| abstract | - Tintin goes to visit Captain Haddock and Professor Calculus at their new home in Marlinspike Hall. On the train, he reads about a team of seven explorers returning home after a two year expedition in the Andes where they discovered the tomb of the ancient Incan priest Rascar Capac, with the latter's mummy in tow. A strange man compares them to the Egyptologists who unearthed Tutankhamen's tomb and claims the same fate will befall them. Later on, Tintin attends a music hall with Haddock and is surprised to find General Alcazar, having been deposed of power and now performing as a knife thrower. Another act by a psychic also mentions the Incan expedition and claims its members are in grave danger. Concurrent with these events, each member of the Rascar Capac expedition starts falling into a mysterious coma, one by one. Thompson and Thomson are investigating and reveal that the only clue present at each scene are fragments of crystal spheres, which apparently contained some sort of mysterious gas that caused the comas. Despite the efforts of Tintin, Haddock, and the Thompsons, they are unable to stop the attacks and finally decide to personally guard the last explorer, Professor Tarragon, an old friend of Professor Calculus, who accompanies them to the former's house. After the Rascar Capac mummy disappears from the house in a mysterious bolt of ball lightning, Tarragon claims that this is the culmination of a prophecy: Rascar Capac has "returned to his element" and will go after Tarragon personally. Despite the escort, Tarragon succumbs to the coma as well, becoming the last of the seven. To make matters worse, Professor Calculus is kidnapped after finding the mummy's bracelet. Tintin and Haddock chase the kidnapper and manage to track him to the Pachacamac, a ship bound for Peru. Tintin also discovers that Alcazar's assistant Chiquito, one of the last descendants of the Incas is also involved. Tintin and Haddock depart for Peru to rescue Calculus, closing part 1 of the two part story that concludes in Prisoners of the Sun.
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