Random Happenstance

I swear I've barely been able to stay awake all day; let's see if this issue helps! Three thousand dead before we even get started, that's something. From 1979, John Carter, Warlord of Mars #20, "Battle at the Bottom of the World!" Written by Chris Claremont, art by Ernie Colon.

This was chapter five of "The Master Assassin of Mars," which didn't appear to be an adaptation of an Edgar Rice Burroughs' story, but Claremont nails the usual plot: John and Dejah Thoris visit a new area of Mars, and meet another new race, locked in mortal combat with another tribe or group. This time it's the (mostly) winged Crovars vs. the apish Ptothians: the Crovars have more civilization, but don't seem great, either. Their leader Chan Tomar has claimed Dejah, and enjoys rubbing John's nose in it. They sacrifice about three thousand men, in a distraction, to destroy the Ptothian supply camp. John survives, with his ally Garthon, because he had kept hidden his earthling strength, and leaps to safety like the Hulk! John's been pretty impressed with Garthon's bravery, but Garthon's dad, a winged Crovar, is less so: bad enough his kid didn't have wings, he also preferred poetry and gardening to battle.

To escape the Crovar city Karanthor, John was rigging improvised climbing equipment, for an eight-mile climb! Which would be tough enough for him, he had some experience; but Dejah wouldn't have. Garthon approaches John with another option: he had been planning to leave for the surface of Barsoom (Mars!) with a slave girl, through a volcanic shaft. John goes to get Dejah, who is being attacked by Chan Tomar: he hadn't minded her playing hard-to-get for a while, but was done waiting. John tears into him, and gets wingslapped for it: Tomar has him on the ropes the whole fight, but after John connects once, it's all over. Dejah and John are reunited, but the moment is stepped on by the arrival of Tomar's guards.

I thought the next issue would be the conclusion, but not only do John and Dejah not escape then, but there were seven chapters to go! Twelve parts is probably a short serial for John Carter but seems almost interminably long for a Marvel book of the time.