(Kong The Untamed #1, 2) - Neanderthals were deadly rivals of the Cro-Magnon, who called them Beast Men, and the two races fought each other on sight. Cro-Magnon Kong was a young hunter who was banished from his tribe along with his mother Attu because the tribe’s shaman Magl prophesized he’d grow up to be a mighty warrior and usurp Trog the One-Eyed, leader of the clan. One day while practicing hunting Kong was captured by the Beast Man Gurat. Gurat tied Kong up, cut his chest with a knife, and waited for big cats to be attracted to the smell of blood and devour him. Kong freed himself from the bonds, and lured Gurat into a pitfall trap. Gurat climbed out, but Kong was ready for him, and threw a sharp spear into his chest. Atta brought Kong before Trog, saying he’d earned their way back into the tribe with his show of bravery. Trog said he didn’t believe him, so Kong left to retrieve Gurat’s weapons and prove his deed. Gurat’s fellow Beast Men were waiting for Kong, and abducted him. Attu worried when her son hadn’t returned to Trog’s cave and went looking for him, again defying Trog, who said he’d kill her if she tried to find their son. The Beast Men had Kong tied up, and were getting ready to cook him, but Attu freed him, and they fled. The Beast Men threw spears at the fleeing mother and child, and one struck Attu in her leg. Attu told Kong to go on without her, but he refused, hiding with her on a nearby hillside. Kong left to find herbs that would stop her bleeding, but when he returned he found Attu dead, having been tortured and hung. The footprints leading away from the scene indicated Trog as the murderer and Kong vowed to make him pay. Kong left his mother’s side and was soon beset by a pack of hungry wolves. He threw rocks to ward them off, but lost his footing and fell into a raging river. Kong made it back to land, and remembering the sparks the stones he threw gave off as they struck other rocks, he decided to try striking various rocks against each other, becoming the first man to make fire. The Beast Men spotted him, and dragged him off, tying him up in a cave to be a sacrifice to their god, a cave bear. Gurat, having survived his encounter with Kong, freed the boy, saying someone mighty enough to battle him deserved a better end than being a sacrifice. The cave bear found them, and together they killed it. The Beast Men spotted them fleeing the cave, and Gurat knew he would no longer be welcomed by his tribe. Gurat and Kong came across the Deer People, who were praying to their god, and Kong told Gurat he despised the gods for giving him blonde hair and allowing his mother to be brutally killed. The Deer People were hostile, because they’d never seen a Cro-Magnon and Beast Man together who were not trying to kill each other, but the members of Gurat’s tribe caught up to them, and the Deer People were forced to fight alongside Kong and Gurat to slayu them. A small army of Beast Men arrived, and Kong set fire to the brushland, driving them off. The Deer People were ready to kill Gurat, proclaiming him to be an evil spirit, but Kong threatened their shaman, saying he could burn them all to ashes. The Deer People relented and freed Gurat. Kong told Gurat they had to go their separate ways so Kong could avenge his mother by killing Trog. Gurat told him they’d bled in battle together, so that made them blood brothers, and he said he’d accompany Kong in his quest. Kong was taken aback because the only person ever to show him kindness in life was Attu. He clasped Gurat’s hand, cementing their bond.

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