Darklord Returns A Savage Dragon #225 Preview From Erik Larsen

In a 100-page giant, Erik Larsen's Savage Dragon will throw his readers another curveball as Dragon, the series' original lead, will apparently have his powers restored in next month's Savage Dragon #225 -- and Larsen has released a number of preview pages from the anniversary issue, due on July 26.

After his apparent death in #150, Dragon came back, but his body briefly served as a host to Kurr, a brutal dictator buried in the hero's subconscious before he ever came to Earth.

During Kurr's attack on Earth, the body count was astounding -- and as a result, Dragon (even after he regained his senses) was ultimately jailed for life. During his sentence, he willingly underwent a process that removed his superhuman powers (and with them, much of his bulk).

Recently, he was released from prison as a result of a last-minute pardon by outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama. Now, though, it seems Dragon is back in fighting shape just in time to take it to Darklord and Mister Glum.

Now, in next month's conclusion to The Merging of Multiple Earths, Dragon will face off against Darklord and Mister Glum.

There has been a theory circulating among some Savage Dragon fans that Dragon's eventual death would play out in such a way that he would get his powers back and have one last, grand adventure before he goes. In-story, Dragon's blood has been used to give people powers temporarily -- after which time they explode. It isn't clear what, if any, adverse effects Dragon's own blood might have on him, but in the event that there isn't any of his own stored, he's got a child and three grandchildren whose blood could be used to approximate his powers...for a time, and likely at a cost.

Before you get too worried about the aging hero's well-being, remember that this is a story that promises to merge mutliple Earths, and which features Darklord, a character who once pulled a version of Dragon from another time to do battle with himself (when he was Kurr). There are multiple explanations for how Dragon might come to look like this and fight cosmic-level threats.

You can check out three of the four covers to Savage Dragon #225 (the fourth is explicit) in the attached image gallery, along with several preview pages Larsen has posted to Facebook.