In the aftermath of a devastating battle that shattered the religion of Issus, John Carters world is turned upside down. His wife, along with two other women, finds herself imprisoned in a rotating cell of the Temple of the Sun, where freedom comes only once a year. Meanwhile, Carters ally Xodar has ascended to become the new Jeddak of the black Martian First Born, while a faction of white Martian therns, rejecting the old ways, has also chosen a new leader. Yet, the remnants of the discredited religion linger, driven by the ambitious Holy Hekkador, Matai Shang. When John Carter learns that Thurid, a vengeful First Born, knows the secrets of the Temple, he races against time to rescue his wife Dejah Thoris and the other imprisoned princesses, Thuvia of Ptarth and Phaidor. As danger looms, Carter is determined to confront both Thurid and Matai Shang to reclaim his beloved.