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{{work|wppage=Flash Gordon}}
{{trope list needs context}}
[[File:FlashGordonComic_2869.jpg|frame]]
{{quote|''"'''FLASH!!! Aaaaaaah-aaaaah! Saviour of-the-universe!'''"''|''[[Queen]], in the theme song to the 1980 [[Flash Gordon (
'''''Flash Gordon''''' is a classic science fiction comic written and drawn by Alex Raymond in the year 1934 and published by King Features. It tells the story of Flash Gordon, an athlete who travels with reporter Dale Arden and Dr Hans Zarkov in a rocket Zarkov built to the planet Mongo, ruled by [[Yellow Peril|Ming the Merciless]] ([[Fu Manchu]] {{smallcaps|[[Recycled in Space|IN SPACE]]}}). Flash sets to incite revolution. But wait! Dale is in love with him, and so is [[Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter|Princess Aura!]] They are aided by Prince Barin of Arboria, Prince Vultan of the Hawkmen and Queen Desira of Tropica. Later stories featured Flash and company traveling to other planets, but the Mongo story arc is by far the most famous.
Although originally a comic strip, there have been several adaptations of the story: first was the [[Flash Gordon Serial
None of these are nearly as well known or as fun as the 1980 live-action movie adaptation, aptly titled ''[[Flash Gordon (
And then you have the animated adaptations... including one in advance of the 1980 movie by [[Filmation]], the people who did ''[[Star Trek:
Trope codifier for [[Space Opera]] and [[Raygun Gothic]], along with ''[[Buck Rogers]]'' of course. Famous for the serials' [[Opening Scroll]].
An enormous influence on ''[[Star Wars]]'': indeed, George Lucas wanted to make a Flash Gordon movie until Dino De Laurentiis, who held the rights, said no. Considering the massive flop the movie was, Dino might have done better if he'd taken George up on the offer.
{{tropelist}}
* [[Art Evolution]]: Alex Raymond's method of drawing notably evolved and improved as the series progressed. For a time he used a dry-brush drawing style with lots of hatching, as was common in [[Pulp Magazine]] black-and-white interior illustrations. Later, he switched to a clearer line style, used in conjunction with [[Prince Valiant]]-esque still images that mimicked paintings.
** When the strip began, the people on planet Mongo all had [[Yellow Peril|yellow skin]] ([[Off-Model|most of the time, anyway]]). Plus, Princess Aura was a redhead, and Prince Barin was bald. A few years in, the yellow skin-tone was dropped and the humanoid denizens of Mongo [[Race Lift|started being drawn as white]]. At the same time, Aura became a blonde and Barin suddenly sprouted a full head of black hair (which the strip lampshaded as him defying Ming's decrees on proper court fashion).
* [[And Now You Must Marry Me]]{{context}}
* [[Badass Normal]]{{context}}
* [[Bald of Awesome]]: Barin (until he defies Ming's fashion decrees by growing his hair out)
* [[Bald of Evil]]: Ming
* [[Bathe Her and Bring Her
* [[Bare Your Midriff]]{{context}}
* [[Beard of Evil]]{{context}}
* [[Beast Man]]: Several races of Mongo, including Lion Men, Hawk Men, Fang Men, Ape Man (red and not), Blue Dragon men, Panther Men and so on.
* [[Beneath the Earth|Beneath Mongo]]: The Cavern World of Syk.
* [[Big Damn Heroes]]{{context}}
* [[Big Fun]]: Vultan's got a belly on him.
* [[Boisterous Bruiser]]: Vultan
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* [[The Emperor]]: Ming the Merciless.
* [[The Empire]]: Mongo.
* [[Everything's Better
* [[Evil Laugh]]{{context}}
* [[Femme Fatale]]: Aura, though she does a [[Heel Face Turn]].
