1510: Napoleon

2015-04-10T05:46:00Z

Eldorim:

{{comic
| number = 1510
| date = April 10, 2015
| title = Napoleon
| image = napoleon.png
| titletext = "Mr. President, what if the unthinkable happens? What if the launch goes wrong, and Napoleon is not stranded on the moon?" "Have Safire write up a speech."
}}

==Explanation==
{{Incomplete|First draft. Title text explanation to come.}}

{{w|Napoleon Bonaparte}} was one of the greatest military leaders in history, conquering most of Europe in the space of a decade. In 1814, after being forced to abdicate as Emperor of the French, he was exiled to the island of {{w|Elba}}. However, in February of 1815 Napoleon escaped back to France, quickly raised an army, and overthrew the {{w|Bourbon Restoration}} monarchy for a period known as {{w|Hundred Days|The Hundred Days}}. At the end of this period (actually lasting 111 days), Napoleon was defeated by British and Prussian forces at the {{w|Battle of Waterloo}}, and surrendered a month later. This time he was exiled to {{w|Saint Helena}}, an island much more remote than Elba—in fact, one of the most remote places on Earth.

In reality, Napoleon made no serious attempts to escape Saint Helena, and died there six years after his surrender. However, this comic imagines a world in which Napoleon escaped once again, swimming back to Europe. Saint Helena is 1,200 miles (2,000 km) from the Afro-Eurasian landmass, making such a swim rather implausible. And Napoleon is depicted fresh out of the water, suggesting that he did not simply swim to Africa and make his way back to Europe, but rather swam straight to Europe, a journey of roughly 3,800 miles (6,100 km).

The comic implies that Napoleon proves impossible to confine. In addition to being able to swim impossible distances, he seems to also somehow escape imprisonment in the ice of Antarctica. He also seems to be immortal, remaining alive and apparently in great physical condition while nearly 200 years old. The final panel shows U.S. President {{w|John F. Kennedy}}'s {{w|"We choose to go to the Moon"}} speech, but implies an alternate ending to the line "not because it is easy, but because it is hard." Rather, it appears that we choose to go to the Moon not because it is easy, but because there's no other way to get rid of Napoleon.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
:Soldiers: "This is Napoleon. He tried to take over the world."
:Officer: "Exile him to Elba!"

:Soldiers: "It's us again. Napoleon escaped from Elba and tried to conquer the world. Again."
:Officer: "Send him someplace truly remote, like Saint Helena."
:Officer: "Yes, sir."

:Several Years Later...
:Soldiers: "Well, he swam back."
:Officer: "We must mount an expedition to the south pole, where we will encase Napoleon in the Antarctic ice!"

:A century later...
:President: "{{w|We choose to go to the Moon}}, not because it is easy..."

{{comic discussion}}

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1510: Napoleon