1905 was a landmark year for European culture. During the last century, the "white man" reached the peak of colonialism. In 1905, two events would signify the end of the old world: the defeat of the white Russians by the yellow Japanese and the Odessa uprising. Corto Maltese will witness the first of the two. Hugo Pratt tells us a story with the central character Jack London, and through his own adventure, we witness Corto's encounter with Rasputin. This story prioritizes the characterization of the heroes and their environment, with less emphasis on action. The young sailor is presented at the end of this episode.