"Enter... the Scarecrow!" is a comic short story included in the monthly publication Disney Adventures, which was released Winter 2005. It is set in the Pirates of the Caribbean universe and published under the Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl title. The story is notable for including Doctor Syn/The Scarecrow, with "Enter... the Scarecrow!" considered as a crossover with The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh (1963), which was produced for the Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color weekly TV series.
Synopsis[]
When the legendary pirate Captain Jack Sparrow sailed into Smuggler's Notch, a narrow inlet that had long been a safe haven for buccaneers and other Caribbean pirates, he found himself facing the British Navy warship HMS Achilles. Sparrow was captured by Captain Oliver Randolph Pynce-Jones III, who declared himself to be assigned by His Majesty "the King himself" to eliminate all pirates in those waters, and then ordered to set sail for Port Royal with his prisoner chained to the mast. A few minutes later, Jack encounters Dimity Mipps, an old acquaintance and one of a group of men kidnapped from near his home at Romney Marsh in England and forced to work for His Majesty's Navy now serving aboard the Achilles.
The British Navy Captain Pryce-Jones then caught Mipps talking to Sparrow. Tying the prisoners together, Pryce-Jones said discipline must be maintained and make an example out of Mipps. However, before any punishment could be made, the men heard laughter from a hideous voice, and all eyes turn upward, where a frightful figure—The Scarecrow—appeared on the cliff-top above them. Landing on the Achilles, the figure referred to himself as "a Scarecrow" and the "Spirit of the Marsh" as he drew his pistol and attacked the British Navy Captain's men. The Scarecrow appeared familiar to Jack Sparrow, suggesting he could reveal the masked man's true identity before the mystery figure ordered Mipps to release Sparrow. Mipps freed the pirate, though Jack mis-stepped and tumbled into the lower gun deck while the Scarecrow fought off Pynce-Jones's men.
Jack Sparrow was saved from pursuit by the Scarecrow, who gave Jack the honor of lighting a cannon pointed directly at the main deck. Jack fired the cannon, sinking the Achilles with one shot before he, the Scarecrow and those of the crew whom the figure had rescued, escaped to land. Pynce-Jones was determined to go down with his ship, though the inlet was shallow enough to forestall a watery grave for the Captain. At the entrance to Smuggler's Notch, the Scarecrow bade Jack farewell, stating his duty was to the people of Romney Marsh when Jack asked him to join his crew.
Continuity[]
Although no official date or timeframe is given as to the placement of the story, it is implied that "Enter... the Scarecrow!" takes place at some point between The Curse of the Black Pearl and Dead Man's Chest in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. Captain Jack Sparrow saying that "scary, ghosty, undeady pirates are becoming quite common in the Caribbean these days" was likely a reference to Hector Barbossa and his crew, whose curse Jack learned was a fact during the events of the first film. In addition, "King George" is mentioned, though whether or not it is George I or George II was unclear; however, that George II is the "King George" in question based on the current timeline placing the Pirates trilogy circa 1729.[1][2]
The frightful figure only known as "The Scarecrow" is based on Reverend Doctor Christopher Syn/The Scarecrow, a character created by Russell Thorndike in 1915. As the Scarecrow, Doctor Syn leads a gang of smugglers and often sets out to rescue citizens of Romney Marsh from the British authorities. "Enter... the Scarecrow!" may be considered as a crossover with The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh (1963), which was produced for the Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color weekly TV series, though a much abridged revision of the adventures of Dr. Syn appeared as a short comic serialized in the monthly publication Disney Adventures.[3]
Appearances[]
Individuals[]
- George II of Great Britain (Indirect mention only)
- Dimity Mipps (First appearance)
- Oliver Randolph Pynce-Jones III (First appearance)
- Scarecrow (First appearance)
- Jack Sparrow
Creatures and species[]
Locations[]
- Caribbean (Mentioned only)
- England (Mentioned only)
- Romney Marsh (First mentioned)
- Port Royal (Mentioned only)
- Smuggler's Notch (First appearance)
Objects and weapons[]
- Blue Ensign
- Musket
- Cannon
- Pistol
- Flag
- Jolly Roger (Mentioned only)
- Union Jack
Organizations and titles[]
Vehicles and vessels[]
Miscellanea[]
- Buccaneer
- Clothing
- Ghost (Mentioned only)
- Legend
- Piracy
- Prisoner
- Sinking (Mentioned only)
- Spirit (Mentioned only)
- "The captain goes down with his ship"
