| Flash Gordon is a science fiction comic strip originally drawn by Alex Raymond and first published on January 7, 1934. It was created to compete with Buck Rogers. The strip followed the adventures of Flash and his companions, Dr. Hans Zarkov and Dale Arden. The story begins with Dr. Zarkov's invention of a rocket ship, in which the three of them make a journey to the planet Mongo, where they are stranded. Mongo is inhabited by a number of different cultures that have been falling one by one under the domination of the vicious tyrant Ming the Merciless. The Flash Gordon comic strip has been translated into a wide variety of media, including motion pictures, television, and animated series. The most recent version, a Flash Gordon TV series, aired on the U.S. Sci Fi Channel. The 1980 film Flash Gordon stars Sam J. Jones in the title role, where Flash begins the film as the quarterback of the New York Jets instead of a polo player. It also features Melody Anderson as Dale Arden, Topol as Dr. Zarkov, Max von Sydow as Ming, Timothy Dalton as Prince Barin, Brian Blessed as Prince Vultan, and Ornella Muti as Aura. Although not a critical success, the film is noted for its musical score, which was composed and performed by Queen.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Flash Gordon" and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
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