The 1957 album cover
L'Île maudite (The Cursed Island) is a comic book by Jacques Martin. It was first published in Tintin magazine in 1951-1952. Then it was published as a comic album in 1957. This is the third episode of the Alix series.
The inhabitants of Carthage are worried because of the mysterious events which went with the abduction of Lydas, a scientist. The abductors used unknown weapons. Caesar sent Alix to Carthage to investigate the case.
L'Île maudite provides examples of the following tropes:
- Absurdly Spacious Sewer: In Carthage, Ségabal uses the sewer in an attempt to escape his pursuers.
- Advanced Ancient Acropolis: The Phoenicians living on the cursed island. On the basis of the works of Pythogoras, Theodorus of Cyrene, Archytas, Euclid, Plato, Aristotle, Archimedes..., they have developed steamships, glass windows, giant solar mirrors that can destroy ships, and long-range missiles, unbeknownst to the rest of the world. In the end, their civilization is destroyed by a natural disaster and Alix and the Phoenicians themselves consider this as a the gods' punishment for the crimes they committed.
- Anachronism Stew: The Advanced Ancient Acropolis of the Phoenicians has glass windows and the steam-driven propeller ship... However, this is regarded as incredible progress ("What is this strange thing in your windows?"), and anyway all traces of these advances (including the inventors) are destroyed and forever lost by the end of the book.
- Appease the Volcano God: The Phoenicians thinks that the volcano is a god, Moloch. When it starts erupting, Arbacès suggests sacrificing Enak to appease the population. Sardon approves his plan.
- Atlantis: Like the original Atlantis, the cursed island had an Advanced Ancient Acropolis before it was destroyed by a Giant Wall of Watery Doom.
- Beneath the Earth: The Egyptians have to live in caves not to be noticed and killed by the Phoenicians.
- Big Damn Heroes: After a long ceremony, the executioner is going to throw Enak in the stake. Apollon and Alix arrive just in time and Apollon shoots an arrow at the executioner.
- Bittersweet Ending: The island of the bad guys is completely destroyed, but the island of the good guys (the Egyptians) suffers from a major tidal wave and there are probably very few survivors. The partisans who helped Alix are all dead too, except Apollon. Alix, Enak and Vitella are the only survivors of the expedition. Even Lydas, the scientist who was kidnapped in the beginning, is dead.
- Cataclysm Climax: The story ends with the eruption of the volcano and the subsequent destruction of the cursed island.
- Chekhov's Volcano: The cursed island has a volcano. It erupts.
- Contrived Coincidence: Alix is sent to Carthage to investigate Lydas's kidnapping. His Arch-Enemy, Arbacès, is also in Carthage at the same time for an unrelated reason.
- Conveniently an Orphan: Enak was already an orphan, but, in order to give him a reason for following Alix everywhere, Josah, the old guy who he lived with in Alexandria, dies.
- Distressed Dude:
- When they are hidding in a cave below the cliffs, the bad guys capture Enak.
- He is captured again on the cursed island and Sardon decides to kill him to appease the volcano.
- Dressing as the Enemy: The Egyptians wear uniforms identical to the Phoenicians' to attack the island.
- Evil Wears Black: Sardon, the Big Bad, is dressed in black. He is even called "the Black Man".
- Giant Wall of Watery Doom: The eruption of the volcano causes a tidal wave which devastates the Egyptian island and nearly destroys Alix's ship.
- In Medias Res: The story begins with the arrival of Alix in Carthage. Then Flavius, the governor, narrates the abduction of Lydas in flashbacks.
- Island of Mystery: The titular cursed island, with its Advanced Ancient Acropolis, its human sacrifices, its volcano. It ends up sinking into the ocean.
- Kidnapped Scientist: Lydas is kidnapped.
- Little Stowaway: Alix does not want Enak to go with him to the cursed island. Therefore, Enak hides in the ship. When he is discovered, the ship cannot turn back any more.
- Look on My Works, Ye Mighty, and Despair: The technologically-advanced civilization of the Phoenicians is completely destroyed by a cataclysm in the end.
- Malevolent Masked Men: Arbacès performs a play and he wears a theater mask when he is introduced.
- The Mole: Vitella pretends to be sent by a powerful Roman to help Sardon. Actually, he infiltrates Sardon's palace to free Lydas.
- Mysterious Note: In Carthage, Alix receives one which asks him to stop investigating.
- The Place: L'Île maudite, i.e. the cursed island where the Phoenicians have their Advanced Ancient Acropolis.
- La Résistance: Apollon and his fellow partisans fight against the rule of Sardon.
- Secret Underground Passage: There is one below Galo's house. It goes to a cave on the coast.
- Solar-Powered Magnifying Glass: The Phoenicians of the cursed island have developed giant solar mirrors that can destroy ships.
- The Starscream: Arbacès serves Sardon, but in the end, when Sardon is jammed in the ruins of his palace, he refuses to help him and let him die.
- Technologically Advanced Foe: The Phoenicians of the cursed island have developed steamships, glass windows, giant solar mirrors that can destroy ships, and long-range missiles. The Egyptians resort to hiding in caves not to be wiped out.
- They Have the Scent!: Enak and Alix use a dog to find Galo, Ségabal and Galo after the fire at Galo's house.
- Trick Arrow: The Phoenicians manufacture explosive arrows. Alix and the partisans led by Apollon steal some.
- Villain Ball: Sardon and Arbacès know that Vitella is lying and that he is The Mole. They do not even bother keeping a watch on him, so he can escape from the palace with Lydas.
