History YMMV / JohnCarterOfMars

* TheWoobie: Dejah. Her husband disappears mysteriously one night during a mission to save all of Barsoom, their child is born on the same day he goes missing and is forced to see him grow without their father. Then, her child goes missing, followed by her father and grandfather who go looking for him, leaving her completely alone. When she tries looking for them, she is captured and enslaved by the First Born. She manages to reunite with her husband after 10 years for a few moments before being thrown inside a dungeon with a murderous White Martian that is jealous of her and is forced to spend months with. When she is finally freed from it, its not Carter who came to save her, but his enemies who want to exact retribution on him and take her captive.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: [[MsFanservice Dejah Thoris]], despite her decreased focus in succeeding books, is one of the most recognizable characters in the Barsoom series. She has been heavily depicted in John Carter's fan arts, popular pin-up subject among artists like FrankFrazetta and is given major roles in Dynamite Entertainment's adaptation, even starring her own regular series.
* EvilIsSexy: Phaidor. [[DaddysLittleVillain A Thern princess]] [[DiamondsIntheBuff wearing nothing more than jewelry]]. Imagine [[InnocentFanserviceGirl Dejah Thoris]] with [[BlondesAreEvil blonde hair]] [[LightIsNotGood and white skin]], but with a [[AGodAmI god complex]] and [[ImAHumanitarian taste for cannibalism.]] Even the hero notes she is very beautiful, despite turning down her advances. Its notable because she is the only named villain whose attractiveness is acknowledged.

* FridgeHorror: For countless generations, Barsoom's citizens were lead to certain death or slavery when in search of paradise while undertaking the trip to Valley Dor. This has been happening for at least several millennia and those that tried to warn the rest about the truth were executed for blasphemy. And after John exposes the cult's truth, no word is given how Martians reacted to it. Given that Barsoom is a DeathWorld and the only religious cult keeping its civilization together was revealed to be a fluke, its hard to imagine them adapting to the reveal very quick.

** [[GodGuise Issus]] from ''Gods of Mars'' is venerated as a living goddess throughout on Mars, but she is nothing more than a [[EvilOldFolks First Born hag]] that indirectly lead its worshipers to be lured into Valley Dor in search of paradise, only to be devoured by the beasts that lurked there or be enslaved by her people, ''and this has been happening for thousands of years''. Issus savagely mistreats her female slaves and its said none of them lasts more than an year, because [[ImAHumanitarian she devours them]], and [[HumanSacrifice has scores of Red and White Martian women sacrificed in her honor yearly]]. Finally, after John Carter defies her and exposes her fraud, [[IHaveYourWife she has his wife]] (as well as two other innocent women) [[AFateWorseThanDeath thrown inside a dungeon with no way out for an entire year, where they are expected to die of starvation.]] All that just to spite him and hurt him, as she knew the other women in question were also infatuated with Carter. Issus eventually met [[KarmicDeath an satisfying end]] when [[HoistByHisOwnPetard the Black Martians savagely tore her apart in anger for manipulating them.]]

* AntiClimaxBoss: All major antagonists are argued to be this. None of them provide a serious challenge to Carter in a straight up fight ([[NonProtagonistResolver that is when they are being disposed by someone else]]), given they are mostly schemers, way past their former glory or just can't keep up with a superhuman warrior.

* OlderThanTheyThink: Some fans of [[Film/{{Avatar}} a little James Cameron film]] saw the trailer for the Disney adaptation and declared it a rip-off. Unknown to them, not only is this series older, but James Cameron himself has cited it as direct inspiration for his film.
** NewerThanTheyThink: On the flip side, John Carter was preceded by an obscure book titled ''Lieutenant Gullivar Jones: His Vacation'', which was about an Earthman transported to Mars through mystical means, fights aliens with his superhuman strength and falls in love with an alien princess. The book was published a decade before Burroughs wrote ''A Princess of Mars''. Interestingly, both works crossed over in comic book format in Dynamite's ''Warriors of Mars''.

** ''Gods of Mars'' ending has [[ForcedToWatch Carter witnessing Dejah being trapped inside a Temple]] with no way out for an entire year without enough food to survive. That on itself is bad enough but the last thing he sees before the door close permanently was [[WomanScorned a very jealous Phaidor]] [[MurderTheHypotenuse pulling a knife and trying to kill her]].

