Good afternoon all,
I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday weekend. Today's article will recap the twenty-third issue of Marvel's The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones. The cover showed Indy jumping over a waterfall with a golden crown in one hand, as a trio of strangers opened fire on him. The tale was titled "The Secret of the Deep." The issue had a cover date of November 1984.
The story started at a movie theater, where Indiana was leading Marion Ravenwood out of a showing of the film "Jungle Drums." He could take the poison arrows, headhunters, and lions, but Jones was still deathly afraid of snakes. The couple continued to argue on the cab ride home.
At Marshall College, the next morning, Marcus Brody asked Indy for a few moments before his next class. Brody brought Jones to his office and talked about Professor Hildebrand, who had left his letters and papers to the National Museum when he passed away. The late professor once led an expedition to a small jungle island named Kaloo in the South Pacific, where the crown of Rurick was supposed to be at the bottom of a large waterfall. The island was now the property of a drifter and his associates.
Indiana asked for a ticket to the West Coast. He then informed Marion of his upcoming excursion and stressed that it was something he had to do by himself. He thought about his mission on the train ride the following day.
Jones reached Hollywood, California, a week later. He met with film director Samuel Greeley and offered to be the stunt diver for his movie for free, on the condition that Indy could choose the location of his dive. The director gladly accepted and introduced him to his costars, Alphonse Dumarr and Stephanie Windslow.
The group flew to the South American film location a couple of days later. During the trip, we saw how jealous Dumarr got when Windslow cozied up to their stuntman. 18 hours later, the plane reached its destination. The crew was welcomed to the island by its leader, Lord Harry. He provided accommodations, but wasn't above trying any way he could to profit from their arrival.
Greeley and his crew drove to the waterfall the next morning. They began rehearsals once things were set up. Dumarr took the opportunity to let out his frustrations on Jones. Indy had no interest in the leading lady and was more concerned about his overall objective and staying alive in general.
The director broke up Jones' and Dumarr's scuffle, and he led his star away for a bit to set him straight. Later that evening, Dumarr had a few drinks at the local tavern, and his loose lips disclosed information to a fellow patron who listened to every word intently. The crew started filming at the top of the waterfall the next day. Indy played his part, although a blow on the head from a floating log had him fighting to stay conscious. He still performed the dive, located the crown that he hid inside his shirt, and resurfaced.
He didn't expect Lord Harry to hold him at gunpoint. The island's "lord" knew Indy's background and had Jones hand over the crown before he herded the rest of the crew into a truck. Indiana soon joined them, knowing he would have to wait a bit for the right moment to strike.
The truck had been driving for a while when Jones jumped out of the back, heading toward the tank that followed it. He eventually commandeered the military vehicle, but wasn't able to free his colleagues just yet. They were brought to the old Dutch military prison and placed in a cell. Dumarr then realized how foolish he'd been to share what he'd disclosed at the bar the night before.
After Lord Harry left, Jones burst through the compound with the truck. He ordered his comrades to climb on, and they fought their way to the dock after Jones stopped briefly to retrieve the crown. The crew escaped via plane as Harry's men continued to shoot at their vessel.
On the journey home, Windslow got closer to Dumarr as Indy thought about what was waiting for him. When they landed on the West Coast the next day, Windslow showed Indiana her appreciation to Jones, not knowing that Marion was standing right behind them. Indy tried to run after her to explain, but they were eventually separated by the crowd. Jones walked away alone, knowing their next encounter wouldn't be easy.
I felt that this was a satisfactory single-issue story written and illustrated by Herb Trimpe, who's probably best known for his art on titles like G.I. Joe and the Incredible Hulk. It didn't delve too much into the history of the crown or its location, but Lord Harry was a fine foe for a one-shot, I guess. I would have liked a bit more background on him, but that's a problem that usually happens in a title that changes its creative staff on a regular basis.
Well, that's all from me for now. Tomorrow, I'll cover the twenty-fourth issue of this series. Trimpe returns to craft a tale that has Indy staying on the West Coast for a bit, but soon finds himself on a boat bound for South America to save a damsel in distress and discover another archaeological treasure. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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