Return to Plain Awful

Infobox Comic
name = Return to Plain Awful


image_caption = Cover of Uncle Scrooge by Don Rosa
code = AR 130
title_orig =
hero = Donald Duck
appearances = Donald Duck,
Scrooge McDuck,
Flintheart Glomgold,
Huey, Dewey and Louie,
The Junior Woodchucks
pages = 28
layout = 4 rows per page
story = Don Rosa
ink = Don Rosa
date =
first = Donald Duck Adventures #12
May, 1989
inducks_id = AR+130

"Return to Plain Awful" is a Donald Duck storyline that was originally printed in Donald Duck Adventures "Gladstone Series" #12. It was written by Don Rosa as a sequel to "Lost in the Andes!" by Carl Barks.

Plot

Donald Duck and his nephews journey back to Plain Awful and this time Scrooge McDuck goes with them. Scrooge plans to buy some square eggs from the natives while Donald and the nephews plan to return the roosters they brought back from their first visit. Unfortunately Flintheart Glomgold also wants the square eggs. Unfortunately, Scrooge makes the mistake of showing the natives his first dime and is held prisoner in the stone quarries, finishing the square eggs deal for good. (Round objects are forbidden in Plain Awful) However, Plain Awful's "President" (The leader decided to imitate America's system after Donald and his nephews's first visit) offers Scrooge a full pardon and reconsiderate the square eggs deal if they bring him a rare item called "Ice Cream Soda".

Donald and the nephews have to team up with Flintheart to deliver an Ice Cream soda to the President of Plain Awful: Donald and the nephews need Flintheart to get the soda and Flintheart needs guidance back to civilization since he arrived at Plain Awful just by a stroke of luck. Flintheart, of course, betrays our heroes after getting the soda, so they have to improvise other soda in the spot using dried milk, sugar and chocolate from their ration packs, plus some snow and carbonated water from a fire extinguisher.

Meanwhile, the natives started out acting like Donald but later start acting more like Scrooge and Flintheart, except they are much more joyful and peaceful. This causes the President, (now the "Chairman of the board") to want a new item called "money" instead of the ice cream soda to store it in a newly made money bin. Since Flintheart has spent all his cash in an helicopter to bring ice cream for the soda (except for a coin, which he wouldn't show after what happened to Scrooge), Scrooge gives one billion dollars (in bills) for his freedom. Plain Awful's "chairman" happily accepts the money, but to Scrooge and Flintheart's horror, the bills are chopped in two (leaving perfect square halves) and put on public display inside the bin.

The story ends with Huey, Dewey and Louie leaving a copy of the Junior Woodchuck's guide as a farewell gift to the natives, and Donald making fun of Scrooge and his famous motto, since "The natives made their first billon by being tougher than the toughies and smarter than the smarties! And they made it SQUARE!"

This story was created to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Lost in the Andes which is regarded as a classic Donald Duck adventure.

Trivia

*Don Rosa put a lot of work into this story and did a lot of research on things like How to Make an Ice Cream soda.
*Despite the fact that that Donald's name was in the story it seemed to be more focused around Scrooge.
*In some countries this story was released in one part while in other countries it was released in three parts.
*This story was later released in Don Rosa's "Library of Uncle Scrooge Adventures in Color" #7.
*Some references to "The Son of the Sun" are mentioned in this story.
*There is a a subtle reference to "The Second-Richest Duck" when Flintheart spots the Number One Dime in the string and says how much he hates the string.

External links

*Inducks comic|AR+130