Ming the Merciless

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Ming the Merciless
Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940) 1.jpg
Ming as portrayed by Charles Middleton in Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940), seen with one of his dancers, actress Carmen D'Antonio.
Publication information
Publisher King Features Syndicate
First appearance Flash Gordon (January 21st, 1934) [As the "Emperor"]
Named: Flash Gordon (March 4th, 1934)
Created by Alex Raymond
In-story information
Abilities
  • Genius-level intellect
  • Access to advanced technology

Ming the Merciless is a fictional character who first appeared in the Flash Gordon comic strip in 1934. He has since been the main villain of the strip and its related movie serials, television series and film adaptation. Ming is depicted as a ruthless tyrant who rules the planet Mongo. [1]

Contents

Alex Raymond's comic strip

In the comic strip, when the heroic Flash Gordon and his friends land on the fictional planet, Mongo, they find it ruled by an evil emperor, a despot who quickly becomes their enemy. [2] [3] He was not named at first, only being known as "TheEmperor" until several issues later, when his name was revealed to be "Ming". [4]

The capital of his empire is named Mingo City in his honour. In addition to his army, Ming is shown to have access to a wide variety of science fiction gadgets, ranging from rocket ships to death rays to robots. Though evil, he has his weaknesses, which include a desire to marry Flash's beautiful companion, Dale Arden. [2] Ming's daughter Princess Aura is as evil as he is when the series begins, but is eventually reformed by her love for Flash, and later for Prince Barin of Arboria.

Flash and his companions escape from Ming's clutches and find allies among the peoples of Mongo, including Barin, Prince Vultan, Prince Thun and Queen Fria. [4] They organise a resistance movement against Ming's rule; the action of the resistance takes up much of the strip's story-lines. Ming was eventually overthrown, and Raymond pitted Flash against other enemies in the 1940s.

Later comic strips

During Austin Briggs's run on the Flash Gordon strip, he introduced Ming's son, Kang the Cruel. Kang became Flash's main antagonist during Briggs' run. [4] [5]

In the 1956 story "Return to Mongo", Dan Barry introduced Ming's identical son, Ming II. This Ming behaved similarly to his father, and became a semi-regular antagonist for Flash in Barry's strips. [6] In the 1957 story "The Time Pendulum", a descendant of Ming from the future, Ming XIII, travels back in time to kill Flash and thus ensure the victory of his ancestor. [7] Jim Keefe used Ming as Flash's main opponent during his run on the Flash Gordon comic strip. [4]

Comic books

In the 2011 Dynamite Comics Flash Gordon: Zeitgeist, Ming is shown as attempting to invade Earth in the year 1934. [8] As in the 1980 film, Ming's main henchman is the masked Klytus. In this version Klytus has the full name Klytus Ra Djaaran, and is described as Ming's Grand Vizier and head of Ming's secret police. [8] Ming is also shown as working with the Third Reich to conquer the planet. [8] The prequel, Merciless: The Rise of Ming depicts Ming's ascent to power over Mongo. Merciless depicts Ming as the son of Emperor Krang, and the husband of Auranae, who becomes Princess Aura's mother. [9] [10]

In the later Dynamite Flash Gordon comic, King's Watch (unconnected to the events in Flash Gordon: Zeitgeist) Ming uses a dimensional portal to send his troops to the planet Earth. Flash, Dale and Zarkov travel to Mongo to stop Ming's attack. [11] In the sequel story, Flash Gordon:The Man from Earth, Dale Arden learns that Ming uses special "Quantum Crystals" to expand his lifespan, and to travel to and conquer other star systems. Ming also forces some of Prince Barin's subjects to be enslaved, brainwashed, and turned into "Beastmen" warriors for Ming's army. Flash also witnesses a Mongo propaganda video which reveals Ming's full title as "Ming Gorzon-Hydraxus of Seledarqu". [12]

In other media

Radio

In the 1935 adaptation, The Amazing Interplanetary Adventures of Flash Gordon, Bruno Wick played Ming the Merciless. [13]

Films

Flash Gordon (serials)

In the Flash Gordon serials of the late 1930s-era, Ming was portrayed by actor Charles B. Middleton. In the first serial, he is apparently killed in a crematorium, in a possible suicide. He returns in the second serial in league with a Martian Queen, and using a Nitron Lamp to cause disasters on Earth. In Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940), he is once again ruler of Mongo, but is killed when he is locked inside his tower and Flash crashes a ship into it. Ming takes on a Hitler-like persona in this pre WWII 1940 serial with references to him as "Dictator" and his wearing of elaborate military uniforms. He is mocked with ridiculous plumed headwear.

