Indiana Jones

Indy grows up traveling with his father, Professor Henry Jones, and tutor Helen Seymour, starting in 1908. Older, he fights in World War I and becomes a spy. The series shows his run-ins with real people, like Teddy Roosevelt and Charles de Gaulle.

In the classroom, Dr. Jones is a serious archaeology professor who lectures and grades papers. Outside it, he swaps the jacket for a fedora, a whip and a leather coat. He has the scar on his chin, the fear of snakes and a habit of improvising his way out of everything. Students adore him, and colleagues like Marcus Brody rein him in when he goes too far. The name Indiana came from creator George Lucas's dog.

Before anything else, Indy walks into a crime boss's trap in Shanghai. He flees with singer Willie Scott and the boy Short Round and lands in an Indian village. He agrees to recover a sacred stone and rescue the village's children, enslaved by a cult. In the end, the stone goes home.

In 1936, the US government sends Indy to find the Ark of the Covenant before Hitler does. He reunites with Marion Ravenwood in Nepal and pieces together the missing clue with his friend Sallah. The rival Belloq steals the Ark, but when he opens it the Nazis pay dearly. Indy hands the result to the government, which stashes it in a warehouse.

In 1938 Indy finds out his father, Henry Jones, has vanished chasing the Holy Grail. The search leads to Venice, Austria and Berlin, with the Nazis on his tail. Father and son bicker constantly but learn to respect each other. At the Grail temple Indy's faith is tested, and he chooses to save his dad.

By 1957 Indy is older and facing Soviets instead of Nazis. He survives an atomic test inside a refrigerator and learns Mutt Williams is his son with Marion. The crystal skull leads them to Akator. In the end, Indy and Marion get married.

In 1969 Indy is retiring. His son has died, and his marriage to Marion fell apart. His goddaughter Helena drags him into one last hunt: Archimedes' Dial. The villain wants to go back in time, and Indy decides where he wants to stay. The ending gives him a way home.

Harrison Ford plays Indy in all five films. In comics, Marvel published his adventures starting in 1983, and Dark Horse followed.