[Depicted in Indiana Jones Adventures: Vol 2, the second in the Dark Horse Comics series - released in 2009].
During the end of the academic semester at Marshall College, Indiana learns through Marcus Brody that a mythical Wohat statue from the Ottoman Empire had been stolen from the 'New York Museum of History,' making it the latest of a string of thefts that had occurred worldwide.
Soon after, it’s revealed that a 6th Wohat statue had been stolen from the Barcelona History Museum, leading Jones to believe that the real prize may be the mystical ‘Invincible Ruby of Ali Bey’.
Jones soon learns that the thieves are working for his arch-nemesis in René Belloq, which leads him to shrewdly gain access to his hotel room in Barcelona where he recovers five of the stolen statues. Additionally, he realizes that the statues reveal a hidden map on the underside of their carvings that leads to Kenya.
From there, he flies to Nairobi via Tripoli, en route to the Mombasa district while driving through the grasslands. Once in the jungle he battles a monkey to retrieve his stolen hat, eventually arriving at the mysterious palace of Ali Bey.
After using the Wohat statues to gain entry, a descendent of Ali Bey, introduced as Ali Bey-Faisal, concedes that his plans for the ruby is to use its powers to restore the Ottoman Empire.
Following a struggle, Indiana (alongside the security chief of the NY Museum of History, Ballantine Gruber) escape further into the palace before falling into a lower chamber that had previously been undiscovered. It is there that the ruby is found and Gruber’s true motives are revealed, as he was the one who had stolen the sixth statue to sell on the black market.
Ignoring Jones warning of the dangers of the ruby, Gruber holds it over his head with the intention of keeping it for himself, prompting the gemstone to emit a red light and turn the man into a smouldering pile of ash.
Moments later, Bey-Faisal also succumbs to the allure of the enchanted ruby, as he also ignores Indy’s warning prior to being crushed by a large boulder. Meanwhile, Jones is able to escape from the castle which has turned to ruins, traveling back into the jungle where he reunites with a more familiar rival in Belloq.
Main locations in this adventure are:
New York Museum of History - Although it’s similarities in name to the American Museum of Natural History, it’s unclear if this museum is based off the largest natural history in the world or is instead entirely fictionalized. Nonetheless, the AMNH (located in the Upper West Side of Manhattan), does contain over 33 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, human remains, and human cultural artifacts, with a mission statement that reads: "To discover, interpret, and disseminate—through scientific research and education—knowledge about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe."
Marshall College - Although fictionalized and named after Steven Spielburg’s collaborator Frank Marshall, the real Marshall College is located in West Virginia and earned its University status in 1961. The college that Jones taught as a professor of archaeology, however, is set in Bedford, Connecticut, of which Marcus Brody serves as the Dean of Students.
Barcelona - The second most populous municipality of Spain, it is one of the world’s leading tourist, economic, and cultural centres, of which it’s worldwide influence has contributed to its status as one of the ‘world’s major global cities.’
Barcelona History Museum - There is a Museum of the History of Barcelona (MUHBA), which was inaugurated in 1943 and is dedicated to the historical heritage of the ancient city.
Nairobi - the capital and largest city of Kenya, of which its name translates to “cool water” in reference to the Nairobi River that flows throughout the city. Founded in 1899, it replaced the city of Mombasa as the capital of Kenya in 1907, and is now a well-established hub for business and culture. Sure enough, the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) is one of the largest in Africa and is capable of making 10 million trades a day.
Tripoli - the capital and largest city of Libya, which includes the port of Tripoli and the country's largest commercial and manufacturing centre. Additionally, it is home to the Bab al-Azizia barracks, of which Muammar Gaddafi largely ruled the country from his residence in the barracks. Otherwise it’s known as the “Mermaid of the Meditteranean,' in reference to its turquoise water and whitewashed buildings.
Mombasa - Kenya’s oldest and second-largest city, considered by many to be the second capital in all but name. The city is also known as an important tourism centre, as it’s home to an extra-large port and an international airport.
Comments