Indiana Jones: Infinities

Inspired by the Dark Horse comics Star Wars: Infinites series, I'd be interested to hear how you'd envisage the retelling of the Indiana Jones trilogy if key events had happened differently.

For example;

- If Indy had been sealed in the Peruvian temple in Raiders, would Marion have taken up the search for the Ark - honouring her fathers work and producing a new female heroic icon ?

- If Barnett College hadn't stumped up the cash for Indy to go after the Ark, would another fictional figure of the era have risen to the challenge - perhaps Alan Quartermain ?

- If Hitler had installed the Ark at the head of his army, would Indy have rejoined the military to lead a unit of anti-occultists against him ?

- Had Indy succumbed to the Cult of Kali, would Short Round end up with his adventurer-archeologist mantle ?

- Had Indys mother survived, would Henry Jones Sr have donned the fedora rather than his son ?

I think that with any classic story, details are embellished and subtly altered as it passes into history. Lucas has shown that celluloid isn't an immutable media - in a universe where Greedo can shoot first, surely Indy can be altered too. It's been almost 25 years since Raiders - so how would you guys rehash it ?

Nice thread.
I really liked those Star Wars: Infinity comics, and I think it would be a great idea if they would do the same with Indiana Jones one day.
But they should do that with comics, they shouldn´t mess with the movies.

As far as ideas go.. whatever would have gone wrong or different then in the original movies, I would like Indiana to remain the leading character.
So instead of Indy being locked in the temple in Peru and Marion taking up the task of finding Tanis or some other treasure hunter.. I´d for instance like to see more what would have happened if Marion would have realy died right after the basket chase, or what had happened if Toth did escape from Nepal with the medalion.
Or what would have happend in Temple of Doom when Shorty would not have been albe to escape from the Temple and save Indy from his dark sleep, by burning him.

Thanks for the response Ayrun. Looking back at my post, I agree with your comments about not killing Indy off. Raiders isn't an ensemble piece like Star Wars - so you can't really call it an Indiana Jones adventure without the presence of the main protagonist. In addition, I wasn't advocating updating the movies themselves (as Han does shoot first, and always will as far as I'm concerned).

I think if Toht had escaped with the head piece, killing Marion at the Raven, we would have seen the action pick up in Egypt rather than Nepal - with an angrier, increasingly bitter Indy. Perhaps he'd lose sight his objectivity and morals - making him closer to Belloqs supposed dark alter-ego, and creating an altogether more brutal, noir-ish tale.

With Indy as an agent of Kali, maybe we'd have seen Willie Scott removed from the end of ToD altogether (*wicked-grin*).

Do you think that a life-changing event such as the death of Marion, or Henry Jones Sr could subvert Indiana's values sufficiently that he starts to pursue artifacts for personal gain ? Could he ever be swayed by the power of the Ark, as his personal struggle at the end of the Last Crusade between 'doing the right thing' and advancing his own position, alludes to ? Indy certainly has less clear-cut facets to his character which, while preventing him from being a one-dimensional heroic cut-out, also hint at darker deeds - but how far could he be pushed ?

I believe the most interesting 'Infinities' concept is that Indy and Marion settled down together after Raiders - anyone care to comment ?

Another one to add to the mix for good measure;

If Sallah had been executed by the Nazis in RotLA, and the Ark had been transported to Germany because Indy was trapped in the map room - would Raiders have concluded in a chase across Europe to Berlin as featured in the Last Crusade ? The Ark might have been opened at Nuremberg, before an expectant Fuhrer and his High Command - wiping them out and halting the war.

I guess that last part is more wishful thinking than anything else.

Yeah, that Indy and Marion settling down concept, WAS going to be the original concept for the "5 movies". Steven wanted Indy and Marion in all the films, and step by step would get together and have a kid or something, but it was George who then said "but isn't this supposed to be inspired by Bond. Bond had a different gal every film". And with ToD being set in 1935, Marion couldn't possibly be in the film. That and she had a falling out with Steven. So it was never meant to be. However, this concept was used in the 1980s version of 'King Solomon's Mines' and the sequel, 'Alan Quartermain and the Lost City of Gold' with Richard Chamberlain and the Willie Scott contender, Sharon Stone. I'd imagine that Indy's and Marion's relationship, if the original concept had come to pass, would have been much like Quartermain and Jessie (Stone). However, much as I like the concept, I don't think it would have been as good as trilogy as it is now.

phillipmscott said:

Another one to add to the mix for good measure;

If Sallah had been executed by the Nazis in RotLA, and the Ark had been transported to Germany because Indy was trapped in the map room - would Raiders have concluded in a chase across Europe to Berlin as featured in the Last Crusade ? The Ark might have been opened at Nuremberg, before an expectant Fuhrer and his High Command - wiping them out and halting the war.

I guess that last part is more wishful thinking than anything else.

Click to expand...

A neat concept, but after I thought about it, probably not. Belloq thought he had left Jones far behind him... yet he still planned on performing the opening ceremony on that island anyway.

phillipmscott said:

- If Barnett College hadn't stumped up the cash for Indy to go after the Ark, would another fictional figure of the era have risen to the challenge - perhaps Alan Quartermain ?

Click to expand...

Indy worked at Marshall College at the time, and the college didn't pay for Indy's Ark Search, it was the US government.

Thanks for the correction VP. Any thoughts you want to add to the initial thread concept ?

What if Indy worked for the Nazi's?

What if Indy had been able to kill Belloq in Peru?
- I think the rest of the adventure would have been a lot easier.

Now, you've officially got me wishing that Dark Horse would get back into gear in the Indiana Jones department with these story arcs. Their truly creative enough points to explore new territory and be enjoyable reads!