Complete History of Indiana Jones
we’ll be looking at the complete history of Indiana Jones from the first four films, the television series, novels, and comics. Some of this may be changed later on as we learn more from Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, but for now, this is everything we know about Indiana Jones.
Indiana Jones was born on July 1, 1899, in Princeton, New Jersey. His father, Henry Jones Sr., was a professor of medieval studies and a strict disciplinarian who taught him several languages and instilled in him a love of history and archaeology. His mother, Anna Jones, was a loving and supportive woman who encouraged his curiosity and imagination but died of scarlet fever when he was just nine years old. Although his birth name was Henry Walton Jones Jr., he got the nickname Indiana from his pet dog, who was also his best friend. He later adopted it as his professional name when he became an archaeologist.
Childhood Adventures
Jones had a nomadic childhood, traveling around the world with his parents and his tutor, Miss Helen Seymour. He visited many countries and met many famous historical figures such as Theodore Roosevelt, Leo Tolstoy, Thomas Edison, Pablo Picasso, Winston Churchill, and Albert Schweitzer. He also had many adventures and learned many skills such as horse riding, fencing, flying planes, playing the saxophone, and speaking several languages. He developed a passion for archaeology and a sense of justice, often getting into conflicts and mysteries that challenged his wits and courage.
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones
The teenage and young adult years of Indiana Jones, from 1916 to 1920, are depicted in the television series “The Young Adventures of Indiana Jones,” which aired from 1992 to 1996. The series shows how Indiana fought in World War I under various aliases such as Henry Defense and Captain Dynamite. He served in the Belgian Army, the French Army, and U.S. Army intelligence and also worked as a spy for various countries and organizations.
The series also shows how Indiana Jones studied archaeology at the University of Chicago under Professor Abner Ravenwood, who became his mentor and friend. He later transferred to France, where he earned an undergraduate degree in linguistics. Indiana Jones had many romantic relationships with different women such as Vicky Prentiss, Mata Hari, Nancy Stratomire, Deirdre Campbell (whom he married briefly), Marion Ravenwood, Willie Scott, Elsa Schneider, Molly Walder (his fiancée who died in a plane crash), Amy Wharton, Claire Lieberman, Emily (a Belgian nurse), Sophie (a French princess), and others. He also had two children: Henry Walton “Mutt” Williams Jones III with Marion and Sophie Jones with Emily, although she’s only mentioned a couple of times and may have been retconned by later titles.
The Indy Films
The first four films of the Indiana Jones franchise are Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The first three are set in the 1930s and the last in the 1950s, featuring Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indy is hired by the US government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis do. He teams up with Marion Ravenwood, his former lover, and Salah, his Egyptian friend, to locate the ancient artifact in Egypt. Along the way, he faces many dangers and enemies such as snakes, booby traps, a rival archaeologist René Belloq, Nazi agent Arnold Toht, and Gestapo officer Dietrich. He manages to recover the Ark but loses it to the Nazis again. He follows them to an island where they plan to open it and harness its power. He witnesses the wrath of God as the Ark unleashes a deadly force that kills all the Nazis. He and Marion survive by closing their eyes and not looking at the Ark. They return to the US where the Ark is stored in a secret warehouse by the government.
The Temple of Doom
In Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indy escapes from a deal gone wrong with a Chinese gangster named Lao Che in Shanghai. He, along with his sidekick Short Round and Willie Scott, a singer and his love interest, board a plane that belongs to Lao Che. They’re forced to jump out of the plane when the pilot sabotages and crashes it into the Himalayas. They end up in a small village in India where they learn that a cult led by Mola Ram has stolen a sacred stone and kidnapped the children of the villagers. They agree to help the villagers and travel to Pankot Palace, where they discover a secret passage to an underground temple. There, they witness the cult performing human sacrifices and using enslaved children to mine for more stones. They’re captured by the cult and tortured but manage to escape with the help of Short Round. They fight their way out of the temple, rescue the children, and retrieve the stone. They return to the village where they’re welcomed as heroes.
The Last Crusade
In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indy is contacted by Walter Donovan, a wealthy businessman who informs him that his father, Henry Jones Sr., has gone missing while searching for the Holy Grail, the cup that Jesus used at the Last Supper. He also shows him a partial inscription of a knight’s tombstone that reveals the location of the Grail. Indiana Jones travels to Venice where he meets with Dr. Elsa Schneider, an Austrian art historian and Nazi spy who is working with his father. They find the tombstone under a library and decipher the rest of the inscription. They’re attacked by members of a secret society called the Brotherhood of the Cruciform Sword, who are sworn to protect the Grail from falling into evil hands. They escape and follow Henry’s trail to Castle Brunwald on the Austrian-German border, where they find him held captive by Nazis led by Colonel Vogel. They rescue him and flee on a motorcycle but are pursued by Nazis and tanks. They reach a zeppelin where they board it and fly away.
