Page one of the comic.
The Black Heart of the Pearl is a comic short story published in the Disney Adventures comics, set in the Pirates of the Caribbean during the Age of Piracy. It was published under the Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End title.
Plot[]
The Russian cover.
While searching for his beloved pirate ship, the Black Pearl, Captain Jack Sparrow is captured by the British authorities and sent to the Royal Navy's darkest prison, the infamous White Island. Jack's cellmate Samuel Rackham, a former Marine who joined the Navy to see the world and experience the pirate legends, was arrested because he showed too much knowledge about the pirates. Despite that, he has never heard about Jack Sparrow, but he did hear some stories about the Black Pearl. During the early stages of the ship's construction, the shipwrights put a coin beneath the mainmast, to symbolically serve as the ship's heart. But the heart of the Black Pearl was stolen by Davy Jones and hidden in the Cave of the Red Turtle. Whoever owns the heart also owns the ship, or so the legends say.
Jack is not familiar with the story but reveals he has stolen the keys to the cell. As they exit the cell Rackham convinces Jack to let him go with him so he could experience more adventures. Impersonating a guard, Rackham leads Jack out of the prison, and Jack starts making plans to find the heart of the Pearl. However, Rackham intends to betray Jack to James Norrington so he could rejoin the Navy. The two runaways steal a ship and sail away, but the Navy quickly gives chase. The Navy ships open fire and sink the stolen vessel. Jack and Rackham tie themselves to the mast and sink with the ship.
The ship ends up in the Cave of the Red Turtle, which is covered by a giant air bubble. The Cave is also a graveyard of sunken ships, and all the ships marked by a curse end up in it. Jack and Rackham locate the statue of the Red Turtle, and Jack takes the black heart of the Pearl from its mouth. However, they are quickly surrounded by the cave's undead guardians, the pirates who refused to serve Davy Jones and were cursed to guard the cave. As Jack fights the undead, he tells them they should have done what he did ― say "Yes" when you actually mean "No!"
However, the undead won't leave them alone unless they surrender the heart, but Jack reveals his intention was never to take the heart for himself, but simply to free it from Jones. He throws the coin into the air and it passes through the air bubble, ending up in the sea. The undead retreat, intending to go after the heart. Jack doesn't know how to escape the Cave but Rackham quickly comes up with an idea to board one of the ghost ships. On the surface the British captain stops the search for survivors, because he's sure he'll never see the runaways again. Jack and Rackham board the ghost ship which leaves the Cave and rises out of the sea right in front of the Navy. The British open fire on the ghost ship while Jack and Rackham escape in a longboat. As they leave the battle behind Jack commends Rackham's quick thinking, worthy of a pirate, but Rackham pulls out a a pistol and aims at Jack, declaring that he's no pirate and doesn't intend to be. Jack asks if he's going to surrender him to the authorities, but the boy replies negatively, because Jack saved his life and enabled him to experience a true adventure. Rackham regrets the loss of the heart of the Pearl, but Jack declares the ship's heart is in the heart of its captain, and his heart belongs to the sea. Jack instructs Rackham to start rowing for Tortuga.
Continuity[]
Though the story is published under the title Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, it is chronologically set before the events of The Curse of the Black Pearl.
Appearances[]
Individuals[]
- Jack Sparrow
- Samuel Rackham (First appearance)
- White Island Guard (First appearance)
- James Norrington (Mentioned only)
- Davy Jones (Mentioned only)
- British captain (First appearance)
- Burke (First appearance)
Creatures and species[]
Objects and weapons[]
- Cutlass
- Pistol
- Gibbet
- Jack Sparrow's hat
- Jack Sparrow's compass
- Bandana
- Ring
- Cannon
- Figurehead
- Coat of arms
- Wig
Locations[]
- White Island (First appearance)
- Cave of the Red Turtle (First appearance)
- Tortuga (Mentioned only)
Organizations and titles[]
Ships[]
- Black Pearl (Mentioned only)