Flash Gordon film (1980)

In the 1980 theatrical film, Ming (Max von Sydow), complaining of boredom, discovers Earth and unleashes various attacks on the planet. The film gives Ming a second-in-command, General Klytus, who is masked at all times and is attracted to Ming's daughter, Princess Aura. As in most versions, Ming is infatuated with Dale, whom he plans to marry. Ming's cruelty extends to his own daughter: in an effort to find Flash, he allows Klytus to continue torturing her, since she knows of his whereabouts. When Klytus is killed in the Hawkman city, Ming orders it to be destroyed. He offers Flash a chance to join him, rule a kingdom, and save Earth. Flash declines when he learns the Earth will be enslaved. Ming leaves him there to die, but Flash escapes on a rocket cycle.

At the climax of the film, Ming is impaled by his own war rocket, Ajax, of which Flash had taken control. After a vain attempt to stop Flash attacking him, he ultimately points his ring at himself and he vanishes. However, just before the credits begin, his ring is retrieved by an unknown individual, and the words "The End?" appear, as his evil laughter plays in the background, hinting he is not dead and has managed to transcend the narrative world of the film and infect our reality.

The soundtrack album by the rock band Queen includes "Ming's Theme".

Television

The New Adventures of Flash Gordon (1979)

In this 1979 animated version of Flash Gordon. Ming's voice was provided by Vic Perrin in the pilot movie; in the series he was replaced by Alan Oppenheimer, who would later go on to voice Skeletor in He-Man. [14] In this version, Ming's panoply is vividly displayed in the form of his vast fleet of battleships, drone rockets, armored trains, and his army of robots. He also employs Mongo's race of Lizard-Women as his enforcers in the mines of Mongo, as well as guards in his harem, and the primitive Beast-Men of Mongo not only serve him, but revere him as a god. In the fourth episode, "To Save Earth", Ming claims to be immortal. [15]

Defenders of the Earth animated series (1986–1987)

Ming served as the principal adversary in the 1980s Marvel animated series Defenders of the Earth , fighting against other King Features characters such as The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, Lothar, and of course Flash Gordon. In the opening episode, Ming successfully captures Dale Arden Gordon and her son Rick, and tears Dale's mind from her body, prompting a vengeful Flash to pursue him back to Earth to avenge her and prevent Ming from enslaving his world. Ming's base on Earth is in the depths of The Arctic and is called Ice Station Earth; his allies in this series are Garax, leader of the "Men of Frost", Ming's army of Ice Men, and Octon, a large tentacled battle computer.

This version of Ming also includes a son rather than a daughter at his side, Prince Kro-Tan; unlike Aura, he holds no love for any of the Defenders and considers both them and his father hindrances to his enslavement of the galaxy. Kro-Tan comes the closest to defeating his father in a five-part story where he successfully entraps Ming and takes over his forces, before Ming is released by the Defenders and takes his vengeance. Ming has two carrier spacecraft in this series, one of which is his "Throne Room", his main vessel, which could launch itself from the Arctic Ocean. This version is made more grotesque than his traditional appearance to avoid racial stereotyping, being portrayed as having green skin and pointed ears.

Flash Gordon animated series (1996)

In the 1996 animated series, Ming looks even more reptilian: he is a green, pointy-eared, sharp-toothed scaly alien, which cause the heroes to call him a "lizard". (Meanwhile, Aura has green skin, but is otherwise perfectly human.) In this version, Ming is presented as a more light-hearted, comic relief type of character.