However, they discover that Donovan and Elsa are also on board and working with the Nazis. They escape on a biplane and fly to Turkey where they meet Salah, their old friend, who guides them to the canyon of the Crescent Moon where the Grail is hidden. There, they encounter three booby traps that test their faith, wisdom, and humility. They also face Donovan, Elsa, Vogel, and their Nazi troops who have followed them. Donovan shoots Henry to force Indiana to find the Grail and use its healing powers to save him. Indiana succeeds in finding the true Grail among many false ones but is warned by an ancient knight who guards it that it cannot be taken beyond the temple. Elsa tries to take the Grail but causes the temple to collapse. She falls into a chasm while trying to reach the Grail, and Indiana almost does the same but is saved by his father. They escape the temple with Salah and the knight, who bids them farewell, and they ride into the sunset having completed their quest.
The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
In Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which takes place in 1957, Indy is kidnapped by Soviet agents led by Irina Spalko. They force him to help them find the Crystal Skull of Akator, a powerful artifact said to contain the knowledge of the ancients. Jones escapes and teams up with his former lover Marion Ravenwood and their son Mutt Williams to find the skull before the Soviets do. The trio travels to Peru where they meet up with Professor Harold Oxley, an expert on the crystal skulls. Oxley has gone mad but is able to tell Jones that the skull is located in the lost city of Akator. The Soviets also reach Akator, and a battle ensues between Jones’s group and the Soviets. In the end, Jones is able to recover the Crystal Skull and use it to defeat Spalko. The film ends with Jones and his friends returning to the United States where they’re hailed as heroes.
Indy Comics
The comics and novels of Indiana Jones expand on his adventures and fill in the gaps between the films. They’re considered part of the official canon of the franchise, although some of them may contradict each other or the films. The comics were published by Marvel Comics from 1981 to 1986 and by Dark Horse Comics from 1991 to 2009. They feature stories set before, during, and after the events of the films as well as original stories that explore different aspects of Indiana Jones’ character and history.
Some notable comics include:
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
Adapted from the popular video game of the same name, this comic sees Indy travel to the lost city of Atlantis in search of a powerful artifact that could be used for good or evil. Along the way, he battles Nazis, sea monsters, and even the gods themselves.
Indiana Jones: Thunder in the Orient
This story takes Indy to Asia in search of Buddha’s original writings. Along the way, he battles Japanese soldiers, monks, and even a dragon.
Indiana Jones and the Spear of Destiny
Indy travels to Berlin in 1945 to recover the Spear of Destiny, a powerful relic that the Nazis believe can give them victory in the war. Indy must race against time to stop the Nazis from getting their hands on the spear and contend with a supernatural force protecting it.
Indiana Jones and the Golden Fleece
Indy travels to Greece in search of the Golden Fleece, a legendary artifact said to grant immortality. Along the way, he battles a group of bandits, a cyclops, and even the Minotaur.
Indy Novels
The novels were published by Bantam Books from 1984 to 1999 and by Ballantine Books from 2008 to 2009. They also feature stories set before, during, and after the events of the films as well as some original stories that introduce new characters and villains. Some notable novels include:
Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi
Indy travels to Delphi, Greece, in search of another powerful artifact that can grant immortality. Along the way, he battles a group of cultists, a satyr, and even the Delphic Oracle herself.
Indiana Jones and the Dance of the Giants
Indy travels to England in search of the legendary wizard Merlin. Along the way, he again battles a group of Nazis, a giant, and a dragon.
Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Sphinx
Indy travels to Egypt in search of the Omega Book, a mystical text that contains the history and fate of every human being. He encounters a group of terrorists and even a mummy.
Indiana Jones and the Hollow Earth
Indy travels to the center of the Earth in search of a lost civilization. In this story, he encounters a group of cavemen, a giant squid, and a giant volcano.
Old Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones in his much older years appears in The Young Adventures of Indiana Jones TV series as a framing device. He’s portrayed by George Hall as a 93-year-old man living in New York City in 1993. He has an eye patch over his right eye, which he lost in an unspecified incident. He often recounts his past adventures to various people he meets, such as Indy Walton Junior IV, his grandson, a Russian documentarian named Irina Spalko (a reference to the villain of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”), a jazz musician named Sidney Bechet, and others.
This old version of Indy was originally intended to be part of a spin-off TV series called The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Mystery of the Blues, which would have focused on his later years as an archaeologist and professor. However, this project was never realized, and only one episode was produced, which aired as part of The Young Adventures of Indiana Jones TV series in 1993.
