The Sceptre and the Kingdom

Publisher	The Walt Disney Company Italy, Otter Press
First published	2002
Written by	Alessandro Sisti
Pencils by	Fabio Celoni
Inks by	Sonia Matrone, Riccardo Sisti
Colors by	Massimo Rocca, Litomilano
Letters by	Lara Martinelli
Page count	12

The Sceptre and the Kingdom is an Italian comic book adaptation of Kingdom Hearts. It was featured in Kingdom Hearts Official Game Magazine, published by Walt Disney Italy and distributed in local kiosks during the game's release in Europe, which was then localized in Spanish and distributed by GAME with the name El Cetro y el Reino as a pre-order bonus for Kingdom Hearts. The comic consists of 12 pages which tell an alternate story of Kingdom Hearts. An English localized edition of the magazine was later published by Otter Press in Australia.

Story[edit]

The first two pages seen in the Spanish localization of the comic.

On an otherwise normal day in Disney Castle, a winged creature resembling a Heartless suddenly appears in the courtyard, proclaiming that it intends to steal the legendary Fairy Spectre, then use it to uncover the Sword in the Stone and bring Great Britain under its rule. The figure vanishes with the Spectre after narrowly avoiding Goofy.

Minnie alerts Donald, who attempts to use his magic to transport Sora and Riku to wherever the figure has fled, but the spell fails and they are instead sent to La Cité des Cloches. They promptly bump into Judge Claude Frollo, who happened to be passing there. One of Frollo's thugs claims to have seen them appear out of nowhere, and Frollo declares witchcraft-practicing outlaws to be arrested and burned at the stake. Sora and Riku flee, unaware that they are being watched from above.

As they flee, they come across a beautiful young gypsy woman named Esmeralda, who helps them escape Frollo. Once they are safe, she introduces them to Quasimodo, a resident of Notre Dame cathedral. Sora asks Esmeralda if she happens to be the world's princess, but she claims that she is not. Riku looks over the balcony and Sora joins him, deciding that they may be able to find a door back to their own world. One of the gargoyles answers Sora, asking him what kind of door he seeks, and then takes him to the world's door, which opens a door to the next world, where the figure truly is.

Once in Britain (in a world based on The Sword in the Stone), Sora and Riku find the figure, who throws a magic attack at them, but a passing youth known as Wart throws water underneath the figure, causing it to slip, giving the owl Archimedes the chance to take back the Sceptre. With the weapon in Sora and Riku's hands, Archimides and Wart request help from Merlin to return them both to Disney Castle. The comic ends as they are sent back and return the Sceptre to its rightful place.