The Buccaneer's Heart!

This article is about the Disney Adventures comic. You may be looking for the magical artifact.

"Truth? No truth at all." This article is non-canon. This article covers a subject that is considered non-canon or contained material that is otherwise declared non-canon in the Pirates of the Caribbean continuity.

"The Buccaneer's Heart!"
Attribution information
Writer	Michael Stewart
Penciller	Bret Blevins
Inker	Mike Manley
Letterer	Michael Stewart
Colorist	Felix Serrano
Publication information
Publication date	Summer 2004
Published in	Disney Adventures

"The Buccaneer's Heart!" is a three-part comic story that appeared in Disney Adventures. The story was written by Michael Stewart, with pencils by Bret Blevins, inks by Mike Manley, letters by Michael Stewart, and colors by Felix Serrano. It was published under the Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl title in Summer 2004.

Synopsis

Chapter 1

In the Caribbean town of Port Royal, during a battle between Captain Jack Sparrow's "miserable old crewmates" of cursed undead pirates and the British forces led by Commodore Norrington and blacksmith Will Turner, the Jolly Roger is raised with the Union Jack lowered in Fort Charles. After Port Royal falls in the siege, the cursed pirates manage to throw Will and Norrington into the brig at Fort Charles prison, loot the city by taking everything of value to load onto the Dauntless as well as kidnap both Governor Swann and his daughter, Elizabeth Swann, believing they would bring a tidy ransom.

Soon after the cursed pirates have left, Jack Sparrow himself shows up in the prison to find Will and Norrington, the latter presuming Sparrow was joining up with his cursed crewmates. Jack frees Will and reveals his intention to use the dark magic of the Buccaneer's Heart to defeat his old crew. However, the artifact is part of the loot being transferred by the cursed pirates to the Dauntless.

Jack and Will disguise themselves as undead skeleton pirates in order to get near the treasure, guarded by cursed pirates Pintel and Ragetti. Ragetti says that he doesn't recognize them and asks for their names. Jack says that he is Roderick, Twigg's cousin, and that Will is his nephew, Sally, then asks if they saw a pile of rubies. Pintel didn't care if Jack was the "King of France's brother-in-law" and takes Ragetti to get a look at the rubies. Having tricked Pintel and Ragetti, Jack bends over to grab the Buccaneer's Heart, only for his costume to rip, exposing himself to the cursed pirates.

As Pintel and Ragetti tackle him, Jack tosses the Buccaneer's Heart to Will. Will has doubts that it'll work for him because it's only supposed to work on pirates, but at Jack's behest he puts it on anyway. When Will puts on the Buccaneer's Heart, the spirits of the pirates of the Caribbean, consisting of the ghosts of Edward "Blackbeard" Teach, Captain Bartholomew Roberts, Captain Henry Morgan, and Mary Reade appear.

Chapter 2

Jack Sparrow tells Will Turner that the Buccaneer's Heart holds the spirits of the Caribbean's most notorious swashbucklers awaiting the day when a great pirate will set them free. As they realize the legends are true, Jack introduces Will as well as briefly mentions the histories of Edward "Blackbeard" Teach, Captain Bartholomew Roberts, Captain Henry Morgan, and Mary Reade. The four spirits of dread pirates question Will, who then introduces himself as the son of the pirate Bootstrap Bill Turner, with Jack adding that he was called "Wicked Will" and a great pirate in his own right who wears the Buccaneer's Heart.

As the cursed pirates sail away aboard the Dauntless, Jack and Will allow the spirits to take care of Pintel and Ragetti. Down in the harbor, the company finds Jack's ship, the Black Pearl. On the way, they discuss the Pirates' Code. Once aboard the Pearl, each of the spirits starts giving commands. Jack tells them that there can only be one captain: "Captain" Will Turner because he has the Buccaneer's Heart. The Pearl quickly catches up to the Dauntless. Captain Roberts shoots the Dauntless and disables its steering. The crew of the Pearl boards the Dauntless and battle commences.

Chapter 3

Will Turner releases the spirits of the pirates of the Caribbean after breaking the Buccaneer's Heart.

The four spirits of the pirates of the Caribbean help Will Turner and Jack Sparrow fight off the cursed pirate crew to reach Elizabeth and her father Governor Swann. Blackbeard compliments Will, in that he hasn't seen such a rousing battle since he raided the Carolina coast in 1718, then easily defeats one of the cursed pirates while discussing how neither one of them are alive. As Will and Jack fight the cursed pirates, they see Elizabeth holding her own in battle with a little help from Mary Reade. Will reunites with Elizabeth and Jack saves Governor Swann from a cursed pirate. In the end, the cursed pirates are defeat by the ghost pirates.

