Rahul Sharma (Editor)

The Secret of Atlantis

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Story code
  
W US 5-02

Ink
  
Carl Barks

Pages
  
32

Story
  
Carl Barks

Date
  
March–May 1954

Layout
  
4 rows per page

"The Secret of Atlantis" is a 32-page funny animal comic book story written and drawn by Carl Barks, and lettered by his wife, Garé Barks.

The story was first published in Uncle Scrooge #5 (March–May 1954) by Dell Publishing with three one-page gag stories by the Barkses: "Hospitality Week", "McDuck Takes a Dive", and "Slippery Sipper". The cover was drawn by Barks. "The Secret of Atlantis" and the gag stories have been reprinted many times.

Characters in the story include Uncle Scrooge, Donald Duck, and Donald's nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie. The "Junior Woodchuck's Book of Knowledge," a forerunner of the Junior Woodchuck Guidebook, is mentioned, and the story features the first appearance of Scrooge's "worry room".

Plot

Uncle Scrooge hoards every 1916 quarter he can find then dumps them in the ocean save one. This coin is then the rarest coin in the world and incredibly valuable. It is made worthless when accidentally flattened by a steam roller.

The coin needs to be replaced. Scrooge and Donald dive to the bottom of the ocean to retrieve another quarter. It is then that they discover the lost city of Atlantis.

The people of Atlantis have evolved over time into green-skinned, gilled water creatures part-human, part-fish. They will not let Scrooge and Donald return to the "air world", fearing they will let loose an onslaught of curiosity-seekers who will bring trouble to their peaceful underwater community.

The Ducks escape by distracting the Atlantans with rock and roll music from a jukebox, and promising the water dwellers that they will not disclose the location of their ocean home.

References

The Secret of Atlantis Wikipedia