The Complete Carl Barks #20

In "Zio Paperone e il pirata Spazzola," Scrooge McDuck ventures to the treacherous Gloomgurgle Straits in the North Pacific, where his gold-laden ships have been vanishing without a trace. There, he uncovers a chilling deception: the lighthouse keepers at Raider Nick's Reef are none other than the Beagle Boys, using an inflatable rubber ghost ship to scare off rivals and steal his treasure—fueled by the legend of the long-lost pirate Raider Nick.

Archimede Pitagorico, ever the inventive mind, is eager to enjoy his new pool—but he’s mortified at the thought of neighbors finding out he can’t swim. To save face, he devises a series of increasingly elaborate contraptions to fake his aquatic skills, all while trying to keep up the illusion.

In "Zio Paperone e il favoloso magnate," Longhorn Tallgrass welcomes Scrooge and Donald to his ranch, proudly showcasing his wealth and recent success—unaware that one of his guests is the very man he once borrowed money from. The tension builds as Longhorn’s boasts take on a new edge, setting the stage for an unexpected reckoning.

Scrooge and Gyro embark on a wild trip to the Moon in search of a material strong enough to carve into Scrooge’s new impenetrable money bin—after he accidentally destroys the only copy of its combination. There, they discover the perfect substance: a comet’s head—but their return journey takes a dangerous turn when their rockets catch fire, forcing them to make a desperate decision.

In "Paperino e la sfida Natalizia," Donald Duck faces a holiday challenge when he lets his nephews choose their own gift—a massive Ferris wheel. To fund it, he and the family head to Canada to retrieve the 100-foot Christmas tree Scrooge has purchased for the town square, after a bet with Ollie Eiderduck. But when Eiderduck tries to avoid losing his wager, he sends the Beagle Boys north to sabotage the mission.

In "Zio Paperone e la luna a 24 carati," Scrooge McDuck launches into space on a high-stakes race to claim a newly discovered moon made entirely of solid gold, dodging the Beagle Boys and other rivals along the way. When he finally lands on the glittering surface, he’s stunned to find that Muchkale, the wealthiest being on Venus, has already claimed it.