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John Carter returns briefly to Earth after twelve years to entrust his written notes to his nephew. He reveals that he has found a way to travel between worlds at will, yet his heart remains bound to Mars and his family there. Before stepping back into his sealed vault, he hints at exposing the false mysteries of the Holy Therns.
FOREWORD
Transported back to Mars, John Carter materializes in an unfamiliar landscape featuring red grass, strange trees, and a shimmering sea. Adjusting to Martian gravity once again, he explores what appears to be a cultivated paradise. His initial optimism turns to peril when monstrous plant men and colossal white apes ambush him in the valley.
CHAPTER I THE PLANT MEN
Reunited with his green Martian ally Tars Tarkas, John Carter fights alongside him against swarms of plant monsters. Seeking defensible high ground, the duo retreats toward sheer golden cliffs that ring the valley. Carter discovers hidden cave openings high on the glittering rock faces, offering their only hope of defensible shelter.
CHAPTER II A FOREST BATTLE
Safe inside the cliff caves, Tars Tarkas reveals that they have landed in the Valley Dor, the supposed paradise of Barsoomian religion. Generations of Martians have taken voluntary pilgrimages down the sacred River Iss, expecting eternal peace, only to be slaughtered and eaten. The realization shatters ancient faith, transforming a holy myth into a nightmare of systemic slaughter.
CHAPTER III THE CHAMBER OF MYSTERY
Separated by a secret wall mechanism, Carter discovers a prisoner named Thuvia, a red Martian woman held by the Holy Therns. She knows the secrets of the cliff chambers and opens the door to save Tars Tarkas from wild banths. With a calm, spoken command, Thuvia tames the lethal beasts, proving her command over creatures that slaughter others.
CHAPTER IV THUVIA
After killing a high-ranking thern, Carter dons the dead priest's blond wig and ornate trappings to trick their captors. Thuvia guides the trio through the labyrinthine subterranean galleries toward the surface courts. A suspicious thern identifies the deception, forcing the fugitives into a desperate race to reach the outer ramparts before the alarm spreads.
CHAPTER V CORRIDORS OF PERIL
Upon reaching the outer gardens of the Therns, the escapees witness a sudden sky invasion by the Black Pirates of Barsoom, known as the First Born. Dark warships drop swooping boarding parties that slaughter the white-skinned therns and abduct women. The sudden aerial chaos disrupts the pursuit of Carter's group, opening an unpredictable new theatre of war.
CHAPTER VI THE BLACK PIRATES OF BARSOOM
Carter boards an anchored pirate cruiser, kills its sentries, and rescues Phaidor, the proud daughter of the Holy Thern leader Matai Shang. Despite her arrogant disdain for outsiders, Carter protects her from the pirate crew. His daring aerial manoeuvre disables a pursuing black battleship, though he is ultimately overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
CHAPTER VII A FAIR GODDESS
Bound as a captive aboard the pirate flagship, Carter learns that the First Born inhabit a hidden realm beneath the south pole. The ship dives deep through a subterranean tunnel into the sunless Sea of Omean. There, thousands of black warships operate in secret, exposing the vast military machine underlying the fake goddess's dominion.
CHAPTER VIII THE DEPTHS OF OMEAN
Phaidor declares her love for Carter, but he rejects her advances, affirming his undying devotion to Dejah Thoris. Enraged by the refusal, Phaidor vows terrible revenge upon both Carter and his princess. They are brought before Issus, the terrifying old woman revered as a living deity, who rules the First Born with absolute cruelty.
CHAPTER IX ISSUS, GODDESS OF LIFE ETERNAL
Stripped of his noble rank, the pirate captain Xodar is imprisoned alongside Carter on the island of Shador. When a hulking black noble named Thurid attempts to degrade Xodar, Carter steps in and knocks Thurid unconscious with a single strike. Carter's fearlessness and physical prowess earn the grudging respect of his guards and fellow prisoners.
CHAPTER X THE PRISON ISLE OF SHADOR
Carter and Xodar study the guard rotations of Shador to plan their break for liberty. Using his extraordinary earthly strength, Carter leaps over cell walls to evade sentries while retaining access to the prison grounds. Brought before the arena games, he prepares to exploit the grand spectacle as a cover for their daring flight.
