Origin:

Red Sonya was a character created by Conan author Robert E. Howard. Red Sonya of Rogatine appeared in The Shadow of the Vulture story set in Vienna during the Turkish siege of the city in the 16th century. Russian by birth, Sonya was a tall red-headed cutlass and pistol wielding lassy - and nothing like the Hyborian swordswoman of this film or indeed the comics and novels that gave birth to it.

Marvel story writer Roy Thomas simply took the original Red SonYa, changed the name to Red SonJa, and placed her into the Hyborean age as a female foil for the very popular Conan stories that he was penning.

Synopsis:

Following her rape at the hands of her family's murderers, Red Sonja of Hyrkania takes a vow that she will love no man who has not first bested her in battle - and so far no one has.

Brigitte Nielson appears as warrior-woman Sonja who unites with a couple other gladiator types (including Arnold Schwarzenegger) to overthrow the evil queen Gedren (Sandahl Bergman) and avenge the deaths of Sonja's family.

Prequels, Sequels and Follow-ons:

Following the success the Dynamite Comics re-issues of Red Sonja a new film is currently in the making.