John Carter, a former Confederate soldier, undergoes a mysterious experience in an Arizona cave and suddenly finds himself transported to Barsoom, where the planet’s lower gravity gives him extraordinary strength and jumping ability and where he is captured by the warlike Green Martian Tharks. After proving his courage in combat, he gradually earns their respect, befriends figures such as Sola and Tars Tarkas, and encounters Dejah Thoris, the princess of Helium, whom he begins to protect as he learns the language and customs of Mars. As his affection for Dejah deepens, tribal rivalries, hostile warriors, and deadly duels place both of them in increasing danger, turning his strange arrival on Mars into a struggle for love, honor, and survival.