CHAPTER XI WHEN HELL BROKE LOOSE
Forced to fight for his life in the grand arena of Issus, Carter battles alongside a young red warrior whose fighting style perfectly mirrors his own. Together, the pair defeats wave after wave of opponents. When Issus orders their execution, they plunge through a trapdoor into ancient, forgotten tunnels beneath the colosseum floor.
CHAPTER XII DOOMED TO DIE
In the dark labyrinths beneath the arena, the red youth reveals his identity as Carthoris, the son of John Carter and Dejah Thoris. Father and son share a profound reunion before making their way back to Shador to free Xodar. Xodar fully repudiates his faith in Issus, joining the rebellion to expose her false divinity.
CHAPTER XIII A BREAK FOR LIBERTY
The fugitives commandeer a small airship and flee north across the polar ice cap toward the red Martian kingdoms. Damaged ray tanks cause the vessel to lose buoyancy, forcing a perilous crash-landing in the dead sea bottoms. Stranded in the dark, they face unseen predatory eyes lurking in the silent ruins surrounding them.
CHAPTER XIV THE EYES IN THE DARK
Carter infiltrates a green Martian city in the dark to secure mount animals for their trek. Disguised in enemy harness, he tricks a sentry and frees his former companion Tars Tarkas from a Warhoon dungeon. Returning with fresh thoats, the reunited allies ride fast to outpace pursuing war parties across the red plains.
CHAPTER XV FLIGHT AND PURSUIT
A fleet from Helium locates the party, led by the naval officer Hor Vastus, who instantly recognizes Prince Carthoris and John Carter. Though returning from the forbidden River Iss carries a sentence of death, Hor Vastus throws his sword at Carter's feet in an unconditional oath of fealty. Commander Kantos Kan takes them aboard the flagship Xavarian.
CHAPTER XVI UNDER ARREST
Arriving in Helium, Carter faces trial before a biased council presided over by the ambitious rival Zat Arras. Carter refuses to lie or renounce his claims, publicly denouncing the monstrous atrocities of Issus before the crowd. Kantos Kan demands justice, but Zat Arras condemns John Carter to immediate imprisonment in the deep pits.
CHAPTER XVII THE DEATH SENTENCE
In Carter's palace, the green woman Sola relates how Dejah Thoris fled Helium in grief, seeking the River Iss, only to be captured by the Black Pirates. Thuvia was also taken, and both women remain prisoners in the underground realm of Issus. The realization that his princess still lives drives Carter to plan a massive invasion.
CHAPTER XVIII SOLA’S STORY
Locked in total darkness in the deepest pits of Helium, Carter receives a secret visit from Zat Arras' messenger. Zat Arras offers full freedom and pardon if Carter will back his bid to become Jeddak of Helium. Carter steadfastly refuses to betray the rightful rule of Tardos Mors, choosing solitary imprisonment over treason.
CHAPTER XIX BLACK DESPAIR
Rescued from the pits by his loyal allies, Carter takes command of a massive joint fleet of Helium warships and green Martian warriors. The armada sails south to assault the polar strongholds of the Therns and First Born. A colossal air battle erupts as thousands of black battleships rise to intercept the invading fleet above Omean.
CHAPTER XX THE AIR BATTLE
Carter leads five thousand red warriors through the submerged tunnel into the subterranean base of the First Born. Enemy commanders shut off the Omean pumps, causing rushing waters to flood the low tunnels and threaten to drown the army. Carter maintains strict order, guiding his troops up steep side passages to reach the upper temple levels.
CHAPTER XXI THROUGH FLOOD AND FLAME
Carter breaches the inner sanctum of Issus, defeating her black guard and reuniting briefly with Dejah Thoris. However, the malignant goddess tricks them by sealing Dejah Thoris, Thuvia, and Phaidor inside the impenetrable Temple of the Sun, a circular prison that rotates only once a year. Carter wins the battle for Mars, but faces a year of agonizing waiting.
CHAPTER XXII VICTORY AND DEFEAT
Discover how John Carter shatters a world's false religion to save his love from polar strongholds.