** Valley Dor. At first, it appears to be the closest thing to a paradise on Mars as lush and fertile land in contrast to the arid wastelands in the planet. The valley is also inhabited by [[KillerSpaceMonkey white apes]] and [[BigCreepyCrawlies plant men]], some of the most fierce predators in Barsoom. If you managed to survive them, you will be enslaved to the White Martians
** ''Gods of Mars'' ending has Carter witnessing his Dejah being trapped inside a Temple with no way out for an entire year without enough food to survive. That on itself is bad enough but the last thing he sees before the door close permanently was [[WomanScorned a very jealous Phaidor]] [[MurderTheHypotenuse pulling a knife and trying to kill her]].

** [[GodGuise Issus]] from ''Gods of Mars'' is venerated as a living goddess throughout on Mars, but she is nothing more than a [[EvilOldFolks First Born hag]] that indirectly lead its worshipers to be lured into Valley Dor in search of paradise, only to be devoured by the beasts that lurked there or be enslaved by her people, ''and this has been happening for thousands of years''. Issus savagely mistreats her female slaves and its said none of them lasts more than an year, because [[ImAHumanitarian she devours them]], and [[HumanSacrifice has scores of Red and White Martian women sacrificed in her honor yearly]]. Finally, after John Carter defies her and exposes her fraud, [[IHaveYourWife she has his wife]] (as well as two other innocent women) [[AFateWorseThanDeath thrown inside a dungeon with no way out for an entire year, where they are expected to die of starvation.]] All that just to spite him and hurt him, as she knew the other women in question were also infatuated with Carter. Issus eventually met an satisfying end when [[HoistByHisOwnPetard the Black Martians savagely tore her apart in anger for manipulating them.]]

* EvilIsSexy: Phaidor. [[DaddysLittleVillain A Thern princess]] [[DiamondsIntheBuff wearing nothing more than jewelry]]. Imagine [[InnocentFanserviceGirl Dejah Thoris]] with [[BlondesAreEvil blonde hair]] [[LightIsNotGood and white skin]], but with a [[AGodAmI god complex]] and [[ImAHumanitarian taste for cannibalism.]] Even the hero notes she is very beautiful, despite turning down her advances. Its notable because she is the only villain whose attractiveness is acknowledged.

* EvilIsSexy: Phaidor. [[DaddysLittleVillain A Thern princess]] [[DiamondsIntheBuff wearing nothing more than jewelry]]. Imagine [[InnocentFanserviceGirl Dejah Thoris]] with blonde hair and white skin, but with a [[AGodAmI god complex]] and [[ImAHumanitarian taste for cannibalism.]] Even the hero notes she is very beautiful, despite turning down her advances. Its notable because she is the only villain whose attractiveness is acknowledged.

* EvilIsSexy: Phaidor. [[DaddysLittleVillain A Thern princess]] [[DiamondsIntheBuff wearing nothing more than jewelry]]. Imagine [[InnocentFanserviceGirl Dejah Thoris]] with blonde hair and white skin, but with a [[AGodAmI god complex]] and [[ImAHumanitarian taste for cannibalism.]] Even the hero notes she is very beautiful, despite turning down her advances.

** Issus from ''Gods of Mars'' is venerated as a living goddess throughout on Mars, but she is nothing more than a First Born hag that indirectly lead its worshipers to be lured into Valley Dor in search of paradise, only to be devoured by the beasts that lurked there or be enslaved by her people, ''and this has been happening for thousands of years''. Issus savagely mistreats her female slaves and its said none of them lasts more than an year, because [[ImAHumanitarian she devours them]], and [[HumanSacrifice has scores of Red and White Martian women sacrificed in her honor yearly]]. Finally, after John Carter defies her and exposes her fraud, she has his wife (as well as two other innocent women) [[AFateWorseThanDeath thrown inside a dungeon with no way out for an entire year, where they are expected to die of starvation.]] All that just to spite him and hurt him, as she knew the other women in question were also infatuated with Carter. Issus eventually met an satisfying end when [[HoistByHisOwnPetard the Black Martians savagely tore her apart in anger for manipulating them.]]
* EvilIsSexy: Phaidor. [[DaddysLittleVillain Thern princess]] [[DiamondsIntheBuff wearing nothing more than jewelry]]. Imagine [[InnocentFanserviceGirl Dejah Thoris]] with blonde hair and white skin, but with a [[AGodAmI god complex]] and [[ImAHumanitarian taste for cannibalism.]] Even the hero notes she is very beautiful, despite turning down her advances.

