Accordingly of the Berlin Conference, the Congo Basin is guaranteed by King Leopold II of the Belgians, who governs the Congo Free State in individual union with the Kingdom of Belgium. The nation is nearly liquidation, Leopold having obtained gigantic measures of cash to fund the development of railroads and other foundation ventures. Accordingly, he sends his agent Léon Rom to secure the famous precious stones of Opar. Rom's undertaking is trapped and slaughtered, with just Rom surviving.

A tribal pioneer, Chief Mbonga, offers him the precious stones in return for an old foe: Tarzan. The man once called 'Tarzan', John Clayton III, the fifth Earl of Greystoke, has since a long time ago left Africa behind and settled down in London with his American-conceived spouse, Jane Porter, taking up his original name and familial family home as Lord Greystoke. In the a long time since coming back from Africa, John's story as Tarzan has turned out to be incredible among the Victorian open, despite the fact that John himself wishes to abandon the past him.

Through the British Prime Minister, John is welcomed by King Leopold to visit Boma and give an account of the improvement of the Congo by Belgium, however Greystoke obligingly decays the welcome. An American agent, George Washington Williams, who perceives John from the stories of 'Tarzan', secretly uncovers his doubts that the Belgians are subjugating the Congolese populace. Williams induces John to acknowledge the welcome with a specific end goal to demonstrate his doubts.

Jane is disillusioned when John says that she ought not come, as he supposes the outing would be excessively hazardous, recalling how both his folks passed on therefore of the wilderness' severity taking after their wreck there - his mom of illness and his dad later slaughtered by the Mangani gorillas - leaving the child John to be raised as Tarzan by his Mangani 'mother' Kala and 'sibling' Akut. In any case, Jane advises him that she experienced childhood in Africa also, and misses her home and companions there. John yields, and permits Jane to go with him.