Retro Comic Recap: The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #27

Good morning, all,

It's time for me to discuss the twenty-seventh issue of The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones. The cover depicted Indy and a pair of comrades crashing into a glass window while rappelling on ropes and facing a trio of guns pointed at them. The tale was titled "Chapter 2: Trial of the Golden Guns." The issue had a cover date of March 1985. 

The story started with Indiana tied by his hands and feet to a quartet of horses in a pen, with Ilya Pugachev standing in the center, about to crack his whip and send the animals off in different directions. Just when things looked dire for our hero, the silence was broken by a few well-placed rifle shots, fired by Elizabeth Cody, granddaughter of the American sharpshooter Buffalo Bill Cody. 

There was still one rope to deal with. Indy pulled a jackknife from his pocket and freed himself just before colliding with one of the wooden posts. Elizabeth and their Russian allies came to his side, and Jones explained what had just happened and why. His comrades were angered but not very surprised to learn that Pugachev was working for their foe, Count Salkovich. The Cossacks' captain, Peter Rossov, insisted that his grandfather, the czar, be informed immediately.

They returned to their camp a short while later, and the old man stressed the importance of retrieving the golden guns from the Bolsheviks. His health was failing rapidly, but the leader's grandson and his soldiers were still very committed to the cause. Indy and Elizabeth had a vested interest in retrieving the weapons, which had been given to Buffalo Bill after winning a shooting competition with the old man years before.

Two groups departed the next morning. Indiana, Elizabeth, Peter, and their crew reached the stronghold, which had been built into a large mountain. While Rossov and his subordinates set up mortars equipped with grappling hooks to scale the tall walls, the second party mounted a direct assault on the Bolshevik defense. Indy and Elizabeth were two of the four people who scaled the walls and burst into the treasure room. 

There they found the gold-plated revolvers. They also saw that the count and Pugachev were waiting for them. Salkovich demonstrated that the weapons still worked perfectly. As Pugachev sought revenge on Elizabeth, the count pursued Indiana down a flight of stairs. He swung a hefty bullwhip that eventually got caught in a chandelier overhead and shocked its wielder.

Indiana picked up the pistols right before Elizabeth defeated Pugachev by opening a nearby crate and sending a bevy of birds at him. They ran for a window and started descending the mountainside. Salkovich pointed a rifle at the Americans, but an explosion took out his perch. Peter's soldiers threw ropes down and helped Indy and Elizabeth up as the Bolshevik base was being destroyed. 

Afterward, Rossov and Elizabeth engaged in their shooting competition. It was a very even match. Elizabeth appeared to lose on purpose. The old man was pleased with his grandson's victory, which redeemed his loss to Buffalo Bill. He passed away minutes later, and Peter presented the golden guns to his worthy opponent. Cody and Jones rode off together with the prize and some valuable information for their government, as well as a few tales to tell their ancestors. 

This was one of the last multi-part stories before the title's cancellation. It was a fine storyline, but once again, the treasure wasn't something that was very historically significant, since Buffalo Bill had been gone for less than twenty years when this tale took place in 1936. Indy usually pursued historical artifacts that had been lost or misplaced centuries ago. Elizabeth proved to be a valuable ally, but this was the only time she appeared in this series. 

That's all I have for this morning. Later this weekend, I'll cover the twenty-eighth issue of this series. A college mixer is interrupted by the arrival of a guest, who brings Indiana something from one of his former instructors that piques enough of his interest to join the lad on an excursion in another country. Until then, have a great weekend and don't forget to be kind to one another.