Item Biography
"The Master Assassin of Mars-- Chapter 1"
It's the premier couple of Helium's second wedding anniversary. One toast and one goblet to the lips later, John Carter lay sprawled over the bed, pale and lifeless. Fell prey to foul play from an insubordinate slave named Daria.
The assassin is hunted throughout the palace and cornered, but cuts a swath through inept palace guards. Daria elects to commit suicide rather than succumb to capture and torture. Not before announcing allegiance to the Guild of Assassins.
News of John Carter's passing unites the great city of Helium in mutual grief. Oaths are sworn to gods not known for their mercy, to safeguard John's soul.
City folk throng the capitol for a full sate funeral. Carter's open coffin is borne through the streets by six strong Barsoomians flanked by ruling Tharks, Tars Tarkas and Lorquas Ptomel.
After the service, mournful Kantos Kan visits the tomb of Helium's greatest hero to look one last time upon his mentor's visage. He wheels around in shock when a cold, clammy hand grasps him by the shoulder. JC has risen again! Hold off writing the epitaph, because John Carter, death-defier extraordinaire has cheated almighty Issus, yet again.
John's Jasoomian physiology counteracted the poison in his veins, but left him comatose, rather than dead. Where was the vivacious Dejah Thoris to welcome her Prince back to the land of the living? The Jed's daughter wasted little time wailing over the Chieftain of her heart and instead sought revenge on those who sanctioned John's murder.
Even though not fully recovered yet, John takes to his flier to head off in the same general direction to rendezvous with his headstrong spouse. As luck would have it, streaking flat-out for half a day, he catches up to Dejah's slower craft.
The passion that passes between these lovers is incendiary even during temperate times, but after the traumas of the last few days their reunion is positively volcanic.
Their docked craft cruise over a rift in the terrain that outstrips Earth's Grand Canyon by tenfold. Atmospheric changes in pressure cause the flier to spiral out of control into the heart of the bedrock.