the Serial Box Presents... Flash Gordon III

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actually, it's "Flash Gordon Space Soldiers Conquer the Universe!
12 chapters, Alpha Video, Larry "Buster" Crabbe as Flash, Charles Middleton as Ming and others.

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this serial is form 1940

the Purple Death, which leaves only a purple spot on it's victim's foreheads is ravaging the Earth. Flash, Dale and Dr. Zarkov are already en route to Mongo. they encounter another spaceship dropping dust on the Earth. an aerial battle ensues!

Flash tricks the other ship into believing they were shot down, and they follow behind to Prince Barin's palace. a happy reunion takes place, even after they find out Ming is still alive.

Ming's head mad scientist plans to refine the Purple Death so that it only affects Ming's enemies. he plans to execute some of Ming's enemies, and Barin's man on the inside tells our heroes of this.

off they go, leaving the women behind (including Queen Frida/Fria?). they get there just in time! but then Ming interupts before they get out, and Ming wants to test the Death Dust on our heroes! Zarkov says it's something Ming was working on when he was there before.

Flash rushes in just in time! naturally, a battle ensues! Flash is forced into a pit!

next chapter- no title?

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here we go!

"The Purple Death,"
"Freezing Torture,"
"Walking Bombs,"
"The Destroying Ray,"
"The Palace Of Terror,"
"Flaming Death,"
"The Land Of The Death,"
"The Fiery Abyss,"
"The Pool Of Death,"
"The Death Mist,"
"Stark Treachery,"
"Doom Of The Dictator."

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this chapter begins with a scroll... looks very familiar...

Flash defeats the giant and is rescued from the pit. Ming is annoyed (i bet this happens a lot). he puts a bounty on Flash's head. Ronald (i think) overhears Ming tell his guard that he wants "polarite" from Frigia.

Flash's party escapes and they go after the polarite. there's an eville female spy in their midst, though. Ming has his men waiting for them.

before they leave the ship, Zarkov has a special spray to put on their faces to prevent freezing. it also prevents seeing their breath being so cold. they go traipsing up the mountainside to get the polarite. suddenly, Dale slips and Flash naturally goes to rescue her.

Ming's ship is still patrolling and looking for our heroes. Flash rescues Dale, and off they go around the rim of the crater. Ming's men see them and start dropping bombs on them. this of course, causes an avalanche which sweeps our heroes into a crevasse!

next episode: Walking Bombs

i've discovered that these are probably tv prints that Alpha has used, which is why there are no next epiosde titles. weird, huh?

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i gotta say, i keep hearing Queen's "Flash" theme when i watch these episodes.

Zarkov and paks think Flash and friends are goners, but they miraculously survive. Barin is injured (i think it's Barin) and Flash tries to contact Zarkov.

another spaceship battle ensues. Zarkov drives off Ming's ship, then returns to the avalanche site. Flash gets through to Zarkov and the rescue party is sent out. there's some interesting use of stock footage here, being used as the search party and some footage shot over an icy mountain. the music used is NOT very menacing, so there's no real sense of danger- we KNOW they will be rescued! they find our heroes soon enough.

Zarkov won't let them start mining for 24 hours so he can make sure they don't suffer from exposure. Ming's men can't figure out how they can survive in Frigia's atmosphere - "probably due to some invention of that genius Zarkov, no wonder Ming wants him alive." they land and send out the robots- the EXPLODING robots, that is. they are immune to Flash's ray gun, and they explode on contact! oh no! Dale falls and Flash gets blown up!

next: the Destroying Ray

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the bombs knock Flash out and take Dale and Zarkov to Torch, Ming's commander. Flash and his men decide to help Earth overcome the purple death, then rescue their friends.

Flash tells his father he will drop the polarite on the top of Mt. McKinley so they can destroy the death dust with it. and they do- then they go back to get Dale and Zarkov.

as they return to Mongo, another dogfight ensues. Flash lands and Ming's men brave the cold to get to his ship and are promptly captured.

they take Ming's ship to Ming's palace, but Torch alerts the guards by shouting through the ship walls.

Ming plans to punish Zarkov for refusing to work for Ming. he's going to get zapped into nothingness at the 11th hour. Flash and Barin are battling away to help him. at least i think it's Barin. Flash leaps in to save Zarkov as the ray hits him!

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Roka arrives in time to zap the clock which stops the ray. Flash and Roka have to run and leave Zarkov to Ming's tender mercies.

Dale slaps the blond woman, and makes friends with the female prisoner from Arboria (who looks a bit scared of our heroine).

Ming makes Zarkov an offer he can't refuse (doesn't he do this in each serial?). Zarkov talks his fellow prisoner into revolting against Ming while Roka and Flash search for Dale. they dress up like guards and follow another guard who is transfering Dale to another cell. this sounds SO familiar to me... now where could i have heard that before... Succeeding in this plan, they all go to rescue Zarkov. Zarkov decides to stay to help them escape, and gives Flash a radio for them to communicate.

Flash is discovered, but Roka is the one left to guard him, so they can escape. Ming is upset at his men (again, or perhaps still). He wants Dale taken alive, and doesn't care about Flash. Zarkov's pal gives him the way to join up with Flash and friends.

meanwhile, Ming's flunkies booby trap our heroes' ship. They get there and another battle ensues. Roka leaves in their ship, and it catches on fire. Flash goes to his rescue in another ship. he attempts the ship to ship rescue, while Dale pilots. he boards the flaming ship via rope, ties the unconsious Roka up, lowers him out to the other ship,. then slides down ending the rescue.

whew!

meanwhile, Barin thinks the Ming ship is an enemy and the radio is dead! Barin gets the destructo-ray to blast the "enemy'!

next- #6

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Barin keeps blasting at Flash and pals. fortunately Flash has a code to send to Barin to let him know it's them. Barin sends a grapple to transfer them to his ship.

