest of Champions (2014)
- Marvel Future Revolution (2021)
Extra watching:
- Ultimate Spider-Man (2012) S3 E3, E5, E7-8, E15-16, E18-23, 26; S4 E1-2
- Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. (2013) S1 E6; S2 E19
- Sauron: S1 E6, E12, E18, E24
- Devil Dinosaur: S1 E6-9, E11, E13, E17-18, E20, E23-24, E26; S2 E3, E6-8, E10-12, E14-15, E17, E26
- Marvel Heroes: The Chronicles of Doom (2013) S1 E4
- Marvel’s Avengers Assemble (2013) S1 E17
- Devil Dinosaur: S1 E14, E22-23
Extra reading:
- Devil Dinosaur:
- IVX (2016) #3-6
- Secret Warriors (2017) #1-5, 10-12
- Gwenpool Strikes Back (2019) #3-4
- Age of Ultron (2013) #4-7,9
- Deadpool Kills Deadpool (2013) #3-4
- Deadpool (2013) #20, 27
- What If? Age of Ultron (2014) #2
- New Warriors (2014) #4
- Elektra (2014) #3
- Avengers (2013) #34.1-36, 38, 43
- All-New X-Men (2013) #32
- Hulk (2014) #7
- Wolverine and the X-Men (2014) #11
- Avengers World (2014) #6, 19-21
- Old Man Logan (2015) #2
- Age of Apocalypse (2015) #1
- Secret Wars Too (2015) #1
- Squadron Supreme (2016) #1
- Uncanny X-Men (2016) #5-6, 8, 10-11, 19
- New Avengers (2015) #10-17
- Howard the Duck (2016) #7
- Civil War II: X-Men (2016) #1-4
- X-Men ’92 (2016) #5
- Astonishing Ant-Man (2015) #11
- Uncanny X-Men Annual (2017) #1
- IVX (2017) #0
- Doctor Strange / Punisher: Magic Bullets Infinite Comic (2016) #5
- Secret Empire (2017) #2
- Secret Empire: Underground (2017) #1
- Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (2015) #22-25
- Jean Grey (2017) #7
- Monsters Unleashed (2017b) #6-8
- Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey (2018) #2
- X-Men: Grand Design (2018) #2
- Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows (2016) #15
- Lockjaw (2018) #1-2, 4
- X-Men: Gold (2017) #26-28
- Old Man Logan (2016) #41-42
- Avengers (2018) #12, 19-20
- X-Men: Grand Design – Second Genesis (2018) #1
- Spider-Man/Deadpool (2016) #37-39
- Multiple Man (2018) #4
- Vault of Spiders (2018) #1
- Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #16
- Deadpool (2018) #11
- Avengers No Road Home (2019) #10
- Free Comic Book Day: Avengers/Savage Avengers (2019) #1
- X-Men: Grand Design – X-Tinction (2019) #2
- Black Panther and the Agents of Wakanda (2019) #1
- Fantastic Four: The Prodigal Sun (2019) #1
- House of X (2019) #1
- Crazy (2019) #1
- X-Men (2019) #3
- Wolverine (2020) #1
- Ant-Man (2020) #4-5
- Thor (2018) #9
- War of the Realms (2019) #5
- Black Panther and the Agents of Wakanda (2019) #7-8
- Empyre: Avengers (2020) #1-3
- Empyre (2020) #5
- X-Force (2020) #11-12, 15, 24
- Avengers (2018) #40
- Thor (2020) #12
- Wolverine: Black, White & Blood (2021) #4
- X-Corp (2021) #1
- Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man: Chameleon Conspiracy (2021) #1
- Spider-Bot Infinity Comic (2021) #7
- Devil’s Reign: Superior Four (2022) #2
And that’s the Savage Land in Marvel Comics! What are you reading now? What are you most excited to try next? Have you already met the Ka-Zar through X-Men: The Animated Series? Let me know on Twitter @vinwriteswords and remember to follow the site @MyCosmicCircus for more savage surprises!
Of course, be sure to check out our other reading guides here and stay tuned to The Cosmic Circus for more coming soon!
All images courtesy of Marvel Comics.
SAURON
But wait!! I can’t mention the Savage Land comics and not give Sauron recs, so presented here is the first-ever SAURON READING GUIDE!!!!
In classic Marvel fashion, the terrifying pteranodon Sauron was once a human named Dr. Karl Lykos. After Lykos was bitten by a mutant pteranodon, he became an energy vampire in the body of a dinosaur and took the name Sauron because of his love for Lord of the Rings.
As a villain of both Spider-Man and the X-Men, this funny boy has had many adventures in both the Savage Land and beyond. Gathered here are some of our recommendations for getting to know SAURON, THE DINOSAUR. Enjoy reading!
- X-Men (1963) #59-61, 114-116
- Marvel Fanfare (1982) #2-4
- X-Force (1991) #5-11
- Darkhawk (1991) #19-20
- Wolverine (1988) #69-71
- Uncanny X-Men (1981) #351, 353-356
- X-Men: The Hidden Years (1999) #6-7, 9-12
- Deadpool (1997) #57, 60-61
- Weapon X (2002) #1-2, 4-7, 9-13, 16-18
- Weapon X (2002) #½
- Weapon X: Sauron (2002) #1
- Weapon X: Agent Zero (2002) #1
- New Avengers (2005) #2, 5-6
- Wolverine and the X-Men (2011) #20, 28, 31-35
- Spider-Man and the X-Men (2015) #1-2
- Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider (2017) #20-21
- Weapon X (2017) #24-25
- Deadpool (2019) #10
- Extra watching:
- X-Men: The Animated Series (1992) S2 E11-13, S3 E8-9
- Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. (2013) S1 E6, E12, E18-19 E24
- Extra reading:
- X-Factor (1986) #82
- Sleepwalker (1991) #17
- Pro Action Magazine (1994) #2
- X-Men Unlimited (1993) #6
- Ka-Zar of the Savage Land (1997) #1
- Alpha Flight (1997) #9
- House of M (2005) #7
- Sentinel Squad One (2006) #3-4
- Spider-Man Family (2007) #6 [B Story]
- New Avengers (2005) #41, 43
- Marvel 1985 (2008) #4
- X-Babies (2009) #1
- New Mutants (2009) #10
- Astonishing X-Men (2004) #34
- Wolverine (2010) #304
- Groot (2015) #6
- Uncanny X-Men (2016) #15
- Secret Empire: Underground (2017) #1
- M.O.D.O.K.: Head Games (2020) #2
- Wolverine: Black, White & Blood (2020) #4 [C Story]
If you’d like more info about Sauron, I strongly recommend this great piece on Polygon by Susana Polo (@NerdGerhl)
