Indiana Jones has spent decades chasing ancient treasures, dodging traps and outrunning Nazis.
Now he is entering Marvel territory. The timing is intriguing: Marvel is reviving Indy’s comic-book past while launching new adventures around a character whose world already revolves around mythology, relics and supernatural forces — familiar territory in Marvel.
Marvel has announced a facsimile edition of The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #1, first published in 1982. Recreating the original, including period advertisements, it follows Indy after Raiders of the Lost Ark as he travels to Africa with Edith Dunne to find the golden Ikons of Ikammanen. Gangster Solomon Black also appears.
Written and laid out by John Byrne with art by Terry Austin, the comic ran for 34 issues from 1982 to 1985. Some arcs later inspired the Adventures of Indiana Jones role-playing game.
Marvel will also release a two-volume deluxe collection of the complete run alongside comic adaptations of Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade on 30 September. The facsimile follows on 11 November.
Then, on 9 December, Indiana Jones and the Sword of Pandemonium, by Jason Aaron and Aaron Kuder, launches. Set after Raiders, it reunites Indy with Marion Ravenwood as he hunts a biblical weapon and confronts his notorious enemies.
So why the renewed push? Nostalgia is one reason, but Indy’s ancient artefacts, forgotten civilisations and supernatural threats also fit naturally into Marvel’s mythology.
Could that mean the Avengers or X-Men next? Nothing confirms a crossover. For now, these remain Indiana Jones stories. But Marvel is clearly reopening Indy’s past while building his future — and that makes his next treasure hunt worth watching.
