The Enigma of the 3rd Message

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## L'énigme du 3ème message

### Publish date

1986 (Part 1)
 1988 (Part 2)

### Pages

48 (Part 1)
 66 (Part 2)

**The Enigma of the Third Message** (*L'énigme du 3ème message*) is a French pastiche by a Swiss artist only known as Herpé. It was originally published in two parts and contains references to libertarian conspiracy theories. *Enigma* follows Tintin living during the Cold War, and experiencing the end of the world.

## Story

### Part one

On April 1st 1986, a scientist named Professor Cataplasme declares that the end of the world is coming on November 1st, but no one believes him due to this conference taking place on April Fool's Day. However, Tintin keeps thinking about the professor's warning. Two weeks later, Tintin goes to visit Professor Phostle's observatory, and the group is horrified to see Halley's Comet is heading straight for Earth. While on the train, Tintin meets a fellow passenger who tells him all about how this meteor was originally foretold by Nostradamus.

This situation is not fully explained to the public so there will not be a worldwide mass hysteria. Meanwhile, scientists struggle to find a way to deflect the comet as soon as possible, and politicians make deals with each other on how they can survive the possible incoming apocalypse. The Soviet Union and the United States are embroiled in backroom discussions, and the Vatican has two potential psychics kidnapped - an elderly nun and a young girl - and tries to get visions of the future from them. Captain Haddock suddenly realizes his feelings for Bianca Castafiore and the two attempt to date.

Professor Calculus is commissioned to design a comet counter measure, and after some hiccups, he begins leading the construction of a laser. It is now September, and Tintin and Haddock are investigating what exactly governments around the world are doing about the comet. They discover a large crew of wealthy celebrities, mobsters, and politicians are planning to flee Earth on a rocket - one of them being Castafiore and her new paramour Colonel Sponsz. Tintin realizes the situation is more dire than they previously thought, and that Earth is doomed.

### Part two

It is now October. Politicians around the world finally release news to the public: Halley's Comet is headed directly towards Earth. Calculus's team finishes building an enormous laser to shoot down the comet before it can make impact. In Vatican City, a new pope has been appointed, Pope Ratzky (secretly Rastapopoulos). In the Middle East, Emir Ben Kalish Ezab shuts off international exports of oil, and foreign forces stir up chaos in the area in an attempt to gain control of the oilfields. The Thompsons are shot by a firing squad. and their identical wives are informed of the tragedy.

The rocket full of rich people is launched into space. Among them are Colonel Sponsz, Castafiore, and Calculus, who has been brought along in case of technical difficulties. Back on Earth, the world descends into chaos. Tintin and Haddock begin to trek on foot to Switzerland, but Haddock slowly loses his mind and walks off into the Swiss mountainside alone. Tintin and Milou make it to the village of Zermalt and try to find a place to stay. On the way through town, Tintin encounters a prostitute named Lola (portrayed by one of Cosmos Pictures's actresses) and after a brief internal moral debate, Tintin enters a hotel with her. He spends several minutes with her, but becomes smitten with her after he goes home for the night. Later, Captain Haddock is blearily drunk at a nearby pub, mourning his failed relationship with Castafiore. He gets kicked out of the pub, and loudly walks down the street; a woman living nearby chides him for being so loud, and Haddock throws a rock at her, which gets him arrested.

November 1st finally comes. Tintin and Milou brace for impact from the comet, and tremors rock Zermalt...but the comet misses Earth. Tintin goes out to find Haddock and celebrate, but he soon realizes those tremors came from a gas explosion at the police station. The building has collapsed with many people inside, including Haddock. At the Vatican, Pope Ratzky congregates with the Vatican's secret council. He overpowers the council and breaks into the building's secret treasure vault, where he burns a document containing missing portions of the Bible. Meanwhile, the rocket full of rich passengers sees a meteor heading towards them; they excitedly try to watch it pass by but their rocket collides with it, and it explodes.

Humanity descends into chaos as several various acts of violence happen all over the world, including nuclear warfare. Tintin, Haddock, and Milou struggle to find their way home in spite of the chaos around them. They eventually make it back to Marlinspike Hall, but discover the building has been ransacked, and Nestor has purchased it to prevent the bank from repossessing it. Nestor is now the master of Marlinspike and Haddock must be his butler. Tintin begins to bond with Nestor, and he lives in peace playing chess and daydreaming about Lola. The group carries on, unaware that they are all slowly succumbing to radiation poisoning.

## Production

*The Enigma of the Third Message* opens with a letter signed by "Herpé", a reference to Hergé, and the letter likewise claims this is an unfinished Hergé manuscript that he wished to have published after his death. In reality, "Herpé" was actually an anonymous Swiss cartoonist. The most publicly known about the artist comes from their postscripts, wherein they claim to come from "Piogre", a Swiss-Francophone name for a far-off fictional place (similar to "La La Land"in English). Piogre was also member of the Ateliers Libertaires Geneva art collective. They are a comic shop and production group in Geneva, Switzerland with a focus on libertarian and anarchist works. *Enigma* contains many references to libertarian beliefs, with its plot revolving around the idea that world governments are exploiting their people.

## Availability

*The Enigma of the Third Message* was first released in Geneva in 1986. Its first part was released in autumn 1986, its second part in summer 1988, and then compiled into a single book in 1990. Original physical copies of Enigma are very rare and generally only in the hands of dedicated collectors. Pirate editions have been circulated over the years, but digital versions are readily available, including from the original creator; semi-official eBook versions of *Enigma* are available on their vanity site. The author encourages pirate versions and this has led to many revised and altered editions.

## References

1. ↑ Atelier de creation libertaire (aclibertaire) - Profile | Pinterest
2. ↑  Tintin - Pastiches, parodies & pirates - The Riddle of the 3rd Message - 1st part
3. ↑ TINTIN | L'énigme du 3ème message