Editing John Carter of Mars

{{Short description|Fictional character who appears in the Barsoom novels}}
{{About|the fictional character|the 2009 film|Princess of Mars|the 2012 film|John Carter (film)|the story collection|John Carter of Mars (collection)|other uses|John Carter (disambiguation)}}

{{Multiple issues|
{{lead too short|date=April 2012}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2025}}
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{{Infobox character
| name = John Carter
| series = [[Barsoom]]
| image = [[File:Princess of Mars large.jpg|frameless]]
| caption = John Carter and Dejah Thoris from the cover of the first edition of ''[[A Princess of Mars]]'' by [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]], [[A. C. McClurg|McClurg]], 1917
| first = ''[[A Princess of Mars]]''
| creator = [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]]
| portrayer = [[Antonio Sabato Jr.]]<br>([[Princess of Mars]])<br>[[Taylor Kitsch]]<br>([[John Carter (film)|John Carter]])
| alias = John Carter of Mars
| occupation = Adventurer<br>Soldier
| gender = Male
| nationality = [[United States|American]]
| spouse = [[Dejah Thoris]]
| children = [[Carthoris]] (son)<br>[[Tara of Helium|Tara]] (daughter)
| relatives = Mors Kajak (father in law), Tardos Mors (grandfather)
}}

'''John Carter of Mars''' is a fictional [[Virginia]]n soldier who acts as the initial [[protagonist]] of the [[Barsoom|Barsoom stories]] by [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]]. A veteran of the [[American Civil War]], he is transported to the planet Mars, called [[Barsoom]] by its inhabitants, where he becomes a warrior battling various mythological beasts, alien armies and malevolent foes. Created in 1911, the character has appeared in novels and short stories, comic books, television shows and films, including the 2012 feature film ''[[John Carter (film)|John Carter]]'', which marked the 101st anniversary of the character's first appearance.

==Appearances==
John Carter was the lead character in the first novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, set on a fictionalized version of Mars known as [[Barsoom]]. Written between July and September 28, 1911, the novel was serialized as ''[[Under the Moons of Mars]]'' in the [[pulp magazine]] ''[[The All-Story]]'' from February to July 1912. It later appeared as a complete novel only after the success of Burroughs's [[Tarzan]] series. For its October 1917 [[hardcover]] publication by [[A.C. McClurg]] & Company, the novel was retitled ''[[A Princess of Mars]].''

Carter reappeared in subsequent volumes of the series, most prominently in the second  (''[[The Gods of Mars]],'' 1918), the third (''[[The Warlord of Mars]],'' 1919), the eighth (''[[Swords of Mars]],'' 1936), the tenth (''[[Llana of Gathol]],'' 1948), and the eleventh and final installment (''[[John Carter of Mars (collection)|John Carter of Mars]],'' published posthumously in 1964). John Carter is also a major secondary character in the fourth volume (''[[Thuvia, Maid of Mars]],'' 1920), and the ninth (''[[Synthetic Men of Mars]],'' 1940). In September 2021, [[Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.]] released ''John Carter Of Mars: Gods of the Forgotten'', by [[Geary Gravel]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://edgarriceburroughs.com/erbuniverse//|title = Official website of ERB Inc., creator of Tarzan®, Moon Men™, John Carter of Mars® and more! > Edgar Rice Burroughs}}</ref> Considered  by some to be the 12th book in the Barsoom series, it is not widely accepted as [[Canon (fiction)|such]].{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

==Description==
Carter stands {{convert|6|ft|2|in|m}} and has close-cropped black hair and steel-grey eyes. Burroughs describes him as immortal. In the opening pages of ''A Princess of Mars'', it is revealed that Carter can remember no childhood, having always been a man of about thirty years old. Many generations have known him as "Uncle Jack," but he always lived to see them grow old and die, while he remained young.

His character and courtesy exemplify the ideals of the [[Antebellum South]]. A [[Virginia]]n, he served as a captain in the [[American Civil War]] on the side of the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]]. After the war, Carter and his companion Powell, who was also a captain in the Civil War, became gold prospectors. Carter and Powell struck it rich by finding gold in [[Arizona]]. While hiding from [[Apache]]s in a cave, he appears to die; leaving his inanimate body behind, he is mysteriously transported by a form of [[astral projection]] to the planet Mars, where he finds himself re-embodied in a form identical to his earthly one. Accustomed to the greater [[gravity]] of Earth, he finds himself to be much stronger and more agile than the natives of Mars.

