L'esploratore scomparso

For two years, Rochas has been missing from Darkwood: he set off with Lord Fraser’s Arctic expedition in search of the legendary Northwest Passage. But their ship has become trapped in the ice. Lady Emma, Fraser’s wife, assisted by her secretary Nat Murdo (secretly in love with her) has organized a rescue mission, hiring Fishleg and the crew of the Golden Baby. Zagor and Chico join them marking the end of the transitional phase of the “post-Toninelli” era and the beginning of the eagerly awaited Second American Odyssey.

The voyage of the Golden Baby to reach Lord Fraser’s ship, the Aurora, is long and arduous, traversing spectacular ice canyons and immense storms, lit by the magnificent glow of the Northern Lights. Nevertheless, Lady Emma remains determined to find her missing husband.

After several weeks at sea, upon reaching Peel Channel, Fishleg orders the ship to stop. The rescue party (Zagor, Chico, Zarkoff, Nat Murdo, Ramath, and a few other sailors) continues on across the pack ice. Along the way, they are attacked by the Inuit under the ruthless Staff. In the ensuing battle, Zagor and Nat Murdo, adrift on an ice floe, become separated from the rest. A few hours later, they make landfall on King William Island, on the opposite shore from where the Aurora is located. Unexpectedly, Nat Murdo tries to kill Zagor by pushing him into a ravine.

Meanwhile, Chico and the others find themselves in the village of the peaceful Inuit led by Akutan. Zagor, who has luckily survived, resumes his trek toward the Aurora and, on the brink of collapse, is picked up by Rochas. He explains how several sailors, led by the vile Tyler, mutinied and (supported by Staff’s Inuit) deserted the ship. But the danger is far from over: Staff’s Inuit return and, after a furious skirmish, manage to capture Zagor and his companions.

In Staff’s village, Zagor and his friends discover that the fabled “Ice Sphinx” is actually a stone sculpture bearing the face of Captain Hudson, and that these Inuit are the descendants of the Discovery’s crew. They also find Nat Murdo, who has allied with Tyler’s men to dispose of Fraser and steal Lady Emma, with whom he is infatuated. Thanks to the timely arrival of Zarkoff and the other sailors, Zagor is able to turn the tables (though Murdo escapes). A few days later, the traitor surreptitiously arrives in Akutan’s village and kidnaps his wife, Anya.

Having bid farewell to Fishleg and Lord Fraser, Zagor, Chico, and Akutan set off in pursuit of Murdo…