Jack decides to drop off his old crewmates on the same desert island he was marooned on twice. The spirits of the pirates of the Caribbean recognize Will as a great pirate captain and ask if he will lead them. However, Will smashes the Buccaneer's Heart, setting their spirits free. Will apologizes to Jack for breaking the Buccaneer's Heart, saying he's a blacksmith, but Jack says that Will still has a buccaneer's heart.

Continuity

The Buccaneer's Heart! is a comic published in Disney Adventures in 2004, notable for featuring the "spirits of the pirates of the Caribbean" with Jack Sparrow. However, the comic is considered non-canon due to the "spirits" appearing as still-living characters, as fated in later releases of various media:

• Edward "Blackbeard" Teach was originally one of the pirates present at the Brethren Court in Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio's first screenplay draft for the 2007 film Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, though the character never appeared amongst the Pirate Lords of the Fourth Brethren Court in the final version of the film. A living Blackbeard later appeared as the main villain of the 2011 film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which took inspiration from Tim Powers' novel On Stranger Tides, which also featured Blackbeard in a key role. Prior to the release of the film, despite his real-world death in the battle of Ocracoke Inlet being referenced in The Buccaneer's Heart and other media, Terry Rossio affirmed that the comic didn't have anything to do with the movie franchise. When asked about Jack Sparrow's line in On Stranger Tides, which indirectly mentions Blackbeard's real-world death and implies that it is considered a legend in the Pirates universe, Rossio stated, "Blackbeard's history is definitely a legend, and like most legends, may or may not have a basis in fact."
• Henry Morgan has an extended history featured in the book series Pirates of the Caribbean: Legends of the Brethren Court by Rob Kidd. In Legends of the Brethren Court: The Caribbean, like with most Pirates media, Henry Morgan is revealed to be one of the Pirate Lords of Second Brethren Court who set the Pirate Code with Bartholomew. By Day of the Shadow, it is revealed that the lord of alchemy known as the "Shadow Lord" was in fact Henry Morgan himself, bent on revenge against all the Pirate Lords of the Brethren Court. Unlike Blackbeard, however, the movie franchise never revealed nor mentioned the fate of Henry Morgan beyond the Second Court.

Despite all this, whether or not the Buccaneer's Heart artifact itself existed is uncertain.

Gallery

Appearances

Individuals

• Bo'sun
• King of France (First mentioned)
• Koehler (Possible appearance)
• Henry Morgan (First appearance) (Appears as a ghost or spirit)
• James Norrington
• Pintel
• Ragetti
• Mary Reade (First appearance) (Appears as a ghost or spirit)
• Bartholomew Roberts (First appearance) (Appears as a ghost or spirit)
• Roderick (First mentioned)
• Sally (First mentioned)
• Jack Sparrow
• Elizabeth Swann
• Weatherby Swann
• Edward Teach (First appearance) (Appears as a ghost or spirit)
• William "Bootstrap Bill" Turner (Mentioned only)
• Will Turner
• Twigg (Mentioned only)

Events and history

• 1718 (Mentioned only)
  • Blockade of Charleston (Indirect mention only)
  • Battle of Ocracoke Inlet (Indirect mention only)

Locations

• Carolina (Mentioned only)
• Port Royal
  • Fort Charles
    • Fort Charles prison
• Rumrunner's Isle

Objects and weapons

• Buccaneer's Heart
• Eyepatch (Mentioned only)
• Flag
  • Jolly Roger
  • Union Jack (First identified as Union Jack)
• Jack Sparrow's piece of eight
• Peg leg (Mentioned only) (First identified as peg leg)
• Ragetti's wooden eye
• Ruby (Mentioned only)
• Spyglass
• Sword
  • Cutlass

Organizations and titles

• Blacksmith
• Bloke
• British Royal Navy
• Buccaneer
• Captain
• Commodore
• Cursed crew
• Governor
• Motley crew
• Seadog

Vehicles and vessels

• Black Pearl
• HMS Dauntless

Miscellanea

• Adventure
• Ahoy
• "All hands"
• Boarding
• Clothing
  • Bandana
  • Hat
  • Uniform
• Curse
  • Curse of the Aztec Gold
• Death (Indirect mention only)
• Legend
• Magic
  • Dark Magic
• Maroon
• Mate
• Myth
• Parley (Mentioned only)
• Pirates' Code (Mentioned only)
• "Pirates of the Caribbean"
• Prisoner
• Ransom (Mentioned only)
• Swashbuckler
• Undead
• Walk the plank (Mentioned only)
• "Yarr"