Flash Gordon television series (2007–2008)

In the 2007 Sci-Fi Channel television series, Ming is portrayed by John Ralston as a clean shaven blond Caucasian. Executive producer David Hume has said that this interpretation of the character is "a Saddam Hussein kind of tyrant". [16]

This version of Ming the Merciless is a media-savvy tyrant, who controls the planet through a monopoly on the production of clean water. He uses this control to extort wealth and obedience from the populace. He dresses in a quasi-military garb and seems to have some sort of militaristic position in addition to his role as a Water Baron and emperor. Ming's primary assistant in this story is Rankol, a cyborg who is an expert technologist. [17]

Although as evil as ever, Ming is known as and addressed as "Benevolent Father". However, his people call him Ming the Merciless, because of his harsh and often brutal leadership. Ming was also known as Ming the Merciless during his military career and rise to power. He justifies everything he does as maintaining order and preventing a return to the chaos that occurred before he took power. Ming is depicted as having a son, Terek, whom he ordered killed at birth for being a Deviate. Later, it is revealed that Terek is not only alive, but that Terek's mother comes from a pure bloodline; this means that Ming is the source of Terek's deviation.

After Flash frees the planet's water reserves, the people of Mongo revolt against Ming when they discover that he has poisoned the planet's drinking water. Ming forms an alliance with Azura and her warriors in exchange for making her his queen, her army would battle against the rebels. She gives him an amulet. Ming is captured after a battle with Flash Gordon and Aura. Terek orders his execution. When Aura coldly tells her father 'good-bye', Ming finally admits he is proud of his daughter. Ming is placed inside a gas chamber. As the chamber filled with gas, Ming vanishes, having been teleported to safety by Azura's amulet.

Reception

Ming has often been connected to the Yellow Peril imagery of the era, in which tyrannous East Asian villains such as Fu Manchu were common. [18] [19] His East Asian appearance, his name, referencing the Ming dynasty of China, and the name of his planet Mongo, "a contraction of Mongol", [20] contribute to his Oriental identity.

Jonathan C. Friedman says that Ming and Fu Manchu were "the incarnations of the yellow peril in the Oriental crusade to conquer the world". [19] Peter Feng calls him a "futuristic Yellow Peril", quoting a reviewer who referred to him as a "slanty eyed, shiny domed, pointy nailed, arching eyebrowed, exotically dressed Oriental". [21]

According to Jim Harmon and Donald Glut, while Ming is modeled on Fu Manchu in the first Gordon serial, his appearance copies imagery of the devil in the second serial, Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars . [22]

Many parodies of Ming the Merciless have appeared in popular culture, including:

Australian Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies was nicknamed Ming the Merciless in part due to his preference for the traditional Scottish pronunciation of his surname. As a further extension of this nickname, the eponymous R G Menzies building at Monash University became colloquially known as the "Ming Wing". [24] Scottish politician Menzies Campbell [25] /ˈmɪŋɪs/ is sometimes nicknamed (with significant irony) "Ming the Merciless". Luke 'Ming' Flanagan, the Irish politician and cannabis legalisation campaigner, takes his name from his resemblance to Ming the Merciless.

In the 1989 edition of the Star Wars Sourcebook by Bill Slavicsek and Curtis Smith, a photograph of Max Von Sydow as Ming the Merciless from Flash Gordon is used to represent the character of the Grand Inquisitor, later voiced by Jason Isaacs in the first two seasons of the animated series Star Wars Rebels and portrayed by Rupert Friend in the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi .

In the Father Ted episode "Are You Right There Father Ted?", Ming is in one of Ted's slides to show he's not anti-Chinese as a joke because Ming is often criticised as a negative Chinese stereotype.

The British surreal sketch show Big Train features a Ming-style villain, portrayed by Mark Heap, going about mundane household tasks such as checking his answer phone and vacuuming.

Charles B. Middleton's portrayal of Ming from the 1930s serials appears during the opening titles of the Spanish dramedy The Last Circus (2010) by Alex de la Iglesia, along with classic movie monsters such as the Phantom of the Opera, Frankenstein's monster and Wolfman.

George Lucas has cited Ming the Merciless as a basis for Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader from the Star Wars series. [26]

Gene Wolfe's 1976 short story about the aftermath of a psychological experiment is called "When I Was Ming the Merciless". [27] [28]

An October 2001 installment [29] of the comic strip Get Your War On by David Rees featured one of the characters joking that George W. Bush would reveal himself to be Ming the Merciless at a press conference.

In 2007, Ming the Merciless was ranked number 2 on the Forbes Fictional 15. [30] The Chicago Sun-Times called him "the ultimate sci-fi tyrant", [31] and The Irish Times wrote that he is "simply the best – the tyrant's tyrant". [32]

Robert Wu portrays Quan Ming, who transforms into a version of Ming the Merciless during an hallucination that Sam J. Jones (the actor who plays Flash Gordon in the 1980 film) has in Seth MacFarlane's film, Ted (2012).