==Character biography==
[[File:Martian Family of John Carter from Edgar Rice Burroughs Barsoom Novels.jpg|right|400px|John Carter's descendants]]
On Mars, which its natives call [[Barsoom]], Carter encounters both formidable alien creatures resembling the beasts of ancient myth, and various humanoids. He finds his true calling in life as a warlord who strives to save the planet's inhabitants. He wins the hand of a Martian princess, [[Dejah Thoris]] of Helium, but after several years of marriage he sacrifices himself to save Barsoom from the loss of its atmosphere. Awakening again after this second death he finds he has been miraculously transported back to Earth, into his original body. Carter then collects the wealth that resulted from his discovery of a rich vein of [[gold]] [[ore]] right before his original passage to Barsoom. Unable to return to Mars, he spends several more years in a small [[cottage]] on the [[Hudson River]] in [[New York (state)|New York]], where he once more appears to die on March 4, 1886. In his first appearance, he refers to the fact that he does not actually know how old he is or when or where he was born. He further states that he has been a fighting man for a very long time, by implication far longer than a single human lifetime.

Again, Carter's apparent demise is not a true death; rather, he is restored to Barsoom, where after more adventures he rises to the position of Warlord of Mars, having played an instrumental role in creating alliances among many of the sentient races of Barsoom. He returns to Earth on a number of occasions afterward to relate his adventures to his nephew ("Burroughs"), revealing that he has mastered the process of astral travel between the two worlds. During his adventures on Mars his earthly body reposes in a special tomb that can only be opened from the inside.

John Carter and Dejah Thoris become the parents of a son, Carthoris, and daughter, Tara. Carthoris plays a secondary role in ''The Gods of Mars'' and ''The Warlord of Mars'', and is the protagonist of ''Thuvia, Maid of Mars''. Tara is the heroine of ''[[The Chessmen of Mars]]'' (1922), and the mother of Carter's granddaughter Llana, heroine of ''[[Llana of Gathol]]''.

Only one other Earthman, [[Ulysses Paxton]] is able to travel to Mars via the method Carter used.

A complete list of characters is given at the end of ''Thuvia, Maid of Mars''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/72/72-h/72-h.htm|title=The Project Gutenberg E-text of Thuvia, Maid of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs|access-date=13 October 2014}}</ref>

==In other media==

===Comics===
[[File:Big Little Book -nn John Carter of Mars (Dell, 1940).jpg|thumb|Dell Fast Action book, 1940]]<!--see http://www.johncarterofmars.ca/mars/ -- Whitman published Big Little Books. This is a different line from Dell-->
John Carter has appeared many times in short-lived comic strips and comic books, as well as in various [[Big Little Books]] of the 1930s and 1940s. In 1932, Burroughs tried to convince [[United Feature Syndicate]], the distributors of the ''[[Tarzan in comics|Tarzan]]'' comic strip, to also make an adaptation of ''John Carter''; however the syndicate rejected the idea.<ref name="rbb">Robert R. Barrett, "How John Carter Became Flash Gordon". Burroughs Bulletin No. 60: (p.19-26).Fall 2004.</ref> In 1933, [[King Features Syndicate]], wanting a science fiction strip to compete with the popular ''[[Buck Rogers]]'', discussed a ''John Carter'' adaptation with Burroughs. Burroughs and the illustrator [[J. Allen St. John]], expressed an interest in doing such a strip for King Features. However, Burroughs and King Features were unable to reach an agreement, and the syndicate decided to use an original strip—''[[Flash Gordon]]'' by [[Alex Raymond]]—instead.<ref name="rbb" /><ref>"Mrs Jensen, ERB's secretary, recalled the author negotiating with King Features Syndicate for a Martian strip, based on the exploits of John Carter, but it never came off. A short time later the Hearst syndicate started "Flash Gordon", drawn by Alex Raymond..." Robert W. Fenton, ''Edgar Rice Burroughs and Tarzan : A Biography of the author and his creation.'' Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland, 2003. {{ISBN|078641393X}} (p. 125)</ref>

