A Princess of Mars

John Carter, a former Confederate soldier, finds himself prospecting for gold in Arizona after the Civil War. He and his partner, Powell, discover a rich vein of gold, but Powell heads back to civilization for equipment. Carter stays to guard their claim. One afternoon, Carter spots three dots on Powell's trail, raising his suspicions that Powell has encountered hostile Apaches. Despite the potential danger, Carter, driven by a sense of duty, sets out after him. He discovers tracks of three unshod ponies and realizes that Powell has been attacked. Following the trail, Carter finds a camp of hundreds of Apaches. He charges into the camp, scattering the warriors, and discovers Powell dead, pierced by arrows. Carter retrieves Powell's body and attempts to escape the Apache pursuit. He accidentally rides into a cave where he is overcome by a mysterious gas. He awakens to find his spirit has left his body, which lies dead on the cave floor. His disembodied spirit is then drawn irresistibly across space to Mars. On Mars, Carter finds himself in a strange landscape with lower gravity. He encounters a Martian incubator with newly hatched creatures and is subsequently captured by Martian warriors. He is taken to a city where he demonstrates his superior fighting prowess and agility, impressing the Martians. He learns about Martian society, their customs, and their harsh struggle for survival. He meets Dejah Thoris, a princess of the red Martians, who is also a captive. Carter’s innate sense of honor and his growing affection for Dejah Thoris lead him to protect her from the cruelties of the green Martians. He learns that Dejah Thoris is destined to marry the prince of Zodanga to save her people. Despite his efforts to rescue her, including a daring escape from the city of Thark, Dejah Thoris is recaptured and brought before the Jeddak of Zodanga, Than Kosis. Carter infiltrates Than Kosis’ palace and fights his way to Dejah Thoris, only to find she has seemingly resigned herself to her fate. However, after learning of Carter’s continued love and loyalty, and his willingness to defy Zodangan custom, she reveals her true feelings. Carter, with the help of the Thark chieftain Tars Tarkas, rescues Dejah Thoris, leading to a major conflict with Zodanga. Their combined forces eventually defeat Zodanga, and Carter and Dejah Thoris are hailed as heroes in Helium. Carter serves Helium for nine years, and he and Dejah Thoris prepare for the birth of their child. However, their happiness is threatened by a catastrophic failure of the Martian atmosphere-generating plant, which begins to deplete the planet’s air supply. Carter, remembering the thought-waves that control the plant’s doors, uses his newfound telepathic abilities to access the plant and restart the engines, saving Mars from certain death. He then finds himself back in the Arizona cave, his body preserved for ten years, and realizes his Martian adventure was real.