In the 2012 young adult novel Eleanor and Park , protagonist Eleanor Douglas puts eyeliner on her Korean American love interest Park Sheridan and makes a comment saying that he looks like Ming the Merciless; this quote is among many instances of the book that were accused of racism.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flash Gordon</span> Comic strip character created 1934

Flash Gordon is the protagonist of a space adventure comic strip created and originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by, and created to compete with, the already established Buck Rogers adventure strip.

<i>Flash Gordon</i> (serial) 1936 film serial

Flash Gordon is a 1936 superhero serial film. Presented in 13 chapters, it is the first screen adventure for Flash Gordon, the comic-strip character created by Alex Raymond in 1934. It presents the story of Gordon's visit to the planet Mongo and his encounters with the evil Emperor Ming the Merciless. Buster Crabbe, Jean Rogers, Charles Middleton, Priscilla Lawson and Frank Shannon portray the film's central characters. In 1996, Flash Gordon was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dale Arden</span> Fictional character appearing in Flash Gordon

Dale Arden is a fictional character, the fellow adventurer and love interest of Flash Gordon and a prototypic heroine for later female characters, including Princess Leia and Padme Amidala in Star Wars. Flash, Dale and Dr. Hans Zarkov fight together against Ming the Merciless.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mongo (fictional planet)</span> Primary setting of the Flash Gordon franchise

Mongo is a fictional planet where the comic strip of Flash Gordon takes place. Mongo was created by the comics artist Alex Raymond in 1934, with the assistance of Raymond's ghostwriter Don Moore. Mongo is depicted as being ruled by a usurper named Ming the Merciless, who is shown as a harsh and oppressive dictator.

<i>Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe</i> 1940 US film serial directed by Ford Beebe and Ray Taylor

Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe is a 1940 American black-and-white science-fiction 12-chapter movie serial from Universal Pictures, produced by Henry MacRae and co-directed by Ford Beebe and Ray Taylor. The serial stars Buster Crabbe, Carol Hughes, Charles B. Middleton, Frank Shannon, and Roland Drew. It was written by George H. Plympton, Basil Dickey, and Barry Shipman, and was adapted from Alex Raymond's syndicated newspaper comic strip of the same name from King Features Syndicate. Shown theatrically in 12 separate weekly "chapters", it was the last of the three Universal Flash Gordon serials made between 1936 and 1940.

Dr. Hans Zarkov is a fictional character appearing in the Flash Gordon comic strip and the following serials, films, television shows and comic books. Zarkov is a brilliant scientist who creates a rocket and forces Flash and Dale Arden to come with him to the planet Mongo, and fight against Ming the Merciless. In the original comic strip, he was first thought to have died when his ship crashed into the planet Mongo. It is later revealed that Ming's minions pulled him out of the wreckage. Zarkov's character in the 1980s DC comic was handled the same way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Vultan</span> Fictional character appearing in Flash Gordon

Prince Vultan is a fictional character in the Flash Gordon comic strip and its adaptations. Vultan is the ruler of the Winged Bird-Men, a race of flying extraterrestrials who dwell in Sky City, a metropolis that floats in the sky. He fits the archetype of the Viking: strong, hearty, and with a great appetite for life, food, drink, and women.

<i>Flash Gordons Trip to Mars</i> 1938 film

Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars is a 1938 Universal Pictures 15–chapter science-fiction movie serial based on the syndicated newspaper comic strip Flash Gordon. It is the second of the three Flash Gordon serials made by Universal between 1936 and 1940. The main cast from the first serial reprise their roles: Buster Crabbe as Flash Gordon, Jean Rogers as Dale Arden, Frank Shannon as Dr. Alexis Zarkov, Charles B. Middleton as Ming the Merciless, and Richard Alexander as Prince Barin. Also in the principal cast are Beatrice Roberts as Queen Azura, Donald Kerr as Happy Hapgood, Montague Shaw as the Clay King, and Wheeler Oakman as Ming's chief henchman. The serial was followed by Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940).

