XXV: Jack And The Spartans - Recap

Jack scales a great mountain and slips through a narrow passageway. He finds himself looking down on a valley where three hundred Spartan warriors battle a horde of robotic bull soldiers. The soldiers defend themselves with great skill but when one warrior is threatened, Jack leaps to his aid and defeats the robots threatening him. The surviving robots retreat, taking their “dead” brothers with them. Jack’s new ally, Brotock, notes that they haven’t won. He takes Jack through the three hundred warriors, who are dispirited and wounded but gain new strength at the sight of Brotock and the realization of their victory.

Brotock brings Jack before his father the king, Spartok, who questions why Jack became involved. Jack apologizes for the dishonor and leaves, but the King apologizes for his rude manner, brought on by fatigue. He explains that a great Beast has conquered all the nearby nations and drained the energy from the lands. Only the lands of Spartok and his people remain untouched. The Beast can only reach the lands through a narrow valley, so for over a century three hundred warriors have defended the pass. Spartok is the fifth king to lead the troops against the Beast and its robots. The situation is a stalemate: the Beast rebuilds its troops from the fallen robot soldiers and launches each attack new.

Jack explains to Spartok how he came to the valley through the narrow passage. Realizing they can finally get behind the Beast’s defenses and destroy his fortress, Spartok asks Jack to show them the way. Jack agrees and he, Spartok, and fifty men take the passage while Bartock leads the remainder in defending the valley.

Jack leads Spartok and his men through the passageway throughout the night. The next morning, they arrive at the Beast’s fortress and watch as the bulk of the Beast’s army leave for the valley. The robots engage Brotock and the others who hold them back.

Jack, Spartok, and the fifty warriors attack the fortress. The remaining robots attack and Jack and Spartok fight pass them and enter the fortress. Deep inside they find the Beast in a huge chamber. It attacks them and the two warriors battle it. When Spartok loses his sword, Jack throws him his blade and Spartok throws him a shield. Jack holds off the Beast’s tentacles while Spartok delivers the killing blow, throwing the sword through the Beast’s head. The robots self-destruct and the fortress comes down. Spartok manages to escape but finds nothing of Jack except the shield.

Many years later, Spartok is on his deathbed telling the tale of Jack’s bravery. The battered shield is hung in a place of honor. Spartok insists that a warrior of Jack’s stature could not have died… and sure enough, Jack survived the explosion and still walks the lands.

Share this article with your friends