As described in A Princess of Mars, Captain James K. Powell of Richmond was a fellow Confederate officer and mining partner of John Carter in 1865 and the two of them discovered, after many hardships and privations, a very rich vein of gold in the southwest U.S. Powell was a mining engineer by education and estimated that they had happened upon over $1 million of ore after working the area for over three months. Powell determined that they needed more sophisticated equipment and more men to properly work the mine so he agreed to leave Arizona and head back to civilization to make the arrangements. He left John Carter on March 3, 1866 but was unfortunately attacked and killed by a band of Apaches. In pulling Powell's body away from the scene of his murder and having to escape the party of Apaches himself, John Carter unwittingly began the process that ultimately led to his transfer to and advent on Mars, or Barsoom, if you prefer.In the movie, however, Powell is a U.S. Soldier assigned to hunt down John Carter, who is considered to be a renegade since he is a Virginian that fought for the Confederacy. Powell tries to conscript him to help the U.S. Army deal with Apache problems as he is distinguished as a calvary man, but John Carter refuses to cooperate and is imprisoned, but uses his superior skills to rather easily escape on Powell's own horse. A pursuit immediately happens and Powell and his men catch up, only to find John Carter speaking with Apaches. One of Powell's men shoots and starts a melee. Powell is shot and John Carter scoops him up and rides him to safety. Or so it seems..... Show less «