<i>Defenders of the Earth</i> 1986 animated television series

Defenders of the Earth is an American animated television series produced in 1986, featuring characters from three comic strips distributed by King Features Syndicate—Flash Gordon, The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, and Mandrake's assistant Lothar—opposing Ming the Merciless in the year 2015. Supporting characters include their children Rick Gordon, L.J., Kshin, and Jedda Walker.

<i>Flesh Gordon</i> 1974 film

Flesh Gordon is a 1974 American sex comedy feature film serving as a spoof of Universal Pictures's first Flash Gordon serial films from the 1930s. The film was produced by Walter R. Cichy, Bill Osco, and Howard Ziehm. It was co-directed by Ziehm and Michael Benveniste, who also wrote the screenplay. The cast includes Gregory Loquist, Suzanne Fields, John Hoyt and William Dennis Hunt. It was distributed by Mammoth Films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Aura</span> Fictional character appearing in Flash Gordon

Princess Aura is a fictional character in the Flash Gordon comic strips and serials. She has been portrayed by various actresses in the many Flash Gordon adaptations in film and television.

Prince Barin is a character in the Flash Gordon stories. He is king of a region of Mongo called Arboria. Barin becomes one of Flash's best friends, and is deeply in love with Princess Aura. In his appearance, Barin resembles the character of Robin Hood.

<i>Flash Gordon</i> (film) 1980 film by Mike Hodges

Flash Gordon is a 1980 space opera superhero film directed by Mike Hodges, based on the King Features comic strip of the same name created by Alex Raymond. The film stars Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Ornella Muti, Max von Sydow and Topol, with Timothy Dalton, Mariangela Melato, Brian Blessed and Peter Wyngarde in supporting roles. The film follows star quarterback Flash Gordon (Jones) and his allies Dale Arden (Anderson) and Hans Zarkov (Topol) as they unite the warring factions of the planet Mongo against the oppression of Ming the Merciless, who is intent on destroying Earth.

<i>Flash Gordon</i> (1996 TV series) American animated TV series

Flash Gordon is a 1996 animated television series based on the sci-fi comic strip of the same name. The character, who had been around in the comics pages since Alex Raymond created him in 1934, had recently starred in several film serials, a 1980 feature film, and two earlier cartoon series — The New Adventures of Flash Gordon and Defenders of the Earth.

<i>The New Adventures of Flash Gordon</i> 1979 animated television series

The New Adventures of Flash Gordon, also known as The Adventures of Flash Gordon, is a 1979–1982 animated television series. The series is actually called Flash Gordon but the expanded title is used in official records to distinguish it from previous versions. Filmation produced the series in 1979, partly as a reaction to the mammoth success of Star Wars in 1977. The series was an homage to the original Flash Gordon comic strip and featured many of the original characters, including Flash's girlfriend Dale Arden, and the scientist Hans Zarkov. The series is still regarded as one of the most faithful adaptations, and one of Filmation's finest overall efforts.

Prince Thun is a fictional character who appeared in various forms of the Flash Gordon comic strip and film productions. He is a Lion Man of Mongo and one of Flash's most trusted friends. His Father is King Jugrid, ruler of the Lion Men, and one of the three mightiest rulers of Mongo.

Flash Gordon is a short-lived science fiction television series that debuted on Sci-Fi in the United States on August 10, 2007 and continued airing new episodes through February 8, 2008. It has also appeared on the British/Ireland variant of Sci-Fi and Space in Canada. The series was developed by Peter Hume, who served as executive producer/show runner and wrote the first and last episodes, among others.

<i>Flash Gordon: The Greatest Adventure of All</i> 1982 US animated science fiction-film

Flash Gordon: The Greatest Adventure of All is a 1982 animated television film produced by Filmation and written by Samuel A. Peeples. It was broadcast on NBC on August 21, 1982.

<i>Purple Death from Outer Space</i> 1966 American film

Purple Death from Outer Space is a 1966 American black-and-white science fiction film directed by Ford Beebe and Ray Taylor. It is the first of two feature-length compilations of the 1940 serial Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe. The second, Perils from the Planet Mongo, was released the same year.

<i>Flash Gordon Classic</i> 2015 film

Flash Gordon Classic is a 2015 animated fan film made by Robb Pratt. It is a remake of "The Tunnel of Terror", the second episode of the 1936 Flash Gordon serial.

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