In 1941, United Feature agreed to the creation of a ''John Carter'' strip, hoping it would become as successful as ''Buck Rogers'' and ''Flash Gordon''.<ref name="rg">[[Ron Goulart]],''The Funnies: 100 years of American comic strips''. Holbrook, Mass.: Adams Pub., 1995. {{ISBN|1558505393}}. (p.159)</ref> The most notable John Carter comic adaptation to appear in Edgar Rice Burroughs's lifetime, ''John Carter of Mars'' was written and illustrated by Burroughs's son [[John Coleman Burroughs]]. This strip debuted on Sunday, December 7, 1941—the very day of the infamous [[Pearl Harbor Attack]].<ref name="rg" /> This strip lasted only one year and four months, ending on April 18, 1943.<ref name=Holtz>{{cite book |last1=Holtz |first1=Allan |title=American Newspaper Comics: An Encyclopedic Reference Guide |date=2012 |publisher=The University of Michigan Press |location=Ann Arbor |isbn=9780472117567 |pages=216–217}}</ref> Coleman Burroughs's strip was reprinted in book form by House of Greystoke in 1970.<ref name="rg" />

[[Dell Comics]] released three issues of ''John Carter of Mars'' under its ''[[Four Color Comics]]'' anthology title. The issue numbers are 375, 437, and 488 and were released in 1952–1953. These were reprinted by ''[[Gold Key Comics]]'' (with different covers) in 1964.

Carter has appeared in various subsequent graphic adaptations of the Martian stories, notably the "John Carter of Mars" feature that ran in [[DC Comics]]' ''[[Tarzan in comics|Tarzan]]'' and ''[[Weird Worlds (comics)|Weird Worlds]]'' comics from 1972 to 1973, and in [[Marvel Comics]]' ''[[John Carter, Warlord of Mars]]'' from 1977 to 1979.

He also appeared, along with [[Tarzan]], in a 1994–1995 storyline of the ''[[Tarzan in comics|Tarzan]]'' Sunday comic strip,<ref>[http://www.erbzine.com/mag21/2121.html Edgar Rice Burroughs's Tarzan from 1994 & 1995, Sunday Pages with John Carter of Mars] from ERBzine 2121</ref> and in ''Tarzan/John Carter: Warlords of Mars'', a 1996 four-issue [[Limited series (comics)|miniseries]] from [[Dark Horse Comics]].<ref>{{gcdb series|id=5622|title=''Tarzan/John Carter: Warlords of Mars''}}</ref><ref>{{comicbookdb|type=title|id=13685|title=''Tarzan/John Carter: Warlords of Mars''}}</ref>

In 2010, [[Dynamite Entertainment]] published an ongoing series titled ''Warlord of Mars'', written by [[Arvid Nelson]]. In 2011, ''Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris'' #1 debuted, also written by Nelson. He has since appearance in multiple Dejah Thoris comics and even had his own comics,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ron Marz Previews and Discusses John Carter, Warlord of Mars #1 From Dynamite|url=https://comicbook.com/news/ron-marz-previews-and-discusses-john-carter-warlord-of-mars-1-fr/|access-date=2022-01-21|website=Comicbook.com|date=25 September 2014 |language=en}}</ref>  and will have a new comic series.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Johnston|first=Rich|date=2022-01-20|title=Chuck Brown & George Kambadais Launch John Carter Of Mars|url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/chuck-brown-george-kambadais-launch-john-carter-of-mars/|access-date=2022-01-21|website=Bleeding Cool News And Rumors|language=en}}</ref>

[[SelfMadeHero]] are also adapting ''A Princess of Mars'' into a [[graphic novel]], adapted by [[Ian Edginton]] with art by [[INJ Culbard]].<ref>[http://www.selfmadehero.com/title.php?isbn=9781906838416 ''A Princess of Mars''], Self made Hero</ref>

Carter's physical appearances in the comics varied greatly from decade to decade. He was a frequent character in sketches and paintings by [[Frank Frazetta]].

In 2023, [[Glénat Éditions]] published ''La Princesse de Mars - Tome 1'', a graphic novel adaptation by Jean-David Morvan (script) and Francesco Biagini (art).