** NewerThanTheyThink: On the flip side, John Carter was preceded by an obscure book titled ''Lieutenant Gullivar Jones: His Vacation''

** Issus from ''Gods of Mars'' is venerated as a living goddess throughout on Mars, but she is nothing more than a First Born hag that indirectly lead its worshipers to be lured into Valley Dor in search of paradise, only to be devoured by the beasts that lurked there or be enslaved by her people, ''and this has been happening for thousands of years''. Issus savagely mistreats her female slaves and its said none of them lasts more than an year, because [[ImAHumanitarian she devours them]]. Finally, after John Carter defies her and exposes her fraud, she has his wife (as well as two other innocent women) thrown inside a dungeon with no way out for an entire year, where they are expected to die of starvation. All that just to spite him and hurt him, as she knew the other women in question were also infatuated with Carter. Issus eventually met an satisfying end when [[HoistByHisOwnPetard the Black Martians savagely tore her apart in anger for manipulating them.]]

** Issus from ''Gods of Mars'' is venerated as a living goddess throughout on Mars, but she is nothing more than a First Born hag that indirectly lead its worshipers to be lured into Valley Dor in search of paradise, only to be devoured by the beasts that lurked there or be enslaved by her people, ''and this has been happening for thousands of years''. Issus savagely mistreats her female slaves and its said none of them lasts more than an year, because [[ImAHumanitarian she devours them]]. Finally, after John Carter defies her and exposes her fraud, she has her wife (as well as two other innocent women) thrown inside a dungeon with no way out for an entire year, where they are expected to die of starvation. All that just to spite him and hurt him, as she knew the other women in question were also infatuated with Carter. Issus eventually met an satisfying end when [[HoistByYourOwnPetard the Black Martians savagely tore her apart in anger for manipulating them.]]

* {{Tearjerker}}: The end of ''The Gods of Mars''.

*** This is actually lampshaded in ''The Gods of Mars'' when Carter meets Black Martians for the first time; the narration says he finds them admirable fighters and that their skin tone only makes them more handsome, adding that the reader may find this odd for a Virginian to say.

** Also, he is a ''former confederate soldier''. [[note]]At the time, the Confederacy was often seen as the more romantic side of the Civil War; as attitudes shifted, particularly about race, they became seen as a much more villainous side. Where once a Confederate hero might be expected, to modern readers it carries a whole bucket of UnfortunateImplications. TheFilmOfTheBook largely gets around the UnfortunateImplications by making it plain Carter was extremely disillusioned by the Civil War and felt little loyalty towards the Confederate cause[[/note]]

** Also, he is a ''former confederate soldier''.

** Also, John Carter is a ''former confederate soldier''.

** In the first book at least, John Carter is disgusted at the Green Barsoomians for their warlike ways and violent tendencies, but it is taken for granted that [[BrokenAesop his killing of dozens of generally innocent people is perfectly justifiable]] because he is doing it to rescue his OneTrueLove. The closest he comes to acknowledging that maybe murder isn't the best way to solve all his problems is when he reflects that the guards were {{Worthy Opponent}}s and fighting men like him. An AlternateCharacterInterpretation might be that since the story is told in the first person, the reason John is portrayed as chaotic good despite his somewhat chaotic neutral method of interacting with obstacles is because he's actually a narcissistic sociopath who doesn't see anything wrong with sacrificing other people's lives if they get in the way of his personal happiness and that of those he cares about.

** In the first book at least, John Carter is disgusted at the Green Barsoomians for their warlike ways and violent tendencies, but it is taken for granted that [[BrokenAesop his killing of dozens of generally innocent people is perfectly justifiable]] because he is doing it to rescue his OneTrueLove. The closest he comes to acknowledging that maybe murder isn't the best way to solve all his problems is when he reflects that the guards were {{Worthy Opponent}}s and fighting men like him. An AlternateCharacterInterpretation might be that since the story is told in the first person, the reason John is portrayed as chaotic good despite his somewhat chaotic neutral method of interacting with obstacles is because he actually a narcissistic sociopath who doesn't see anything wrong with sacrificing other people's lives if they get in the way of his personal happiness and that of those he cares about.

* OlderThanTheyThink: some fans of [[Film/{{Avatar}} a little James Cameron film]] saw the trailer for the Disney adaptation and declared it a rip-off. Unknown to them, not only is this series older, but James Cameron himself has cited it as direct inspiration for his film.

** In the first book at least, John Carter is disgusted at the Green Barsoomians for their warlike ways and violent tendencies, but it is taken for granted that [[BrokenAesop his killing of dozens of generally innocent people is perfectly justifiable]] because he is doing it to rescue his OneTrueLove. The closest he comes to acknowledging that maybe murder isn't the best way to solve all his problems is when he reflects that the guards were WorthyOpponents and fighting men like him. An AlternateCharacterInterpretation might be that since the story is told in the first person, the reason John is portrayed as chaotic good despite his somewhat chaotic neutral method of interacting with obstacles is because he actually a narcissistic sociopath who doesn't see anything wrong with sacrificing other people's lives if they get in the way of his personal happiness and that of those he cares about.