* [[Five-Man Band]]: In the first volumes at least, there's the following scheme:
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** [[The Big Guy]]: Thun
** [[The Chick]]: Dale
* [[Give the Villain a Hero's Funeral]]: Villainous inversion. [https://comics.ha.com/itm/original-comic-art/comic-strip-art/dan-barry-flash-gordon-daily-comic-strip-original-art-group-of-7-king-features-syndicate-1986-/a/122123-11868.s One arc featured Emperor Ming capturing Flash Gordon], having doctors treat him, and then doing a public execution. Afterward, he erects a large ostentatious tomb where Flash's body will rest for eternity, to break the rebellion's spirit. Fortunately, a doctor helped Flash fake his death in thanks for a life debt, and he graffitied: "MING LIES; FLASH GORDON LIVES" on the tomb before making his getaway.
* [[Good Hair, Evil Hair]]{{context}}
* [[Green-Skinned Space Babe]]: Yellow-skinned, here. For the first several years at least.
* [[Heroes Prefer Swords]]: Really, now.
* [[Heel Face Turn]]: Vultan, Aura, Azura... actually, a ''lot'' of Flash's allies started out as antagonists.
* [[I Gave My Word]]{{context}}
* [[It's Up to You]]: Only a wayward athlete can save the earth.
* [[Ivy League]]: Flash is a Yale man.
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* [[Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter]]: Not so much Mad Scientist as Emperor, but still a major influence.
* [[Mirror Morality Machine]]: Azura brainwashes Flash for a while.
* [[Mix-and-Match Critters]]{{context}}
* [[Ms. Fanservice]]: Aura
* [[Multicultural Alien Planet]]: Because the comic is set entirely on Mongo and doesn't do any standard planet hopping (at least, not until the strip's later years), Mongo is an [[Loads and Loads of Races|incredibly diverse planet.]]
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* [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast]]: Ming the Merciless.
* [[Petting Zoo People]]: Lion Men, among others.
* [[Planet of Hats]]{{context}}
* [[Planetary Romance]]: For one thing, Aura and the various moons of Mongo.
* [[Power Trio]]: Flash, Dale and Zarkov
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* [[Raygun Gothic]]: The ''entire concept'' of ''Flash Gordon'' embodies the trope.
** [[Retro Rocket|Retro Rockets]]: Your classic cigar-shaped rockets with tail fins. In the film serials, they actually puff smoke!
* [[Rewarded
* [[Robin Hood]]: The obvious visual inspiration for Barin and the Arborians.
* [[Schizo-Tech]]: ''So'' much! But totally justified by [[Rule of Cool]].
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** The 1950s TV show was set over a thousand years in the future.
* [[Underwater City]]: Corallia
* [[Weird Science]]{{context}}
* [[White Anglo Saxon Protestant]]: Flash Gordon is a Yale man and champion polo player.
* [[Winged Humanoid]]: The Hawkmen, although not the delicate beings you'd expect...
* [[Yellow Peril]]: Ming, Ming, Ming! Oddly enough, the theme song to the movie became incredibly popular in Japan. It helps a lot that Ming looks [[Chinese People|Chinese]] rather Japanese; that the two were at war at the time; and Max Von Sydow basically plays [[Large Ham|himself]] in oriental drag (in the [[Flash Gordon (
* [[Zeerust]]
=== Other adaptations provide examples of: ===
* [[Adaptation Distillation]]: The tragically little-known 1988 DC Comics adaptation.
* [[Aliens Speaking English]]{{context}}
* [["Hey You!" Haymaker]]: Used by the title character in one live-action TV Remake when he taps a [[Mook]] on the shoulder and slugs him when he turns around.
* [[Sensible Heroes, Skimpy Villains]]{{context}}
{{reflist}}
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:US Canadian Comics]]
[[Category:Newspaper Comics]]
[[Category:Radio]]
[[Category:Science Fiction Comic Books]]
[[Category:
[[Category:
[[Category:Newspaper Comics of the 1950s]]
[[Category:Newspaper Comics of the 1960s]]
[[Category:Newspaper Comics of the 1970s]]
[[Category:Newspaper Comics of the 1980s]]
[[Category:Newspaper Comics of the 1990s]]
[[Category:Newspaper Comics of the 2000s]]
[[Category:Comic Books]]
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