L'Enfant grec (The Greek Child) is a comic book by Jacques Martin. It was first published in Tintin magazine in 1979. Then it was published as a comic album in 1980. This is the fifteenth episode of the Alix series.
Alix and Enak are sold as slaves in Athens. Numa Sadulus buys them. He tells them that he is an agent of Pompey the Great. He asks them to infiltrate a Greek vase workshop, because he knows that it is the centre of a mysterious conspiracy.
L'Enfant grec provides examples of the following tropes:
- Anachronism Stew: A bunch of philosophers somehow discover that atoms can be used to cause untold destruction. This is said over an image of a mushroom cloud. All traces of these advances (including the inventors) is destroyed and forever lost by the end of the book.
- Applied Phlebotinum: The scientists have found a way to produce artificial gold. They have also found how to build weapons of mass destruction (atomic bombs).
- Betrayal by Offspring: Hykarion's crimes are exposed by his daughter, Archeloa.
- Call-Back: Marcus, a character whom Alix fought in Alix l'intrépide, is now stationed in Athens.
- Continuity Nod:
- Enak pretends to be an Egyptian prince. This is a reference to Le Prince du Nil.
- In the laboratory of the scientists, Alix says he saw the same kind of instruments in Carthage. This is a reference to L'Île maudite and Le Spectre de Carthage.
- Courtroom Episode: The story ends with Herkios being brought to justice.
- Eiffel Tower Effect: The story is set in Athens and the Acropolis can be seen several times.
- Frameup: Hykarion frames Herkios for the murder of the scientists. (His initial plan was to frame him for Alix and Enak's murder.)
- Gilded Cage: Once they arrive at Numa Sadulus's house, Alix and Enak are offered delicious food and a comfortable bedroom, but they are still his slaves.
- Girl of the Week: Archeloa is interested in Alix. She plans to live with him. When she tells him, Alix immediately answers that he does not want to live with her.
- Made a Slave: Alix and Enak are sold as slaves in the beginning of the story.
- Milkman Conspiracy: A Greek vase workshop hides a conspiracy. It aims at producing artificial gold, but it could also develop weapons of mass destruction.
- Motive Rant: After his own son accuses him and after Herkios dies, Hykarion confesses his crimes and he explains why he did them.
- Poisoned Weapons: Marcus gives Hykarion a poisoned dart. Hykarion kills Herkios with it.
- Portrait Painting Peephole: In the room where the scientists live, there is a statue with holes in the eyes. Archeloüs invites Alix to have a look through them.
- Reasonable Authority Figure:
- Polyaclés is an Athenian magistrate and he helps the heroes: he decides to investigate in the vase workshop when he notices that Alix and Enak escaped from there. He also tries to defend Herkios during the trial.
- The legate helps the heroes: he lets Polyaclés investigate the vase workshop. During the trial, he tells Marcus to shut up and he lets Alix speak.
- Secret Underground Passage: There is one between the temple of Demeter and the statue with holes in the eyes, which allow to spy on the scientists. The same passage has also an exit on the Acropolis.
- Slave Liberation: Numa Sadulus buys Alix and Enak and he promises to free them if they go along with his plan.
- Sleeps in the Nude: Alix and Enak are naked when they sleep in the house of Numa Sadulus.
- Surprise Witness:
- Alix shows up at Herkios's trial and he accuses Hykarion.
- Then, Archeloüs shows up and he accuses his father.
- Sweet Polly Oliver: Archeloüs is a girl, but she passes herself off as a boy, in order to be able to inherit the Greek vase workshop.
- Tampering with Food and Drink: Hykarion puts poison in the wine that Herkios serves the scientists with.
- Tuckerization: A character looks like Numa Sadoul
, a French writer, actor, and director, and a friend of the creator of Alix. His name in the comic book is Numa Sadulus.
