The Further Adventures of...Marion Ravenwood

Now I realize why she was so mad in Raiders.

In the script for Raiders of the Lost Ark, we learn that Marion was born in 1909 and she met and fell in love with Indy in 1925. So she was around 15 and Indy in his mid to late 20s. Today this sort of relationship would land Indy in jail (from which I am sure he would escape). But back in the 1920s, it just ruined the relationship between Indy and his mentor, Marion's father, Abner Ravenwood. Oh and left Marion emotionally scarred. I have to admit, it is hard for me to accept that my childhood idol is giant pederastic douche. Good thing they fiddled with her age in the more recent Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide to make her slightly older.

Daughter unhappy? How about some alcohol?

In Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide we learn that after her failed romance with Indy during here teenage years, Marion and her father moved to Nepal. According to the guide, her father bought the small tavern we see her running in Raiders of the Lost Ark and they used the proceeds from it to finance his missions. It also states that Marion was unhappy and had a difficult life, but at least she could take solace in the easy access to the sauce. As 9 out 0f 10 working father's will tell you, the easiest solution to an unhappy daughter is ALWAYS booze.

You can't keep a good woman locked up.

In issue #7 of Marvel's The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones we learn that drinking isn't the only skill that Marion picked up while living in Nepal. She also learned how to pick a lock with a hairpin. Now I saw the village in Nepal where Marion lived and it wasn't exactly cosmopolitan. Why did they have locks that were so complicated that you needed a piece of wire to pick it? I would think they would be using those big ol' medieval locks that you could pick with a carrot.

Some gals have all the luck.

Karma is not kind to Ms. Ravenwood and her businesses. In The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones we find that after the events in Raiders, Marion started a nightclub in Manhattan called The Raven's Nest. Shortly after opening, this club would burn down, meeting the same fate as her bar in Nepal. Who was responsible for this fire? An evil cult? A band of undercover Nazis? No, this crime was perpetrated by the most sinister villain to ever cross paths with Ravenwood, her interior decorator, Jamal.

What a great character. I cannot wait to see her in the next movie.

In the Indiana Jones: Making the Trilogy DVD we learn who took Marion off the table for future movies and books. No it wasn't Spielberg, who wanted her to return for Temple of Doom, it was George Lucas. Lucas, living out some sort of midlife crisis through his character, decided that Indy should have a different women in each film. Thus we are introduced to Willie Scott. Who would remain the most annoying Lucasfilm's character until the introduction of Jar-Jar Binks.