# Doc Savage vs. Conan the Barbarian **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 29, 2008, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-vs-conan-the-barbarian/447358 "2008-04-29T15:44:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-vs-conan-the-barbarian/447358/41 "2008-04-30T14:19:57Z")
A friend did point out to me that some of the Doc Savage stories got pretty fan-wankish, with him ripping though metal with his bare hands or some such. That might give him the edge in strength. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-vs-conan-the-barbarian/447358/42 "2008-04-30T14:33:05Z")
I go with Conan for the reasons **smiling bandit** stated. If I needed someone to save the world I’d go with Doc Savage, but a one on one fight? Conan all the way. Doc Savage is a renaissance man, Conan is a professional killing machine. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-vs-conan-the-barbarian/447358/43 "2008-04-30T14:40:55Z")
If it was Doc Savage vs. Tarzan, the outcome has been [recorded for posterity](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Feast_Unknown#Plot_summary). ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-vs-conan-the-barbarian/447358/44 "2008-04-30T14:53:28Z")
[QUOTE=Tapioca Dextrin] If it was Doc Savage vs. Tarzan, the outcome has been [recorded for posterity](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Feast_Unknown#Plot_summary). [/QUOTE] You know, I have a copy of Farmer’s **Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life** somewhere. It was OK, if a little spotty. There’s no excuse for **A Feast Unknown** , though. RR ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-vs-conan-the-barbarian/447358/45 "2008-04-30T15:30:17Z")
[QUOTE=smiling bandit] Ah, you don’t know how long this Conan thing has been going, do you? It’s old. And people have been writing Conan stories, usually with multiple fights, for a very long time. Conan has fought pretty much _everything_. [/QUOTE] But I do. I have all the original Lancer Conan books, the ones edited by Lin Carter and L Sprague de Camp. I count these, and Lester Dent’s original Doc stories, but not the one by Farmer. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-vs-conan-the-barbarian/447358/46 "2008-04-30T15:30:21Z")
We must define what age each will be before this can be a meaningful 🙂 discussion. Young Conan left home at 15 and was big, strong, and green. By the time he was 17 he had a great deal of practical experience with street fighting, wizards, thievery, women, etc. Doc at 15 was still in training, I believe, or had just joined the army. Then Doc spent time in the prison camp where he met the rest of the team. They escape when he is 17, so his experience at that point is rather limited. I suspect that if they meet when both 17, Conan wins easily. Later in their respective lives, a lot more happens. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-vs-conan-the-barbarian/447358/47 "2008-04-30T15:38:14Z")
[QUOTE=RiverRunner] You know, I have a copy of Farmer’s **Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life** somewhere. It was OK, if a little spotty. There’s no excuse for **A Feast Unknown** , though. RR [/QUOTE] Farmer did a slightly cleaner take on this, which was published as both sides of an Ace Double - Lord of the Trees (mostly about Tarzan) and The Mad Goblin, mostly about Doc. They are two parts of the same story. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-vs-conan-the-barbarian/447358/48 "2008-04-30T15:57:50Z")
[QUOTE=Voyager] Farmer did a slightly cleaner take on this, which was published as both sides of an Ace Double - Lord of the Trees (mostly about Tarzan) and The Mad Goblin, mostly about Doc. They are two parts of the same story. [/QUOTE] Which contains the epic hand-to-hand battle (on a log over a canyon, IIRC) between Tarzan & Doc. I won’t spoil the ending. So maybe we need a round-robin cage-match setup: Doc vs. Tarzan, Tarzan vs. Conan, Conan vs. Doc. Who else should be included? Muscles will bulge! Shirts will rip! Thews will strain! Sinews will \! ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-vs-conan-the-barbarian/447358/49 "2008-04-30T15:59:27Z")
Shirts will rip? I think the identity of the next combatant is absolutely clear. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-vs-conan-the-barbarian/447358/50 "2008-04-30T16:08:36Z")
[QUOTE=JThunder] Shirts will rip? I think the identity of the next combatant is absolutely clear. [/QUOTE] Quite clear; and the victor a fait accompli. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-vs-conan-the-barbarian/447358/51 "2008-04-30T16:25:17Z")
[QUOTE=NoCoolUserName] So maybe we need a round-robin cage-match setup: Doc vs. Tarzan, Tarzan vs. Conan, Conan vs. Doc. Who else should be included? [/QUOTE] Thundar vs. He-Man. What? Oh, and I vote for Conan. I think his sheer brutality would give him the edge. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-vs-conan-the-barbarian/447358/52 "2008-04-30T17:28:50Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] When Conan finally becomes a king, IIRC, he (at first, anyway) rather neglects his administrative and governmental duties, and devotes himself enthusiastically to drinking, whoring and roistering. Doc Savage modifies malefactors’ personalities through brain surgery. Who would you rather have running a country – King Log or King Spork? [/QUOTE] More like King Log vs. Dr. Mengele. At least Conan believed in free will. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-vs-conan-the-barbarian/447358/53 "2008-04-30T18:19:23Z")
I ate lunch with my mother today and asked her the OP’s question. She thought for a second and said “Conan. He’d fight dirtier.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-vs-conan-the-barbarian/447358/54 "2008-04-30T18:23:19Z")
[QUOTE=pravnik] I ate lunch with my mother today and asked her the OP’s question. She thought for a second and said “Conan. He’d fight dirtier.” 😃 [/QUOTE] High five yer mom! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-vs-conan-the-barbarian/447358/55 "2008-04-30T18:57:00Z")
[QUOTE=Voyager] But I do. I have all the original Lancer Conan books, the ones edited by Lin Carter and L Sprague de Camp. I count these, and Lester Dent’s original Doc stories, but not the one by Farmer. [/QUOTE] And the comics? _ALL_ his appearances? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-vs-conan-the-barbarian/447358/56 "2008-04-30T22:32:58Z")
What kind of terrain are we dealing with? City? Doc could exploit it quite well. Wilderness? Conan takes it. Arctic? Both sides are very arctic-proficient. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-vs-conan-the-barbarian/447358/57 "2008-04-30T23:18:51Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] What kind of terrain are we dealing with? [/QUOTE] A bull hide staked to the ground. Anyone whose feet leave the hide gets skewered with a crossbow or shot with mercy bullets. No fair taking weapons away from judges or using judges as blunt instruments. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-vs-conan-the-barbarian/447358/58 "2008-04-30T23:25:23Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] A bull hide staked to the ground. Anyone whose feet leave the hide gets skewered with a crossbow or shot with mercy bullets. No fair taking weapons away from judges or using judges as blunt instruments. [/QUOTE] Then Doc wins. He knows Judo. Very, very well! Conan goes flying, gets zapped for leaving the mat. End of fight. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-savage-vs-conan-the-barbarian/447358.md?page=2)