===Other novels and television programs===
Carter is also found in other novels and stories. He makes two appearances in [[Alan Moore]]'s ''[[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen]]''. The first is in the story [[Allan and the Sundered Veil]], which appears in the end of [[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume I|volume one]]. In this story, Moore claims that [[H. P. Lovecraft]]'s [[Randolph Carter]] is a descendant of John Carter. Carter also appears in the beginning of [[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume II|volume two]], helping the Barsoomians fight against the [[Martian (War of the Worlds)|Martians]] from ''[[The War of the Worlds]]''. The same scenario also appeared in the Burroughs entry in the ''[[War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches]]'' anthology. In addition, one of the protagonists of [[Robert A. Heinlein]]'s ''[[The Number of the Beast (novel)|The Number of the Beast]]'' is Captain Zebediah John Carter, whose lover becomes his wife Dejah Thoris "Deety" Burroughs Carter. The similarity in names is noted within the novel, since all of the major characters are fans of vintage science fiction. In ''[[Saturn's Children (Stross novel)|Saturn's Children]]'', by [[Charles Stross]], Barsoom and Carter City are names of settlements on Mars.  In [[Philip José Farmer]]'s "[[World of Tiers]]" novels the moon circling the World of Tiers is modelled after [[Barsoom]], from [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]]' novels, an homage which Farmer openly admits in the third book of the series. In [[Dan Simmon]]'s [[Hyperion (Simmons novel)|Hyperion]], when Fedmahn Kassad turned eighteen, he was offered the choice of serving at a Martian polar work camp or enlisting with the John Carter Brigade, a volunteer task force seeking to aid FORCE against the Glennon-Height Rebellion.  In [[Harry Turtledove]]'s [[Southern Victory]] series final novel, ''[[Settling Accounts: In at the Death]]'', a character named John Carter of the "Tarkas" estate (a reference to Tars Tarkas, one of the green men of Mars), appears before a U.S. general after having protected African-Americans from the genocide taking place elsewhere.

The "object compass" in [[E. E. Smith|E. E. "Doc" Smith]]'s [[Skylark (series)|Skylark series]] is very similar to the Barsoomian "destination compass" mentioned in the Mars series.  Moreover, the Jandar of Callisto series by Lin Carter and the Dray Prescot series by Alan Burt Akers owe a great deal to Burroughs's Mars stories.  In [[Stephen King]]'s novella ''[[The Long Walk (novel)|The Long Walk]]'', a sarcastic reference is made by a Long-Walker - when asked his name, the character replies "My name is John Carter, my home is Barsoom, Mars". In Allan Howard's short story "It's a Small Solar System", originally published in ''[[Fantastic Universe]]'' (September 1957), the first explorers to land on Mars are welcomed by a man with a Southern accent: "Welcome to Barsoom! My name is John Carter." But as no one reads for pleasure on Earth anymore, the significance of this encounter is totally lost on the newcomers, and so ends the story.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Howard |first=Allan |date=September 1957 |title=It's a Small Solar System |url=http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/28437 |journal=Fantastic Universe |publisher=Leo Margulies |access-date=2020-07-20}}</ref>

Carter has also been referenced in television shows. In ''[[Zone of the Enders: Dolores, i]]'', the protagonist, James Links, is always called "John Carter" by the WIRED officer, Baan Dorfloun. James Links is an Earth-born human who fell in love and had children with a Mars-born woman.  In Episode 15 of the [[anime]] series ''[[To Love-Ru]]'', a prince named Carter, from the planet Burroughs, arrives on Earth to conduct a hunt in a hidden alien game preserve in Guyana.  In the ''[[Babylon 5]]'' episode "[[Spider in the Web (Babylon 5)|Spider in the Web]]", John Carter is mentioned as the pilot of the first colony ship to Mars. In "Secret Origins", the pilot episode of the cartoon TV series ''[[Justice League (TV series)|Justice League]]'',  the first US astronaut on Mars is named J. Allen Carter. Carter sets up Earth for invasion by the Mars-based "Imperium", which had wiped out the native Martian population, except for sole survivor J'onn J'onzz, aka [[Martian Manhunter]].

In January 2020, Altus Press released ''[[Tarzan (book series)#Tarzan: Conqueror of Mars (2020)|Tarzan: Conqueror of Mars]]'' by [[Will Murray]], an authorized [[Tarzan]] novel in which Tarzan finds himself marooned on Barsoom and seeks John Carter's help to return home.

