Apparently the John Carter, Warlord of Mars book was so popular Marvel commissioned an Annual, even though the book was barely half a year old!
As you might expect, since writer/editor Marv Wolfman was in the middle of an ongoing storyline in the main book, he wrote a tale (in what has to be the longest John Carter comics story ever done) that works as a stand-alone adventure. It opens with John Carter flying alone in his airship:
That grim task now over, Carter asks why it was so essential they not be allowed to escape:
Pan Dan Chee says he will plead Carter's case to their leader, but the rest of them believe it will do no good.
Passing down a hall lined with statues honoring Horz's ruling ancestors (including the beautiful Princess S-Lara, whom Pan Dan Chee seems more than a little obsessed with), the group comes before Ho Ran Kim, who hears Carter's case, but refuses to stay the execution. As you might guess, John Carter is less than thrilled with this decision.
The Jeddak explains the history of Horz, and how centuries ago it was decimated by Green Martians. It was decided that the only way the city could survive is if they completely cut themselves off from the rest of the planet, becoming self-sufficient--which means not allowing any strangers ever to leave.
Carter tries to explain that Mars has changed, and that the people of Helium could help protect Horz. But Kim is having none of it, even after Pan Dan Chee offers an alternative: not killing Carter, but keeping him in Horz permanently. Kim considers this, and says he will make a decision the next day.
Until then, they are both taken to the Pit of the Ancestors, where Pan Dan Chee shows Carter the dessicated corpse of Princess S-Lara (ewww!). As Chee moons over her, Carter is at turns shocked and annoyed--all he wants is to find a way out.
Before he can look for an exit, he and Chee are attacked by a pack of Ulsios, giant rat-like creatures:
Carter discovers a door buried inside the wall of one of the tunnels, and smashes his way in. Inside he and Chee are shocked to find an old man, living in a sort of pre-fab apartment, filled with coffins and statues of the ancestors.
The old man looks crazy, but seems harmless enough. And friendly--he offers Carter and Chee some water, which they gulp down. That turns out to be a big mistake, for the water is drugged, and within moments they are unconscious.
Moments later, we see the old man having placed Carter and Chee in their own coffins, as he prepares them to be embalmed! Carter wakes up in time, slapping the old man into a wall. He helps Chee get up, and then discover even more shocking: the once dead are now rising!
Standing now before them are Hor Kai Lan, one of Horz' rulers from eons ago, as well as some others fro the ruling class...including Princess S-Lara!:
The old man looks crazy, but seems harmless enough. And friendly--he offers Carter and Chee some water, which they gulp down. That turns out to be a big mistake, for the water is drugged, and within moments they are unconscious.
Moments later, we see the old man having placed Carter and Chee in their own coffins, as he prepares them to be embalmed! Carter wakes up in time, slapping the old man into a wall. He helps Chee get up, and then discover even more shocking: the once dead are now rising!
Standing now before them are Hor Kai Lan, one of Horz' rulers from eons ago, as well as some others fro the ruling class...including Princess S-Lara!:
As Chee prepares for what seems like a Barsoomian version of Penthouse Forum John Carter battles with Kan and his men, while simultaneously trying to figure out what the hell is going on. He leaps onto a nearby rooftop, with his foes giving chase. Carter leaps onto a deserted sailing ship, only to see it suddenly filled with armed, angry pirates at the command of Kan!
Meanwhile, Chee professes his love for S-Lara, which seems to be the right thing to say: we leave them just as they share a passionate kiss.
While Chee is, er, busy, John Carter is trying to stay alive. Fighting off some of the pirates, he climbs up the ship's mast--or at least what he thinks is the ship's mast:
Meanwhile, Chee professes his love for S-Lara, which seems to be the right thing to say: we leave them just as they share a passionate kiss.
While Chee is, er, busy, John Carter is trying to stay alive. Fighting off some of the pirates, he climbs up the ship's mast--or at least what he thinks is the ship's mast:
A solid tale, well told--and after so many issues where the story is a scant 16 pages, its nice to see a John Carter adventure that has a little room to breathe. Under the pencils of a Buscema, this reads a lot like the type of story Conan the Barbarian would have starred in, which is fine by me! This Annual also features a pin-up by Rudy Nebres, a nice little extra. All in all, a lot of fun.
One question, though: why is the "John Carter" part of the title removed from this issue's cover?
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