Ming plans to attack the Earth at once. Ming plans to destroy Arboria with his new weapon. Zotrenellium, the fire metal (or something like that) is the name of the weapon.

Princess Aura is out riding her unicorn and is captured (her maiden in waiting is a traitor, or loyal to Ming, you decide which is which). Once back with Ming, Aura gives him a royal reeming. Ming sends the woman and her consort to destroy Barin's lab.

Zarkov puts his invention in Flash's ship and they await Ming's attack. Sure enough, Ming fires a projectile. Flash goes down to the crash site (Zarkov's invention is a "contra-thermal wave") to explode the projectile. Suddenly the wave machine fails!

Flash explodes!

can't believe it's been this long! i'll finish up soon, you watch.

wow, there is a lot of scientific gobbleydegook in this episode- i thought only Star Trek did stuff like that!

next- #7

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or]it's a Thermal Control Wave.

Flash climbs out of the way just in time and gets back to the ship, where Dale and Ronal touch him despite the heat. he goes back out to finish the job.

meanwhile, Ming bombs Barin's palace. Ming's ship pretends to crash so Barin's ships won't follow them down. Ming is upset at his minions, and orders them to infiltrate Barin's castle.

Zarkov has a new weapon that is a magnetic gun. they plan to go to the Land of the Dead to use it. legend has it a race of Rock Men used to live there...

Captain Torch is sent to the Land of the Dead to stop Zarkov and Flash. they lay a mine! the eville villains!

however, the Rock Men capture the woman. they are also menaced by a large lizard. they also grab Torch and his men while Flash and pals land. Flash and party head toward the mine while looking for a cave, then the battle is on and the mine goes off!

chapter 8, of course is next

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over a month, what am i watching these days?

the mine blast causes a rockslide which knocks out our heroes. after the Rockmen revive them, Zarkov talks to them and explains who was responsible for the explosion.the "language" is made by sound played backwards.

while returning to their underground kingdom the entire party is menaced by a giant iguana.

the king's son is missing fue to the explosion. our heroes break out to search for him, minus Dale who is being held captive. during which Dale engages in a catfight with Torch. she loses her communicator, and Ming finds out who his traitor is.

Flash and Zarkov find the king's son, but are having problems with some magnetic force. Zarkov goes back to tell the king, but has one of the iguanas in his way. meanwhile the other prisoners are being thrown into a pit of fire!

chapter 9 soon!

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the Rock Prince is held in place by a powerful lodestone.

Flash destroys the lodestone and saves the Prince. Roka and Dale escape from the Rockmen. they get recaptured, but Zarkov and Flash arrive in time to save them. the Rock Prince thanks Flash, and the Rock King gives them their freedom.

the villains make a break for it and head toward Flash's ship. Torch screams at the sight of one of the big iguanas, alerting Barin.

Flash and some Rock Soldiers surround the villains and a dustup occurs. they capture the terrible trio and plan on trying to get Ming to exchange them for Aura.

they land in the Dungeon Caverns at midnight to rescue Aura and the Prof. there's a pier sixer in the Caverns with four of Ming's guards and the alarm goes off. Ming has the flood gates opened! the water runs into a bottomless pit!

chapter 10 is next!

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Ming's captain (who is secretly on the good guys' side) diverts the water from the bottomless pit. Zarkov is injured and the gang leaves, but Ming doesn't know they are alive. some impressive miniature work here, but i think it's stock footage.

Ming overhears Flash's message about Flash not being drowned. Barin wants to attack Ming, but Ming plans an attack. Sonja tries to talk Flash into betraying Barin. that doesn't work, so she tricks the guard into opening her cell, then she frees Torch and Thong.yep, that's his name. i couldn't make that up.

Flash figures out it's not Karn they are talking to. Torch calls in Barin's patrols. Dale finds out they villains are free. Torch and Sonja take Dale prisoner. Ming's bomber appear! Flash and Torch battle while Dale and Sonja catfight. the bombs drop all around and Flash and Torch go over the edge!

CHapter 11

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Flash and Torch land in the moat, saving their lives. Ming's men pick up Dale and Sonja (since they dropped gas bombs) and take them back to Ming.

Flash and pals wait for Ming to make the first move. meanwhile Ming is upset at Sonja and Thong for losing ships and Torch. Ming contacts Flash and wants to exchange Dale for Torch.

the exchange takes place, but Ming has poisoned Dale, and Zarkov and Flash have to return her to Ming's palace for the antidote.

Ming plans to marry Dale, but knows Flash will be along to rescue her, so he sets up a booby trap- the door will explode when Flash opens it!

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here we go, the final chapter!

Flash apparently only takes a small charge from the electrified rug and they escape with the ladies.

Ming figures they may try to release Zarkov- which they do and another fist fight occurs. Ming's minions are no match for our heroes though!

Zarkov finds out where Ming's power comes from- he's SOLAR powered! how about that. Zarkov realizes this and tries to trick our heroes into coming out and surrendering. he claims he has a new explosive that can destroy the Earth if they don't surrender.

Flash gets on the ZO ship and plans on destroying it. he hopes there's a parachute on board! Captain Sudan gets word to Flash that Ming is in the tower control room. Sudan locks Ming and his minions in the tower, with only one other way to escape "but they will be too terrified to think of it."

Flash bails out and is rescued. the solarite bomb hits the tower and BOOM! destroying Ming saves the universe!

an OK serial, but needed something added. the end is rather anti-climactic. this was the last Flash Gordon serial. i am sure they left it open, just in case though. while not the best, it certainly is entertaining and for the price i enjoyed it.

next, i'll do some more of "The Batman" and put a poll up again, since i don't remember what else i've offered to do.