They are themselves raided by the Black Martians. Black Martians (First Born) Supposedly the inhabitants of a Martian moon, the Black Martians actually live along the coast of both the Sea of Korus and the subterranean Sea of Omean near the south pole. (As such, they are apparently the only Martians who know how to swim.) They call themselves the 'First Born', believing themselves a unique creation among Martian races, and worship Issus, the false deity of the Martian religion. They raid the White Martian Therns carrying off girls as slaves, and have a massive aerial navy, which John Carter defeats. The girls serve as handmaidens for Black Martian women, and they may also be chosen by Issus to serve her for one year, after which they are always put to death. Like the Therns, the Black Martians also enslave some of the Red Martians who come down the Iss, but not the Greens, which they consider unworthy. Religious deception There are a number of incidents of religious deception, or the use of superstition by those in power to control and manipulate others, in the Barsoom series. This theme was introduced in A Princess of Mars, but is central to The Gods of Mars. Upon reaching 1,000 years of age almost all Martians undertake a pilgrimage along the River Iss expecting to find a valley of paradise; but find in fact a deathtrap, populated by ferocious creatures and overseen by a race of cruel, cannibal priests known as Therns, who perpetuate the Martian religion through a network of spies across the planet. John Carter's battle to track down the remnants of the Therns and their masters, continues in the sequel The Warlord of Mars. More deceitful priests in a theocratic nation appear in The Master Mind of Mars, where they manipulate a temple idol to control followers. Burroughs continued this theme in his Tarzan novels. Burroughs was not anti-religious; but was concerned by the abuse and exploitation of religious belief, and saw this as a common feature of organized religion. Characters John Carter: Earthman Captain John Carter, a "gentleman of Virginia", is a soldier of fortune after his service as an officer in the Confederate army. After the war he moved to the southwest US to work as a prospector. In 1866 he and his prospector partner strike it rich; but the partner is killed by American Indians and Carter