Can the Defenders of the Earth Save Us and the Planet?

Who will save the Earth from the ravages of Ming the Merciless? The Defenders of the Earth, that's who! Featuring characters out of three different King Features Syndicate comic strips from the 1930s - Flash Gordon, The Phantom, and Mandrake the Magician - Defenders of the Earth is a sci-fi animated TV series from 1986. Organized by Flash and Mandrake, the Defenders also include Mandrake's assistant Lothar, as well as their children - Rick Gordon (Flash's son), L.J. (Lothar's son), Kshin (the adopted son of Mandrake), and Jedda Walker (daughter of The Phantom) - as well as Dynac X, the Defender's computer containing the psyche of Flash Gordon's wife (Dale Arden) who was killed by Ming. Opposing these stalwart heroes is supervillain Ming the Merciless, who seeks to exploit Earth's natural resources. While Ming is the primary antagonist in Defenders of the Earth, he's not the only villain of the piece. The host of baddies includes his children (Kro-Tan and Castra), Garax, Mongor, Kurt Walker (The Phantom's brother), Queen Hadea, Graviton, the Sky Band, and Octon, an octopus-like artificial intelligence. Of course, anything this dramatic and exciting is bound to generate some fabulous Defenders of the Universe action figures, toys, and other merchandise. Look below!