Editing Red Sonja (section)

===Marvel Comics (1973–1995)===
Red Sonja was created by writer [[Roy Thomas]] and artist [[Barry Windsor-Smith]] for [[Marvel Comics]] in 1973, partially based on Red Sonya, a female [[swashbuckler]] from "[[The Shadow of the Vulture]]".<ref>Afterword by [[Roy Thomas]], in ''The Chronicles of Conan Volume 4: The Song of Red Sonja and Other Stories'' (Dark Horse, 2004)</ref>

Red Sonja debuted in Marvel's ''[[Conan the Barbarian (comics)|Conan the Barbarian]]'' #23 (1973).<ref>{{cite web|last=Markstein|first=Don|website=Don Markstein's Toonopedia|access-date=2 April 2020|url=http://www.toonopedia.com/redsonja.htm|title=Red Sonja}}</ref> Thomas created a new origin story and transposed the timeline from the 16th century of Howard's original Red Sonya to the [[Hyborian Age]], another Howard creation, to have Sonja interact with [[Conan the Barbarian]]. In 1975, Marvel Comics published the first issue of ''Red Sonja'' after the character headlined ''[[Marvel Feature]]'' for seven issues that same year.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Cassell|first=Dewey|title=Marvel Feature|journal=[[Back Issue!]]|issue=71|page=18|publisher=[[TwoMorrows Publishing]]|date=April 2014|location=Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.redsonja.com/history/|title=History|website=Red Sonja|access-date=21 March 2018|archive-date=26 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026074342/http://www.redsonja.com/history|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Red Sonja's origin story was told in the story "The Day of the Sword" in the Marvel magazine ''Kull and the Barbarians'' #3 (1975), written by [[Roy Thomas]] and [[Doug Moench]] and illustrated by [[Howard Chaykin]]. The same story was later redrawn by [[Dick Giordano]] and [[Terry Austin (comics)|Terry Austin]] and published in the magazine ''[[The Savage Sword of Conan]]'' #78 (July 1982). In this version, Red Sonja lives with her family in the Western [[Hyrkania (Conan)|Hyrkanian]] steppes. When she is 21, a group of mercenaries kills her family and burns down their house. Sonja attempts to defend herself, but cannot lift her brother's sword. She is [[rape]]d by the leader of the group. Answering her cry for revenge, the red goddess [[Scáthach]] appears to her and gives her incredible fighting skills, on the condition that she never lie with a man unless he defeats her in fair combat. In the story "Sword of the She-Devil" ''[[Marvel Team-Up]]'' #79 (December 1979), Red Sonja is reborn in the present-day of [[Earth-616]] when her sword is found by her descendant/reincarnation [[Mary Jane "MJ" Watson]] (love interest of [[Peter Parker|Peter Parker / Spider-Man]].

In 1983, Marvel Comics published a second ''Red Sonja'' series, a two-issue story written by Christy Marx and Roy Thomas, with art by [[Tony DeZuniga]] and [[Ernie Colón]]. The story also featured an appearance by the Robert E. Howard heroine [[Valeria (Conan the Barbarian)|Valeria]].

That same year, Marvel launched a third series, running thirteen issues. Writers included [[Tom DeFalco]], [[Bill Mantlo]], and [[Louise Simonson]], with art by [[Mary Wilshire]], [[Pat Broderick]], and [[Rudy Nebres]], among others.

In 1985, Marvel published a two-issue adaptation of the [[Red Sonja (1985 film)|''Red Sonja'' film]] starring [[Brigitte Nielsen]]. The adaptation was written by Louise Simonson and Mary Wilshire, with art by Mary Wilshire and [[Vince Colletta]].

In 1995, Marvel published the one-shot issue ''Red Sonja: Scavenger Hunt'', written by Glenn Herdling and illustrated by Ken Lashley.<ref>{{cite web|title=Red Sonja Scavenger Hunt (1995) comic books|url=https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=92811|access-date=July 7, 2021|website=mycomicshop.com}}</ref>

In 2007, Marvel teamed with [[Dynamite Entertainment|Dynamite Comics]] to publish ''[[Spider-Man/Red Sonja]]'', a five-issue series written by [[Michael Avon Oeming]] with art by [[Mel Rubi]], in which Mary Jane "MJ" Watson again awakens as Red Sonja.