Sergio Aragones' Groo the Wanderer certainly lived up to its name.
Originally published by Pacific Comics it moved over to Eclipse, jumped over
to Marvel for its longest run and now shows up as miniseries from Dark Horse
Comics.  The cast behind Groo's adventures has remained constant despite all
this wandering.  Sergio Aragones takes care of the art and plotting, Mark
Evanier does the scripting and dialogue and Stan Saki takes care of the
colouring.
     Groo's supporting cast followed him and that included Chakaal the Warrior
Woman who had originally debuted in the seventh issue of the Pacific Comics
series (as well as starring in the eight and final issue before Pacific went
under).  As good with a sword as Groo but lacking his idiocy she roams the
land seeking adventure and wrongs to right.  Unfortunately she keeps running
into Groo whose infatuation with Chakaal leads him to assist her and that
usually means disaster.  Though every now and then his stupidity and skill
with his swords combines to save the day despite his incompetence.  From long
experience Chakaal has learned Groo is too stupid to realise he is the last
man in the world she would marry (though there have been occasional hints that
she might have enough affection for the fool to think him the second-to-last
man in the world she would marry) and puts up with him tagging along whenever
they meet.
     In issue 52 of Marvel Comics version of Groo the Wanderer the dynamic duo
encountered a town where the locals were having to periodically sacrifice
maidens to the Arana.  This turned out to be a giant spider that would ravage
the countryside if it wasn't fed regularly.  It also turned out that the locals
were stealing girls from the neighbouring towns so they wouldn't have to use
their own women and a war was brewing with the other towns.  Chakaal decided
to put a stop to this by killing the Arana but the question was how?
     While Chakaal pondered the question Groo sampled the local liquor which
was very potent and got drunk.  While inebriated he suggested they have a
drink with the Arana and gave Chakaal an idea.  After having a wineskin filled
with a concentrated form of the liquor she descended into the Arana's lair
with Groo.  The plan was to dose the Arana with the liquor then find its
vulnerable spot while it was drunk and kill it.  Unfortunately Groo had not
sobered up as much as she thought and the Arana was enraged when Chakaal
killed a second smaller (but still a bit bigger than a human) spider, the
Arana's mate.



     In case you're wondering about Groo's dialogue a reader had written in to
jokingly complain that he had never uttered that immortal barbarian hero
dialogue cliche, "You fiend! What sorcery is this?" (or words to that effect).
Though drunk Groo finally fufills this requirement.
     Anyway despite his intoxication Groo inadvertently succeeded in getting
Arana drunk.  Unfortunately ...



     Rufferto, Groo's best friend and the only one to not suffer misfortune
from prolonged exposure to Groo, had been tosed into the Arana's lair by the
locals after they decided Chakaal and Groo weren't coming back.  This lack of
confidence turned out to be a lucky break for our heroes.  Chakaal was unaware
Rufferto didn't like her and feared she secretly loved Groo and would take his
master away from him.  Rufferto had been hoping the Arana would eat Chakaal
however this time circumstances were about to dictate that he help her.



     Naturally Groo woke up and woke up the Arana but it was still dizzy and
disorientated so even drunk Groo was able to fight it while Chakaal found its
vulnerable spot.  With the Arana dead they emerged from its lair and stopped
the locals from throwing in another girl.  Accompanied by Rufferto and
following Chakaal the now sober Groo left the town trying to remember what he
had seen in the Arana's lair while drunk and meant to tell Chakaal.  Meanwhile
behind them the Arana's dozens of eggs began to hatch.
     For the town it was a case of the more things change the more they stay
the same.  Or as Groo once phrased it, "Groo is not afraid of living in fear".


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