Indiana Jones and the Iron Phoenix
Encyclopedia
Indiana Jones and the Iron Phoenix is a Dark Horse Comics
limited series
starring the fictional archaeologist Indiana Jones
. It was the seventh Indiana Jones limited series by Dark Horse, and the sixth about the adult Indiana. The comic was based on a canceled LucasArts
video game, a sequel to Fate of Atlantis
(which was also the first Dark Horse Indiana Jones comic).
, with the Nazis seeking the Philosopher's Stone
in an attempt to resurrect dead Nazis. Along with the beautiful Russian major Nadia, Indiana Jones gathers the pieces of the philosophers stone.
) and of the background (realistic), the retiring from the project of Aric Wilmunder, the main programmer, and finally, the problems with distribution in Germany
, where censorship
laws prohibit the sale of any products with explicit depictions of Nazi symbols. Earlier games could get away easily by simply removing the Nazi flag
s and references to them, but this could not be done with this game, as they were an important part of the plot and Hitler was featured as a central villain.
After this game, LucasArts briefly considered making a game named Spear of Destiny (involving the spear of Longinus). They eventually abandoned the idea of creating a classical adventure game in the Indiana Jones series, instead focusing on Tomb Raider
-style 3D action games. Thus, ending it with the release of Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine
, followed by Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb
and another being released in 2009.
.
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
starring the fictional archaeologist Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones
Colonel Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., Ph.D. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials...
. It was the seventh Indiana Jones limited series by Dark Horse, and the sixth about the adult Indiana. The comic was based on a canceled LucasArts
LucasArts
LucasArts Entertainment Company, LLC is an American video game developer and publisher. The company was once famous for its innovative line of graphic adventure games, the critical and commercial success of which peaked in the mid 1990s...
video game, a sequel to Fate of Atlantis
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is a point-and-click adventure game by LucasArts originally released in 1992. Almost a year later, it was reissued on CD-ROM as an enhanced "talkie" edition with full voice acting and digitized sound effects...
(which was also the first Dark Horse Indiana Jones comic).
Plot
The comic is set after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, with the Nazis seeking the Philosopher's Stone
Philosopher's stone
The philosopher's stone is a legendary alchemical substance said to be capable of turning base metals into gold or silver. It was also sometimes believed to be an elixir of life, useful for rejuvenation and possibly for achieving immortality. For many centuries, it was the most sought-after goal...
in an attempt to resurrect dead Nazis. Along with the beautiful Russian major Nadia, Indiana Jones gathers the pieces of the philosophers stone.
Development
The reasons for the cancellation included the clash between the drawing styles of the characters (art decoArt Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
) and of the background (realistic), the retiring from the project of Aric Wilmunder, the main programmer, and finally, the problems with distribution in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, where censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
laws prohibit the sale of any products with explicit depictions of Nazi symbols. Earlier games could get away easily by simply removing the Nazi flag
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
s and references to them, but this could not be done with this game, as they were an important part of the plot and Hitler was featured as a central villain.
After this game, LucasArts briefly considered making a game named Spear of Destiny (involving the spear of Longinus). They eventually abandoned the idea of creating a classical adventure game in the Indiana Jones series, instead focusing on Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider is an action-adventure video game developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive. It was originally released in 1996 for the Sega Saturn, with MS-DOS and PlayStation versions following shortly thereafter...
-style 3D action games. Thus, ending it with the release of Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine
Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine
Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine is a multi-platform action-adventure video game by LucasArts released in late 1999. The first 3D installment in the series, its gameplay focuses on solving puzzles, fighting enemies, and various platforming sections...
, followed by Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb
Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb
Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb is an action video game developed by The Collective and published by LucasArts in 2003 for PlayStation 2, Xbox, Macintosh and Windows. It features cover art by Drew Struzan. The game is a new adventure of fictional archeologist Indiana Jones. The story is set in...
and another being released in 2009.
Comic book
Since the game, Indiana Jones and the Iron Phoenix was canceled, Dark Horse Comics released a four-part comic book series based upon it. A comic book was also created for the canceled game, Indiana Jones and the Spear of DestinyIndiana Jones and the Spear of Destiny
Indiana Jones and The Spear of Destiny is a four-issue comic book mini-series published by Dark Horse Comics from April to July 1995. It was their seventh series about the adult Indiana Jones.-Canyon of the Crescent Moon, 1938:...
.
External links
- http://www.mixnmojo.com/php/site/gamedb.php?gameid=39
- http://pcgtw.retro-net.de/index.php?id=games:ironphoenix