===Influence on later works===
John Carter of Mars was a major influence on other science fiction/fantasy tales and characters through the 20th century, including [[Buck Rogers]], [[Flash Gordon]], [[Superman]], [[Adam Strange]], ''[[Dune (novel)|Dune]]'', ''[[Warp!]]'', [[Den (comics)|Den]], and ''[[Star Wars]]'' to name just a few.

The movie ''[[Avatar (2009 film)|Avatar]]'' was inspired by John Carter of Mars. According to ''Avatar''{{'s}} creator, James Cameron, "With ''Avatar'', I thought, Forget all these chick flicks and do a classic guys' adventure movie, something in the Edgar Rice Burroughs mold, like John Carter of Mars – a soldier goes to Mars."<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Goodyear |first=Dana |date=2009-08-26 |title=Man of Extremes |url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/10/26/man-of-extremes |magazine=The New Yorker |publisher=Condé Nast |access-date=2014-11-26}}</ref>

In the first chapters of [[Gore Vidal]]'s novel ''[[Washington, D.C. (novel)|Washington, D.C.]]'' (1967), the character Peter Sanford – aged 16 at the outset of the plot – indulges in vivid and detailed fantasies of being John Carter, and adds explicit erotic scenes not appearing in the original Burroughs books.

In [[The Number of the Beast (novel)|''The Number Of The Beast'']], by Robert Heinlein, two of the main characters are inspired by the John Carter series. One is actually a reserve captain from Virginia named Zebadiah John Carter and his (soon to be) bride is named Deejah Thoris (Deety) Burroughs. They use technology to skip to various worlds, and end up meeting Lazarus Long.

===Films===
[[Bob Clampett]], the animator, wanted to produce a full-length cartoon of John Carter in the 1930s and talked with Burroughs about it. Several seconds of animation appear in the supplemental material of the home-video version of the Disney film.<ref>[http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_korkis/archive/2003/06/02/1093.aspx Lost Cartoons: The Animated "John Carter of Mars" was a planned 1930s cartoon movie of John Carter that never happened.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090305090658/http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_korkis/archive/2003/06/02/1093.aspx|date=2009-03-05}} ''[[Jim Hill (blogger)|Jim Hill]] Media''</ref>

John Carter was played by [[Antonio Sabàto Jr.]] in the 2009 film ''[[Princess of Mars]]'', which also starred [[Traci Lords]] as Princess Dejah Thoris.

In the 2012 Disney film adaptation of the series, ''[[John Carter (film)|John Carter]]'', Carter is played by [[Taylor Kitsch]],<ref>{{cite news|first=Borys |last=Kit |title=Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins blast off to ''Mars'' |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=2009-06-12 |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/taylor-kitsch-lynn-collins-blast-85335?mobile_redirect=false |access-date=2014-09-11}}</ref> with the role of Dejah Thoris played by [[Lynn Collins]].

===Games===
The ''[[John Carter, Warlord of Mars (role-playing game)|John Carter, Warlord of Mars]]'' role-playing game was published by [[Heritage Models]] in 1978. In 2015, British company [[Modiphius Entertainment]] acquired a John Carter license, announcing plans to put out a new John Carter role-playing game, miniatures and a board game in 2016.<ref>[http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/07/12/sdcc-15-john-carter-comes-tabletop-gaming SDCC ’15: John Carter Comes To Tabletop Gaming] [[Bleeding Cool]]</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.edgarriceburroughs.com/?page_id=18 John Carter of Mars Website from Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.]
* [http://muuta.net/JohnCarter/index.html John Carter of Mars comics]
* [https://sites.google.com/site/erburroughsuk1steditions/the-team John Carter UK 1st editions]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, John}}
[[Category:1941 comics debuts]]
[[Category:Barsoom characters]]
[[Category:Comics characters introduced in 1941]]
[[Category:Dynamite Entertainment characters]]
[[Category:Fictional American Civil War veterans]]
[[Category:Fictional characters from Virginia]]
[[Category:Fictional Confederate military personnel]]
[[Category:Fictional military captains]]
[[Category:Fictional swordfighters in literature]]
[[Category:Fictional warlords]]
[[Category:Literary characters introduced in 1912]]
[[Category:Science fiction film characters]]
[[Category:Portal fantasy]]