Good afternoon,
It's time for me to discuss the twenty-fifth issue of Marvel's ongoing series The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones. The cover depicted Indy holding onto an artifact with one hand while clinging to the rail of a train caboose in the other arm, with an unidentified woman behind him and a trio of men chasing them on horseback behind them. The tale was titled "Good as Gold." The issue had a cover date of January 1985.
The story started at a cabin in the Peruvian Andes in 1936. Indy arrived to translate an artifact that was written in an obscure Quechan dialect that only twelve men in the world knew. He was one of those experts. Indiana was greeted at gunpoint by his old colleague Jessie. She had asked Indy's employer for help, not knowing that he was the one who would be dispatched.
They caught up for a bit before Jessie brought out a stone that she felt might be the key to uncovering El Dorado. Jones started soon thereafter, and their work was interrupted by a knock on the door. They weren't expecting any company, and Jessie's associates were still at the dig site
A large man named Ivar Reiss and his three associates barged in moments later. Indy and the strangers were at a stalemate, with each side pointing their guns at the other until Jessie dashed for the rifle in her quarters. She was knocked down by one of Ivar's soldiers, and Indiana gently reminded her that they were outnumbered at the moment.
Reiss and his contacts had been observing Jessie's activity. He also knew of Jones' impending arrival and wanted the treasure for himself. Indy's reputation preceded him, and he replied that he was flattered, wondering where Marion Ravenwood was.
Marion was about to host a speech at Marshall College in Connecticut at the time, and the only thing missing was her guest speaker, Indiana. Marcus Brody informed her that the professor had been called away to Peru. Marion was incensed by the news, noting that she'd cut her trip to Chicago short because Jones had wanted her to be there. She stormed off angrily, leaving it up to Brody to handle matters there.
Back in Peru, Jones was still working on the translation, while under constant watch by Reiss and his men. He learned that Ivar's father was the industrialist Edgard Reiss, and that the son was trying to make up for the fact that his father had deemed him unworthy to inherit the family fortune. It seemed he was looking for a bit of revenge by seeking the rumored treasure of El Dorado.
Indiana eventually rose from the table, stating that he'd successfully completed the translation. He tossed the papers in front of him at the unwelcome guests, and tossed the fresh pot of coffee at one of them, giving he and Jessie enough of a distraction for them to exit.
As they ran, Jones confessed that the actual translation had only taken him five minutes. He delayed acting because he was waiting for the next train, which was about to arrive. They jumped on as it passed, evading Reiss and his lackeys on horseback.
Indy and Jessie got off the train when it stopped at Estarca. It was a slow but scenic journey. Indiana said they should look for the mountains that faced the rising sun, and pointed them in the correct direction. They then searched for the standing stones, which they found just before Ivar and his goons arrived.
The soldiers opened the passage, and Ivar insisted that Indiana lead the way inside. They examined what appeared to be a sizable bounty, but Indy wasn't certain about its authenticity. A brief skirmish revealed that most of the treasure was fake. The only real artifact was the gold mask that Jones pulled off the wall and handed to Ivar.
A few moments later, the roof started to shake and crumble. Everyone ran for cover, except Ivar. He was convinced that there was still treasure inside. As the room collapsed, Jones figured that it must have been a trap set for Spanish conquistadors, which had been triggered when he removed the mask. Jessie was a bit peeved when she learned that Indy had set the trap on purpose, but he was already set on heading home.
Several days later, Jones returned to Marshall College. Brody was waiting for him with the news that Marion had moved on. She'd left a note saying that she had to get away, and asked Indiana not to come after her. She left voluntarily, and Indy wished her well, hoping she'd stay out of trouble.
This was Marion's last appearance in this series. I figured that something like this might happen, since her appearances became fewer and there was a bit of tension after she caught Jones kissing another woman in issue #23. There were plans for her return, but the title was cancelled before they could be published. It's unknown if those tales will ever see the light of day.
I felt that this was an okay story. Jessie would return as another fellow archaeologist and potential love interest for Indiana. Personally, I would have preferred Marion or the British scientist from issues 4 and 5, but I guess it's kind of hard to go back that far on a book whose creative teams kept changing rather regularly. It was another script where a new villain was introduced, only to meet their demise before the issue had concluded. If the writers hadn't continued this pattern, they'd probably have had more material to draw from for future stories.
Well, that's all I have today. Tomorrow, I'll recap the twenty-sixth issue of this series. David Michelinie returns to pen a two-part story that begins with Indiana being recruited to assist in the recovery of a fairly recent American treasure. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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